Speaking of Psychology

The American Psychological Association’s most recent Stress in America survey found record high levels of stress among Americans of all ages. Dr. George Slavich, director of the UCLA Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research, discusses how stress affects our brain, body and immune system, why it’s important to measure a person’s lifetime exposure to stress, and strategies to manage stress and minimize its negative effects on your health. Links George Slavich, PhD Stress in America Survey Stress effects on the body Speaking of Psychology Homepage Sponsor Newport Healthcare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few of us will make it through life without losing someone we love. Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD, of the University of Arizona, discusses howneuroscience can help us to better understand grief and resilience after loss, why grief is different from depression, effective therapy for grief, whether it’s possible to experience grief over the death of a celebrity, and how to support people when they are grieving. Links Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD Speaking of Psychology Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anger is a normal human emotion, a natural reaction when you feel that something or someone has done you wrong. But anger can also turn violent and dangerous, can ruin relationships and can interfere with our health and happiness. Howard Kassinove, PhD, of Hofstra University, and Raymond “Chip” Tafrate, PhD, of Central Connecticut State University, discuss the difference between healthy and harmful anger, strategies to cope with anger, and why “primal screams,” rage rooms and other forms of anger catharsis can do more harm than good. Links Howard Kassinove, PhD Raymond “Chip” Tafrate, PhD APA Psychology Topics - Anger Speaking of Psychology Home Page Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us think we know what a psychopath looks like. The word brings to mind images of horror movies and criminals. But psychopathy is far more common than most people realize, and actually hard to recognize in other people. Abigail Marsh, PhD, of Georgetown University, discusses what researchers have learned about the causes of psychopathy and effective treatments for it, how to recognize psychopathy in those around you, and her work exploring the emotional processes and the brain differences that underlie both psychopathy and its opposite, extraordinary altruism. Links Abigail Marsh, PhD Speaking of Psychology Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

March 11 marks two years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. With another variant waning, many people are hoping, yet again, to close the book on COVID and move on. But what if there’s a different way to think about life after loss? Pauline Boss, PhD, author of “The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change,” talks about what we have learned about grief, resilience and moving on after two years of pandemic life. Links Pauline Boss, PhD Speaking of Psychology Home Page Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our brothers and sisters are our first friends and first rivals, and the relationships that we have with our siblings are often the longest lasting relationships of our lives. Laurie Kramer, PhD, of Northeastern University, and Megan Gilligan, PhD, of Iowa State University, talk about how our siblings influence our lives from childhood through adulthood, how parents can help foster close relationships among their children, and what people can do in adulthood to maintain and improve relationships with their own siblings. Show Links Laurie Kramer, PhD Megan Gilligan, PhD funwithsistersandbrothers.org Speaking of Psychology Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do intelligent people give money to self-proclaimed psychics or get sucked into Ponzi schemes? Why are most of us so bad at judging risk? Journalist, psychologist and professional poker player Maria Konnikova, PhD, author of the “The Biggest Bluff” and “The Confidence Game,” talks about why anyone can fall for a con, the psychology of risk, and how her knowledge of psychology did—and didn’t—help her at the poker table. Links Maria Konnikova, PhD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite how common mental illness is, people with mental illness often keep their diagnosis a closely guarded secret in the face of widespread stigma and discrimination. Patrick Corrigan, PhD, editor of APA’s journal Stigma and Health, discusses where this stigma comes from, how it affects people’s lives, why it’s important for those with mental illness to share their stories, and whether or not celebrities’ new openness about mental health is decreasing stigma. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us expect the intensity of new love to fade over time. But some couples remain deeply in love for the long haul, even after years or decades together. What sets those relationships apart? Are some couples just lucky? Or are there things that you can do to sustain love, or rekindle it, in any long-term relationship? Dr. Arthur Aron, of Stonybrook University, discusses what the science says about the secrets of long-term love. Links Arthur Aron, PhD - https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/psychology/faculty/faculty_profiles/aaron 36 Questions in Love - http://36questionsinlove.com Sponsor Love Crunch https://naturespath.com/love-crunch Get 14% all Love Crunch products during the month of February Use promo code love14 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do people like to watch scary movies or listen to sad songs? We do we run marathons and raise children, even though both of those pursuits come with struggle and pain? Dr. Paul Bloom discusses why suffering is linked to meaning in life, the connection between pleasure and pain, and the difference between chosen and unchosen suffering. Links Paul Bloom, PhD - https://psychology.yale.edu/people/paul-bloom Speaking of Psychology - https://www.apa.org/speakingofpsychology   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices