Social Psychology
I have to admit it: I secretly think social psychology is the most fun area of psychology. It’s all about how we deal with one another; how we influence each other, how we fall in love, why we argue, why we conform to the group’s wishes – some of the most well-known studies in psychology were done by social psychologists, like Milgram’s obedience studies, Ash’s conformity studies, and that study that took place in a men’s bathroom in which they….well, you’ll find out. Have fun listening to episodes in this topic area of psychology.
Episodes
- Episode 125: False Memories – How Can Your Memory Be So Bad?
For some reason we believe that our memories are accurate. They are far from it. What we remember is a hodge-podge, a patchwork of images, stories, and bits and pieces from our past. In this episode I describe some of the very interesting research showing how our memories can be manipulated in surprising ways.
- Episode 122: DSM-V and On Being Sane – Are Psychiatric Labels Really Harmful?
What does the movie Shrek have to do with labeling, the DSM-V and the self-fulfilling prophecy? In this episode I take a close look at the well-known Rosenhan study. This was the study in which “pseudopatients” pretend to hear voices and on the basis of this they get admitted to psychiatric centers.
- Episode 121: Top 10 Psychology Apps for the iPad, iPhone, & iPod
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.
- Episode 119: Are You Lying in that Email?
Have you ever been less than truthful in an email? Or perhaps a little more blunt or emotional than you might have been if you delivered your message in person? Why is it that people can sometimes be so mean in their online comments?
- Episode 116: Social Loafing – Don’t Be a Sucker or a Free Loader!
Do you like working in a group? Most people don’t because they’re afraid that they’ll have to do most of the work (wind up being a sucker) and that other group members won’t do their share of the work (free loaders). Want to find out how to avoid this and make your group work productive? Learn how the Agile software development technique can be adapted to your help your next group project be a success.
- Episode 115 (Video): Violent Video Games – What Does the Research Say?
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.
- Episode 102: How to Create an Online Experiment on Eyewitness Testimony Accuracy
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.
- Episode 98: Evolutionary Psychology – An Interview with Dr. David Buss
Do you know your own “mate value” in the dating world? Curious about evolutionary psychology? In this interview with Dr. David Buss we discuss a number of interesting and controversial topics, such as the matching hypothesis and date rape.
- Episode 97: Stanley Milgram Obedience Study Finally Replicated
The obedience studies originally conducted by Stanley Milgram (sometimes referred to as the Milgram Shock studies) have finally been replicated in a university setting. Will people obey an authority figure and give a stranger a dangerous shock? Or have things changed in the last 40 years such that people will be more willing to be disobedient to authority?
- Episode 93: Your Brain on a Website
How can you use psychology to design a website so people are likely to buy products from you? Or design a website so people are likely to donate money to your cause? In this episode Dr Susan Weinschenk discusses some of these ideas from her book Neuro Web Design. Ever thought you could apply brain science to web design?
- Episode 91: The Psychology of Effective Meetings
Do you hate meetings as much as I do? Business people and students often hate meetings and group projects because it’s hard to get everyone to participate and it’s hard to just get things done. I talk with professional project manager April Montana who shares with you some of her secrets to making group members get things done.
- Episode 89: Don’t Touch That Dial! Why You Should Love Commercials
Watching commercials actually increases your enjoyment of the show. Do you believe it? Did you, like myself, pay good money on a Tivo or video digital recorder just so you could avoid commercials? Well, before you skip passed those commercials check out this episode of The Psych Files.
- Episode 78: The Psychology of Tipping
How can waiters increase their tips? Would you believe psychologists have devoted a great deal of research to this question? Join me as we take a look at what waiters and waitresses can do to increase the amount of the tip their customers give them.
- Episode 75: Science Proves Subliminal Tapes Work! Well….not really
Do subliminal messages in self-help tapes really work? There actually is some evidence that people can be influenced by subliminal messages. Can your self-esteem be raised with subliminal tapes? These questions answered once and for all at The Psych Files podcast.
- Episode 74: Social Influence in a Virtual World – A Virtual Door in the Face
The Foot in the Door and the Door in the Face are two classic social influence techniques that have been heavily studied by psychologists. Join me for this fascinating conversation with Paul Eastwick, who along with Dr. Wendy Gardner from Northwestern University ventured into There.com to see if these very effective real-world techniques were equally effective on avatars.
- Episode 73: On the Folly of….Politics
On The Folly of Rewarding A While Hoping For B is a well known article by Steven Kerr that appeared in The Academy of Management Executive. Want an example of how insightful Steven Kerr was with this article that is still relevant today? Look no further than the US election and Comedy Central.
- Episode 67: The Olympic Silver Metal? What a Bummer!
Psychologists say that winning the silver medal – coming in second – is actually less satisfying than coming in third – the bronze. Why is that? Find out why winning the silver is…a bummer.
- Episode 66: What to do about Mom? Personal Control and Aging
Do nursing homes and assisted living facilities have to be so depressing? Is there a way to help senior citizens have more energy and more enthusiasm for life? What do psychologists know that you should know about how to help the elderly feel good about life?
- Episode 63: Cognitive Dissonance, the Monty Hall Problem and a Possible Resolution?
Cognitive Dissonance – one of the most established and respected theories in psychology – is under attack. An economist – M. Keith Chen – uses what is called the “Monty Hall problem” to show that the research on cognitive dissonance may be seriously flawed.
- Episode 62: Sustainability and Human Behavior
Sustainability – what does it mean? Are you concerned about how human beings are using up our natural resources and are you perhaps worried about the future of our planet? Listen to Dr. Deborah Rowe talk about this concept of sustainability and find out what this movement has to do with psychology
