Everyone can picture one of those phrenology heads with personality traits drawn into different sections of the cranium. Was there anything to that? Well, not exactly. However, with the use of MRI scans researchers today may have located where certain personality traits lie in your brain. Travel with me into a 3D brain and let’s find out where your personality may lie.
- Openness – dorsolateral PFC, anterior PFC, anterior parietal cortex (research was inconclusive on this personality factor)
- Conscientiousness – Lateral Profrontal Cortex
- Extraversion – Orbitofrontal Cortex, Nucleus Accumbens, Amygdala
- Agreeableness – superior temporal sulcus, posterior cingulate cortex
- Neuroticism – Medial prefrontal cortex, Amygdala, Hippocampus
Resources
- DeYoung, C. G., Hirsh, J. B., Shane, M. S., Papademetris, X., Rajeevan, N., & Gray, J. R. (2010). Testing predictions from personality neuroscience: Brain structure and the Big Five. Psychological Science, 21, 820–828.
- DeYoung, C.G., & Gray, J.R. (2009). Personality neuroscience: Explaining individual differences in affect, behavior, and cognition. In P.J. Corr & G. Matthews (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of personality psychology (pp. 323–346). New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Here’s the website of the lead researcher, Colin DeYoung
- Check out the wonderful 3D brain program called Brain Tutor by Brain Voyager
- Here’s the concept map on Personality Neuroscience I used during this episode.
- A summary and brief interview with Dr. Deyoung can be found in this article, Shape of Brain Tied to Personality, Says Scientist.
Tagged as:
Phrenology,
Video
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? And will Small Changes really help you to get in shape or are radical changes really the way to go?
Tagged as:
Evolution,
Video
What do your dog and Shakespeare have in common? Well, they both use a Theory of Mind. Join me for this video episode in which I look at this fascinating idea of theory of mind and the unique and fun research that has been done around it. And yes, you might pick up an idea of how to test your dog to see if your dog can actually read your mind.
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Video
In this video episode I show you 10 of what I consider to be the best psychology apps in the app store. There are a lot of apps out there and many are not so good, but in this episode I pick out what I consider to be credible therapy apps, excellent mobile mind mapping tools, relaxation apps, games based on Gestalt principles of psychology, and some of the best 3 dimensional ways to look at the brain.
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Video
Recent research on violent video games is pretty conclusive and you’re not going to like it: there’s good evidence that people if you play violent video games you might be less likely to a) notice aggressive events, b) perceive fewer or less severe injuries, c) feel less sympathy for violence victims, and d) have less negative attitudes towards violence. In this video I take a close look at this research.
Tagged as:
Video,
Video Game Violence
Little Albert – one of the most famous subjects in the history of psychology – has finally been identified. Researchers spent 7 years tracking down every possible lead in order to discover who John Watson’s “Albert B” really was. In this video episode I take you through each step of the extensive detective work to uncover his identity. It’s a fascinating, creative, and in the end touching journey. Some never seen before pictures are included. Join me in this episode of The Psych Files.
Tagged as:
Behaviorism,
Video
Looking for examples of correlation and causation? You’ve heard it a million times: correlation doesn’t mean causation. Still need help? Well, here’s a humorous look at this topic that I think drives home the point. The Psych Files "Breaking News" explores whether satisfied workers are more productive and whether living together causes divorce. I hope you enjoy this unique video episode of The Psych Files.
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Correlations,
Video
A popular piece of animal research indicates that intelligent male Browerbirds appear to have greater mating success (researcher lingo for sex). The more sensitive birds may also be more preferred by the opposite sex as well. So much for the jocks. Find out about this fascinating research on animals in this video episode of The Psych Files.
Tagged as:
animal behavior,
Video
Want to create an online experiment? Here’s how to do it. I’ll show you how you can create an online experiment using Sproutbuilder and Google Forms. Using these two tools, you’ll be able to get creative and put together an experiment online that others all over the world can take.
Tagged as:
elearning,
Experiment,
Eyewitness testimony,
Video
Why is it so hard to keep our new year’s resolutions to lose weight? I explore this question in this episode in which I also take a tour through the various schools of psychology and show how each one would explain why you have trouble keeping your promise to yourself to lose weight (or stay out of debt, or stop smoking).
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Video
Memorize the parts of the brain once and for all! Here’s a mnemonic device to help you remember the parts of the brain. You will never forget what the parts of the brain do after you see this video. Improve your grade on your next biopsychology test and learn more about mnemonics at the same time.
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Brain,
Mnemonics,
Popular,
Video
Memorize Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development once and for all! In this video episode I use the peg word mnemonic device and ordinary household objects to help you memorize Erikson’s eight stages.
Tagged as:
Erikson,
Mnemonics,
Video
Need to understand how factorial designs work? This video is for you. In this episode I show how a two factorial research design works using an interesting topic: physical attractiveness.
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Video
Independent variables, dependent variables, t-tests, anovas, experiments, between subjects, within subjects, confounds…confused? You won’t be after you watch this week’s video episode. Learn research methods in psychology the fun way.
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Scientific Method,
Video
Have you heard about Mashups? What do they have to do with psychology? In this video I�ll show you how to use RSS feeds, Google Reader, and Yahoo Pipes to create a mashup that searches the web for the very latest information on psychological terms.
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Mashup,
Video
The gestalt principles of perception – how do they explain how we not only sometimes perceive strange things, but also how we can appreciate works of art? We’ll see images on lemon slices, on Mars, and on building tops. Why do we perceive these things?
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Critical Thinking,
Gestalt,
Popular,
Teaching,
Video
I decided that it was time to look at the biology behind the changes that occur in our lives as we grow. As I put my ideas together to do this, I employed a very neat program called Timeliner. It is so cool in fact that I decided to do an episode solely on how to use Timeliner, especially the tool called “merge”. If you are an educator I think you’ll find this episode interesting.
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Erikson,
Teaching Tools,
Video
It is time to take a look at the cars we drive and find out what they say about ourselves – our personalities and our lifestyles.
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Video
In this video episode we look at what your bowling style says about you and how behaviorists can explain your superstitious behavior. By the way, why do you keep pressing that elevator button?
Tagged as:
Behaviorism,
Scientific Method,
Video
