What happens when people gather in crowds – whether for political rallies, protests, football games or religious pilgrimages? Stephen Reicher, PhD, of St. Andrew’s University in Scotland, discusses why “mob mentality” is a myth; other misconceptions about crowd behavior; the role of leaders in groups and what can we learn from re-examining some classic psych ... Show More
Yesterday
Why can’t you remember being a baby? With Nicholas Turk-Browne, PhD
Why can’t you remember your first birthday party? Or the house you lived in at age 2? Nicholas Turk-Browne, PhD, talks about new studies that suggest that babies and toddlers may form early memories; why we aren’t able to retrieve them as adults; and how evolving brain imaging te ... Show More
42m 42s
Jul 2
How to be happier, with Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD
Want to be happier? Some of our happiness level is due to genes or life circumstances, but research shows much of it is within our control. Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, talks about the habits and mindsets that lead to lasting happiness, the complex relationship between money and happi ... Show More
35m 30s
Jun 25
The psychology of wealth, empathy and entitlement, with Paul Piff, PhD
Can money make you mean? Most of us like to think we’d stay grounded if we were to become wealthy, but psychologists’ research suggests that money, status and power shape people’s beliefs and behavior – sometimes in surprising ways. Paul Piff, PhD, of the University of California ... Show More
45 m
Dec 2023
The impact of bad news, compassion fatigue, and the psychology of whistleblowing
Increasing numbers of people are avoiding the news, and a recent update to Ipsos’s Global Trends 2023 report has found that the current state of the world is causing people to focus on their own lives, rather than broader, global problems. Mike Clemence, associate director of tre ... Show More
27m 59s
Dec 2020
John Campbell, "Causation in Psychology" (Harvard UP, 2020)
Our practices of holding people morally and legally responsible for what they do rests on causal relationships between our mental states and our actions – a desire for revenge or a fear for one’s safety may cause a violent act. In either case, John Campbell argues, there is a psy ... Show More
1h 7m
May 2021
The psychology of post-pandemic life — why you might feel anxious about re-entry
Feeling anxious about re-entering society when pandemic restrictions are lifted? Or maybe you're feeling exuberant? Steven Taylor, author "The Psychology of Pandemics", and a professor and clinical psychologist in the department of psychiatry at UBC, walks us through the psycholo ... Show More
22m 17s
Oct 2023
Sikhism, Values, & Imposter Syndrome in Psychology with Dr Gurpreet Kaur
Show Notes for The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast Episode 96: On being a Sikh, Imposter Syndrome, and therapeutic relationships with Dr Gurpreet KaurThank you for listening to the Aspiring Psychologist Podcast. We are almost midway through application season – I hope this is going ... Show More
49m 53s