Can Artificial Intelligence Make Us Happy?

Does AI spell the doom of humankind? Or should we welcome it? Given the significant limitations of human rationality, only AI can help humans to solve many difficult problems.

The Social Contagion of Psycho Clowns

By Kevin Bennett on October 17, 2016 in Modern Minds
Should you be taking "clown craze 2016" seriously? Social panic sets in as clowns run wild. Real or imagined?
Carl Pickhardt Ph.D.

Helping Older Adolescents Evaluate a Love Relationship

The great source of instruction about conducting caring relationships is experience; however, parental guidance can help sort that experience out.
Pixabay image by bykst

An Inauthentic Apology Can Be Maddening

Why is apologizing as difficult as a root canal for some people? This is how we may respond when we're protecting our image rather than sincerely apologizing.

The Latest

Brain Pain, Part 2

“Leigh used to be the class clown,” Amber said. “She would immediately shift a sinister atmosphere into a cheerful one. Now she barely smiles."

Pre-suasion: Before You Try to Persuade Someone….

In Pre-Suasion, Robert Cialdini asks: What is most important if you want to persuade? Hint: it’s not so much what’s IN your message, as in what happens in the moment just BEFORE.

"Mine, Mine, Mine!": The Psychology of Property

By Ruth Lee Johnson J.D. on October 18, 2016 in So Sue Me
"Mine! Mine! Mine!" It is one of the first words that toddlers learn. But where does property come from, and what does it really mean? Scholars, philosophers, and toddlers answer.

Nine Professions' Downsides

By Marty Nemko Ph.D. on October 18, 2016 in How To Do Life
A counterbalance to the positive bias of most reviews of careers
https://pixabay.com/en/censorship-limitations-610101/

What Can Secrets and Confessions Reveal?

By Diana Raab Ph.D. on October 17, 2016 in The Empowerment Diary
Most of us have secrets and/or confessions to reveal. Sharing with a therapist, friend or a journal can be cathartic. Choosing the right recipient of the secret is important.

Why Barbie Dolls Matter in the 2016 Presidential Election

For over fifty years the girls and young women of America have been told that we can be anything. But all we’ve really seen is our dolls becoming those things--until now.
Joshua Ness / stocksnap.io

The Art and Science of Mistakes II

Why and How We Sabotage Our Success

Are Political Differences Straining Your Relationships?

Do's and don'ts for dialogue lest political differences wreck your relationships.

A Mindfulness-Based Approach To Healing From Loss

By Dan Mager MSW on October 17, 2016 in Some Assembly Required
Ironically, allowing oneself to feel the pain of loss takes considerably less energy than running from or trying to suppress it.

Brain Pain Part 1

One dark evening on October 11, 2009 life took a dramatic turn for 41-year old Leigh Erceg.

Why Do I Worry So Much About What People Think?

For some, anxiety is the defining characteristic in their interactions with others. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Don’t Try to Kill a Dragon With One Arrow

Procrastination and desperation are twins of management failure. If you wait until a problem is so bad only a massive effort seems likely to succeed, you may have already failed.

Sexual Masochism: Torture and Transcendence Tied Together?

By Noam Shpancer Ph.D. on October 17, 2016 in Insight Therapy
Why would anyone experience pain and humiliation as sexually arousing? No longer defined as a psychological disorder, sexual masochism still puzzles psychologists.

Recovering From Adversity

When life bruises and wounds us, we can use even the scratches to etch a portrait of beauty and charm.

How to Navigate a Toxic Relationship

By Ralph Ryback M.D. on October 17, 2016 in The Truisms of Wellness
Navigating toxic relationships is a process that requires help from supportive friends, family and professionals. These tips can help you chart your course and build better bonds.

Your Amygdala May House Both Positive and Negative Memories

By Christopher Bergland on October 17, 2016 in The Athlete's Way
Positive and negative memories may be housed in specific regions of the amygdala, according to a new mice study. These findings offer many clues for overcoming negativity and fear.

Why Do We Tell Boys to "Man Up"?

How does telling your son to "man up" impact him later in life. This is what the research tells us.

Coping With Hormonal Ups and Downs

By Robert D. Martin Ph.D. on October 17, 2016 in How We Do It
Major hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle may influence a woman’s mood, well-being and performance. But apart from PMS side-effects are milder than often thought.

Can ‘Death Doulas’ Shield You From Bullying Around Funerals?

INTERVIEWER: Tell me more about how you interrupt bullying tactics—how you prevent folks from being harassed or made to feel incompetent throughout this difficult process

Mastering Your Emotions

By L. Kevin Chapman Ph.D. on October 17, 2016 in Evidence Based
The "how to" guide of mastering all of your emotions

An Overview of ADHD Care

ADHD affects far more than just attention, and affects not only children but their family and relationships. Here's what you need to know to manage it comprehensively.

When the Perks of Love Interfere With Love

It is sometimes the case that the gifts of love become more important (and are certainly more safe from the risks and anxieties of love) than love itself.

Are Humans Predisposed to Fear Snakes?

By Nathan H. Lents, Ph.D. on October 17, 2016 in Beastly Behavior
Researchers have found that it is easier to train humans and other primates to fear snakes than other dangers, indicating a genetic predisposition for the fear of snakes.

Childhood Sexual Abuse: How Men Can Help Women Recover

By Michael Castleman M.A. on October 17, 2016 in All About Sex
One woman in six has survived child sex abuse. Even years later, men can help them recover. Here's how.

Finding Good Work

By Marty Nemko Ph.D. on October 17, 2016 in How To Do Life
Two very different callers to my radio program today went from "stalled to jazzed."

13 Ways to Find More Meaning

By Megan Dalla-Camina on October 16, 2016 in Real Women
Are you one of the many people going through the motions when it comes to your career and struggling to find your purpose? Here are 13 simple ways to find more meaning.

The Purpose Driven Emergence of Platform Cooperatives

By Dan Pontefract on October 16, 2016 in Working on Purpose
Maybe it is time for both Uber and Airbnb to contemplate becoming a Platform Cooperative just like the fabulous example of Stocksy.

Want to Have a Better Marriage? Here's How

Books and blogs are filled with tips to strengthen your marriage. You don’t need this advice.