The Psych Files Podcast http://www.thepsychfiles.com Psychology podcast and resources for students and educators Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:31:59 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 ThePsychFiles is a podcast for anyone interested in the topic of psychology and how theories in this field apply to everyday life. Dr. Michael Britt brings you an upbeat, fun podcast of interest to everyone from psychology majors to those just interested in why people do what they do. Michael Britt no Michael Britt michael@thepsychfiles.com michael@thepsychfiles.com (Michael Britt) 2007-2008 Psychology podcast and resources for students and educators psychology, human behavior, psych major, psych The Psych Files Podcast http://www.thepsychfiles.com/images/TPFnewLogo144x144.jpg http://www.thepsychfiles.com Ep 168: Reliability – the Foundation of Any Good Personality Test http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2012/01/ep-168-reliability-the-foundation-of-any-good-personality-test/ http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2012/01/ep-168-reliability-the-foundation-of-any-good-personality-test/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:17:02 +0000 Michael http://www.thepsychfiles.com/?p=2328 Can you tell your personality from what flavor ice cream you like? There are lots and lots of so called Personality tests on the web. How do you know when you’ve come across a good one? For example, are the inner workings of your personality revealed in the playlists you have on your smartphone or mp3 device?

In this episode we take a look at the first thing you should demand from any test – reliability. If you’re interested in psychology you are going to learn A LOT about the different kinds of reliability.

Types of Test Reliability

  • Test-Retest reliability: people should get about the same score every time they take your test. You can’t score highly on an introversion scale one week and then low the next week (well, you could, but then we’d know that the test is no good).

  • Split-Half reliability: if your test had 20 questions (and was measuring just one concept, like shyness) and we correlated the odd questions with the even ones we should get a high positive correlation.

  • Alternate Form reliability: in this scenario, psychologists create two questionnaires, both of which measure the same concept (again, such as shyness). We give you one form one week and the other form a week (or month) later. You should score about the same on both forms.

Resources on Personality and Reliability

Here’s the video of the crow having fun (?):

]]> http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2012/01/ep-168-reliability-the-foundation-of-any-good-personality-test/feed/ 2 Can you tell your personality from what flavor ice cream you like? There are lots and lots of so called Personality tests on the web. How do you know when you've come across a good one? For example, are the inner workings of your personality reveale... Can you tell your personality from what flavor ice cream you like? There are lots and lots of so called Personality tests on the web. How do you know when you've come across a good one? For example, are the inner workings of your personality revealed in the playlists you have on your smartphone or mp3 device? In this episode we take a look at the first thing you should demand from any test - reliability. If you're interested in psychology you are going to learn A LOT about the different kinds of reliability. Types of Test Reliability Test-Retest reliability: people should get about the same score every time they take your test. You can't score highly on an introversion scale one week and then low the next week (well, you could, but then we'd know that the test is no good). Split-Half reliability: if your test had 20 questions (and was measuring just one concept, like shyness) and we correlated the odd questions with the even ones we should get a high positive correlation. Alternate Form reliability: in this scenario, psychologists create two questionnaires, both of which measure the same concept (again, such as shyness). We give you one form one week and the other form a week (or month) later. You should score about the same on both forms. Resources on Personality and Reliability Miserandino, M. (2006). "I Scream, You Scream: Teaching Validity and Reliability Via the Ice Cream Personality Test." Teaching Psychology. 33(4), 265-68. Dr. Marianne Miserandino's homepage at Arcadia University If you're interested in personality, then you should sign up for Dr. Miserandino's Personality Pedagogy newsletter. The ice cream personality test The Distorted Tunes test The What is Reliability page on psychology.about.com lists a few more types of test reliability. Here's the video of the crow having fun (?): Michael Britt no Ep 167: The Fat Trap – How Not to Get Discouraged About the Difficulty of Losing Weight http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2012/01/ep-167-the-fat-trap-how-not-to-get-discouraged-about-difficulty-losing-weight/ http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2012/01/ep-167-the-fat-trap-how-not-to-get-discouraged-about-difficulty-losing-weight/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:52:48 +0000 Michael http://www.thepsychfiles.com/?p=2303 Guess What? Bad news: if you’ve ever been overweight and you’re trying to lose weight it’s even harder than you think. Yikes. Pretty de-motivating. However, let’s see what motivational psychologists would have to say about this. How to keep from throwing up your hands at the whole effort.

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain List Price: $15.99 Price: $10.87 Read Reviews Buy Now

Resources on the Challenges of Losing Weight

  • The Fat Trap by Tara Parker-Pope, New York Times, December 28, 2011.

  • Episode 126 (video): SuperNormal Stimuli: Is This Why We’re Overweight? There are many reasons why it is difficult to lose weight, but have you considered how supernormal stimuli might be one of them? In this episode I discuss some of the ideas in the books Waistland and Supernormal Stimuli by Dierdre Barrett. Is it possible that the old saying Everything in Moderation might just be wrong?

  • Episode 57: Expectancy Theory, Goal Setting and Getting in Shape

    • . Trying to get in shape and lose weight? What’s the psychology behind getting in shape? Well, first forget the psychobabble. I examine two established theories of human motivation – goal setting and expectancy theory. Join me for a different perspective on weight loss, exercise and fitness.

    ]]> http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2012/01/ep-167-the-fat-trap-how-not-to-get-discouraged-about-difficulty-losing-weight/feed/ 3 Guess What? Bad news: if you've ever been overweight and you're trying to lose weight it's even harder than you think. Yikes. Pretty de-motivating. However, let's see what motivational psychologists would have to say about this. Guess What? Bad news: if you've ever been overweight and you're trying to lose weight it's even harder than you think. Yikes. Pretty de-motivating. However, let's see what motivational psychologists would have to say about this. How to keep from throwing up your hands at the whole effort. Resources on the Challenges of Losing Weight The Fat Trap by Tara Parker-Pope, New York Times, December 28, 2011. Episode 126 (video): SuperNormal Stimuli: Is This Why We’re Overweight? There are many reasons why it is difficult to lose weight, but have you considered how supernormal stimuli might be one of them? In this episode I discuss some of the ideas in the books Waistland and Supernormal Stimuli by Dierdre Barrett. Is it possible that the old saying Everything in Moderation might just be wrong? Episode 57: Expectancy Theory, Goal Setting and Getting in Shape. Trying to get in shape and lose weight? What’s the psychology behind getting in shape? Well, first forget the psychobabble. I examine two established theories of human motivation – goal setting and expectancy theory. Join me for a different perspective on weight loss, exercise and fitness. Michael Britt no 15:58 Ep: 166: The Secret Life of Pronouns – an Interview with James Pennebaker http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/12/ep-166-the-secret-life-of-pronouns-an-interview-with-james-pennebaker/ http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/12/ep-166-the-secret-life-of-pronouns-an-interview-with-james-pennebaker/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:16:11 +0000 Michael http://www.thepsychfiles.com/?p=2297 What do you reveal about yourself in the way you use the smallest and seemingly most insignificant words you use every minute? That’s the focus of Dr. James Pennebaker‘s fascinating book and one of the most interesting psychology books of 2011: The Secret Life of Pronouns. If you’re fascinated by language then you’ll find this episode especially interesting.

    When we’re trying to find out what people are thinking and feeling we usually focus on what Pennebaker refers to as “content words”, examples of which are nouns, verbs and adjectives. Do you say that you’re “happy” or “sad” or “angry”?

    But what about the tiny words you use in between these content words? What do they reveal about you and others? What does the way you use function words:

    • pronouns: I, me, you, he, she

    • prepositions (to, for, of)

    • negations: no, not, never

    • articles: a, and, the

    reveal about how you feel and how you think about the world?

    Function words make up a small percent of our vocabulary, but we use them at a very, very high rate. How could you speak without them?

    In this fascinating interview with Dr. Pennebaker he discusses some of what you’ll find in The Secret Life of Pronouns: the differences between men and women, our emotional states, indeed our very personalities are revealed in our use of these seemingly insignificant words.

    James Pennebaker and The Secret Life of Pronouns

    ]]>     http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/12/ep-166-the-secret-life-of-pronouns-an-interview-with-james-pennebaker/feed/ 2 What do you reveal about yourself in the way you use the smallest and seemingly most insignificant words you use every minute? That's the focus of Dr. James Pennebaker's fascinating book and one of the most interesting psychology books of 2011: The Se... What do you reveal about yourself in the way you use the smallest and seemingly most insignificant words you use every minute? That's the focus of Dr. James Pennebaker's fascinating book and one of the most interesting psychology books of 2011: The Secret Life of Pronouns. If you're fascinated by language then you'll find this episode especially interesting. When we're trying to find out what people are thinking and feeling we usually focus on what Pennebaker refers to as "content words", examples of which are nouns, verbs and adjectives. Do you say that you're "happy" or "sad" or "angry"? But what about the tiny words you use in between these content words? What do they reveal about you and others? What does the way you use function words: pronouns: I, me, you, he, she prepositions (to, for, of) negations: no, not, never articles: a, and, the reveal about how you feel and how you think about the world? Function words make up a small percent of our vocabulary, but we use them at a very, very high rate. How could you speak without them? In this fascinating interview with Dr. Pennebaker he discusses some of what you'll find in The Secret Life of Pronouns: the differences between men and women, our emotional states, indeed our very personalities are revealed in our use of these seemingly insignificant words. James Pennebaker and The Secret Life of Pronouns James Pennebaker's homepage The Online Research Consortium: lots of interesting resources here on personality tests and other matters psychological Have some fun - check out Dr. Pennebaker's Analyze Words site and find out what you might be revealing about yourself in your tweets, emails and other writings! Dr. Pennebaker on YouTube: Michael Britt no 27:23     10 of the Most Popular Psychology Podcast Episodes of 2011 http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/12/10-of-the-most-popular-psychology-podcast-episodes-of-2011/ http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/12/10-of-the-most-popular-psychology-podcast-episodes-of-2011/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:06:46 +0000 Michael http://www.thepsychfiles.com/?p=2278

    Here’s the list of this year’s most popular. Thanks to everyone for helping The Psych Files pass
    5 million downloads!

    ]]>     http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/12/10-of-the-most-popular-psychology-podcast-episodes-of-2011/feed/ 0     Ep 165 (video): Psychological Research Under Fire: What Can We Do About It? http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/11/ep-165-video-psychological-research-under-fire-what-can-we-do-about-it/ http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/11/ep-165-video-psychological-research-under-fire-what-can-we-do-about-it/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:52:36 +0000 Michael http://www.thepsychfiles.com/?p=2270 What’s going on with Psychology? There have been a number of reports about poorly conducted or completely fraudulent research in the field such as this one that appeared in the New York Times. Well, there’s bad research in all fields, but psychology, which has through its history struggled for scientific credibility, is particularly sensitive to this issue and many psychologists have come out with strong recommendations to make sure that our research is of the highest quality.

    In this episode I look at how research can be conducted poorly and what to watch out for when you either conduct or read about the results of research.

    Simmons, J.P., Nelson, L.D. & Simonsohn, U. (2011). False-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant.

    Simmons et. al Requirements for Authors

    1. Authors should decide the rule for terminating data collection before data collection begins and report this rule in the article

    2. Authors must collect at least 20 observations per cell or else provide a compelling cost-of-data-collection justification

    3. Authors must list all variables collected in a study

    4. Authors must report all experimental conditions including failed manipulations

    5. If observations are eliminated, authors must also report what the statistical results are if those observations are included

    6. If an analysis includes a covariate authors must report the statistical results of the analysis without the covariate.

    Psychology Rife with Inaccurate Research Findings

    www.psychologytoday.comNovember 16, 2011 12:02:34 AM EST

    The case of a Dutch psychologist who fabricated experiments out of whole cloth for at least a decade is shining a spotlight on systemic flaws in the reporting of psychological research.

    Diederik Stapel, a well-known and widely published psychologist in the Netherlands, routinely falsified data and made up entire experiments, according to an investigative committee.

    Fraud Scandal Fuels Debate Over Practices of Social Psychology

    ]]>     http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/11/ep-165-video-psychological-research-under-fire-what-can-we-do-about-it/feed/ 6 Video What's going on with Psychology? There have been a number of reports about poorly conducted or completely fraudulent research in the field such as this one that appeared in the New York Times. Well, there's bad research in all fields, but psychology, What's going on with Psychology? There have been a number of reports about poorly conducted or completely fraudulent research in the field such as this one that appeared in the New York Times. Well, there's bad research in all fields, but psychology, which has through its history struggled for scientific credibility, is particularly sensitive to this issue and many psychologists have come out with strong recommendations to make sure that our research is of the highest quality. In this episode I look at how research can be conducted poorly and what to watch out for when you either conduct or read about the results of research. Simmons, J.P., Nelson, L.D. & Simonsohn, U. (2011). False-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant. Simmons et. al Requirements for Authors Authors should decide the rule for terminating data collection before data collection begins and report this rule in the article Authors must collect at least 20 observations per cell or else provide a compelling cost-of-data-collection justification Authors must list all variables collected in a study Authors must report all experimental conditions including failed manipulations If observations are eliminated, authors must also report what the statistical results are if those observations are included If an analysis includes a covariate authors must report the statistical results of the analysis without the covariate. Psychology Rife with Inaccurate Research Findingswww.psychologytoday.comNovember 16, 2011 12:02:34 AM ESTThe case of a Dutch psychologist who fabricated experiments out of whole cloth for at least a decade is shining a spotlight on systemic flaws in the reporting of psychological research. Diederik Stapel, a well-known and widely published psychologist in the Netherlands, routinely falsified data and made up entire experiments, according to an investigative committee. Fraud Scandal Fuels Debate Over Practices of Social Psychology Michael Britt no     Ep 164: What’s So Disgusting About Poop? http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/11/ep-164-whats-so-disgusting-about-poop/ http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/11/ep-164-whats-so-disgusting-about-poop/#comments Sat, 05 Nov 2011 01:01:03 +0000 Michael http://www.thepsychfiles.com/?p=2252 Just about everyone finds poop disgusting right? So who finds it not so disgusting? Would you believe women in their 20s who are in the middle of their menstrual cycle, and who have motherhood as one of their goals in life? Disgust has become quite a popular topic in psychology lately. Join me as I discuss one of the more interesting studies that looks at how the intensity of our emotions can be affected by our nonconscious goals. More interesting than you might think really. And certainly not to be poo-pooed at…

    How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk List Price: $15.99 Price: $6.95 Read Reviews Buy Now


    Resources on Disgust Research

    ]]>     http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/11/ep-164-whats-so-disgusting-about-poop/feed/ 0 Just about everyone finds poop disgusting right? So who finds it not so disgusting? Would you believe women in their 20s who are in the middle of their menstrual cycle, and who have motherhood as one of their goals in life? Just about everyone finds poop disgusting right? So who finds it not so disgusting? Would you believe women in their 20s who are in the middle of their menstrual cycle, and who have motherhood as one of their goals in life? Disgust has become quite a popular topic in psychology lately. Join me as I discuss one of the more interesting studies that looks at how the intensity of our emotions can be affected by our nonconscious goals. More interesting than you might think really. And certainly not to be poo-pooed at… Resources on Disgust Research When Pooping Babies Become More Appealing: The Effects of Nonconscious Goal Pursuit on Experienced Emotions.Daniella Shidlovski and Ran R. Hassin. Psychological Science, October 2011; 0956797611417135, first published on October 10, 2011. Meaningful Meals - Association for Psychological Sciencewww.psychologicalscience.org11/4/11Psychological scientist Kendall J. Eskine and coauthors from the City University of New York noted that several studies have linked physical disgust to moral disgust, but no study has explored morality in conjunction with taste. In their experiment, students drank either a sweet ... Research published in Psychological Science found that comfort food brings up associations of positive relationships and makes us feel less lonely. Volunteers who thought of chicken noodle ... International Affective Picture System where researchers find images Why disgust matters | United Academicsblog.united-academics.org11/2/11And not without reason, according to research conducted by psychologist Valerie Curtis. This rejective behavior assists us in preventing the distribution of various scary diseases. Disgust helps us to not sleep with someone ... That's Gross!: Study Uncovers Physiological Nature of Disgust in ...www.sciencenewsline.com10/25/11As predicted, conservatives responded to the pictures with much more intense disgust than did liberals. Attitudes in opposition to same-sex marriage were highly connected. The results add to a growing area of research that ... Interview with Adele Faber on Parenting - part 1 Interview with Adele Faber on Parenting - part 2 Michael Britt no 30:26     Ep 163: Psych Files Brief #4: Animals Smiling, Yogurt De-Stressing, and the Psychology of Success http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/10/ep-163-psych-files-brief-4-animals-smiling-yogurt-de-stressing-and-the-psychology-of-success/ http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/10/ep-163-psych-files-brief-4-animals-smiling-yogurt-de-stressing-and-the-psychology-of-success/#comments Sat, 22 Oct 2011 01:29:00 +0000 Michael http://www.thepsychfiles.com/?p=2241 Do animals smile? Do they feel emotions and if so how many kinds of feelings do they share with us? In this episode we also take a look at the probiotics in yogurt – how do they affect your thinking and do they might help protect you from stress. It turns out that these probiotics increase the production of the neurotransmitter GABA which helps quiet down your neurons. I also talk about the work of female psychologists: Carol Dweck on the psychology of success, and and a tribute to Evelyn Hooker whose research helped in removing homosexuality from the DSM in 1973.

    Mindset: The New Psychology of Success List Price: $16.00 Price: $9.12 Read Reviews Buy Now

    Resources for This Episode

    The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us List Price: $28.00 Price: $14.24 Read Reviews Buy Now

    Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain List Price: $24.99 Price: $13.00 Read Reviews Buy Now

    ]]>     http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/10/ep-163-psych-files-brief-4-animals-smiling-yogurt-de-stressing-and-the-psychology-of-success/feed/ 2 Do animals smile? Do they feel emotions and if so how many kinds of feelings do they share with us? In this episode we also take a look at the probiotics in yogurt - how do they affect your thinking and do they might help protect you from stress. Do animals smile? Do they feel emotions and if so how many kinds of feelings do they share with us? In this episode we also take a look at the probiotics in yogurt - how do they affect your thinking and do they might help protect you from stress. It turns out that these probiotics increase the production of the neurotransmitter GABA which helps quiet down your neurons. I also talk about the work of female psychologists: Carol Dweck on the psychology of success, and and a tribute to Evelyn Hooker whose research helped in removing homosexuality from the DSM in 1973. Resources for This Episode Do Animals Smile? The Psychology of Yogurt The Yogurt Made Me Do It Psychology (Yesterday and) Today: Evelyn Hooker Self Help You Can Believe In: Interview with Dr. Tim Wilson, Author of Redirect Low GABA Levels Hinder Teens from Experiencing Pleasure | Psych ...psychcentral.com10/8/11Teens with anhedonia — a symptom of depression marked by an inability to experience pleasure — are found to have lower levels of the neurotransmitter GABA. Why do beliefs about intelligence influence learning success? A social cognitive neuroscience model (a downloadable PDF file) Michael Britt no 30:56     Ep 162: How to Spend Your Money and Truly Make Yourself Happy – Part 2 http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/10/ep-162-how-to-spend-your-money-and-truly-make-yourself-happy/ http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/10/ep-162-how-to-spend-your-money-and-truly-make-yourself-happy/#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:06:57 +0000 Michael http://www.thepsychfiles.com/?p=2204 In episode 160 I discussed the first 2 ideas on how to spend your money wisely. In this episode I’ll talk about 4 more great ideas on how to get the most from your money and 2 things you have to be careful about. Get the latest findings from positive psychology researchers like Elizabeth Dunn, Tim Wilson and Dan Gilbert on this episode of The Psych Files.

    Stumbling on Happiness List Price: $15.95 Price: $7.72 Read Reviews Buy Now

    …as long as money is limited by its failure to grow on trees, we may be better off devoting our finite financial resources to purchasing frequent doses of lovely things rather than infrequent doses of lovelier things. - Dunn, E. W., Gilbert D. T., & Wilson T. D. (2011). If money doesn’t make you happy then you probably aren’t spending it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 21(2), 115-125.

    Six Guidelines for Spending Your Money Wisely

    • Buy Many Small Pleasures – Instead of Few Big Ones

    • Don’t Buy Extended Warrantees and Such

    • Don’t Get Now and Pay Later. Instead Pay Now and Get Later: don’t deprive yourself of the joys of anticipation. Anticipation of an upcoming new thing in your life feels great.

    • Beware of Comparison Shopping: this activity could make you forget what is most important to you.

    • Pay Attention to What Others Buy and/or What Others Think Will Make You Happy: a lot of times we don’t know ourselves as well as others.

    References

    Dan Gilbert: Why are we happy? Why aren’t we happy?

    www.ted.com Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, challenges the idea that well be miserable if we dont get what we want. Our “psychological immune system” lets us feel truly happy even when things dont go as planned.TEDTalks is a daily vide…

    ]]>     http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/10/ep-162-how-to-spend-your-money-and-truly-make-yourself-happy/feed/ 3 positive discipline In episode 160 I discussed the first 2 ideas on how to spend your money wisely. In this episode I'll talk about 4 more great ideas on how to get the most from your money and 2 things you have to be careful about. In episode 160 I discussed the first 2 ideas on how to spend your money wisely. In this episode I'll talk about 4 more great ideas on how to get the most from your money and 2 things you have to be careful about. Get the latest findings from positive psychology researchers like Elizabeth Dunn, Tim Wilson and Dan Gilbert on this episode of The Psych Files. ...as long as money is limited by its failure to grow on trees, we may be better off devoting our finite financial resources to purchasing frequent doses of lovely things rather than infrequent doses of lovelier things. - Dunn, E. W., Gilbert D. T., & Wilson T. D. (2011). If money doesn't make you happy then you probably aren't spending it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 21(2), 115-125. Six Guidelines for Spending Your Money Wisely Buy Many Small Pleasures - Instead of Few Big Ones Don't Buy Extended Warrantees and Such Don't Get Now and Pay Later. Instead Pay Now and Get Later: don't deprive yourself of the joys of anticipation. Anticipation of an upcoming new thing in your life feels great. Beware of Comparison Shopping: this activity could make you forget what is most important to you. Pay Attention to What Others Buy and/or What Others Think Will Make You Happy: a lot of times we don't know ourselves as well as others. References Dunn, E. W., Gilbert D. T., & Wilson T. D. (2011).  If money doesn't make you happy then you probably aren't spending it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 21(2), 115-125. Van Boven, L., & Gilovich, T. (2003). To do or to have: That is the question. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 1193-1202. Income and Happiness: An Imperfect Link Catching On and Letting Go: The Art and Science of Flourishing Dan Gilbert: Why are we happy? Why aren't we happy?www.ted.com Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, challenges the idea that well be miserable if we dont get what we want. Our "psychological immune system" lets us feel truly happy even when things dont go as planned.TEDTalks is a daily vide... Michael Britt no 21:41     EP 161: Self Help You Can Believe In: Interview with Dr. Tim Wilson, Author of Redirect http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/10/ep-161-self-help-you-can-believe-in-interview-with-dr-tim-wilson-author-of-redirect/ http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/10/ep-161-self-help-you-can-believe-in-interview-with-dr-tim-wilson-author-of-redirect/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 01:48:53 +0000 Michael http://www.thepsychfiles.com/?p=2198 Looking for a self-help book with some meat? One that won’t insult your intelligence with flowery words and hyped up promises and pseudoscience? Take a look at the book Redirect by psychologist and author Tim Wilson. Redirect will give you a lot to think about and some new insights into human nature.

    Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change List Price: $25.99 Price: $13.50 Read Reviews Buy Now


    Lack of Support for DARE and Scared Straight

    In this interview, Dr. Wilson also mentions the lack of research support for such programs as DARE and Scared Straight. See the references below for additional information on this.

    Why Do We Keep Trying What DOESN’T Work?

    As we mention in the interview, these programs continue to be funded in part because we think they OUGHT to work. They make sense to us. Also, we want to help and we have to realize that our desire, as mental health professionals, to help others shouldn’t over-ride our obligation to find out from the research what programs really work and which don’t.

    • Good self help books are hard to find, as I describe in this earlier episode entitled, A Scientist Goes Looking for a Self Help Book

    • How effective is drug abuse resistance education? A meta-analysis of Project DARE outcome evaluations. American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 84, Issue 9 1394-1401.

    • Project D.A.R.E. Outcome Effectiveness Revisited June 2004, Vol 94, No. 6 | American Journal of Public Health 1027-1029

    • Good reasons for ignoring good evaluation: The case of the drug abuse resistance education (D.A.R.E.) program. Evaluation and Program Planning
      Volume 28, Issue 3, August 2005, Pages 247-256

    • Here’s a good review of Redirect: Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change – review

    • Gratitude Journal: Yummy Dinners | Greater Good

      Got Gratitude? Got happy photos? Share them here! Welcome to our community gratitude journal, open to all who'd like to express their thanks or share a happy thought. I'm happy that my daughter likes to help set the table! …

    • Anti-motivationals #1 – Throw Your Gratitude Journal In The …

      Related posts:Weekly Challenge #2: feel stuck? Throw a constructive tantrum.

      Publish Date: 09/26/2011 20:23

      http://www.emmastangl.com/2011/09/anti-motivationals-1-throw-your-gratitude-journal-in-the-fireplace/

    • Problems with Drug Resistance Education: DARE Programs …

      Some tout education program flaws as reason for an increase in teen drug use, but new studies lay blame on undeveloped impulse control and lack of parental supervision.

      Publish Date: 05/20/2008 15:35

      http://stephanie-cox.suite101.com/why-dare-flunked-a54544

    • Dr. Martin Seligman on positive psychology:

      • ]]> http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/10/ep-161-self-help-you-can-believe-in-interview-with-dr-tim-wilson-author-of-redirect/feed/ 5 Looking for a self-help book with some meat? One that won't insult your intelligence with flowery words and hyped up promises and pseudoscience? Take a look at the book Redirect by psychologist and author Tim Wilson. Looking for a self-help book with some meat? One that won't insult your intelligence with flowery words and hyped up promises and pseudoscience? Take a look at the book Redirect by psychologist and author Tim Wilson. Redirect will give you a lot to think about and some new insights into human nature. Lack of Support for DARE and Scared Straight In this interview, Dr. Wilson also mentions the lack of research support for such programs as DARE and Scared Straight. See the references below for additional information on this. Why Do We Keep Trying What DOESN'T Work? As we mention in the interview, these programs continue to be funded in part because we think they OUGHT to work. They make sense to us. Also, we want to help and we have to realize that our desire, as mental health professionals, to help others shouldn't over-ride our obligation to find out from the research what programs really work and which don't. Good self help books are hard to find, as I describe in this earlier episode entitled, A Scientist Goes Looking for a Self Help Book How effective is drug abuse resistance education? A meta-analysis of Project DARE outcome evaluations. American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 84, Issue 9 1394-1401. Project D.A.R.E. Outcome Effectiveness Revisited June 2004, Vol 94, No. 6 | American Journal of Public Health 1027-1029 Good reasons for ignoring good evaluation: The case of the drug abuse resistance education (D.A.R.E.) program. Evaluation and Program Planning Volume 28, Issue 3, August 2005, Pages 247-256 Here's a good review of Redirect: Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change - review Gratitude Journal: Yummy Dinners | Greater GoodGot Gratitude? Got happy photos? Share them here! Welcome to our community gratitude journal, open to all who'd like to express their thanks or share a happy thought. I'm happy that my daughter likes to help set the table! ... Anti-motivationals #1 – Throw Your Gratitude Journal In The ...Related posts:Weekly Challenge #2: feel stuck? Throw a constructive tantrum.Publish Date: 09/26/2011 20:23http://www.emmastangl.com/2011/09/anti-motivationals-1-throw-your-gratitude-journal-in-the-fireplace/ Problems with Drug Resistance Education: DARE Programs ...Some tout education program flaws as reason for an increase in teen drug use, but new studies lay blame on undeveloped impulse control and lack of parental supervision.Publish Date: 05/20/2008 15:35http://stephanie-cox.suite101.com/why-dare-flunked-a54544 Dr. Martin Seligman on positive psychology: Michael Britt no 34:23 Ep 160: How to Spend Your Money and Truly Make Yourself Happy http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/09/ep-160-how-to-spend-your-money-and-truly-make-yourself-happy/ http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/09/ep-160-how-to-spend-your-money-and-truly-make-yourself-happy/#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:23:59 +0000 Michael http://www.thepsychfiles.com/?p=2176 Why aren’t rich people happier than those with less money?

      We think money will bring happiness, but research in the area of positive psychology has consistently found that having more money does NOT make us happier. Find out how to spend your money the right way so that it really can bring happiness into your life.

      How Money Can Bring Happiness Infographic

      Click on the Money and Happiness infographic image below to see the infographic used in this episode.
      Money and Happiness infographic

      Affective Forecasting Error

      The reason we don’t spend our money the right way is what Dan Gilbert has described as an “affective forecasting” error that our “mental simulation mechanism” makes. That is, when we think about the future we aren’t usually right about what will make us happy because we don’t think about two things:

      1. Adaptation – we adapt rather quickly to the things we buy (TVs, computer, etc.). The initial excitement wears off much quicker than we anticipate it will.

      2. Context – we don’t pay attention to the context of our lives at that future state. In other words, we focus on that new car or that new TV, but we don’t think about the bills that go along with it.

      Stumbling on Happiness List Price: $15.95 Price: $7.72 Read Reviews Buy Now

      Resources on Money and Happiness

      • Here’s a fun way to introduce this topic: play the “Money Song” by Monty Python: Money Song - Monty Python Sings

      • Dunn, E. W., Gilbert D. T., & Wilson T. D. (2011).  If money doesn’t make you happy then you probably aren’t spending it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 21(2), 115-125.

      • Van Boven, L., & Gilovich, T. (2003). To do or to have: That is the question. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 1193-1202.

      • Here’s where you can see the infographic on Money and Happiness that I created for this episode.

      • I used LineForm to make the infograhic you see in this episode.

      • Another vector drawing program is EazyDraw.

      • DrawPlus (Windows)

      • Dan Gilbert: Exploring the frontiers of happiness

        www.ted.com Dan Gilbert presents research and data from his exploration of happiness — sharing some surprising tests and experiments that you can also try on yourself. Watch through to the end for a sparkling Q&A with some familiar TED faces.TEDTalk…

      ]]>       http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2011/09/ep-160-how-to-spend-your-money-and-truly-make-yourself-happy/feed/ 2 Positive Psychology,Video Why aren't rich people happier than those with less money? - We think money will bring happiness, but research in the area of positive psychology has consistently found that having more money does NOT make us happier. Why aren't rich people happier than those with less money? We think money will bring happiness, but research in the area of positive psychology has consistently found that having more money does NOT make us happier. Find out how to spend your money the right way so that it really can bring happiness into your life. How Money Can Bring Happiness Infographic Click on the Money and Happiness infographic image below to see the infographic used in this episode. Affective Forecasting Error The reason we don't spend our money the right way is what Dan Gilbert has described as an "affective forecasting" error that our "mental simulation mechanism" makes. That is, when we think about the future we aren't usually right about what will make us happy because we don't think about two things: Adaptation - we adapt rather quickly to the things we buy (TVs, computer, etc.). The initial excitement wears off much quicker than we anticipate it will. Context - we don't pay attention to the context of our lives at that future state. In other words, we focus on that new car or that new TV, but we don't think about the bills that go along with it. Resources on Money and Happiness Here's a fun way to introduce this topic: play the "Money Song" by Monty Python: Dunn, E. W., Gilbert D. T., & Wilson T. D. (2011).  If money doesn't make you happy then you probably aren't spending it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 21(2), 115-125. Van Boven, L., & Gilovich, T. (2003). To do or to have: That is the question. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 1193-1202. Here's where you can see the infographic on Money and Happiness that I created for this episode. I used LineForm to make the infograhic you see in this episode. Another vector drawing program is EazyDraw. DrawPlus (Windows) Dan Gilbert: Exploring the frontiers of happinesswww.ted.com Dan Gilbert presents research and data from his exploration of happiness -- sharing some surprising tests and experiments that you can also try on yourself. Watch through to the end for a sparkling Q&A with some familiar TED faces.TEDTalk... Michael Britt no