Psychology in Action

Tag: psychology

  • What Neural Networks Put Second: Categorization Models as a Window into the Nature of Memory

    What Neural Networks Put Second: Categorization Models as a Window into the Nature of Memory

    What do older cognitive models of categorization tell us about memory that state-of-the-art neural networks do not? The difference between past and present is not just one of performance, but also of psychological insight.

  • Obedience, Power, and Violence

    Obedience, Power, and Violence

    Is an ordinary person capable of committing heinous acts? After the Holocaust (1941-45), many questioned how Nazi soldiers were capable of such senseless murder. Did it take a certain type of person, or did there exist situational factors that enabled their behavior? This historical moment inspired a series of influential psychological studies. Milgram’s Electric Shock…

  • Let’s fight (the bad guys): Do superheroes teach kids good or evil?

    Let’s fight (the bad guys): Do superheroes teach kids good or evil?

    Everyone loves a good superhero story. Superheroes have been a fixture in American pop culture for decades, but in the past 10-15 years we’ve witnessed a resurgence of superhero mania. Between movies, TV shows, toys, and even national conventions, the superhero fever is real. Given that superhero stories are characterized by themes of fighting against…

  • Polyvagal Theory Part 1: The Wandering Nerve

    Polyvagal Theory Part 1: The Wandering Nerve

    The polyvagal theory is a neurobiological theory relating social engagement, physiology, and developmental outcomes. When I was first learning the theory, I struggled to understand some of the theory’s basic terms and could not find a resource that simplified it. Therefore, this three–part series of articles is intended to serve as an introduction to the…

  • Can I become more inspired?

    Can I become more inspired?

    “Do one thing every day that scares you.” —Eleanor Roosevelt Happy new year! (It still counts as the new year, right?) How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? If you’re like a lot of people, you might be beginning to lose sight of them. Research has found that a little over a third…

  • May the Force be with you–while you wait

    May the Force be with you–while you wait

    It has been a long year since the teaser trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII was first released and the opening showing of the film prior to the film’s wide release has finally arrived. But the wait does not end there! Here is a picture of a group of moviegoers queuing to enter the theatre.…

  • On Essena O’Neill, #fitspo, and the “real-ness” of social media.

    On Essena O’Neill, #fitspo, and the “real-ness” of social media.

    Essena O’Neill, the former teen Instagram model made the decision to quit Instagram after growing disillusioned and unhappy with the staged nature of her social media presence. Before deleting her Instagram account, Essena recaptioned all of her photographs to reflect her true experiences when they were taken and posted.

  • Parenting in the Digital Age: Q&A with Yalda Uhls

    Parenting in the Digital Age: Q&A with Yalda Uhls

    About this Q&A Interview We are proud to secure an exclusive interview with Yalda T. Uhls, MBA, PhD — a child psychologist researcher and leading expert in how media affects children. She is a former Psychology in Action president and our most prolific blogger. Yalda continues to research with UCLA while serving as as director of Creative Community Partnerships at Common Sense Media, a national non-profit.…

  • Presenting Psychology: 10 Ways to Polish Up Your Research Presentation

    Presenting Psychology: 10 Ways to Polish Up Your Research Presentation

    Gone are the days in which promising scholars could conduct brilliant scientific work, write compelling and cogent articles and books, and be forgiven by all for having no clarity or articulation when attempting to talk about it in person! …If those days existed at all. Scientific communication takes many forms, but virtually all graduate students, faculty,…

  • Me, Myselfie, and I: The Psychological Impact of Social Media Activity

    Me, Myselfie, and I: The Psychological Impact of Social Media Activity

    Recent research has documented how technology, and social networking sites in particular, have given rise to a growing obsession with impression management and self-presentation online. This raises an important question: Are our relationships with social media healthy?