Aneesha Pathak is a fifteen-year-old student from New Jersey who cherishes time spent with her friends and family and finds joy in dancing. She developed a deep interest in psychology by participating in the Special Olympics program Play Unified in 8th grade. 

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales is a collection of essays written by Oliver Sacks during his fifty years spent researching and treating people with fascinating neurological conditions. Each essay describes a person living with a unique brain disorder, showing how their minds work in unusual but interesting and significant ways. The book is divided into four sections, each focused on a phase of brain function related to different components and processes of the nervous system. 
The first section, “Losses,” highlights the word “deficit”: an impairment or incapacity of a neurological function such as speech, language, memory, etc. One of the most insightful stories in this section is “Hands.” Madeleine J. has cerebral palsy, which generally doesn’t affect hands. However, in her case, her hands did not function properly. She compares them to “Useless godforsaken lumps of dough – they don’t even feel part of me” (Sacks 70).  However, as Madeleine trains herself to sculpt and feel objects, her hands begin to work, until she gains complete control over them in her adulthood. Sacks depicts her determination and perseverance as she miraculously fights her illness and regains the use of her hands. 

 In the second section, “Excesses,” Sacks emphasizes neurological disorders that involve excess brain activity. The essay I found most compelling in this section is “A Matter of Identity.” Sacks speaks to a man with Korsakoff’s Syndrome, a condition that causes him to remember only small moments from different parts of his life at a time, which in turn leads him to identify himself as multiple distinct people in the span of one conversation. The truth is, he has no true, singular identity because his memory barely extends past a few seconds, preventing him from understanding who he is as a person. This condition creates a sense of confusion and instability in his life, revealing how brain disorders can affect more than just perception and behavior. 
In the third section, “Transports,” Sacks describes peoples’ states of altered perception and memory. One of the most interesting stories in this section is “Incontinent Nostalgia,” which discusses an elderly woman with Parkinson's. Her condition inhibits dopamine, which is released when we engage in pleasurable activities and, among other things, motivates and rewards us. She uses L-Dopa to compensate for her lack of dopamine and treat her disease, allowing her to feel like a young woman again as she experiences immense nostalgia while also feeling energetic and lively. Sacks discovered that people who used L-Dopa as treatment would often experience sudden flashbacks flooding their minds, which created novel experiences for those on the drug. 
Finally, Sacks illustrates the many other unique cognitive abilities and intellectual disabilities in “The World of the Simple,” his final section in this book. All four of these narratives explore case histories of patients who struggle with basic tasks and face intellectual difficulties, yet who are extremely talented in what appear to be difficult fields. For example, a pair of twins with autism struggle with fundamental activities like basic self-care, 
communication, and even simple arithmetic. However, they display extraordinary memorization abilities: they can calculate any day of the week if given a date in history, past or future, and can even remember long numbers or recall the weather on any day of their lives. 
Other patients in these essays are artistically talented regardless of their neurological disabilities. Through such case histories, this section reinforces the idea that people with neurological disorders can be unique, intelligent and creative in their own ways, reminding readers that talent can appear in different and unexpected forms. 

Ultimately, Sacks essays prove eye-opening for readers, who are encouraged to empathize with people who view the world in different ways. Rather than focusing specifically on their illnesses, Sacks concentrates on how each person lives their life with their conditions and is able to perceive their surroundings in a unique way, highlighting the mysteries of the human brain. This approach makes the book even more compelling, as Sacks wrote with compassion and understanding, helping readers see the humanity that lies behind every medical case. 
​

​

Book Description
Dr. Bruce Perry is a neuroscientist and child psychiatrist who has spent decades studying brain development, stress response systems, and the effects of trauma on human behavior. He believes that the brain is shaped by what happens to us, and understanding those influences allows for compassion, healing, and change. The book, What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, is written as a dialogue between Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey, drawing on more than thirty years of conversations about the brain, trauma, resilience, and healing. It brings together these long-standing discussions through personal narratives, reflections, and real-world examples to make complex neuroscience accessible.

Dr. Perry explains the brain as a four-layered system, the brainstem, diencephalon, limbic system, and cortex, that develops from the bottom up. Stress and trauma activate the lower regions first, often shutting down higher-level reasoning. Because the brain grows most rapidly in early childhood, experiences from birth through age two have a disproportionately large impact on lifelong regulation, behavior, and health. Chronic exposure to stress or trauma during this period can leave children dysregulated.

Healthy development depends on regulation, relationships, and reward, often referred to as the “three R’s.” Rhythm plays a critical role in regulation; patterned, repetitive activities such as rocking, walking, music, sports, and movement help restore balance in the nervous system. Through responsive caregiving, infants learn regulation first through others, laying the foundation for emotional connection and resilience. When trauma or neglect interferes with these early experiences, stress regulation and relational development can be disrupted. In contrast, strong, consistent relationships and a sense of connectedness serve as powerful protective factors that support long-term health and well-being.

Trauma is best understood through the three E’s, event, experience, and effects. This is highlighted by the fact that trauma is subjective and shaped by timing, intensity, predictability, and supportive relationships. Research shows that relational health predicts mental health more strongly than adversity history, and that early trauma has greater impact than similar experiences later in life. Healing can occur through brief, well-timed positive interactions, but must follow the brain’s natural sequence: regulate, relate, then reason. Without safety and regulation, rational thinking and communication are limited.

Dr. Perry and Oprah also explore how trauma and resilience can be transmitted across generations through relationships, culture, and epigenetic influences. Humans are not born resilient; they are born malleable. Resilience develops through moderate, manageable challenges, supportive relationships, and opportunities for repair after failure. In a modern world marked by isolation, overstimulation, and relational poverty, the book emphasizes the necessity of community, belonging, and meaningful connection.

​The book argues that relationships are the currency of change. By blending neuroscience with storytelling, Dr. Perry and Oprah show that understanding trauma is essential for personal healing and for building more compassionate families, schools, and communities. Asking “What happened to you?” rather than “What’s wrong with you?” opens the door to regulation, connection, and lasting change.

Other Related Resources
Book Website
https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/what-happened-to-you/ 

Dr. Bruce Perry Book “What Happened to You?...” | Super Soul Sunday S10E3 | Full Episode | OWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvY4dZU_Xu4

Dr. Bruce Perry Websitehttps://www.bdperry.com/
Neurosequential Modelhttps://www.neurosequential.com/

Psychological Concepts and Figures
active listening 
addiction 
adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
belonging 
brain stem 
cognitive behavioral therapy 
contact Comfort,  
coping 
cortex 
endorphins 
epigenetics 
fight or flight 
heritability 
implicit bias 
limbic system 
medical model 
neural networks 
plasticity 
PTSD 
resilience 
secure attachment
dissociation 
social support 
stereotypes 
stress 
 
Walter Cannon

​Book Description
Patric Gagne realized from an early age that she did not experience feelings the way that other children her age did. She saw her sister respond emotionally to many events, while Patric just could not force herself to feel the same emotions or react the same way as others around her. Even when her pet ferret Baby died, who she loved more than anything else in the world, Patric did not cry uncontrollably like her sister.  She describes feeling detached from her emotions, separated from them. While she did not experience feeling sadness like others, she could feel anger and would seek revenge when someone did something she felt was not just. She locked some of her classmates in a school bathroom, flushed a pair of her mother’s beloved earrings down the toilet, and felt no remorse for having done these things. She would act “normal” by masking or trying to express emotions that others have to fit in or to have other accepts her, but when she was still not accepted, she would often act out. Her parents divorced when she was young, and her mother also knew that Patric was not like other children. Patric showed no fear, she would leave sleepovers in the middle of the night and walk home with no concern that she was a middle school girl out in the middle of the night. She could not understand why her mother or others were so concerned with her safety. As she got older, she began breaking into vacant homes, partly for the thrill and partly because she loved the silence. She was totally unconcerned about being caught in the act and would repeatedly break into the same home. 
Patric did eventually connect with a boy named David, who she would stay in touch with and eventually have a long-term relationship with. He seemed to understand her emotional distance and was able to understand that this was not a reflection of her feelings for him. In college, Patric had a series of superficial relationships and often manipulated men and then went for joy rides in their cars “temporarily stealing” their vehicles.  She knew she needed help and eventually saw a therapist who helped Patric understand the difference between sociopaths, psychopaths, and antisocial personality disorder, which is how Patric came to identify herself as a sociopath. 
In order to reign in her urges but try to experience emotions, she started to attend random funerals. By this time, she was living in California near her father, who was in the music business, and she was working as a nanny while still attending college. Her dad pitched her the idea of joining him in his business, becoming a music manager, and she thrived in this cutthroat business. Unfortunately, when Patric revealed her diagnosis to people she considered her friends, they sometimes tried to convince her to engage in immoral acts like breaking into a significant others house to see if they were cheating, or assuming that Patric would have no problem getting involved with someone who was in a relationship. While Patric was trying to manage her sociopathic tendencies in a positive way, those around her were taking advantage of her. Patric still occasionally broke into vacant homes, but she confessed to David, her now boyfriend, about it, and he tried to understand. When a woman began to try to extort money from Patric’s father, Patric began stalking the woman at her home. 
She and David went through a breakup and Patric eventually became a therapist to those experiencing the same issues she had gone through. Cognitive behavioral therapy helped Patric, but it took hard work and a real desire to change long-practiced habits. She was instantly successful because she could relate to her clients’ struggles and provide realistic strategies to help them navigate their lack of feelings, as well as more positive strategies to “feel” something. She wrote a book, she and David got back together, and through therapy came to understand one another better. They now have two children and while Patric might not experience the same outward expressions of love as other mothers, she is fiercely protective of her two children. Her husband has learned to navigate her sociopathy as just another part of who she is.
 
Other Related Resources
Business Insider: Patric Gagne describing Sociopathy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTWNnmymMc4
 
Psychology Today: Interview with Patricia Gagne
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-author-speaks/202404/sociopath-a-memoir?scrlybrkr
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Antisocial personality disorder
Behavioral therapy
Borderline personality disorder
Cognitive behavioral therapy
DSM
Narcissism
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Psychopath
Psychopathy checklist
Rational emotive behavioral therapy
Schizophrenia
Sociopath
Subconscious
 

Book Description
The Courage to Be Disliked is a unique philosophical dialogue between a young student and a philosopher, unfolding over five nights. Centered on Adlerian psychology, the book explores themes of happiness, freedom, and self-worth through thoughtful conversation and reflection. Adler and Freud were close in age and worked together as equals, unlike Jung, who regarded Freud as a father figure. Though psychology is often most associated with Freud and Jung, Adler is widely recognized as one of the three major figures in the field. He broke away to develop his own theory focused on individual purpose and social connection. Like Socrates, Adler left behind few written works, preferring direct, personal dialogue over writing. This conversational style is reflected in the book’s structure, offering readers an engaging and accessible path into Adler’s psychological philosophy.
 
In the first night of discussion between the philosopher and the student, the philosopher introduces key concepts of Adlerian psychology, emphasizing that trauma is not the cause of our unhappiness or failures. Instead of focusing on past experiences and deterministic cause-and-effect reasoning (etiology), Adlerian psychology centers on teleology—the purpose or goals individuals set for themselves. According to this view, people are not driven by their past but by the goals they choose, and emotions like anger are tools used to achieve those goals. Happiness and unhappiness are choices, and personality—or "lifestyle"—is something one consciously selects, typically around age ten. Changing this lifestyle requires great courage, as life is determined in the present moment, not by past events, which Adlerians argue do not truly exist.
 
In the second night of discussion, the philosopher explains that all problems are fundamentally interpersonal relationship problems. People often believe that achieving a specific goal will make life better, but even when wishes are fulfilled, their inner struggles often remain. Many seek to avoid getting hurt in relationships, but pain is an unavoidable part of human connection, and loneliness can exist even in the presence of others. Adlerian psychology emphasizes that feelings of inferiority are universal, but it's how we respond—through striving and growth—that matters. Inferiority and superiority complexes are unhealthy responses rooted in external validation and comparison, whereas a healthy pursuit of superiority means moving forward based on one's ideal self, not in competition with others. True freedom and happiness come when we abandon competition, embrace our uniqueness, and see others as comrades rather than rivals. Anger, often used as a tool for control, should be recognized as part of a power struggle to be stepped away from. Adlerian psychology encourages two life goals: self-reliance and living in harmony with others, achieved by courageously facing life’s tasks—work, friendship, and love. Avoiding these through blame or distraction creates a “life-lie.”
 
In the third night of discussion, the philosopher introduces the Adlerian principle of "separating tasks," urging the student to discard the need for recognition and stop intervening in others’ responsibilities. Many people seek approval because of a reward-and-punishment upbringing, but true freedom comes from not living to meet others' expectations—just as others are not obligated to meet yours. This doesn’t mean acting selfishly or disregarding others, but rather understanding boundaries: knowing what is and isn't your task. Before acting, one should ask, "Whose task is this?" and then avoid intruding. For example, a counselor can offer help, but whether the client changes is not their task. This mindset transforms interpersonal relationships by relieving the burden of needing to be liked or approved of. Living freely means accepting that some people may dislike you—and having the courage to be disliked is inseparable from the courage to be happy. Adlerian psychology does not promote neglect, but intentional understanding and respect for others’ autonomy.
 
In the fourth night of discussion, the philosopher emphasizes shifting from a self-centered worldview to one rooted in community and social interest. According to Adlerian psychology, the goal of interpersonal relationships is to cultivate a genuine sense of connection and equality—beginning with “you and I” and extending to all humanity. This requires moving away from attachment to self-interest and embracing concern for others, recognizing that we are not the center of the world. The world is not flat like a map but round like a globe, where everyone shares equal footing. In communication, Adlerian psychology rejects both praise and rebuke, as both reinforce vertical, hierarchical relationships. Praise, though seemingly positive, subtly implies superiority and can cause the recipient to believe they lack inherent ability, making them dependent on external validation. Creating even one vertical relationship can shift all interactions into power dynamics. Instead, Adlerian relationships are built on mutual respect, equality, and the courage to contribute to others without seeking control or approval.
 
In the fifth and final night of discussion, the philosopher urges the student to live earnestly in the here and now, grounding their life not in self-affirmation but in self-acceptance—acknowledging one’s limitations while still moving forward. Adlerian psychology teaches “affirmative resignation,” the ability to distinguish between what can and cannot be changed. Relationships are founded not on conditional trust but on unconditional confidence—believing in others without expectation or control, which builds horizontal, equal connections. Contribution to others, not self-sacrifice, is at the heart of meaningful work and a sense of purpose. True happiness stems from the feeling that “I am of use to someone,” though it is not up to us to determine the value of our contributions—that is the task of others. Adler warns against workaholism and the pursuit of “easy superiority,” such as acting out for attention, which masks avoidance and insecurity. Instead, he promotes the courage to be normal and to commit to one’s community through honest, consistent effort. The greatest life-lie, he concludes, is avoiding the present moment—failing to live here and now.
 
In conclusion, Adler teaches that life has no inherent meaning—any meaning must be created by the individual. Finding purpose begins with the courage to live freely, without fear of being disliked or conforming to others’ expectations. This path becomes clear when guided by the principle of contributing to others. As long as you focus on being of use, you won’t lose your way. True freedom is living your own life, and if you want the world to change, that change must start with you.
 
Other Related Resources
Productivity Game: THE COURAGE TO BE DISLIKED by F. Koga and I. Kishimi | Core Message
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFxn40zvl-E

Psychological Concepts and Figures
Alfred Adler
Sigmund Freud
Carl Jung
 
Determinism
Ideal self
Individual psychology
Inferiority
Personality
Rewards and punishments
Self-acceptance
Superiority
Trauma

​APA Style Citation
McRaney, D. (2022). How minds change: The surprising science of belief, opinion, and persuasion. Penguin, Random House, New York, N.Y.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/How-Minds-Change-Surprising-Persuasion/dp/0593190297
 
Book Description
You may know David McRaney from You Are Not So Smart or You Are Now Less Dumb. In his new book, McRaney discusses how we often dig into our beliefs, as well as how these beliefs might be changed. He begins the book by explaining that persuasion is not coercion because in coercion you are acting against your will and contrary to your preferences. In persuasion, you may not be aware of all of your options but still have the choice to reject what a person is trying to persuade you to do. Because of the aspect of free-will, McRaney considers persuasion to be ethical but not coercion. McRaney acknowledges that our beliefs are fluid and can change over time, but they are highly connected to our emotions and identities which may at times make changing a person’s beliefs more challenging. When trying to appeal only to the logical component of a persuasive argument, one will often be unsuccessful because it can trigger an intense emotional or defensive response. A better understanding of where our beliefs come from can in turn help us to understand how persuasion works (or sometimes does not).
 
Because beliefs have strong social connections, challenging a person’s beliefs may make them feel like a part of the out-group. They may feel like they will become alienated from friends and colleagues if they do not agree. McRaney does note that those who are members of diverse communities may be more open to change and new ideas because there may already be a diversity of ideas within their community. Additionally, humane and empathetic exposure to ideas that are different from one’s own, rather than aggressive and polarizing, may lead to more openness rather than digging in deeper to entrenched ideas. McRaney suggests capitalizing on these non-confrontational conversations by asking people to reflect on personal experiences or relating to people they know and care about. Research has demonstrated that this technique has been effective in changing people’s perspective on LGBTQ+ rights by appealing to people’s humanity and belief that all people should have access to certain human rights.
 
Another technique that McRaney identifies as street epistemology attempts to challenge people’s existing beliefs through respectful questioning. This technique gently asks people to consider the reasons behind their convictions and the implications that these beliefs may have for themselves of others. The goal here is to identify any inconsistencies in the person’s thinking rather than to aggressively confront individuals with opposing facts or opinions.
 
McRaney emphasizes that to really change someone’s thinking, they need to believe that the idea of change is their own idea and need to arrive at any potentially new conclusions on their own. He also discusses that shifts in thinking often happen over time. This can be seen with political ideas such as same sex marriage which was taboo a few decades ago but is now well accepted across a broad array of the population. McRaney suggests trying to create environments in which new ideas and opinions are welcome and considered and in which people are open to dialogue with others who may hold opinions different from their own. This may seem particularly challenging in a time of increased polarization, but How Minds Change provides some good ideas to get the conversation started.
 
Other Related Resources
Website for How Minds Change
Next Big Ideas Club
 
Facts Don't Change People's Mind: Here's What Does
 
David McRaney: The Psychology Podcast
 
Time Magazine: October, 2022
How to Actually Change Someone's Mind
 
Deepest Beliefs Lab: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
The Study of People's Deepest Beliefs and How they Shape Society
 
BBC: The Simple Trick to Change other People's Mind
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Central route to persuasion
Conformity
Group polarization
Groupthink
In-groups
Neurons
Out-groups
Peripheral route to persuasion
Persuasion

Book Description
A friend once wrote me a letter in an envelope titled “Open when you need this.” Inside was a simple, heartfelt message that helped build my confidence back up — just what I needed, exactly when I needed it. I remember holding onto that envelope for nearly a year before finally opening it, and the wave of emotion that followed reminded me how powerful it is to feel understood in your hardest moments. Dr. Julie Smith has captured that same feeling in her new book Open When… — a collection of letters filled with practical, compassionate advice for life’s difficult situations. It’s the book you reach for when you don’t have the words, offering clear, accessible tools and the steady reassurance of a trusted friend.
 
Open When… is a compassionate, practical guide for navigating the difficult moments of being human. Divided into three parts, the book addresses the emotional challenges of connecting with others, understanding yourself, and managing overwhelming feelings. Each chapter is styled as a letter directly to the reader, offering encouragement, context, and real-time tools for coping. There are also bullet point takeaways at the end of every chapter. Throughout the book, readers will find practical exercises and strategies to use in everyday life, all conveniently compiled in an appendix for quick reference. The book also includes a dedicated Panic Attack Guide and Action Plan at the end, offering step-by-step support.
 
Open When… is a companion for the life’s tough moments. Designed to be opened in moments of struggle, it reminds readers they are never truly alone in what they’re feeling.
 
Other Related Resources
Author's Website
https://www.drjulie.uk/

Author's YouTube Channel @DrJulie
https://www.youtube.com/@DrJulie%E2%81%A0

Calm Blog, "Open When": 3 Highlights from Dr. Julie Smith & Mel Mah's "Calm Conversation"
https://blog.calm.com/blog/open-when

Literary Insights [PODCAST} - Open When - Dr. Julie Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDh9-EFzvgs

Mel Robbins If You're Feeling Uncertain & Anxious, You Need to Hear This Dr. Julie on the Mel Robbins Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjvPbfxE3CI
​
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Adult attachment styles
Belonging
Black-and-white thinking
Catastrophizing
Confirmation bias
Distress
Egocentric thinking
Emotional reasoning
Fight-or-flight response
Gratitude
Growth mindset
Habituation
Imposter syndrome
Mindfulness
Overgeneralizing
Panic attacks
Reframing
Rumination
Social comparisons (upward and downward)
Spotlight effect
Yerkes-Dodson law

Book Description
A lot of us spend our lives trying to manage, fix, or control everything around us — other people’s choices, their emotions, what they think of us, and the outcomes we’re scared of facing. In her latest book, Let Them, Mel Robbins shares how she  broke free from that exhausting pattern in a moment she didn’t expect. It happened at her son’s prom. Standing there, watching him and his friends, she felt the old, familiar urge to step in and offer advice, manage the situation, or redirect decisions. Then her daughter pointed out “Let them.” Let them eat wherever they want, get soaked in the rain, and make their own memories. It wasn’t her prom, and it wasn’t her life to direct. In that small but meaningful moment, she realized just how much time and energy we waste trying to control what was never ours to begin with.
 
This realization forms the foundation of the Let Them Theory, a practice Mel describes throughout the book. She explains that the urge to control often comes from fear — fear of things going wrong, fear of conflict, fear of discomfort, and fear of what others might think. The irony is that the more we try to control things, the more anxious, stressed, and disconnected we feel. And while it’s a primal human instinct to want to control our environment and the people in it, Robbins makes the case that peace of mind and genuine confidence only arrive when you release your grip. That said, she points out there are important boundaries to this concept. First, “Let Them” does not apply to parenting young children or situations where someone’s safety and wellbeing are your direct responsibility — a guide for parenting is found in the appendix. Secondly, if saying “Let Them” is leaving you feeling isolated or emotionally abandoned, you’re likely missing the most important half of the equation: “Let Me.” This mindset isn’t about disengaging from life or relationships, but about reclaiming your own choices and peace. Once you let them do what they’re going to do, you take responsibility for what you’ll do next — how you’ll respond, what you’ll allow, and where you’ll direct your energy. This is where your personal power lives. You have control over what you say, think, and do in response to the actions of others.
 
Throughout the book, Robbins applies this theory to some of life’s most familiar personal challenges. She talks about managing stress and the constant fear of other people’s opinions. She addresses the weight of dealing with someone else’s emotional reactions and how easily we fall into the trap of chronic comparison. Robbins also explores the “Let Them” theory and relationships. She addresses adult friendships, the frustrating desire to motivate others to change when they aren’t ready. She dives into what it means to truly support someone who’s struggling without carrying their burden for them and how to choose the kind of love and relationships you genuinely deserve. A touching part of the book is the section on heartbreak, co-written with her daughter Sawyer, who recently experienced a breakup of her own. Together, they unpack what it means to let someone go and turn your focus inward, where healing begins. Each chapter unpacks a different situation, and the conclusion offers a simple review of the problem, truth, and solution. Robbins writes in a relatable, honest voice, never pretending that these choices are easy or that letting go always feels good in the moment. But she makes a convincing case for why it’s worth it.
 
In the end, The Let Them Theory is a book about releasing what you can’t control and reclaiming what you can. It’s a reminder that you can’t manage someone else’s choices, moods, or judgments — and you don’t need to. What matters is what you’ll do next.
 
Other Related Resources
Author's Website
https://www.melrobbins.com/book/the-let-them-theory/
​
Author's Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhW2xUEb-B-Y92Q1wVWw6TyMNr4idD-yv

Psychology Today Embracing Detachment: The "Let Them" Theory
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/consciously-creating-your-soul-life/202503/embracing-detachment-the-let-them-theory

VeryWell Mind How the Let Them Theory Can Transform Your Relationships
https://www.verywellmind.com/let-them-theory-8773871

Life is Positive The Let Them Theory: 10 Life-Changing Lessons from Mel Robbins
https://lifeispositive.com/let-them-theory/

​Psychological Concepts and Figures
Amygdala
Emotion
Fight-flight-or-freeze
Imposter syndrome
Internal locus of control
Motivation
Narcissism
Prefrontal cortex
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Social comparisons (upward and downward)
Stress management

​Get the App!
The iScore 5 AP Psych app is now available for $4.99 in the iTunes App Store for Apple devices or Google Play for Android devices.
 
iTunes  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iScore5.Psych&hl=en
Google Play https://apps.apple.com/us/app/iscore5-ap-psychology/id6739144070

App Description 
iScore 5 AP Psych is an app designed to help students achieve high scores on the AP examination. The app makes exam review entertaining and engaging for students. The creators have designed an app that functions as a game, helping students master all the CED vocabulary words for AP Psychology. The app, however, goes beyond merely learning basic vocabulary by challenging students to master multiple-choice questions in levels of increasing difficulty. The questions have been written by experienced AP Psychology teachers and college professors of psychology, all of whom are also AP exam readers.
 
The app's interactive interface is easy to navigate, and students can return to study mode at any point during the game to practice basic vocabulary. The app tracks a running score, enabling students to monitor their progress and gain a deeper understanding of the concepts they will need to know for the exam. Within each level, including the study mode, questions and practice items are organized by units, allowing for targeted study of specific areas in the AP curriculum.
 
The app is also an effective way for students to prepare for classroom unit exams, midterms, and finals. Because it is portable and easily accessible via phone or tablet, students are more likely to review more frequently. Even if students only have five or ten minutes to review at a time, this will result in an impressive increase in knowledge of psychology content due to the spacing effect.

 
Prepare for the AP Psychology Exam with iScore5
 
Study Level: All of the concepts from the updated CED are organized by AP Psychology unit and presented in a flashcard format. The study level is available for review at any level of the game.  

Play Level: Four levels of increasingly difficult multiple-choice questions.

​Level 1:  Vocabulary questions are organized by each of the AP Psychology units and presented in a multiple-choice format. Level 1 provides 20 terms at a time for each unit, so it is recommended that students play this level often, as the app generates a different set of terms each time the student plays.
 
Levels 2, 3, and 4:  These levels contain a set of multiple-choice questions in an AP format for each of the AP Psychology units in the CED. Each level increases in difficulty, ranging from level 2 (general understanding) to level 3 (intermediate) and level 4 (advanced). The correct answer to each question is explained, regardless of whether the student provided the correct response.
 
Practice Exam
Students are given the same amount of time they will have during the official AP Psychology exam (90 minutes) and are provided with their total score. After completing the practice test, they can review the questions they missed and see answer explanations. 

Reset: On the home screen, students can press the reset button to restart the game at any point, allowing them to play as often as they like.
 
The iScore5 AP Psych app provides students with a fun way to review for the exam.  Because all the questions are crafted by expert AP Psychology teachers and university psychology professors, the quality of the questions is very similar to what students will see on the AP exam.

​
 
Get the App!
The iScore 5 AP Psych app is now available for $4.99 in the iTunes App Store for Apple devices or Google Play for Android devices.
 
iTunes (iPhones and iPads) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iScore5.Psych&hl=en

Google Play (Android phones and Chromebooks) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/iscore5-ap-psychology/id6739144070
 
Other Apps Available from iScore5
The iScore5 company also offers review apps for other Advanced Placement topics, including AP United States Government and Politics, AP World History, and AP Human Geography. Visit the main iScore website for information about these other programs: http://www.iscore5.com.
 
Social Media
For more information about iScore5 AP Psych, visit the company website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
 
Website:
http://www.iscore5.com/apreg-psychology.html
 
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/iscore5/
 
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/iscore5/

​Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed.

Author: Dashka Slater
ISBN: 978-0-374-31434-7
 
APA Style Citation
Slater, D. (2023). Accountable: The True Story of a racist social media account and the teenagers whose lives it changed. MacMillan Publishing Group, New York, N.Y.
 
Buy this Book 
https://www.amazon.com/Accountable-Racist-Account-Teenagers-Changed-ebook/dp/B0B66JL4DR
 
Book Description
The true story took place in Albany, California, in 2017, a small liberal town in the Bay Area that was roughly 50% White, 25% Asian, and just over 10% Latino, while African Americans made up about 3% of the population. Most of the working population were professionals with college degrees. Many families stretched their budgets to move into the Albany school district, which was known for its high academic standards and smaller school sizes. High school students felt pressure to gain admission to a good college, and generally, they worked hard to earn good grades and high test scores. 
 
A group of junior boys often hung out at a boy named Charles’ house because the boy’s parents were often out or left the boys alone and did not always keep tabs on what they were up to. The boys drank, played video games, and when they were not together, communicated through social media. The girls at the school were typical of many other high school girls, worried about school, fashion, and their social standing. Some of the African American students in the school reported instances of micro-aggressions in which people might not expect that they were in AP classes, or they felt like they had to represent their race, and be the only black student in many of their classes. Charles sometimes made comments about race that the other students and his friends initially took as jokes, and others often made comments to Charles about his Asian background. 
 
While scrolling through Instagram one evening after going to a movie, a group of friends discovered an Instagram account created by Charles and his friends, which made fun of a girl’s hair and skin color. Both girls were African American. Other offensive posts were made about some of the Asian girls in the school, it did not take long for school officials to find out about the account. While Charles and his friends created the account, it was initially set up as a private account intended to roast others and was not anyone’s main account. Since most of the account's followers were in Charles’ inner circle, when things were impolite or racist, many of his friends assumed it was just Charles being himself. As more people began to follow the account, it started to include others who were not part of Charles’ inner circle. 
 
As word got out, the old posts and those that Charles thought he had deleted came out and were shared with others who were mentioned on the account. The posts included derogatory posts about looks, references to lynching, and racist groups/organizations. When the boys, including Charles, found out that people were upset about the account, it was deleted, thinking that was the end of it. But the repercussions were just beginning. Andrea, an African American girl at the school who had been friends with individuals from many racial groups, felt hurt and isolated by the posts because the posts targeted her race. She began to become reclusive and not trust others. 
 
Charles became a pariah and was scorned by those who were the target of the account, as well as by his friends, who had to be cautious about being seen with him. After the police were involved, he eventually found the courage to call his older sister and threatened to hurt himself because he believed that he had lost all his friends. While Charles was in middle school, his father was arrested for possession of child pornography and committed suicide shortly thereafter, and he did not want to further burden his mother with this issue. While Charles had pent-up anger after the events with his father, he never talked about it with others. Eventually, of course, his mother did find out, and the school recommended that he be expelled. 
 
While Charles claimed that this was all a joke, some of those who were the focus of the posts wanted the school to openly discuss what had occurred and prosecute the boys involved as if this were a hate crime. Others just wanted it to go away and continue their high school careers. The parents of the boys who were less directly involved wanted the punishment to reflect their level of involvement, but this was challenging considering the schools no-tolerance policy for these types of actions. Attempts at mediation led to a massive school protest, which ended with the boys being shuttled away from the school due to concerns for their safety. One of the boys had a broken nose after being punched in the face.
 
A church event finally provided a bit of catharsis for those targeted by the Instagram account, and some of the parents on both sides began to communicate. Some of this communication broke down, while in other cases it provided some healing. The boys who were affiliated with the account stayed home and homeschooled together while the girls who were the targets responded in a number of different ways. One cried every day. Another avoided school, especially classes that had account followers. As the school decided what to do, some of the girls found the courage to speak at a board meeting to describe what the account had meant to them and how it was impacting their well-being. 
 
Lawsuits from both sides began about the damage of the account and the right to a public education. Charles was ultimately expelled and lost a scholarship he had previously had to study in France. He moved in with his sister and her boyfriend, found a job and started to address his anger issues. He finished his GED and ultimately moved to Florida when his stepfather gave him an ultimatum to get a job or pay rent. Other students wound up in therapy, some tried to graduate early.
 
Ultimately, the case went before a judge who applied the “Tinker Test” to determine the degree of distraction posed by the Instagram account to the educational environment. It was ruled that the account caused a reasonable disruption since many of the pictures were taken at school, and that the account could not be expected to remain private. 
The school paid lawsuits to those on the account, which in some cases was not quite enough to cover the cost of online school. Others received payouts that covered the cost of their lawyers. These payouts were made to the student who created the account due to the lost time at school and emotional trauma experienced after the account was discovered, while Andrea received a collective payout of approximately $80,000 from the families of those who created the account. She used this money for her tuition at Howard University.
 
Accountable is a difficult book to read, but it covers an important topic about the power of social media to cause real harm, whether intended or not. It also addresses the responsibility of those who follow hateful accounts and the role of schools to mediate the accounts and fallout from the damage done, while also respecting all student’s constitutional rights.

 
Other Related Resources
Author’s website
https://www.accountablebook.com
 
Vanderbilt University: Best Practices for a Successful Social Media Account
Social media accounts
 
Cyberbullying Research Center
Smart Social Networking: 15 tips for teens
 
American Psychological Association
Keeping Kids safe on Social Media
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Dr. Brene Brown
James Flynn
 
Bystander effect
Catharsis
Deindividuation
Diffusion of responsibility
Discrimination
Flynn effect
Genetics
Prejudice
Stereotyping
Stereotype threat 

Buzz: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies
Author: Kenneth Carter 
ISBN-13: 978-1108738101
 
APA Style Citation
Carter, K. (2019). Buzz: Inside the minds of thrill-seekers, daredevils, and adrenaline junkies. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108751353

Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Buzz-Thrill-Seekers-Daredevils-Adrenaline-Junkies/dp/1108738109
 
Book Description
In Kenneth Carter’s Buzz: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies, he explores individuals who actively seek intense, novel, and high-stimulation experiences and the personality theory of sensation-seeking. The book includes numerous case studies of high sensation-seeking individuals to illustrate how this personality trait influences behavior, from extreme sports and spontaneous travel to creative expression and career choices.
 
Sensation-seeking theory suggests that people differ in their need for stimulation. While some thrive on high-risk adventures, others prefer stability and predictability. Most individuals fall somewhere in between, balancing novelty with routine. The book describes the Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS) created by psychologist Marvin Zuckerman to measure this trait, in detail. The test breaks sensation seeking into four key components:

• Thrill and Adventure Seeking – Enjoy physically risky activities like extreme sports, fast driving, or amusement park rides.
• Experience Seeking – Desire for novel experiences, such as travel, trying new foods, or creative exploration.
• Disinhibition – Impulsive, uninhibited behavior, often in social settings or when breaking norms.
• Boredom Susceptibility – Low tolerance for routine and a constant need for new stimulation.

 
Carter connects sensation-seeking to arousal theory, which suggests that individuals are motivated to maintain an optimal stimulation level. High sensation-seekers have a greater tolerance for arousal and actively seek intense or unpredictable experiences. This trait has biological roots, with differences in dopamine regulation making excitement more rewarding. Additionally, a slower-developing prefrontal cortex in sensation-seekers can contribute to impulsivity and risk-taking.
 
Sensation-seeking influences how people approach travel, food, social interactions, and hobbies. While extreme sports are a common outlet for high sensation-seekers, Carter also examines how this trait manifests in less conventional ways.
 
Many sensation-seekers approach travel with spontaneity, favoring unpredictable experiences over structured itineraries. The book introduces a traveler the author refers to as the White Rabbit, who embodies this mindset. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, she embraces uncertainty, choosing destinations on impulse and using platforms like CouchSurfing to immerse herself in unfamiliar cultures. Rather than planning every detail, she allows chance encounters to shape her journey. Her travel style reflects experience-seeking and disinhibition, as she thrives on the excitement of new environments and the unpredictability of relying on strangers. The book discusses research that links sensation-seeking and independent, immersive travel. The book includes research by psychologists Andrew Lepp, Heather Gibson, and Helen Gilchrist that indicates high sensation-seekers prefer to travel without much preplanning or set itineraries. They value travel that leads to in-depth cultural exploration and first-hand authentic experiences. They’re more likely to travel to unfamiliar places and enjoy the excitement of navigating new environments independently. The travel preferences of high sensation seekers mainly highlight the experience seeking and disinhibition aspects of the personality trait. However, thrill and adventure-seeking may involve physically risky travel.
 
For some, food is more than just a necessity or pleasure. It’s an adventure. They are attracted to unexpected flavors and non-traditional foods, especially ones others might avoid. Rather than eating for routine or enjoyment, they see food as a gateway to new experiences, often embracing unfamiliar cuisines to connect with different cultures. Munir, featured in the book, seeks out rare and intimidating delicacies, from goat brains to baby octopuses, not just for the taste but for the thrill of the experience. For him, trying something new is as rewarding as the food itself. His approach exemplifies experience-seeking—finding excitement in novelty, diversity, and the unexpected. Many sensation-seekers share this mindset, whether by sampling street food in foreign countries, testing extreme spice levels, or seeking out the most unusual dish on the menu. Carter ties this behavior to the broader theme of sensation-seeking, showing how the drive for new experiences extends beyond travel and extreme sports to everyday choices. Food for these individuals is an opportunity to push boundaries, overcome hesitation, and embrace the unknown.
 
Carter profiles several high sensation-seekers who push their limits in extreme environments, demonstrating how this personality trait manifests differently.
Extreme adventurer Timmy O’Neill has built his life around high-risk pursuits, from climbing skyscrapers to kayaking the Grand Canyon. He has summited El Capitan multiple times and even survived a 120-foot fall while climbing in Pakistan. O’Neill describes the appeal of these experiences as facing "the crux"—a moment of intense challenge that demands resolution. For thrill-seekers like O’Neill, fear is not a deterrent but part of the experience. High sensation-seekers often report their most vivid emotional moments when navigating dangerous situations. One climber in Buzz recounted a narrow escape from a rising tide on California’s Lost Coast, while another described climbing an eroding cliff as the ground crumbled beneath him. Instead of being paralyzed by fear, they channel it into focus and adaptability.
 
World-record paraglider and elite ice climber Will Gadd shows the precision and control required in high-risk sports. In 2015, he became the first to ascend Niagara Falls, navigating unstable ice formations and freezing mist following a careful plan. For Gadd, adrenaline is not the goal; it’s a distraction. He believes excessive adrenaline impairs judgment and his success relies on mental discipline, focus, and strategic thinking. This demonstrates that high sensation-seekers are not necessarily reckless but highly skilled at managing risk.
 
High sensation-seekers, especially those who score highly on thrill and adventure seeking, look for ways to test their physical and mental limits. The drive to test their limits, face discomfort head-on, and overcome obstacles motivates them to find extreme challenges. Matt Davis, for example, discovered Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) at 40 through the Warrior Dash, initially seeing it as a fun challenge. However, this single event led him into the world of extreme endurance races like Tough Mudder and the Spartan Death Race. OCR events are more than strength and speed; they require resilience and the ability to navigate grueling obstacles such as crawling under barbed wire, plunging into ice-cold water, and enduring electrical shocks. OCR appeals to sensation-seekers who crave intensity and thrive in high-adrenaline environments. Many OCR racers say these events push them past their limits, changing how they see their strength. Despite the physical costs and risks, they keep returning for the rush of achievement and the bond they form with others—because for high sensation-seekers, the challenge is the reward.
 
Research by Christopher Cronin and colleagues found that individuals involved in extreme sports score significantly higher in experience-seeking and thrill-seeking than those who prefer low-risk activities. Sensation-seeking also plays a role in career choices. While high sensation-seekers often choose fields like emergency response, entrepreneurship, or entertainment, those with lower sensation-seeking tendencies are found more often in structured, predictable careers. Carter emphasizes that sensation-seeking is neither good nor bad, but understanding it helps individuals make informed choices about their activities, careers, and social interactions.
 
Through numerous case studies, Buzz demonstrates that sensation-seeking is more than adrenaline-fueled sports. High sensation-seekers look for novelty, excitement, and self-discovery through spontaneous travel, adventurous eating, creative risk-taking, or extreme endurance challenges. They look to move beyond routine and find unique and stimulating experiences, building their lives around curiosity, resilience, and the thrill of the unknown. This book can be easily applied to high school psychology courses, as it provides real-world applications of personality theory, motivation, and biological psychology. Buzz helps students understand how personality traits influence behavior, decision-making, and risk-taking by examining case studies of high sensation-seekers.
 
 
Other Related Resources
Author’s website
https://www.drkencarter.com/
Are You a Thrill Seeker? Kenneth Carter, PhD (about 2 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1l8_bfPSdc
 
 
Just For The Thrill Of It: An Inside Look At Sensation Seeking Kenneth Carter, PhD TEDx Emory (13 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJbbMasBSGY
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Paul Costa and Robert McCrae
Mihaly Csikszentmihaly
Charles Darwin
Angela Duckworth
Hans Eysenck
Sigmund Freud
William James
Carl Jung
Wilhelm Wundt
 
Adrenaline
Amygdala
Arousal Theory
Belonging
Big Five Personality Traits
Biological Perspective and Sensation-Seeking
Bystander Effect
Cortisol
Delayed Gratification
Disgust Reaction
Disinhibition
Dopamine
Emotional Intelligence
Epigenetics
Evolutionary Perspective and Sensation-Seeking
Fight or Flight Response
Flow State
Grit
Habituation
Heritability Estimates
Id
Interpersonal Intelligence
Intrapersonal Intelligence
Likert Scales
Marshmallow Test
Minnesota Study of Twins Raised Apart
Nature v. Nurture
Norepinephrine
Optimal Level Theory
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Resilience
Sensation-Seeking
Serotonin
Testosterone
Tolerance
Trauma
Vicarious Conditioning
Zuckerman’s Sensation-Seeking Scale
 
 

​Book Description
What is an effect? Effects are everywhere—they result from treatments, decisions, accidents, inventions, elections, outbreaks, performances, etc. Researchers measure the size of effects, with statistical significance indicating the likelihood that results occurred by chance, and practical significance focusing on their meaning. Social sciences increasingly emphasize the need to report effect sizes alongside statistical significance to reduce bias and move beyond relying solely on p-values. This book explores three interconnected activities: interpreting effect sizes, analyzing statistical power, and conducting meta-analyses, which together form the foundation for robust research.

Part 1: Effect Size
Psychologists must address the “so what?” question by emphasizing the practical significance of their studies. A statistically significant result is unlikely due to chance, but practical significance reflects real-world impact. Researchers must communicate findings not only to peers but also to the public. Effect sizes, which measure the impact of treatments or the relationship between variables, are essential for interpreting study results, yet many researchers fail to report them. Effect sizes fall into two main categories: the d-family (differences between groups, such as Cohen’s d) and the r-family (measures of association, like correlation coefficients). Both are standardized metrics that can be calculated using tools like SPSS. When reporting effect sizes, researchers should specify the measure used, quantify precision with confidence intervals, and present results in clear, jargon-free language.
 
Even when effect sizes and confidence intervals are reported, they are often left uninterpreted, raising questions like “How big is big?” or “Is the effect meaningful?” Non-arbitrary reference points are essential for assessing practical significance, guided by the three C’s of interpretation: context, contribution to knowledge, and Cohen’s criteria. Small effects can be meaningful in the right context if they trigger larger consequences, alter probabilities of significant outcomes, accumulate into bigger impacts, or lead to technological breakthroughs or new insights. Interpreting contributions to knowledge requires more than comparing study results; researchers must also consider alternative explanations. Jacob Cohen’s 1988 criteria for small, medium, and large effect sizes offer a logical foundation and a starting point for resolving disputes about significance. While Cohen’s “t-shirt size” classifications are easy to understand and widely used, they remain controversial, with critics arguing against rigidly categorizing effects as small, medium, or large.
 
Part 2: Power Analysis
In any study, the null hypothesis assumes no effect (effect size = 0), while the alternative hypothesis assumes an effect (effect size ≠ 0). Statistical tests calculate the p-value, the probability of observing the result if the null hypothesis were true. A low p-value indicates statistical significance, allowing researchers to reject the null. Errors can occur: a Type 1 error (false positive) happens when researchers detect an effect that doesn’t exist, while a Type 2 error (false negative) occurs when they miss a real effect. Type 1 errors (α) and Type 2 errors (β) are inversely related; reducing one increases the other. Statistical power, the probability of detecting a true effect, depends on effect size, sample size, alpha significance criterion (α) level, and statistical power, with Cohen recommending a power level of 0.80. Underpowered studies risk missing meaningful effects, while overpowered studies may waste resources or highlight trivial findings. Power analysis, often done during study planning, helps determine the minimum sample size needed to detect anticipated effects. Researchers estimate effect sizes using prior studies, meta-analyses, pretests, or theory, aiming for conservative estimates to ensure adequate power. Tools like online calculators simplify these calculations, which are crucial for designing efficient and meaningful research.
 
Power analyses can be conducted for individual studies or groups of studies with a common theme or journal. In the 1960s, Jacob Cohen analyzed the statistical power of research published in the Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology and found it lacking—a trend later confirmed across other fields. Published research is often underpowered, and the multiplicity problem arises when multiple statistical tests increase the likelihood of false positives. The family-wise error rate becomes relevant when multiple tests are run on the same data, as even low-powered studies can yield statistically significant results if enough tests are conducted. This can lead to practices like “fishing” for publishable results or HARKing (hypothesizing after results are known). To improve statistical power, researchers can focus on larger effects, increase sample sizes, use more sensitive measures, choose appropriate tests, or relax the alpha significance criterion.
 
Part 3: Meta-Analysis
Single studies rarely resolve inconsistencies in social science research, especially in the absence of large-scale randomized controlled trials. Progress often comes from combining results from many smaller studies. A qualitative approach, or narrative review, documents the story of a research theme, while the quantitative approach, meta-analysis, focuses on observed effects rather than others’ conclusions. Meta-analysis combines these effects into an average effect size to assess the overall direction and magnitude of real-world impacts. By statistically analyzing statistical analyses, meta-analysis systematically reviews research on a specific effect, weighting individual effect sizes by their precision to calculate a weighted mean effect size. This provides a more accurate estimate of the population effect size than any single study. Though designed to be objective, transparent, and disciplined, meta-analysis can still be undermined by biases, leading to precise but flawed conclusions. Each step in the process must be recorded, justified, and open to scrutiny, with the process generally broken into six key steps. See the classroom activity for details.
 
Large-scale randomized controlled trials are the gold standard for estimating effect sizes, but due to their cost and time requirements, research often starts with small-scale studies. When large trials follow a meta-analysis, comparisons can reveal inconsistencies, as meta-analyses may produce misleading conclusions. Bias in meta-analyses can arise from excluding relevant research, including bad studies, using inappropriate statistical models, or running underpowered analyses. The first three lead to inflated effect size estimates and increased Type I errors, while the fourth results in imprecise estimates and higher Type II errors. Excluding relevant research causes availability bias, and reporting bias occurs when only significant results are published. Studies with non-significant findings are often rejected, contributing to the "file drawer problem," which inflates mean estimates or increases Type I errors. P-values reflect sample size as much as effect size, meaning small samples can miss important effects. Non-significant results are inconclusive, indicating either no effect or insufficient power to detect one. Excluding non-English studies introduces bias. Discriminating studies based on quality also risks bias, scientific censorship, dismissal of valuable evidence, and overlooks differences in quality that can be controlled statistically.
 
Overall, this book provides information to help students evaluate psychological research. It explains the importance of effect sizes for understanding real-world significance and statistical power for designing studies that produce reliable results.
It includes a detailed discussion of meta-analysis, a method used to find broader patterns and trends in research while showing students how to recognize and avoid potential biases.
 
Other Related Resources

Author's Website- Check out FAQs

Author’s Website- Check out FAQshttps://effectsizefaq.com/about/
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Alternative hypothesis
Bias
Confidence intervals
Effect size
Generalize
HARKing
Meta-analysis
Null hypothesis
Qualitative
Quantitative
Replication
Sample size
Standard deviation
Statistical significance
Type I error
Type II error
Correlation coefficient

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
Author: Jonathan Haidt
ISBN: 9780593655030
 
APA Style Citation
Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Press.
 
Buy this Book 
https://www.amazon.com/Anxious-Generation-Rewiring-Childhood-Epidemic/dp/0593655036
 
Book Description
Jonathan Haidt makes a case that changes in childhood since the early 2000s are creating a generation of children who are not able to disconnect and not able to engage in an authentic and carefree childhood, which in turn is causing increases in disorders such as depression and anxiety. Haidt cites overprotective and overburdened parents as co-collaborators in this phenomenon. For those who are overprotective, they plan their children to the minute and track their every move on their devices. Haidt contends that children are so overscheduled that they are losing the ability to think creatively and take risks as children many generations ago did. The overburdened parent is one who may be overdependent on giving their child access to devices because it occupies them and keeps them busy without taking too much of the parent’s attention. Haidt also indicates that parents are missing out on many important events in their children’s lives because the parents are so engrossed by their cell phones. They are together without communicating or making connections.

Haidt explores the increases in teens mental health issues, such as dramatic increases in anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation or actual suicide attempts. As indicated in the charts above, these increases are most prevalent in 18-25-year-olds. By 2021, rates of anxiety and depression were reported at 150% of the 2011 numbers. These increases are well documented, and there may be multiple factors for the increase, including that the stigma around mental illness has been reduced by increasing levels of reporting. Dramatic increases also occurred during and shortly after the COVID pandemic and are slowly decreasing but have yet to return to pre-2011 rates. Haidt contends that these issues are not simply correlational with cell phone usage but are, in fact, caused by this increase in personal devices. 
 
Haidt believes that cell phones have sucked interpersonal relationships dry and that one of the reasons children feel lonelier is that they are connecting less in real-life encounters. Even if teens are connecting on social media, it is often to portray a life that is scrubbed, filtered, and devoid of any real personal connection. Even during the school day students are often together without communicating with one another. In addition to limiting personal real-life relationships, Haidt notes that cell phones are causing sleep deprivation, which is documented for causing emotional dysregulation. The constant barrage of incoming information on cell phones has created a fragmentation of attention and impacted the ability to focus for extended time or to persevere at challenging tasks. Teens report spending between 3 and 8 hours each day on their personal devices, and Haidt contends this is taking away from the interpersonal connections that filled this time in the pre-cell phone era. Haidt proposes that social media companies are winning the battle for children’s attention and are finding new ways to monetize this while taking little accountability for the havoc this is causing. Haidt believes that parents and schools should be working together to significantly decrease middle and high-schoolers screen time. 
 
Haidt makes a case for more free-play that is self-directed without parental involvement and that is self-selected. He contends that this interaction with peers helps children to regulate their emotions, take reasonable risks, learn the tools of cooperation with others, and to learn to deal with low-stakes failures. Haidt believes that children learn best when they learn from one another, they learn turn-taking and social norms, they begin to understand reciprocity in relationships, and they see the benefits of belonging and interacting in a group setting without adults setting parameters or determining the activities in which the children will engage. Haidt believes that these interactions give children a sense of agency and self-sufficiency, which can improve mental health and reported feelings of loneliness and isolation. 
 
Haidt has deeply considered how to return to free-play and cell-free areas despite the prominence and accessibility of phones in nearly all areas. He calls on schools to ban cell phone use during the day (not just during academic classes) by placing cell phones in lockers or locked bags. He also calls on parents to restrict cell phone use at home, especially in the evening when cell phone use may inhibit good sleep. He challenges parents to hold off as long as possible in purchasing the first cell phone for their children. Haidt’s recommendation is to wait until high school for a simple flip phone. Even after young people have phones, he advocates that they not have access to social media until their mid-teens (age 16). He believes that this can be accomplished by teachers and parents working together to reduce the expectation that when a child turns 10, they must have a cell phone with internet access. Additionally, Haidt expresses the need to pressure tech companies to increase their enforcement of age limits on certain internet sites. Haidt speaks to the numerous young to mid adolescents using social media sites without oversight and porn sites, which claim to place age limits on access but do little to enforce this. 
 
In response to those who claim that it is too late to return to a time when teenagers do not have continual access to the Internet and social media sites, Haidt acknowledges that this will be a challenging move but points to the many schools and parent groups that are trying to work together to reclaim children’s childhood and personal connections. The resources below reflect some of these efforts.
 
Resources
The Anxious Generation Resource Library
https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/resources
 
NPR Clip
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/18/1196979740/nprs-book-of-the-day-anxious-generation-kids-internet
 
Axios States of State cell phone bans
Map of Cell Phone Ban policies
 
Pew Research Center
Most Americans Back Cellphone Bans During Class, but Fewer Support All-Day Restrictions
 
Johns Hopkins University
What’s Behind the Ban on Cell Phones in K-12 Schools?
 
K-12 Dive
Parents Push Back on School Cellphone Bans
 
Washington Post
Cellphone Bans Spread in Schools Amid Growing Mental Health Worries
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Bibb Latane and John Darley
Konrad Lorenz 
Edward Thorndike
 
ADHD
Anxiety
Basal ganglia
Critical periods
Depression
Internalizing disorders
Loss aversion
Mental health 
Phobias
Puzzle boxes
Self-harm
Stress
Tourette’s syndrome
Variable reinforcement

​Book Description
The book reflects over 20 years teaching a course on Relationships at Portsmouth High School, NH and incorporates other work with youth and young adults at the University of New Hampshire, Phillips Exeter Academy, New Beginnings youth programs, and other schools and agencies in New Hampshire and Maine.  I have also taught at the University of New Hampshire, The University of Massachusetts – Lowell, Fisher College and Hesser College. Currently, I am an instructor at Great Bay Community College.
 
Teaching Teens about Relationships describes how to teach a relationships course for adolescents, including many learning activities and instructional strategies, along with student reactions to it. The course integrated mindfulness work into each session and examined such topics as flirting, jealousy, infidelity, gossip, starting and ending relationships and other ubiquitous aspects of adolescent relationships rarely found in school curricula.
 
Incorporating student perspectives and experiences was essential to the course’s success. Students created their own material for use in acquiring and practicing relationship skills. Students provided the content to work with activities addressing communication issues, problem areas, sexuality, and the importance of relationships in their lives. They provided an extensive and diverse pool of information and experience that formed the basis of our discussions. This student-centered approach gave me access to their experiences, concerns, values, and strengths. The course gave them access to a safe environment to discuss issues that were in the forefront of their lives.
The book provides guidance for secondary and community college teachers and counselors and professionals working with adolescents in out-of-school settings, such as group homes, agencies, and faith communities. It describes how to develop a course or program series on romantic relationships and the rationale for doing so. 
 
It begins by explaining the importance of establishing and maintaining a safe classroom environment to allow a diverse group of students to participate freely and fully.  Readers will learn how to approach each class as a unique experience, tailoring content and methodology to the students in a particular class. There is an emphasis on how to involve the students in determining content.
 
The book contains over 120 instructional strategies, including experiential activities, dyad and small group tasks, music and artistic expressions, role-playing, writing exercises, and quizzes. It addresses how to include beliefs and theories about relationships, mindfulness and communication skills, starting, building, and ending relationships, sexual decisions, problem-solving, and defining love. 
This publication is more than a how-to teach resource about relationships. It is also a story of the experiences of students who took the relationship course. In keeping with the spirit of reciprocity integral to a responsible relationship, readers are encouraged to communicate their thoughts, reactions, questions, ideas, or critiques with the author via email or his webpage.
 
Note: That discussing relationships can be triggering and should be led by an experienced individual with proper training in the field to address any potential trauma or vulnerabilities that may arise. 
 
Chapter Descriptions 
The Introduction explains the antecedents and development of the course. It describes the students who took this elective Relationships course and their motivations for registering. It previews the  content of the succeeding chapters.
Chapter 1 details how the initial sessions served to build comfort, trust, and safety among the students so that sensitive issues could be best addressed later in the course. Substantial time is spent on group-building activities, including the identification of group agreements to guide participation and class interactions. 
Chapter 2 contains activities and practices that recurred throughout the course. Its primary focus is on mindfulness training, with sample meditations and active mindfulness exercises.  It also includes the use of music as an instructional tool, describing how students presented their chosen songs about relationships and led group discussions regarding the songs’ messages.  
Chapter 3 takes a careful look at family connections and acknowledges that a range of experiences exists in families of origin and family constellations. How these early experiences might influence future relationships is examined, including a study of developmental stages and attachment theory as ways to help explain and understand the impact of earlier experiences.
Chapter 4 addresses friendships. This involves a look at expectations and realities, good times and not-so-good times. The chapter investigates such student concerns as the role of gossip among peers, joys and troubles among friends, beliefs about friendships, and loneliness, the lack of friends. Some common relationship themes are introduced here, with a look at how friendships might affect romantic relationships. 
Chapter 5 begins the focus on romantic relationships by identifying beliefs students bring to the relationships they establish and experience. Students scrutinize their own beliefs and values and those of their classmates and investigate beliefs common to different cultures. Myths and long held beliefs are compared to psychological research. The chapter also notes how the Arts portray beliefs about relationships. 
Chapter 6 examines the science of relationships through theories developed from research using the scientific method and conceptual thinking. These theories provide ways to explain how relationships begin and develop, and what factors contribute to problems and breakups.  Studying theories hones students’ abilities to reason and reflect and provides tools for identifying and combatting biases.
Chapter 7 focuses on how relationships begin, from first impressions through early interactions to growing connection. Using my own dissertation research, the stages of starting a relationship are explored. Important communication skills and strategies are practiced.
Chapter 8 provides an in-depth training in communication skills. Beginning with practices in developing listening skills, the chapter breaks down the dynamics of the communication process, examining the mechanics in a challenging, rigorous, and innovative training. Youth provide topics and situations to apply their training in lively conversational practices and feedback sessions.
Chapter 9 builds on the basic communication skills by integrating emotional content into practice. Attention to enhancing emotional intelligence to inform their communication processes helps students learn to honor and respect their own and others’ feelings while engaged in conversation.
Chapter 10 utilizes a strength-building approach, seeing problems as learning opportunities for youth. A key feature engages students in creating most of the content by identifying the problems they think are important to work on.  Respect for youth’s abilities to work through even the most difficult issues centers this work. The chapter addresses youths’ need for skills to perceive, understand, negotiate and resolve differences. It shows how to help them develop awareness of their own and their partner’s perspectives and to use strategies for dealing with conflict. It addresses difficult problem areas related to infidelity, jealousy, dating violence and abuse. 
Chapter 11 shows how to engage students in open and honest discussions of sexual issues. Beginning with a full discussion of the components of the consent process for sexual activities, the chapter shows how to allow and encourage students to identify and assess various experiences of sexual touch according to values, motives, impact of the partners involved and other criteria. As in the chapter on problems, students are encouraged to supply much of the content for discussion. The chapter applies communication skills to sexual topics and provides an opportunity to talk about what youth consider to be a first sexual experience. The chapter includes the use of movies to discuss sexual issues. It ends with students defining what constitutes a healthy sexual relationship. 
Chapter 12 addresses endings in relationships and concludes with the ending of the course and the relationship we had built as a class. It looks at why and how relationships end. Once again, pertinent communication skills are included. Special attention is given to ending abusive relationships and the impact of parental separation and divorce on children and youth. The course ends by honoring the students’ participation in this course with a selection of closure experiences.
 
Other Related Resources
Author website: Chuck Rhoades – Writing, Training, and Consulting on Psychological Health Education
Publisher website: Rowman & Littlefield.
Publication flier: Chuck Rhoades, Teaching Teens Flyer.pdf
Amazon link: Teaching Teens About Relationships: A Guide for Teachers, Counselors, and Youth Group Facilitators - Kindle edition by Rhoades, Chuck. Health, Fitness & Dieting Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Goodreads link: Teaching Teens About Relationships: A Guide for Teachers, Counselors, and Youth Group Facilitators by Chuck Rhoades | Goodreads
Sex Ed Lecture Series Presentation link: Teaching Youth about Relationships | Sex Ed Lecture Series (square.site)

Psychological Concepts and Figures
Ainsworth, Mary
Allport, Gordon
Bowlby, John            
Ekman, Paul, 106
Erikson, Erik 
Sternberg, Robert
 
Abuse
Active listening
Adolescent development
Attachment 
Attraction
Bisexual youth 
Commitment 
Communication   
Confidentiality 
Conflict 
Consent 
Contact hypothesis 
Emotional intelligence 
Family 
First impressions
First sexual experiences
Gender 
Gender-fluid youth 
Gender non-conforming youth 
Identity
Inclusion 
Intimacy 
Lesbian youth 
LGBTQ+
Meditation 
Mindfulness 
Reciprocity
Sexual behavior
Sexual communication 
Sexual orientation
Substance use
Transgender
Trauma
Triangular Theory of Love
 

Book Description
In today's fast-paced culture, the art of listening is often overshadowed by the clamor of speaking. However, author Kate Murphy argues that listening may, in fact, be more crucial than speaking. Listening transcends mere auditory reception; it entails attentiveness and thoughtful response. Through effective listening, individuals can revolutionize their lives, fostering wisdom and deep connections with others. Murphy delves into the research on listening and shares insights gleaned from various interviews.
 
Loneliness Epidemic: Researchers warn of a growing epidemic of loneliness in modern society, affecting individuals despite their online connections. The essence of connectedness lies in reciprocal listening and response. Instances like the hiring of actors by companies in Japan to provide companionship highlight the dire consequences of a lack of genuine listening. Loneliness is a pervasive issue that impacts individuals regardless of gender or age. Generation Z, being the first to grow up immersed in digital screens, faces heightened levels of loneliness compared to other generations.
 
Neuroscience of Listening: Studies utilizing fMRI scans have unveiled a significant correlation between the synchronization of brain activity in both speaker and listener and the effectiveness of communication. This phenomenon underscores the profound influence of our social interactions on cognitive processes. Attachment theory sheds light on this, suggesting that our capacity for listening and forming connections in adulthood is deeply rooted in early experiences. From the moment we are born, there exists an innate desire for our brains to sync with others, laying the foundation for how we perceive, think, and react based on the individuals we listen to and connect with throughout our lives. Our upbringing undoubtedly shapes our initial approach to relationships, but it does not determine our destiny. Through conscious effort and practice, people can improve their listening skills.
 
Challenges of Listening: Defining listening proves challenging, but curiosity emerges as a crucial element. Securely attached individuals exhibit curiosity and a greater openness to new information and experiences, mitigating loneliness. In long-term relationships, there's a tendency for individuals to lose their curiosity about each other, leading to a lack of attentive listening. Assumptions often act as barriers, hindering genuine understanding. True listening goes beyond mere nods or surface-level responses; it involves providing descriptive and evaluative feedback. It's a skill that requires awareness, focus, and experience to decipher the underlying messages effectively.
 
Obstacles to Effective Listening: The speech-thought differential highlights our tendency to think faster than others speak, leading to mental distractions during conversations. Effective listening involves constantly evaluating the validity of others' messages and understanding their motivations. Listening to opposing views triggers a response similar to being chased by a bear, as evidenced by brain scans showing heightened activity in threat-response regions. Individuals with an overactive amygdala find it particularly difficult to engage in careful listening. However, embracing opposing views is essential for personal growth. Coping with contradictory ideas and gray areas is essential for personal growth and understanding.
 
Self-Listening and Internal Dialogue: The way you engage in internal dialogue significantly influences how you perceive and interpret others' words. Individuals with a critical inner voice may interpret external communication differently from those with a tendency to blame others internally. Despite its importance, people often avoid introspection. Cognitive behavioral therapy offers strategies to modify self-talk, thereby enhancing interpersonal understanding and communication. When someone shares their feelings, it's important to provide support rather than solutions. Good listeners understand the value of asking meaningful questions and recognize that individuals reveal their true selves through their words and actions.
 
Physical and Emotional Aspects of Listening: The interplay between auditory processing, attention spans, and social dynamics reveals the intricate relationship between communication, distraction, and interpersonal connections in modern society. The right-ear advantage highlights the complexities of language comprehension and emotional perception. While, distractions, exemplified by declining attention spans and incessant device usage, undermines meaningful communication. Embracing silence emerges as a counterbalance, with cultures like Japan and Nordic countries valuing it as a sign of deeper relationships.
 
In conclusion, the skill of listening, often neglected in today's digital age, holds immense transformative power. Through genuine listening, individuals can combat loneliness, foster understanding, and deepen connections with others. Developing exceptional listening skills requires awareness, patience, and consistent practice akin to honing a sport or musical instrument. While total mastery may be unattainable, everyone can benefit from the effort!
 
Other Related Resources
Author’s Website
https://www.journalistkatemurphy.com/
BookLab by Bjorn- 7 Key Lessons from You’re Not Listening by Kate Murphy | Book Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Biw7NUJVo84
The Guardian- You’re Not Listening by Kate Murphy review – a modern epidemic of self-absorbed talk
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jan/11/youre-not-listening-kate-murphy-review

Psychological Concepts and Figures
Judith Coche
Charles Darwin
Sigmund Freud
Carl Jung
Daniel Kahneman
Jean Piaget
Carl Rogers
Oliver Sacks
Amos Tversky
Robert Zajonc
 
Active listening
Algorithms
Amygdala
Auditory cortex
Closeness-communication bias
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive complexity
Cohort
Collective monologue
Confirmation bias
Conversational sensitivity
Couples group therapy
Dopamine
Dunbar’s number
Expectancy bias
fMRI
Focused interview
Linguistic relativity
McGurk Effect
Qualitative research
Quantitative research
Secure attachment
Self-monitoring
Social exchange theory
Vestibular system
Wernicke’s area

Book Description
The Science of Learning explores research in educational and cognitive psychology and how it can be applied to help students learn better. It points out that despite the vast amount of research in this area, teachers often need help finding and interpreting lengthy and complex academic papers.
 
For example, the results of one study in the book looked like this in the journal:

Authors Edward Watson and Bradley Busch aim to spark and inform discussions about the science of learning and its application in classrooms. They provide practical insights for teachers' professional development, including specific examples such as adjusting teaching methods based on research findings, implementing retrieval practices, and incorporating regular breaks for improved focus and energy.
 
The book's layout simplifies complex research, making it accessible to educators and students. Understanding the research is essential, but implementing it is another challenge. The authors take a study and delve deeper into practical implementation methods and potential obstacles and challenges teachers may encounter.
 
The book presents essential research findings from various fields relevant to education, each structured like an episode of the TV show "Friends," such as "The one about how much we forget" or "The one about cognitive load." Each study includes detailed sections comprising a short description of the study, main findings, related research, and classroom implications. Many studies also feature quantitative and qualitative data displayed in graphs, charts, and images to enhance understanding.
 
Additionally, the book offers separate sections titled "Tips for improving memory," "Tips for improving mindset, motivation, and resilience," "Tips for improving self-regulation and metacognition," "Tips for students," "Tips for teachers' attitudes, expectations, and behaviors," "Tips for parents," and "Tips for overcoming thinking biases." These sections provide practical strategies based on the research findings to support educators, students, and parents in various aspects of teaching and learning.
 
Furthermore, the book includes a section titled "When the Science of Learning Meets the Art of Teaching," which delves into key topics such as retrieval practice, creating a growth culture, developing independent learners, managing mobile phones, mastering classroom management, fostering a home environment that aids learning, and enhancing self-awareness through self-reflection.
 
Finally, the book concludes with a complete reference list of all studies cited, providing readers access to further information and resources. Through its engaging presentation and actionable insights, "The Science of Learning" will help students review and apply research in psychological science. For teachers of AP Psychology, this book is an excellent source to help students develop science practices related to research methods, statistics, and data interpretation. 

​Other Related Resources
Author’s website
https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/about-us/who-we-are/
 
InnerDrive Blog
https://blog.innerdrive.co.uk/
 
InnerDrive Education Resources
https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/education-resources/
 
Video describing the author’s five favorite educational studies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SDGPmWciAE
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Academic buoyancy
Cognitive load
Dunning-Kruger effect
Effort contagion
Forgetting curve
Growth mindset
IKEA effect
Impostor syndrome
Interleaving
Köhler effect
Metacognition
Mindset
Motivation
Planning fallacy
Primacy effect
Proactive interference
Pygmalion in the classroom
Resilience
Retrieval practice
Retroactive interference
Schema theory
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Self-regulated learning
Social rejection
Spacing effect
Spotlight effect
Talent bias
Transfer of learning
Working memory
 
 

Book Description
Chip and Dan Heath have made a name for themselves in the field of decision-making with books like Switch, Made to Stick, and The Power of Movement. In Upstream, Dan Heath goes it alone (but dedicates the book to his brother) to address how to identify and defuse problems before they grow and become unmanageable. Health incorporates many of the topics from their other books to help identify problems. The book is broken into three main sections: the factors that force people into downstream thinking, the questions upstream leaders must ask, and ways in which to identify new problems and push even further upstream.
 
 
Health opens with a story about the travel site Expedia. In 2012, the company received 20 million calls regarding travel itineraries. This cost the company $100 million, and they needed to find a way to get customers what they needed while also decreasing call volume and these costs. They used a three-pronged approach: an automated telephone option to resend a travel itinerary, change how emails were sent to avoid spam filters and make the website more user-friendly so customers could solve the problem on their own. 
 
Expedia decreased the percentage of callers from 58% to 15%. Health explains this as an upstream solution to a problem, rather than continuing to wait for the calls. Expedia found a way to reduce call volume, thereby saving the company millions of dollars each year.  Similarly, police and medical personnel spend most of their time engaged in reactive behaviors when time could be spent “upstream” to prevent criminal activity or health conditions before they occur or before they become dangerous.
 
Health calls out the field of psychology for only intervening after individuals are experiencing a mental health episode, using drugs, or experiencing trouble in a relationship. He proposes that we should identify those who might be at risk early and then create interventions so that the problems never arise. The average expense related to health care in most countries is $1 spent upstream to $2-3 spent downstream. In the United States, the ratio is 1 to 1, making our system far more reactive (downstream) and thus far more expensive because medical conditions are not treated until they become full-blown problems. In Norway, for example, a family will pay nothing for the prenatal visits or the birth of a child, making visits more accessible and resulting in less high cost and dangerous complications at birth. 
 
When problems are identified early proactive interventions can help improve peoples. So much time is spent trying to repair what is broken, but Heath recommends looking to the source, and fixing that to make and even larger impact.
 
Other Related Resources
Author’s website
https://heathbrothers.com/books/upstream/
 
Video: Dan Health Upstream Heros
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edoj7cF5QKs
 
Podcast: Upstream thinking and moment making
https://www.goodlifeproject.com/podcast/dan-heath/
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Availability heuristic
Functional fixedness
Inattentional blindness
Habituation
Mental set
Selective attention
 

Book Description
Traumatic events are disturbing experiences that create negative emotions and reaction. Trauma not only affects those directly exposed to it but also those around the individuals who have experienced trauma. Research reveals that trauma leads to physiological changes in the brain and body. This newfound knowledge offers potential avenues to prevent and perhaps reverse the damage caused by trauma. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma serves as a guide to understanding trauma and urges us to acknowledge its impact on lives and encourage the development of treatments and prevention strategies.
 
The text begins with a look back on the rediscovery of trauma. Many lessons have been learned about trauma, including from the return of Vietnam veterans, the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder, and the use of brain imaging tools. We have also learned from research on learned helplessness in dogs, research on stress hormones, and the pharmacological and neuroscience revolutions. Each advancement in various scientific fields teaches us more about how trauma impacts our lives.
 
The brain and body are impacted by trauma. The author summarizes the function of specific brain parts and provides appropriate analogies. For example, the limbic system acts as the cook withing the brain. The thalamus stirs the input into an autobiographical soup and then passes it on the amygdala and frontal lobes. During trauma the floodgates are open, which can lead to sensory overload. The amygdala is the brain’s smoke detector and identifies whether incoming information is important for survival. If threatened, it messages the hypothalamus to activate the stress hormone system in the autonomic nervous system to set off a whole-body response. The medial prefrontal cortex, in the frontal lobe, is the watchtower that offers a view from above and tries to warn when not to react to false alarms of stress. Bottom-up regulation can adjust the autonomic nervous system, through breath, movement, or touch. Top-down regulation, such as through mindfulness and yoga, can enhance the watchtower’s oversight of the body’s sensations. This knowledge is central to better understanding and treating traumatic stress. Being stuck in survival mode, energy is spent on unseen enemies with little room left for nurturing, care, imagination, planning, playing, or learning. New approaches to treatment need to engage the safety system of the brain before trying to promote new ways of thinking.  Many traumatized patients report not feeling whole areas of their body and a lack of self-awareness. The author walks through the explanation of why this is happening and the connection to the brain. The body keeps the score and mind-body communication is central to emotion regulation. 
 
The author goes on to explain the minds of children and trauma. He carefully reviews disorganized attachment, memories, and the flood of sensations. With further research, a better understanding began to unfold. As the DSM III was being revised, the author conducted even more research and presented the results to the work group responsible for suggesting revisions for the new addition.  Even though the work group voted to create a new trauma diagnosis, it was not added to the DSM III. The author feels as if an entire group of abused and neglected children were being ignored just as many of our veterans were before PTSD was introduced back in 1980.  Soon after, a large study of adverse childhood experiences, now known as the ACE study, revealed that traumatic life experiences during childhood and adolescence are far more common than expected. It also found that adverse experiences were interrelated, even though they were usually studied separately. High ACE scores correlated with higher workplace absenteeism, financial problems, high-risk activities, and greater chances of suffering from any of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States. Ongoing stress on the body keeps taking its toll. The surgeon general's report on smoking and health in 1964 started a legal and medical campaign that forever changed daily life and long-term health for millions. Yet, the findings from the ACE study have not had similar results. Those experiencing trauma are in the same circumstances and receiving the same treatments as they were decades ago. 
 
Developmental trauma is a hidden epidemic.  The author points out the need to correctly define what is going on and do more than develop new drugs or focus on finding the gene responsible. In 2001, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network was set up and has grown to be a collaborative network with hundreds of centers nationwide.  But 82% of the traumatized children seen in the Network do not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.  Their behaviors often lead to diagnoses, such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder and ineffective treatments, such as medication, behavioral modification, or exposure therapy. A core work group began to draft a proposal for an appropriate diagnosis called developmental trauma disorder (DTD) for the DSM-5, but once again was met with resistance. Feedback received included “...no new diagnosis was required to fill a missing diagnostic niche.” Shortly after the APA rejected DTD for inclusion in the DSM, thousands of clinicians from around the country sent small contributions to the trauma center to conduct a field trial to further study DTD.  That support allowed for the interviewing of hundreds of kids, parents, foster parents, and mental health workers at five different Network sites with scientifically constructed interview tools.  
 
Traumatic memories are different. The marks left by traumatic experiences are organized not as cohesive, rational stories, but rather as fragmented sensory and emotional pieces encompassing images, sounds, and physical sensations. The author explores the history and scientific interest regarding trauma. He explains the origins of the talking cure, WWI soldiers and shell shock, Nazis, false memory syndrome, repressed memory, and remembering the trauma with all of the associated effects. Recovery from trauma includes dealing with hyperarousal, mindfulness, and building relationships. Learning how to breathe calmly and remaining in a state of relative relaxation, even while accessing painful memories is an essential tool for recovery. It would make an enormous difference if those working with children, especially teachers and parents were trained in emotional regulation techniques. Traumatized individuals need to enhance their executive functioning and self-regulation. There is no one treatment of choice for trauma. The author explores sensory motor therapy, parent-child interaction therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, flooding, virtual reality therapy, systematic desensitization, medication, EMDR, yoga, internal family systems therapy, psychomotor therapy, and neurofeedback.
 
Even though there have been great advances in understanding and treating trauma, it is still a public health issue. The author argues it is one of the greatest threats to our nation’s well-being. The most promising prospect for children who have experienced trauma, abuse, or neglect lies in receiving a quality education within schools where they are acknowledged and understood. In such schools, they can develop a sense of control over their lives and learn the important skills of self-regulation, self-awareness, and communication. Schools have a pivotal role in fostering resilience and offering secure connections that are essential for meaningful lives. Resiliency stems from knowing that what you do makes a difference. Activities like sports, music, dance, and theater not only foster a sense of agency and community but also immerse children in novel challenges and unfamiliar roles. Just like adults, children should grasp the satisfaction of pushing their abilities to the limit.
 
Many individuals who have experienced trauma have gained strength and learned to survive. They have entered loving relationships, gained employment, and become role models in their communities. Some of the greatest political and social advancements have grown from trauma. Trauma is a public health issue and the author urges us to respond by acknowledging its impact on lives and encouraging the development of treatments and prevention strategies.
 
Other Related Resources
Author’s Website
https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score
 
What is Trauma? The author of “The Body Keeps the Score” explains | Bessel van der Kolk | Big Think
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJfmfkDQb14
 
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/08/02/body-keeps-score-grieving-brain-bessel-van-der-kolk-neuroscience-self-help/

​Psychological Concepts and Figures
John Bowlby
Charles Darwin
Paul Ekman
Sigmund Freud
Joseph LeDoux
Henry Murray
Ivan Pavlov
Jean Piaget
Martin Seligman
Richard Soloman
 
Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)
Amygdala
Brain waves
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Cortisol
Depersonalization
Desensitization
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)
Diagnostic labels
Dissociative identity disorder (DID)
Endorphins
Epigenetics
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EDMR)
Flooding
Learned helplessness
Medical model
Mindfulness
Mirror neurons
Neurofeedback
Neuroplasticity
Pharmacology
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Prozac
Reciprocity
Repressed memory
Resilience
Self-awareness
Thematic apperception test (TAT)
Trauma
Virtual-reality therapy
Yoga

​David Myers is well known for his contributions to research and raising awareness for those with hearing differences. He is also known for his best-selling textbooks in both the college and high school markets. Myers has used money from the sales of his textbooks to provide ongoing professional development in the area of psychology and has given countless hours to present at conferences, speak with students and faculty, and generally promote the discipline of psychology. How Do We Know Ourselves: Curiosities and Marvels of the Human Mind displays Myer’s expertise in social psychology and describes the many ways in which psychology shapes our day-to-day life. 
 
The book is organized into short chapters that each feature a singular psychological phenomenon such as the self-fulfilling prophecy, overconfidence, well-being, generosity, and many more. The book is a wonderful introduction to the field and would work well to assign in an introductory class. These small digestible chapters are a great way to introduce students to new psychological concepts and begin to see the impact of psychology in their everyday life.
 
Myer’s endless positivity can be seen throughout the book, although he does not shy away from challenging and timely topics. For example, Myers tackles the issue of increasing social isolation in his chapter titled; Friends or Phones. Myers introduces the word “phubbing” to describe feeling snubbed when talking with their partner because their partner keeps glancing at their cell phone. He describes the “evolutionary mismatch” between close relationships and smartphones and the feeling of isolation people are reporting even when they are around others. People feel disconnected when they are trying to engage with others in a face-to-face setting and people are distracted by their phones or other technology. Myers is careful to point out the many benefits that smartphones have brought, including the ability to video with distant family and friends anytime. In order to enjoy these benefits, while not experiencing or making someone else feel “phubbed,” he recommends some simple modifications for interacting with one another, here are a few:
            –At social events, leave phones in another room.
            –If someone else is distracted by their phone, stop talking until they are finished.
–At a dinner, pile up phones in the center of the table and the first person to reach for their phone pays for dinner.
 
Another timely and controversial topic that Myers tackles is that of the “replication crisis” in the field of psychology. While many would describe this as a problem with methodology in the field, Myers points out that this can also be a positive reflection of the ways in which society has changed since many of these “non-replicable” studies have been conducted. Myers provides a three-point rebuttal to those who are willing to dismiss psychological science because some studies, such as the facial-feedback hypothesis or Marshmallow test, have not found the same results as earlier trials. First, he responds that this is how science works. When we find out new information we adjust and teach accordingly, we need not accept that a study from 40 or 50 years ago will necessarily yield the same results today. Humans and societies are ever-changing, and some results may be reflective of these changing norms. Second, some phenomena are genuine, but situation specific. He uses the example of the facial-feedback hypothesis and reports that people who are being videotaped do not display the same characteristics as those who are not. Third, he claims that what endures are many research studies in the field that have been replicated and that is what we teach. He poses that we can encourage critical thinking, while also being careful not to dismiss the field outright because a few popular studies have not replicated the same way as earlier studies have reported. In some cases, this was fraud or misrepresentation but in others, society has changed for the better.
Myers’ positive outlook provides new light to psychological phenomena yet again. This is a book that can introduce people to the field of psychology or enrich those already entrenched in its research. As always, Myers’ approachable writing style is engaging and enriching.
 
Other Related Resources
WGN News: Interview with David Myers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDyZx4vCQa0
 
Society for the Teaching of Psychology: This is how I teach
https://teachpsych.org/page-1703896/4962005
 
Psych Sessions Podcast: Interview with David Myers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17WFtvZVbr0
 
Three Life Lessons from the Sage of Psychology: Psychology Today
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sex-murder-and-the-meaning-life/202211/three-life-lessons-great-sage-psychology
 
Seize the Moment Podcast with David Myers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOaXdTZ5hd0
 
Next Big Idea Club Podcast
https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/know-curiosities-marvels-human-mind-bookbite/38437/
 
 
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Roy Baumeister
Robert Cialdini
Hans Eysenck
Sigmund Freud
John Gottman
Jonathan Haidt
Daniel Kahneman
Stanley Milgram
David Rosenhan 
Oliver Sacks
Muzafar Sherif
Norman Triplett
Jean Twenge
Robert Zajonc
 
Automatic processing
Availability heuristic
Behavioral genetics
Confirmation bias
Blindsight
Dual-processing
Dunning-Krueger effect
Equity
fMRI
Group polarization
Groupthink
Heritability
Hindsight bias
Implicit bias
Loss aversion
Mere exposure effect
Minority influence
Narcissism
Overconfidence
Partial reinforcement schedule
Representativeness heuristic
Self-disclosure
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Self-serving bias
Similarity
Social comparison
Social facilitation
Social identity
Social inhibition
Spotlight effect

​APA Style Citation
Gurung, R. A. R., & Dunlosky, J. (2023). Study like a champ: the psychology-based
guide to grade A study habits. American Psychological Association. 

Book Description
This book is a must-read for high school and college students and educators alike. Study Like a Champ opens with a research-based answer to the frequent student question, “What do I need to do to get an A?” Written by psychology professors and longtime advocates for high school psychology. Regan A.R. Gurung, Ph.D., a​nd John Dunlosky Ph.D. The book is packed with practical tips for studying smarter, not harder, and lays out a method for students to plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning for optimal success. The book debunks many firmly held myths about how to study commonly held by students and illustrates effective and empirically based methods for improving study habits and academic results. The authors also address commonly held teacher myths, including the learning pyramid that proposes the amount of learning by students is correlated with the instructional strategy used. Lecture is depicted as having the worst outcomes for student learning retention. This myth causes teachers to avoid lectures out of concern for decreased student learning. Like many methods, lectures can be effective or ineffective depending on the quality and topics discussed. The authors discuss how active learning, such as teaching others or discussion, can sometimes be successful but also how many versions of active learning, such as group work and problem-solving out loud, can harm learning.

Throughout the text are numerous surveys that students can take to evaluate their practices and suggestions for how to utilize scaffolding to build better study habits. This is based on current research conducted by the authors. Each chapter ends with Key Training Tips to stick your landing and Go for the Gold recommendations highlighting advanced reading related to the topics presented.
Chapter one, titled, So You Think You Know How to Study? Let’s FoK About it, challenges students to evaluate their study habits to determine and compare them with evidence-based best practices. Fok, according to cognitive psychology, is a feeling of knowing that exists for any class, assignment, or topic and can be strong or weak. Unfortunately, cognitive science finds that FoKs are often inaccurate. Individuals can feel that they know something well and find out from an assessment that it was not the case or vice versa. This chapter has an excellent survey for students to evaluate their current study habits, Start Now: How Are Your Study Habits? The chapter then lays out in a compare/contrast style what helps learning based on research as opposed to what does not help learning based on research. The authors help students who use habits less supported by research improve those habits. Although highlighting and rereading (commonly used student study habits) do not support learning, even these habits can be improved. The authors suggest having students highlight strategically by indicating the areas they want to study more and following up on those areas using other methods. Rereading should not be a major strategy and works best if it is part of distributive study.
Subsequent chapters help students plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning and apply specific strategies to their classes and busy schedules. Important methods discussed in the book include self-assessments of metacognition, tools for utilizing class time, effective notetaking, spaced or distributive study, retrieval practice methods, interleaving, worked examples, and winning strategies for combining specific tactics. These practical methods are tied to supporting research, effective graphics, and student self-evaluations throughout each section.
The final chapter is an essential discussion of healthy behaviors and how to cope effectively with the rigorous course schedule and additional commitments modern students face. This book is an excellent tool for teachers that can be used to help students apply findings from psychological science to improve their learning.

Other Related Resources
 
Speaking of Psychology: American Psychological Association Podcast —
“How to Learn Better Using Psychology, with Regan Gurung, Ph.D., and John Dunlosky, Ph.D.”

Psych Sessions Podcast: Convos About Teaching N’ Stuff  Gurung and Dunlosky: Study Like a Champ

​Follow @studychamp22 on Instagram or TikTok — Practical science-based tips from the book to help students study more effectively. The feed includes many compelling graphics to use to highlight research on studying.https://www.instagram.com/studychamp22/https://www.tiktok.com/@studychamp22Inside the Mind of a

Master Procrastinator, TED Talk — Show students this engaging TED Talk by writer Tim Urban after they take the survey in the Open Your Class with This Today activity to get a sense of their current relationship to the topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU
 
Top 20 Principles for Pre-K to 12 Education ­­
This booklet, produced by the American Psychological Association, clearly outlines the most effective methods for teaching and learning.
The Top 20 are categorized into five areas of psychological functioning:
Thinking and learning: How do students think and learn?
Motivation: What motivates students?
Social-emotional learning: Why are social context, interpersonal relations, and emotional well-being important to student learning?
Classroom management: How can classroom behavior best be managed?
Assessment: How can teachers effectively assess student progress?
Link to Top 20

Psychological Figures and Concepts
Hermann Ebbinghaus
John Hattie
William James
Walter Mischel

Avoidant coping
Blocked practice
Burnout
Conceptual knowledge
Cornell method
Cued recall
Distributed/spaced practice
Encoding
Emotion-focused coping
Flashcard plus method
Feeling of knowing (FoK)
Homeostasis
Hypothalamus
Interleaving
Key-word mnemonics
Massed practice
Matrix method
Meditation
Mental health
Meta-analysis
Method of loci
Mindfulness
Mindset (growth v. fixed)
Motivation
Multitasking
Overconfidence
Pomodoro method
Problem-focused coping
Procrastination
Retrieval practice
Rumination
Test-enhanced learning
Transfer tests
 

Book Description
Dr. Julie Smith has been a clinical psychologist for over ten years and shares her knowledge of how to deal with difficult situations in healthy ways. She is known for making short videos (under 60 seconds) talking about mental health and sharing life skills. These videos offering advice in bite-size and tangible ways are grabbing everyone’s attention. Now, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? explains the advice in a little more detail, and offers suggestions of how to put these research-based concepts to immediate use. The book is a mental health toolbox ready for use as you navigate whatever comes your way in life. Each tool takes practice and becomes more powerful the more you use it.
 
Dr. Julie tackles topics such as low mood, motivation, emotional pain, grief, self-doubt, fear and anxiety, stress, and finding a meaningful life. Each chapter has “toolkit” exercises, “try this” question and reflection prompts, and a chapter summary. She wants to pass on what the science says and what works for others. The research-based concepts are easily explained and the “science” is accessible to any reader. The advice is compact, organized, and easy to return to when you need it. There is power in establishing the basics of exercise, sleep, nutrition, routine, and human connection. Knowing how your mind works and believing you have the power to change goes a long way to leading a healthy lifestyle.
 
Other Related Resources
Dr. Julie Smith's Website
https://doctorjuliesmith.com/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/drjulie/?hl=en

Twitter
https://twitter.com/drjuliesmith?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Tik Tok
https://www.tiktok.com/@drjuliesmith?lang=en

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI8TEoIOnMq_5ntJOYMq-Zg

The Guardian- Dr. Julie Smith: "Mental health is no different to physical health. No one is immune."
https://www.guardian.com/science/2022/feb/12/dr-julie-smith-mental-health-tiktok-why-has-nobody-told-me-this-before

​Psychological Figures and Concepts
Thomas Gilovich
John Gottman
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
 
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Stress
All-or-nothing thinking
Anxiety
Attachment types
Attention
Awe
Burnout
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Egocentrism
Emotional reasoning
Emotions
Gratitude
Grief
Meditation
Metacognition
Mindfulness
Motivation
Overgeneralization
Perfectionism
Positive psychology
Reframing
Resilience
Rumination
Self-compassion
Spotlight effect
Tend-and-befriend