Psychology in Action

Category: General Psychology

  • The Value of Fame – Kids and media

    First published on HuffPost “This is America, where everyone has the right to life, love and the pursuit of fame.” — Ryan Seacrest, American Idol, 2010 In the new millennium, people face messages highlighting the significance of fame everywhere they look. Not only in reality television shows such as “Keeping up with the Kardashians” and…

  • Want to Get Involved in Research? Try these Tips!

    Interested in getting involved in research? Here are some tips for getting started in research, which is a great way to learn more about psychology, develop your interests, and gain valuable experience! 

  • Casual Sex: Are Men and Women So Different?

    Co-Authored by Leah D. Smith and David J. Lick “Sperm are cheap and eggs are expensive.”  For decades, psychologists have relied on this mantra to explain why women are sexually choosy and men are sexually promiscuous.  However, if women are so prudish, who exactly are men getting lucky with?  Perhaps “sperm are cheap and eggs…

  • How Self-Regulation Works

    Self-regulation is an extremely important skill to develop.  In fact, as I am writing this post, with no outside person or institution forcing me to do, on a vacation day when it is sunny outside, I am demonstrating formidable self-regulation.  I believe that teaching children, and adults, how to self-regulate is one of the best…

  • Do your eyes always tell you the truth?

    To Review: why do we have multiple interpretations of physical world? As pointed out in Genna’s blog, 3D objects in the real world are represented in 2D format on our retina. Our visual system, then, has to take this 2D signal and build back out of the 3D object that caused it. This is a…

  • How much self-control do you really have?

    At this time of year many of us kick back, anticipating that we will reassert self-control in January with New Year’s resolutions. In November, you may have read the post “It’s the season of eating, should we be concerned?” which discussed binge eating. It made me think about the process of making healthy decisions at…

  • Do Animals Suffer Like People?

    Imagine walking into a room filled with people crying. They are all wearing black; makeup running; tissues clutched hard in their hands. Instinctively, you too are overcome by the grief that is flowing through the room, knowing the cause of their misery and empathizing with their suffering.

  • How do I improve my memory? Honest advice for older adults.

    I find working with older adults to be extraordinarily rewarding. The anecdotes, the advice, the good sense – I love them all, even when they’re unsolicited. Because of all the wonderful things my older participants bring into the lab to share with me, I frequently feel the need to give something back. To that end,…

  • Decision Making: Biology, Free-Will and Accountability

    The concept of decision making, has been a central focus of intellectual pursuit since the dawn of man. Previously a philosophical and theological discussion, in recent years this task has been taken up by neuroscientists and biological psychologists. This blog entry will consist of two sections. The first is a brief overview of some of…

  • Organizing Research with Mendeley and Dropbox

    Students and researchers of all stripes need to organize their research, and there are a number of different tools out there to help them.  As I was about to attend graduate school, I wanted to iron out a system before things spiraled out of control and into disarray.  I think I’ve managed to do that…