Category: Health Psychology and …

  • Happy Monday Morning!

    Mondays. The hardest part about Mondays is waking up in the morning. Kudos to those to feel otherwise. Getting back to the rhythm of our early weekday start is typically more difficult for people who are naturally night owls. Each of us has a unique circadian rhythm and are characterized as early, intermediate or late…

  • Interview Tips for Students Applying to PhD Programs in Psychology

    Interview Tips for Students Applying to PhD Programs in Psychology

    Preparing for interviews for a PhD program in psychology can be very stressful as well as very exciting. This is likely the first time that you will be interacting face to face with multiple professors and graduate students from the program you are applying for, and it is important to make a good impression. It…

  • Social Facilitation and Food: Your Friends are Bigger than Your Stomach

    Social Facilitation and Food: Your Friends are Bigger than Your Stomach

    In the 21st century, many people still attribute their eating behavior primarily to factors such as hunger and taste. However, research on the psychology of eating indicates that the social presence and behavior of others can also have an enormous impact on food consumption.

  • Celine Dion: “The Power of Love” or the Power of Dopamine?

    Celine Dion: “The Power of Love” or the Power of Dopamine?

    Celine Dion I’m not sure about you, but when I hear Celine Dion belting out the last chorus of “My Heart Will Go On”, I seem to disconnect from reality and become totally immersed in a wave of emotion (one might even say that it’s a wave strong enough to sink a cruise ship). Although…

  • Solving the problem of adverse childhood stress

    Solving the problem of adverse childhood stress

    Recently an article in the New York Times caught my eye. It was about something called “toxic stress” and its effect on children. Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACE), like abuse, neglect, and domestic violence, has long term impacts on a child’s psychological and physical well-being. These negative experiences can induce what researchers at the…

  • Personality Disorders in the Media

    Personality Disorders in the Media

    This post will appeal to you if:1) you want to learn about what personality disorders are 2) you want to sound smart in front of your friends when watching TV 3) you want a “cheat sheet” to study for your upcoming abnormal psychology midterm 4) you like reading fun blog posts Psychologists use what is…

  • Social connection, rejection, and pain

    Social connection, rejection, and pain

    Ever felt pain in your body when you see that someone else has been injured? That’s because we are wired to be deeply socially connected. Our brains may be so much larger than other species because that allows us to connect in complex ways with the large social groups in which we live. This is the…

  • The Truth about Domestic Violence: Literature Review

    As more and more clients are entering therapy with concerns related to abuse, such as domestic violence incidents, it seems prudent to review how  these issues might play a role in mental health and treatment. The facts on domestic violence are startling. Estimates by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Bureau of Justice, and Centers…

  • Former Israeli Prime Minister’s Significant Brain Activity – How Do We Know?

    Former Israeli Prime Minister’s Significant Brain Activity – How Do We Know?

    Israeli scientists and UCLA’s Dr. Martin Monti recently found that former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon demonstrates significant brain activity. Seven years ago Sharon suffered two strokes. The second stroke caused him to lose most of his consciousness. Sharon is in a minimally conscious state, a little more aware than a coma or a persistent vegetative…

  • Graduate Program Interviews: Health Psychology

    Graduate Program Interviews: Health Psychology

    This post is part of an ongoing series about applicant interview weekends in Psychology departments. Check back for posts about interviews in other areas of Psychology, and visit our Careers in Psychology section. So you want to be a Health Psychologist? Here are some tips from current Health graduate students on questions they asked [or wish they had…