Are you dreaming of your next vacation? Many people see travel as a chance to escape their routines, explore new places and maybe even ‘find themselves.’ Andrew Stevenson, PhD, author of “The Psychology
of Travel,” talks about whether travel makes us happier, how technology and social media are changing the experience of travel, why we get post-vacation blues and how to approach the place where you live with a travel mindset.
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37:23
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37:23
Courage is taking a worthwhile risk, with Cynthia Pury, PhD
When we think of courage, we often picture dramatic, high-stakes moments, but courage comes into play not only in extraordinary situations but also in everyday life. Cynthia Pury, PhD, talks about physical, moral and psychological courage; whether courage necessarily involves overcoming fear; how our cultural and social viewpoints shape what we see as courage; and whether it’s possible to practice bravery and become more courageous.
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37:40
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37:40
Dyslexia myths, misconceptions and facts, with Tim Odegard, PhD
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning differences, yet it’s still widely misunderstood. Tim Odegard, PhD, talks about how dyslexia is diagnosed and defined; his own experience growing up with dyslexia; how kids at risk can be identified early; what interventions work best; how reading difficulties can affect mental health; and why talking about the “gifts” of dyslexia can be problematic.
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39:05
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39:05
Lefties, righties and mixed-handers: The psychology of brain asymmetry, with Sebastian Ocklenburg, PhD
Left-handers make up about 10.6 percent of the world’s population. Sebastian Ocklenburg, PhD, talks about why handedness and other brain asymmetries exist; the genetic and environmental factors that influence handedness; whether there’s any truth to the stereotype that lefties are more creative; why “pawedness” is common in cats, dogs, and other non human animals; and why left-handed people are underrepresented in brain research.
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36:46
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36:46
Teens, AI and the science of risky decisions, with Valerie Reyna, PhD
You might think the best way to make decisions is to know all the facts. But psychologists’ research suggests that getting the “gist” – the core meaning behind the facts – is more important than focusing on every last detail. Valerie Reyna, PhD, talks about why gist matters; how it explains why teens make so many risky decisions; how understanding gist can help doctors communicate better with their patients; and why AI systems may be moving toward more gist-based reasoning.
Chapters
00:00 What is Gist?
09:55 The Role of Gist in Adolescent Decision-Making
19:40 Misinformation and Gist-Based Thinking
29:53 AI Decision-Making: A New Frontier
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"Speaking of Psychology" is an audio podcast series highlighting some of the latest, most important and relevant psychological research being conducted today. Produced by the American Psychological Association, these podcasts will help listeners apply the science of psychology to their everyday lives.