Category: Psychology

  • Everyone Needs to Stop Predicting Human Extinction

    I grew up in the middle of the cold war. Along with fire drills, we were regularly asked to get under our desks at school and pretend that nuclear weapons were on the way (and pretend that that thin piece of wood would protect us in some way). In 2014 there are more nuclear weapons…

  • It’s official, Barbie is bad for girls

    In a recent study published in the journal Sex RolesĀ Aurora M. Sherman and Eileen L. Zurbriggen examined the effect of Barbie on girls career ambitions. The researchers had a group of girls play with one of three dolls. Two were Barbies, one in a clingy dress and one in a doctor’s white coat and jeans….

  • Suggested Reading: Why Meetings Are The Worst Possible Way To Get Things Done

    Do you hate meetings? I try to avoid them like the plague. I’ve been in jobs where there were so many meetings that it was nearly impossible to get any work done (without serious overtime). Then, inevitably, there would be meetings about increasing productivity because no one was getting any work done. They might even…

  • So It Turns Out Self Esteem Isn’t All That Good For You

    Normally I pay little attention to these things but as a parent I’ve never bought into the idea that ‘schools shouldn’t fail students’ or that everyone should get a trophy just for showing up. It appears that I’m, at least partially, vindicated. According to Scientific American: “The problem, as it turns out, was an inability…

  • Suggested Reading: The Neurobiology of Sexual Assault

    It is actually more suggested listening, though you can easily grab a transcript of the talk. Dr. Rebecca Campbell makes a presentation on the neurobiology, psychology and psychiatry of sexual assault and the law enforcement response at the US Department of Justice. Visit http://nij.gov/multimedia/presenter/presenter-campbell/ for the presentation and/or grab a copy of the transcript and/or…

  • Suggested Reading: The Neurobiology of Sexual Assault

    It is actually more suggested listening, though you can easily grab a transcript of the talk. Dr. Rebecca Campbell makes a presentation on the neurobiology, psychology and psychiatry of sexual assault and the law enforcement response at the US Department of Justice. Visit http://nij.gov/multimedia/presenter/presenter-campbell/ for the presentation and/or grab a copy of the transcript and/or…