Do you really know what you want in a romantic partner? The answer is….no. How often have you heard that men want women with great bodies and women want a good provider? Do you agree with it? It may not be true at all. Surprised? Learn more about what women (and men) really want in this fascinating study conducted in of all places a speed dating event. Psychology studies finally get interesting for subjects!

Resources on Romance

• Eastwick, P. W., & Finkel, E. J. (2008). Sex differences in mate preferences revisited: Do people know what they initially desire in a romantic partner? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 245-264.
• Paul W. Eastwick’s website
• Eli J. Finkel’ website
• Nisbett, R. E., & Bellows, N. (1977). Verbal reports about causal influences on social judgments: Private access vs. public theories. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 613 624.

 

 Speed Dating: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Trying to get in shape and lose weight? What’s the psychology behind getting in shape? Well, first forget the psychobabble. In this episode of The Psych Files podcast I examine two established theories of human motivation - goal setting and expectancy theory. If you’ve tried the Atkins diet, the south beach diet some other low carb diet plan or even (yikes!) a lemonade diet, then it’s time to try something different - get into your head just a little bit and see what’s going on in there. Join me for a different perspective on weight loss, exercise and fitness.

Resources on Motivation and Getting in Shape

• I highly recommend the Fitness Rocks podcast which is hosted by Dr. Monte Ladner. Excellent podcast. I’m a subscriber.
• I mentioned that I was getting excellent advice from a nutritionist on how to eat healthily. Jeanne Cooper practices Integrative Nutrition. Highly recommended.
• Here’s an interesting article that appeared in UCLA’s Daily Bruin entitled, "Food restriction not effective long-term weight-loss solution". This is the one that mentions how some students are trying a lemonade diet to lose weight, not understanding that severe calorie restriction results in the body going into "starvation mode " and actually results in less weight loss. Here’s a quote from that article:
  

  Not eating enough food may become a problem because of metabolism decrease. When consuming fewer calories, the body thinks it is in starvation mode, so it wants to hold on to whatever calories it can and in fact will store them even more efficiently, said Dana Ellis, a cardiac dietitian at the UCLA Medical Center. As a result of food deprivation, the body starts to store every calorie as fat, according to an article by Sheri Barke, a dietitian at the UCLA Arthur Ashe Health and Wellness Center.

• You may have heard of the young man who is using the Nintendo Wii program called Wii Fitness to lose weight. Check out his site. Interesting if nothing else.

Check out below the voicethread I created to explain exactly how expectancy theory works using weight loss as an example. Click on the image below to listen and watch (use your mouse to move around) or go to this image on expectancy theory at the voicethread website. Sign up (it 's free) and you can comment on this image as well!

 

 The Psychology of Getting in Shape [29:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Interested in Music Therapy? Music therapy, which is often used with children with autism, can also be used in the classroom to help children learn patterns. In this interview music therapist Kamile Geist talks about types and techniques of music therapy along with her research in this fascinating field. On the website Kamile talks about courses and programs that will prepare you to be a music therapist, as well as how insurance programs deal with this type of therapy.
[display_podcast]

Resources on Music Therapy

• Here is a link from an article in Ohio University’s research publication about Kamile’s work with music and speech therapy (Kamile’s last name was O’Donnell at the time).
• Here is the American Music Therapy Association website which should give you some general information about music therapy.
• Here is a link to our current article published in NAEYC’s national journal Young Children on Math and Music
• Here is a link to the Music Therapy program at Ohio University where Kamile Geist teaches.
• Kamile Geist’s bio page on the Ohio University website.
• Here is an interview with Kamile and her colleague Louise Steele in which they talk about Music Therapy with autistic children.

 

 Music Therapy [37:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Music Therapy Courses and Degrees: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Insurance and Music Therapy: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download