The Psych Files

How do we learn to act in what are called gender appropriate ways? How did you learn to act like a girl and then a woman? Or like a boy and then like a man? Did you experience either penis envy or womb envy? Did this happen as a result of what Freud would call an oedipal complex or perhaps does our tendency to behave in stereotypical masculine and feminine ways come about more simply as a result of watching other males and females in your family, among your friends and on TV? In this episode of The Psych Files we look at the interesting and complex issue of gender identity.

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? Find out how in this episode of The Psych Files.

Everyone tells you that you should have "passion for your work". Personally, I think that's a bunch of malarky, balderdash and hooey. And much of it could be the fault of psychologists. You might actually enjoy work that you never dreamed could make you happy. In this episode I talk about what Mike Rowe of the show Dirty Jobs had to say about work and how that ties into the work of Dan Gilbert (author of Stumbling On Happiness).

Do you hate meetings as much as I do? How do you make them work? 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. In this episode of The Psych Files I show the many connections between a typical Introductory Psychology textbook and the everyday event of a business or group meeting. In the end I talk with professional project manager April Montana who shares with you some of her secrets to making group members get things done.

Guess what? There's no such thing as a learning style! Don't believe it? Listen to this interview with professor and author Daniel Willingham as he and I discuss the topic of learning styles. If there is no scientific support for learning styles then whey do we believe they must exist? We also discuss the multiple intelligence. While there is support for this idea, many people are confused as to what Howard Gardner really says about his own theory. Let's see if we can set the record straight about learning styles, abilities, and intelligences in this episode of The Psych Files. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet

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.

Who is most likely to be a victim of sexual harassment? Is it the attractive female secretary? The attractive female employee by a man who is higher up in the organizational hierarchy? These are the stereotypes that many people hold but there may be qualities that some women have that make some men uncomfortable and this may result in sexual harassment. Learn more about this complex issue in this episode of The Psych Files.

Why does it seem that males in many cultures have to prove their manhood? Do women have to prove their womanhood? Why is this and what happens when men feel like they are less than a man? In this review of a recent research article entitled, Precarious Manhood, we take a look at this intriguing issue.

What the heck is constructivism anyway? In this episode I explore that topic with Dr. Eugene Geist. We also explore what some would consider a radical concept in education:democratic schools. What would happen if we let children decide how they wanted to learn? Complete Chaos? Or an exciting new way to get students involved in and taking responsibility for learning? Find out in this episode of The Psych Files.

How can we make learning as fun as it was when you were a child? We can. Listen to Dr. Eugene Geist as he explains the cognitive development theories of Jean Piaget and you'll understand why we are all geared to learn. We actively seek out learning experiences. How can we keep that excitement alive? Find out in this episode and in the episodes to follow as we examine ideas such as constructivism, problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning and democratic schools. This episode will also be helpful if you need to learn the different stages of Piaget's theory of cognitive development. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my perso

What kind of personality do you need to be a good waiter/waitress? In a previous episode we talked about the tactics: touching customers, drawing smiley faces on bills, crouching down to the customer's level, etc. But these strategies don't always work, so what kind of person do you need to be? We find out in this episode as we explore the personality trait called the Self-Monitoring personality.

Are you interested in play therapy or therapy with children and adolescents? Do you have a child in therapy and you wonder how playing with toys is going to possibly help you child? Learn more about therapy with children and adolescents in this episode of The Psych Files. In part 2 I interview Dr. Martha Strauss - experienced therapist and author of No Talk Therapy and the book Adolescent Girls in Crisis. In this part of the interview Dr. Strauss talks specifically about No Talk therapy and how she explains her work to the parents of her clients. Come have a listen to an experienced therapist talk about her work.

Are you interested in play therapy or therapy with children and adolescents? Do you have a child in therapy and you wonder how playing with toys is going to possibly help you child? Learn more about therapy with children and adolescents in this episode of The Psych Files. In part 1 I interview Dr. Martha Strauss - experienced therapist and author of No Talk Therapy and the book Adolescent Girls in Crisis. If you've ever wondered what psychotherapists do and say in therapy then this episode is for you. We also touch upon evidence based treatment, goals in therapy, and parent expectations of therapists. Come have a listen to an experienced therapist talk about her work.

Who's the best role model for a leader? How about a chicken? In this episode of The Psych Files we examine Ginger from the movie Chicken Run to see how she embodies some of the best qualities of a leader. I'll apply several leadership theories to Ginger and her vision.

How can a waiter increase his tips? Would you believe that psychologists have devoted a great deal of research to this question? We've looked at the effect of smiley faces, touching, telling jokes, giving customers a fun task to do, drawing suns (yes, suns) on checks and many others. 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.

Still looking for an alternative to Time out? If you are a teacher, a childcare worker, or anyone who works with kids and is frustrated at the fact that for some children time out just doesn't work. In fact, for some kids time out may actually be a reward because of the popularity it may provide for them from other kids. If you're worried that time out is not helping, and that the child is headed down a road of developing a personal identity that includes rebel or troublemaker and the end of that road can only be jail, then you need to listen to Dr. Ross Green talk about Collaborative Problem Solving. We need to treat children different today and this approach holds a lot of insights into that new approach.

Dr. Ross Green, author of The Explosive Child, has just published his second book, Lost at School in which he shows how the principles of Collaborative Problem Solving can be used by teachers and other caregivers in school settings. If timeout hasn't worked for you as a parent or teacher, and especially if you're a teacher dealing with "problem kids", then perhaps you should look into Collaborative Problem Solving. Join me for another fascinating interview with Dr. Ross Green.

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? Can subliminal persuasion help you lose weight? Are there even subliminal messages in Disney files?? Are there subliminal messages in advertising that can make you buy certain products? These questions answered once and for all at The Psych Files podcast.

The Foot in the Door and the Door in the Face are two classic social influence techniques that have been heavily studied by psychologists. However, until now, no one has attempted them in a virtual world. 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.

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.