Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction
Author: Judith Grisel
ISBN-10:‎ 0525434909
ISBN-13: 978-0525434900
 
APA Style Citation
Grisel, J. (2020). Never enough: The neuroscience and experience of addiction. Anchor.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Never-Enough-Neuroscience-Experience-Addiction/dp/0385542844
​

Book Description
Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction talks of the epidemic and catastrophic effects of addiction. Author, Judith Grisel, shares her story as someone with a substance use disorder and a behavioral neuroscientist. She went from addiction in 7th grade, to using drugs for about a decade, to being clean for decades, to earning her Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience. She is now an expert in neurobiology, chemistry, genetics, and addictive behavior.

Dr. Grisel defines drug addiction and provides a strong biological explanation for the reader. She explains how drugs of abuse stimulate both the mesolimbic dopamine system and nigrostriatal pathways. This is what makes  the experience pleasurable and why drugs of abuse are sought after. There is also an explanation of endorphins and how they are released in response to a wide range of environmental signals. In addition, the more predictable and frequent the dosing, the more addictive a drug will be.
 
The three general laws of psychopharmacology that apply to drugs are explained in detail. First, all drugs change the rate of what is already going on. They either speed up or slow down neural activity and act similarly to neurotransmitters at the receptor site. Second, all drugs have side effects. Unlike natural neurotransmitters, they are not targeted in their delivery but are delivered in the bloodstream and found in mostly uniform levels throughout the nervous system. For example, natural serotonin release targets particular cells to influence sleep, eating, etc. However, a drug enhancing serotonin acts in all these places simultaneously, often producing side effects in other motivated behaviors than its intended use. Third, the brain adapts to all drugs by counteracting the drug's effects. When drugs are used regularly, the brain adapts to compensate for the changes made by the drug. The brain responds to a drug by doing the opposite and returning to homeostasis. An addict doesn't drink coffee because she is tired. She is tired because she drinks coffee. For regular users to feel normal, they need to take the drug.
 
Richard Solomon and his student John Corbitt explained how the concept of homeostasis could be applied to emotion in what is known as the opponent-process theory. This theory helps the current understanding of addiction. Any feeling (e.g., good, bad, happy, depressed) that disrupts our balance will elicit a response by the brain that is exactly opposite to the effect of that stimulus. The brain counteracts the stimulus by producing its own opposite effect. The brain’s ability to respond and anticipate events is part of plasticity. For addiction, this is known as “acute tolerance.” The first cigarette of the day can be the most pleasing because after the brain site activates for nicotine, they become insensitive to additional exposures. For some drugs, such as SSRIs, adaptation is the point. The goal is to change the set point so that being depressed is no longer the patient’s normal state.
 
The middle part of the book devotes a specific chapter to each of the main drugs of abuse, including THC, opiates, alcohol, tranquilizers, stimulants, psychedelics, and others. Each chapter provides specifics while tying the drug to neuroscience. It is readable and relevant. While many other sources provide a great overview of symptoms and statistics, Dr. Grisel provides the connections many teachers want for a psychology class.
 
As the book draws to a close, Dr. Grisel explores how drug addictions form. There are numerous genetic and environmental contributions involved. She explains genetics, epigenetics, early exposure, and addictive personalities. However, some factors are vague and hard to quantify. Furthermore, because multiple influences interact, it is challenging to identify a root cause.  In addition, there is no current objective measure to use for addiction. The Diagnostic Statistic Manual (DSM) has changed the name and criteria, but we still have a long way to go to understand drug addiction.

Dr. Grisel provides this bottom line, "Despite small advances in understanding addiction, rates of addictive disorders are increasing." The field of neuroscience is still in its infancy. The author feels that recovery is a process of expansion and freedom, not restriction. She believes treatment is most effective when it combines a slow reduction and social support. The answer may be in the brain and social contacts. What caused Dr. Grisel to change her behavior was not a tragedy but rather human love and connection. Dr. Grisel states, "While we are at it, instead of wringing our hands, we might try reaching for another's."
 
Other Related Resources
NPR- A Neuroscientist Explores The Biology Of Addiction In 'Never Enough' https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/12/693814827/a-neuroscientists-explores-the-biology-of-addiction-in-never-enough

Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction / Judy Grisel /
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnt1eb9vQxA&t=8s

Judith Grisel, Ph.D.: "Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction" (02/25/19)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOkh9xC-dSg

Chemistry World- Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction
https://www.chemistryworld.com/review/never-enough-the-neuroscience-and experience-of-addiction/4011008.article
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Walter Cannon
James Olds and Peter Milner
Richard Solomon and John Corbitt
 
ADHD
Alcohol
Amphetamines
Analgesia
Antagonists
Barbiturates
Benzodiazepines
Caffeine
Cocaine
Cognitive dissonance
Dependence
Dopamine
Ecstasy (MDMA)
Endorphins
Epigenetics
Evolutionary perspective
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
GABA
GHB
Glutamate
Homeostasis
Human Genome Project (HGP)
LSD
Psilocybin
Marijuana
Medical model of addiction
Mescaline
Mesolimbic pathway
Methadone
Methamphetamine
Nicotine
Nucleus accumbens
Opiates
Opponent-process theory
Placebo
Plasticity
Polymorphic genes
Positive and negative punishment
Positive and negative reinforcement
Psychedelics
Psychopharmacology
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Serotonin
Set-point
Spice
Suboxone
Synapse
THC
Tolerance
Tranquilizers
Vesicles
Withdrawal

Give and Take: Why helping others drives our success
Author: Adam Grant
ISBN: 978-0-670-02655-5
 
APA Style Citation 
Grant, A. (2013). Give and take: Why helping others drives our success. Penguin Book.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Give-Take-Helping-Others-Success/dp/0143124986
​

​Book Description
Adam Grant discusses the potential benefits and drawbacks of being a giver, matcher or taker. We can all think of individuals who fall into each of these given categories, and Grant sets out to determine how each of these types of individuals fares in a competitive environment. What he finds is somewhat surprising. Grant examines students in the first year of medical school and finds that those who are identified as “givers” wind up at the bottom of their medical school class. In large part, this occurs because they are spending time helping others instead of focusing on their own work. Takers, on the other hand, wind up on top because they are utilizing their most generous classmates to help them prepare for exams. Matchers wind up in the middle as they will help others if they believe that in the future, that favor can be returned. These results may cause you to believe that givers are often taken advantage of to their own detriment. Grant does find evidence that givers make, on average, 14 percent less than takers, who are far more likely to aggressively negotiate their salaries. 
 
Givers however, often have unseen advantages. They are likely to benefit from dormant ties, having done a favor for someone years before, when the giver needs something in return, people are more than happy to help out. Givers do not help others out with this intention in mind, and that becomes clear to others who appreciate their genuine assistance. Givers are willing to provide with no expectation of reciprocity. Matchers, on the other hand, let reciprocity drive their decisions to help (or not) others. Conversely, takers often “kiss up and kick down.” They look for ways that others can help them get ahead and often treat those who cannot give them an advantage with disdain. Samuel Johnson once wrote, “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” Grant gives the example of the disgraced former CEO of Enron Kenneth Lay, who filled his company’s annual reports with photos of himself. His leadership at Enron became about himself (a telltale sign of a taker) rather than the company and how the company could do good for others and benefit its shareholders. Takers burn bridges over time, looking out only for themselves and seeking out others whom they can use to their own benefit and then discard after those benefits no longer bear any returns. 
 
Famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright is a classic taker. He took advantage of clients, charging them exorbitant amounts of money to build what he wanted, disregarding their requests. He had his associates do most of the work but rarely gave them credit and often did not pay them, believing the opportunity to work with him was payment enough. Eventually, people stopped working with him, and he earned fewer and fewer commissions over time, leaving him nearly destitute. Grant indicates that takers may be geniuses, but givers are genius makers.
 
Givers are happy to rely on the expertise of others and give them recognition without fearing that the abilities of others poorly reflect on themselves. The taker wants to claim all of the credit for themselves and often put others down both privately and publicly. Givers enjoy mentoring, they like finding diamonds in the rough and helping smooth out the edges. Givers are also more likely to demonstrate grit and recognize it in others, they, on the whole, work harder and longer than matchers and takers.
 
There are downfalls to being a giver, and Grant points to the potential for burnout, but givers often thrive when helping others, and the five-minute rule is one that many high-powered givers practice. If helping someone out takes less than five minutes it should be done almost immediately. This short time commitment can serve a great benefit to others and can be executed quickly by the giver. Much research has now demonstrated that helping others is a main factor in increasing happiness, so these small actions serve as a win-win for both the giver and the person they are helping. A bit more work from givers provides benefits for both themselves and others.
 
Givers may be more prone to being taken advantage of, so they must recognize agreeable takers who seem sincere but are only looking out for themselves. Givers often initially give more than they receive but do not seem bothered by this. Once they figure out where to best focus their energies and can identify people who may be taking advantage of their generosity they fare better. In some cases, givers must be more assertive to stand up to unrelenting takers. However, successful givers are happy to stop helping takers when they realize it takes away from helping those who can genuinely benefit and do good for others because of their assistance. Givers advance themselves without cutting others down and find ways to expand the pie so that everyone benefits. 
 
Grant returns to the medical school in the fifth year and finds, at this point, the givers are on top of the class. Over the many years, medical students spend together, they realize whom they can count on for help and who is in it just for themselves. This causes the takers to be rejected and isolated, whereas the givers benefit from their generosity towards others and people are more than happy to return a favor or help them out. Givers create a ripple effect of success around them, and while they may seem to lose out in the short run, it often serves to the advantage of both themselves and others in the long run. It takes time for people to understand what givers have to offer, and Grant likens it to losing the 100-yard dash but winning the marathon. 
 
Other Related Resources
Adam Grant’s Webpage for Give and Take
https://adamgrant.net/book/give-and-take/
 
Give and Take Quiz by Adam Grant
https://adamgrant.net/quizzes/give-and-take-quiz/
 
YouTube Are you a Giver or a Taker? 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyXRYgjQXX0
 
Why should you be a giver?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-jqIoAxEw
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Dan Ariely
Elliot Aronson
Susan Cain
Raymond Cattell
Robert Cialdini
Angela Duckworth
Jonathan Haight
Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Pink
Robert Rosenthal
Herbert Simon
Frans De Waal
 
Cognitive dissonance
Commoner’s dilemma
Common identity
Empathy
Fight-or-flight
Grit
Motivation
Reciprocity
Responsibility bias
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Sunk-cost fallacy
 
 
 
 
 

Cultural DNA: The Psychology of Globalization
Author: Gurnek Bains
ISBN-10: ‎ 9781118928912
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1118928912
 
APA Style Citation
Gains, G. (2015). Cultural DNA: The psychology of globalization.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Cultural-DNA-Globalization-Gurnek-Bains/dp/1118928911
​

Book Description
How can humanity be alike and different at the same time? Humans express similar fears, challenges, desires, and motivations. However, if we oversimplify with stereotypes or assume that everyone is the same, these assumptions can become problematic. Humans do have different behaviors and preferences, and seeing the individual for who they are is helpful. But exaggerating these differences is also problematic. Author, Gurnek Baines, explores the cultural DNA of eight regions around the world, including North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, India, China, Europe, Latin America, and Australia. He explains cultural DNA as “the deeply grained aspects of culture that are replicated over generations rather than biological differences.” While he acknowledges biological factors, he points out the environmental challenges that each culture faced historically. He uses primary data, secondary sources of information, and explanatory research as his evidence. While the discussion of culture can be a sensitive topic, his exploration of the main regions has the reader analyzing culture on a deeper level. He hopes to foster empathy and respect and have readers question their implicit bias.
 
Each chapter of the book explores a particular region more in-depth. Baines describes the founders and their effects. In his “looking ahead” section of each chapter he summarizes the gifts each culture offers the world and some attributes to be addressed so the gifts do not hold them back in a changing world.
 
America- The Change-Makers
Gifts

• Culture of change-makers, embrace the new
• Positivity and optimism, tolerance of plurality, preparedness to take risks, functionality

 
Sub-Sahara Africa: Under Nature’s Shadow
Gifts

• Energy, daily joy, laughter, intellectual flexibility, creativity, live in the moment
• Human relationships are valued, interdependence
• Desire to control the environment, used to nature being extreme and unpredictable

 
India: Beyond this World
Gifts

• Preference for thinking, talking, and perceiving, as well as looking within
• Diversity and nonviolence
• Business strengths in IT, pharmaceutical research, finance

 
Middle East: Ambivalence and Uncertainty in the Modern Age
Gifts

• Intellectualism, openness to learning, respect for knowledge
• Commercial instinct and skills

 
China: The Seekers of Harmony
Gifts

• A striving for balance and harmony
• Introverted

 
Europe: The Equal Society
Gifts

• Deep sense of equality, tolerance of individuality, rigorous and systematic approach to thinking
• Environmental mastery and resulting dynamic creativity

 
Latin America: The Ever-Changing Melting Pot
Gifts

• Challenging power and rebellion; movement to more open, balanced, and transparent systems
• Resourcefulness, flexibility, creativity, collaboration

 
Australia: Mateship in a Far-Off Land
Gifts

• Practical-mindedness, pulling together, incredible resilience in difficult conditions

 
Other Related Resources
Gurnek Bains- CEO and Founder of Global Future
https://ourglobalfuture.com/about-us/

People Matters-Big Interview with Gurnke Bains
https://www.peoplematters.in/article/strategic-hr/big-interview-gurnke-bains-11601
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Charles Darwin
Sigmund Freud
Carl Jung
Abraham Maslow
Walter Mischel
 

The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business
Author: Erin Meyer
ISBN-10: ‎1610392507
ISBN-13: 978-1610392501
 
APA Style Citation
Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. New York, NY: PublicAffairs.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Map-Breaking-Invisible-Boundaries/dp/1610392507/ref=asc_df_1610392507/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312006100296&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16864645460974634994&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9018727&hvtargid=pla-406163964393&psc=1
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Book Description
Looking at culture is not always easy and it can be challenging to hear cultural stereotypes about one’s own culture. Stereotypes are also problematic as they can lead to bias and discrimination. There are individual differences in every culture and it is important to not make assumptions about individual traits based on where individuals are from. However, assuming culture doesn’t matter is also problematic. Cultural stereotypes can help reduce our cognitive load. Being aware of cultural differences can improve communication and effectiveness, especially for those involved in international business.  In "The Culture Map", author Erin Meyer shares eight scales that map the world’s cultures and helps create a better understanding of how each culture functions. It is important to note that each graph provides norms for a culture, but individual differences are still important to consider. Individuals can map their own culture on these graphs, and then compare and relate to other cultures.
 
The first scale is about communication. Cultures are classified as having either low-context or high-context communication. Cultures with low-context communication, such as the United States, assume a low level of shared context and want simple and clear communication. Messages are accepted at face value and repetition is valued. Cultures with high-context communication, such as Iran, assume a high level of shared context and do not need explicit communication. Individuals often read between the lines and messages are implied. This difference in communication could be especially important when emailing.
 
The second scale is about evaluating performance and providing feedback. Cultures are classified as either providing direct or indirect evaluation. Cultures that provide direct negative feedback, such as Germany, often upgrade by providing stronger words before or after feedback, such as “absolutely” or “totally.” Negative feedback is blunt and honest and may be given in front of others. Cultures that provide indirect feedback, such as Thailand, often downgrade, by providing words that soften the criticism, such as a “little” or “maybe.” American culture is in the middle of the scale.  Stereotypes about how a culture speaks is often associated with their position on the communication scale as opposed to the evaluation scale. When working with other cultures it is important to take into consideration their position on both the communication and evaluation scales.
 
The third scale is about persuasion. Cultures are classified as either principle-first (deductive reasoning) or applications-first (inductive reasoning). Cultures that use deductive reasoning, such as France, often begin with facts and later support or explain the conclusion as necessary. The preference for a business meeting might be to start with a summary and discussions are practical and concrete in nature. Individuals may want to know why the boss is making a request before moving on. Cultures that use inductive reasoning, such as the United States, often begin with the theory before the facts. The preference for a business meeting would be to start with a theoretical argument before reaching a conclusion. Individuals focus less on the why and more on the how.
 
The fourth scale is about leadership, hierarchy, and power. The leading scale classifies cultures as either egalitarian (lower power) or hierarchal (high power). In egalitarian cultures, such as Denmark, the distance between a boss and their employee is low and the boss is seen as equal. Communication often skips the hierarchy. The boss riding a bike to work may symbolize equality. Many cultures claim to prefer egalitarian, but evidence suggests the opposite. In hierarchal cultures, such as China, the distance between a boss and their employee is high. The boss leads from the front and status is valued. Communication follows a hierarchy. The boss riding a bike to work may cause embarrassment. Americans believe they are egalitarian but often fall more in the middle of the scale.
 
The fifth scale is about decision making. Cultures are classified as either consensual or top-down. Consensual countries, such as Germany, make unanimous group decisions. Top-down countries, such as Nigeria, have decisions made by individuals who are in a position of power. Many cultures that are egalitarian are also consensual decision-makers. The American culture is more of an outlier because it combines egalitarian leadership with top-down decision making. Germany is also an outlier combining hierarchal leadership with consensual decision making. Japan is even more unique with strong hierarchal leadership and very strong consensual decision making.
 
The sixth scale is about trust. Cultures are classified as either task-based or relationship-based. Task-based countries, such as the United States, build trust through business-related activities. Work relationships are quickly formed and easily broken. Personal relationships do not impact business interactions because “business is business.” Relationship-based countries, such as Brazil, build trust through sharing meals and meeting in communal areas. Work relationships form slowly and on a deeper level.  Personal relationships enhance business interactions because “business is personal.” American culture can be tricky to understand on this scale. There are team-building activities and icebreakers, but once the relationship is created often individuals get down to business. American work relationships are often based on function and practicality. Icebreakers are rarer in relationship-based cultures because relationships are built more slowly and on deeper emotional levels. It is important to note that being friendly is not the same as being relationship-based. American are more likely to smile at strangers, but later when they don’t follow through it may be interpreted as being hypocritical.
 
The seventh scale is about disagreeing productively. Cultures are classified as either confrontational or avoiding confrontation. Cultures viewed as confrontational, such as France, view debate as a positive attribute. Open disagreement is seen as appropriate and does not hurt the relationship. Cultures viewed as avoiding confrontation, such as Japan, view debate as negative to the group. Open disagreement is seen as inappropriate and harmful to group harmony. The Unites States fall somewhere in the middle. It is also important to note that emotional expressiveness is not the same as being comfortable with openly disagreeing. For example, Peru is seen as having an emotionally expressive culture, but people strongly avoid open disagreement because it may destroy a relationship.
 
The final scale is about scheduling and perception of time. Cultures are classified as being linear-time or flexible-time. Linear-time cultures, such as Germany, approach projects sequentially. The focus is on the deadline and schedule. Being prompt and having good organization is valued. Flexible-time cultures, such as India, approach projects in a fluid and changing manner. Interruptions are accepted and there are many balls in the air at once. The focus is on flexibility and adaptation. The American culture leans more to linear-time.
 
Remember it is not always about where a culture is located on the scale, but rather its relative location to another culture. Knowing where a culture is mapped on these eight scales is the starting point to successful interactions. But it goes well beyond the awareness of culture. Having more information about how a culture functions may help avoid miscommunication and frustration. The Culture Map also helps to better understand the multi-dimensional ways in which cultures interact with one another. Check out the book for successful strategies for working with people from all different cultures.
 
Other Related Resources
Author's Websites
https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/

Harvard Business Review
https://hbr.org/2014/05/navigating-the-cultural-minefield

Global Leadership Network-Video
https://globalleadership.org/videos/leading-others/the-culture-map-2?locale=en

Psychological Concepts and Figures
Kurt Lewin
 
Active listening
Cultural norm
Cultural relativity
Culture
Deductive reasoning
Dialectical reasoning
Emotional expressiveness
Hierarchy
In-group
Low or high-context communication
Out-group
Personality
Persuasion
Relationship-based
Stereotypes
Task-based

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living
Author: Meik Wiking
ISBN-10: 0062658808
ISBN-13: 978-0062658807
 
APA Style Citation
Wiking, M. (2017). The little book of hygge: Danish secrets to happy living. New York, NY: William Morrow.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GONJFZ2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
​

​ 
Book Description
What is the secret behind the happiest people on earth? The Danes have consistently ranked at the top of global surveys on happiness. But where does happiness come from? Is it genetics, relationships, health, money, employment, or a sense of purpose? Author Meik Wiking, who works at the Happiness Research Institute based in Denmark, believes one important but perhaps overlooked cultural component is hygge (pronounced hoo-ga). He offers tips to increase hygge. While many are stuck at home, this book might offer just the right inspiration to create a little happiness in your life.
 
Denmark consistently ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world. To be fair, Danes do not have the best weather and they pay some of the highest taxes in the world. However, there is wide support for paying such high taxes because it is seen as an investment in society and quality of life. There is a strong sense of trust between Danes. Perhaps a part of the recipe for happiness that sets Denmark apart from other countries is hygge- a Norwegian word for well-being. Hygge is that coziness and security that brings contentment. While many cultures have a similar term to describe this feeling of coziness, warmth, and togetherness, Danes are obsessed with it and believe it to be uniquely Danish. It is truly a part of their cultural identity. So how does one increase hygge? Candles, fireplaces, blankets, good food, and hanging with friends are just a few ways to build hygge. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it can happen anywhere.
 
Hygge can be achieved in many ways and take on many forms. It can be those slow weekends, the comfy pair of pants you slip into when you get home, the nook where you sit and relax, or a cozy conversation. One area of focus is a healthy work-life balance.  Danes have figured out this balance. Individuals with children usually leave work at 4 p.m. and those without at 5 p.m.  About 78% of Danes socialize with others a minimum of once per week.  Equality is also an important element in hygge. For example, it is important that everyone helps prepare the food, instead of the host working alone in the kitchen. Time spent with others creates an atmosphere filled with warmth and fullness and a release of oxytocin. Basic living standards are essential for happiness. However, once the baseline has been met, happiness is more about the quality of social relationships. The best predictor of whether we are happy or not is our social relationships. In 2008, one study found that an increase in social involvement may produce an increase of life satisfaction equivalent to an extra $110,000 a year. There is a strong correlation that the more satisfied people are with their social relationships, the happier they are in general. We are social creatures. Danes prefer smaller groups of friends. Many believe the best number of people for hygge is 3 to 4. However, one drawback is Danes tend not to readily admit new friends to their friendship circles. On the flip side, hygge is the best thing for introverts. Those that seek smaller groups gain much from the qualities of hygge.
 
Light- Approximately 85% of Danes associate hygge with candles to create that cozy feeling. Each Dane burns an average of 13 pounds of candle wax per year. They also prefer natural and organic products over scented candles. In addition, lamps are carefully placed to create a soothing mood. The lower the temperature of the light, the more hygge. Usually, it is better to have several smaller lamps around the room rather than one big lamp from the ceiling.
 
Food and drink- Nordic cuisine has gained some popularity. Noma, a popular restaurant in Copenhagen, has attracted global attention. At a pop-up location in Japan, one dish consisting of live shrimp covered in ants made headlines. Danes love their meat, confectionery, and coffee; and all of these are directly linked to hygge. Denmark is at the top of the list of sweet-crazed nations, obsessed with cakes and pastries. Hot drinks are also popular. Approximately 86% of Danes associate hygge with their favorite drink of coffee. A common belief is “Live life today like there is no coffee tomorrow.” It is about giving yourself a treat, not indulging in the fancy and expensive. These treats are viewed as the same thing as happiness by the brain’s reward system. We associate a certain food with a feeling of pleasure that leaves us wanting more. When it comes to food, the rule of thumb is the longer a dish takes to cook, the more hygge it is. It is about the process, not the end product. 
 
Clothing- The key to Danish dress code is casual. Scarves are a must and the golden rule is the bigger, the better. In Denmark, everyone wears black, layers, and woolen socks. To experience hygge, it is suggested to link purchases with positive experiences. For example, buy a sweater or nice pair of socks that will now be associated with a special event.
 
Home and Outside the Home- Danes are obsessed with interior design because the home is the heart of hygge.  A wish list for hygge at home may include a nook, fireplace, candles, wood elements, nature, books, ceramics, tactile experiences, vintage pieces, blankets, and cushions.  Having a comfortable home is about relaxation and finding that well-deserved break. Hygge is built on casualness.  Connecting with nature enables you to relax and be present to savor the moment.  Cabins include all the ingredients of hygge, such as the smells, sounds, and simplicity. If you need hygge at work, try organizing a potluck, setting up an office garden, bringing your dog to work, or making the office homier.
 
Year-Round and on the Cheap- The typical season for hygge is fall or winter. However, it can be experienced year-round. It can include orchards, barbecues, community gardens, picnics, or bike rides. Danes love their bikes and cycling. In Copenhagen, 45% cycle to their place of education or employment. It is an easy way to get a bit of exercise, but it also makes people happier. Riding a bike in your daily commute adds 3 to 14 months to your life expectancy.  It’s also an indicator of community and trust.  If a lot of people cycle, you probably live in a healthy neighborhood. Hygge is about being simple and modest. It does not have to be expensive. It is about appreciating the simple pleasures of life. The author offers a list of activities each month to inspire a feeling of coziness and a list of inexpensive activities that surround you.
 
Christmas- The Danish Christmas is first about family and friends. The quality of social relationships has been shown to predict our happiness. Second, are the traditions.  The Christmas menu is usually pork or duck. There is also risalamande, a dish made of whipped cream, boiled rice, and finely chopped almonds topped with hot cherry sauce. Hidden in the bowl is one whole almond.  Whoever finds the almond gets a present and good luck. There are also special decorations, such as woven paper hearts and a Christmas or Advent candle. The candle is painted like a tape measure with dates from December 1st to 24th.  Each day the candle is lit with company and brings the family together. Most TV stations have Advent calendars that count down the days until Christmas. While the preparation for this holiday may sound overwhelming, some stress makes the hygge that follows all that more comforting.
 
Hygge encompasses all of the senses. The taste is familiar and sweet. The sound is silent or soft. The smell is individualized and relates to your past experiences. The sights are of slow movements, such as falling snow. The touch is of old, homemade belongings that take a long time to make. Finally, there is a sixth sense of feeling safe. The author takes the reader back to a Winnie the Pooh quote, “How do you spell love? You don’t spell it...you feel it.” Hygge is about all of the feelings of coziness and warmth wrapped around you.
 
Hygge is everyday happiness. It is about making the most of what we have each and every day. Savoring is about enjoying the moment now and hygge is all about the current moment. Evidence-based studies show that practicing gratitude also has many benefits. Those who are grateful are often happier, more helpful and forgiving, sleep better, recover faster, and are less likely to get stressed. Danes plan for hygge times and reminisce about them afterward. The author leaves us with a quote from Benjamin Franklin “Happiness consists more in the small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happened but seldom to a man in the course of his life.”
 
Other Related Resources
Author’s Websitehttps://www.meikwiking.com/
Author’s Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/meikwiking/?hl=en
What Is Hygge? Everything You Need To Know About The Danish Lifestyle Trend
https://www.countryliving.com/life/a41187/what-is-hygge-things-to-know-about-the-danish-lifestyle-trend/
 
The Year of Hygge, the Danish Obsession with Getting Cozy
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-year-of-hygge-the-danish-obsession-with-getting-cozy
 
6 Ways to Practice Hygge, the Danish Secret to Happiness
https://www.health.com/mind-body/hygge
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Sigmund Freud
Abraham Maslow
 
Belongingness hypothesis
Cerebral cortex
Correlation
Cultural identity
Dopamine
Evolutionary psychology
Gratitude
Happiness
Health
Introverts
Life satisfaction
Nature
Nucleus accumbens
Oxytocin
Positive emotions 
Senses
Social relationships
Tactile
Well-being

Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization
Author: Scott Barry Kaufman
ISBN-10: 0143131206
ISBN-13: 978-0143131205
 
APA Style Citation
Kaufman, S.B. (2020). Transcend: The new science of self-actualization. New York, NY: Tarcher Perigee.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Self-Actualization-Scott-Barry-Kaufman/dp/014313120

Book Description
Many individuals studying psychology are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. But who was this man and how many levels truly exist in his hierarchy? Transcend: The New Science of Self-actualization, written by Scott Kaufman, offers a short biography seamlessly blended with an exploration of Maslow’s theories that laid the foundation of humanistic psychology and modern research.
 
Maslow was the eldest son of Russian Jewish immigrants. He was bullied as a kid and went on to dedicate his life to social change. At age 19, Maslow had a life-changing experience. While attending a college class (that he eventually dropped claiming it was too hard) he learned of folkways and was bitten by the anthropology bug. Shortly after, he transferred to the University of Wisconsin Madison. In 1930, Maslow was just three years younger than his 24- year-old professor Harry Harlow, and they would go on to become dear friends. After reading Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams, Maslow was drawn to psychoanalysis. He approached Harlow to empirically test the ideas of Freud and Adler. It was then that Maslow began researching sex and dominance in monkeys. His work impressed Thorndike, a behaviorial psychologist who’s work on learning theory led to operant conditioning, who invited him to come to Columbia University to work as his postdoctoral fellow. That same year Adler also moved to New York City and hosted weekly get togethers. After asking about his connection to Freud, Adler became visibly angry and Maslow was embarrassed. At a later meeting, Adler questioned Maslow’s loyalty and Maslow never attended another meeting. Later that year Adler had a heart attack and died. Maslow had a great deal of regret about his final interaction with Adler. In 1938, Maslow spent the summer among the Northern Blackfoot Indians in Alberta, Canada. This experience influenced his perception of human nature. He believed all humans were basically good, but society changes this natural personality. From 1935-1945, Maslow learned from some of the most influential psychologists and anthropologists of his generation and many become his friends: Alfred Adler, Erich Fromm, Karen Horney, Bela Mittlemann, Emil Oberholzer, Abran Kdariner, David Levy, Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, Kurt Goldstein, Ruth Benedict, and Margaret Mead to name a few.
 
Another life-changing experience came shortly after the United States entered WWII. Maslow felt we didn’t understand the Fascists or Communists and devoted his life to discovering a psychology for the peace table. He used his varied experiences to create his theory of human motivation. In 1943, he used the phrase “self-actualization” referring to the desire for self-fulfillment. He believed everyone should be self-actualizing, and it was the society that impacted them. For him, the self-actualizing man was not an ordinary man with something added, but the ordinary man with nothing taken away. He studied personal acquaintances and friends, college students, and public and historical figures. He acknowledged the limitations of this methodology but hoped to inspire further study. It has been almost 70 years since he published his list of self-actualization characteristics, but ten can still be reliably and validly measured. From 1945-49, he kept a Good Human Being (GHB) Notebook to organize his findings. Along the journey, he wanted to inspire students not just provide mastery of content. He was also blunt and honest to a fault. In 1954, he turned his attention to “peak experiences”. He read widely from Eastern religious thought and Carl Jung. After collecting mystical experiences from college students, he created the concept of a “peak experience”. He shared this with his colleagues and was rejected by a top journal. Later he explored industrial psychology and was influenced by McGregor’s concepts of Theory X and Theory Y. He went on to create Theory Z and soon realized self-actualization is not the top of the hierarchy.
 
In December, 1967 he had his first heart attack and recognized that he did not have much time left. He decided to commit to his writing and faced his inner conflicts and insecurities. He saved his thoughts in his journal and believed the right person would come along and know what must be done. His last private journal entries showed he was working on a humanistic revolution and a series of exercises to transcend the ego. He was also planning to write a book on humanistic education. He wanted a fifth force in psychology, known as transhumanism that would transcend human interests. On June 8, 1970, Maslow died from a second heart attack at the young age of 62. He had much more to explore for his humanistic theory.
 
Maslow called for a “Being-Psychology,” a field of psychology that incorporates a full understanding that includes both sick and healthy. It explores the ends rather than the means and was sometimes known as “positive psychology.” He created a “third force” in response to the limitations of behaviorism and Freudian psychoanalysis. It became known as humanistic psychology and started with the launch of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology in 1961. It focuses on a healthy personality and gained popularity. The 13 sources of well-being have been studied extensively and supported over the years. However, several misconceptions of his theory have also been firmly implanted in public perception.

1. The theory is NOT similar to a video game with a lockstep progression. Maslow was a developmental psychologist and recognized maturation as ongoing. Individuals are often only partially satisfied at any level and can return to a lower level.
2. The needs are NOT isolated from one another. Maslow discussed how the needs are arranged and rest on one another, but returning to lower needs is always a possibility. John Rowan, an English humanistic psychotherapist, used the analogy of Russian nesting dolls: each larger doll includes all of the smaller dolls but also transcends them. While working on higher needs, the lower needs don’t disappear but rather work together for growth.
3. The theory is NOT a pyramid. Maslow never created a pyramid to represent his hierarchy of needs; it was created by a management consultant in the 1960s. The graphic gained popularity and was reproduced in textbooks, but the theory is much more powerful than the simplistic, 5-step, one-way pyramid offered with the graphic.
4. The theory DOES allow for cross-cultural variation and individual differences. Maslow recognized that basic needs can change across a lifetime, but there are also significant differences in the order to which people satisfy their needs. For example, if a group is lacking security (i.e., war-torn society) they will be focused on their survival needs. However, they can simultaneously work on community, respect, and talent development. Individuals do not need to wait for their security needs to be met before working on self-fulfillment. Even within a society, individuals are influenced by their personality and environmental experiences. Needs can change as we mature and develop.

 
Rather than focusing on a pyramid, Maslow proposed all needs can be grouped into two main classes, which must be integrated for wholeness. Deficiency needs (D-needs) are motivated by lack of satisfaction- lack of food, safety, affection, belonging, and self-esteem. The D-realm colors our perceptions and distorts reality. The Being-realm (B-needs) is about accepting and loving of oneself and others.
 
The author, Kaufman, proposes perhaps a more appropriate analogy for understanding the true essence of Maslow’s theory. Rather than a hierarchy, he suggests a sailboat. It is a sailboat that protects one from dangerous seas. Each plank offers security, but it is not enough for movement. A sail is necessary to move the boat through the water. Each level of the sail helps an individual capture more wind and explore their environment. Rather than climbing a pyramid, one opens their sail and drops their defenses. As you catch the wind you can enter peak experiences. And as one makes their way through the ocean, they help other sailboats near them.

• The boat consists of the basic needs of safety, connection, and self-esteem. These security needs work together, but under bad conditions can lead to instability. 
• The sail represents growth, which is the heart of self-actualization.

Security and growth are the two foundations necessary for becoming a whole person. Kaufman broke down growth into three specific needs: exploration, love, and purpose. He believes this captures the essence of Maslow’s concept of self-actualization.
 
Boat: Security Needs
 
1. Safety
Maslow emphasized the need for the most fundamental needs to be met to realize one’s full potential. Modern science supports having a safe base. The research is clear that psychological processes are entangled with our physiology. Kaufman feels fine combining the physiological and safety needs that Maslow proposed. He further explores research on hunger and the need for attachment security. Bowlby and Ainsworth’s research are addressed along with adult categories of attachment styles. The future implications of trauma on the brain and learned helplessness are also explored along with their physiological connections. Maslow believed healthy growth involved not only fulfillment of the basic needs, but also the ability to endure deprivation and grow as a result. One of the most important paths to growth is through education.  Sternberg emphasizes viewing intelligence in context. Skills for success in school may differ from skills necessary for survival. An emerging field in education, known as possibility development, focuses on helping adolescents imagine future possible selves and strategies to overcome obstacles, which can have a persistent positive impact.
 
2. Connection
Maslow quickly acquired great affection for monkeys under Harlow. Harlow’s research identified connection is essential to normal development. Maslow said belonging and affection were fundamental and not reducible to safety or sex. The need for connection consists of two sub needs: need to belong and the need for intimacy. The Robbers Cave Study explores how external threats and a lack of resources can motivate belonging. Additional research shows the strength of groups, even when membership is meaningless. However, people differ greatly in their need for belonging as a result of individual genes interacting with personal experiences. The need for intimacy is more about connecting, caring, and protecting loved ones. At the heart of intimacy is a high-quality connection. Further topics explored include the brain’s opioid system increasing connection, the deadly consequences of social isolation, the impact of money and satisfaction, social media’s link to loneliness, and finally the Blue Zones of connections.
 
3. Self-Esteem
The same year Adler died, Maslow published the first of his studies on “dominance-feeling” among humans, a term he soon changed to “self-esteem.” Adler’s influence is visible in Maslow’s paper, clearly distinguishing between feelings of dominance and dominance behavior. Maslow also matched Adler’s thoughts about overcompensation and turning challenges into growth and strength. Healthy self-esteem is one of the strongest correlates to life satisfaction. Modern research identifies two aspects of healthy self-esteem: self-worth and mastery. Self-worth is the evaluation of your overall sense of self. Maslow distinguished the need for self-esteem and the need for esteem from others. Modern research says they are linked. Mastery is the evaluation of your overall sense of agency. We need to know “who we are” as well as “what we can do.”  Further topics explored include self-esteem vs. narcissism, the two faces of narcissism (grandiose and vulnerable), and healthy pride.
 
Sail- Growth Needs
 
1. Exploration
To move forward and grow, exploration helps stop the anxieties and fears. Research has linked the dopamine pathway to the reward value of information. Topics explored include social exploration and adventure-seeking. Research regarding post-traumatic growth is also explored in more detail. For both Maslow and Rogers, the height of self-actualization was creativity. One key to creativity is openness and modern research has looked at openness and the “default mode network” also known as the “imagination network.” Connections to intellectual curiosity and academic achievement are also being explored.  A map of the creative brain has been developed to predict the quality of creative thought.
 
2. Love
Maslow recognized beyond a certain point of love fulfillment, we become more capable of turning our love to others. He distinguished needing love or “D-love (deficiency love)” from unneeding love or “B-love (love for the being of another person).” The difference between the dark triad and light triad are also explored. Research has confirmed Maslow’s idea that those with a strong loving orientation are less likely to need love. B-loving people have self-transcendent values. They are high in universal concern, universal tolerance, trustworthiness, dependability for close loved ones, benevolence, and caring for friends and family. They also have healthy compassion and genuine motives. B-loving individuals score high in affective empathy. Other topics explored that are associated with B-loving are healthy coping mechanisms, healthy self-love, a quiet ego, healthy authenticity, and whole love.
 
3. Purpose
Maslow was exposed to industrial psychology and realized the potential of the workplace for testing self-actualization. He felt self-actualized people pursued their calling, not happiness. Having purpose is a crucial human need. Modern research supports that seeing work as a calling is related to greater life satisfaction and fewer missed days of work. However, having a purpose is not enough for growth. It is important to pick the right personal goals. The most growth fostering purpose is built on a strong foundation of a secure environment, belonging, connection, healthy self-esteem, and driven by exploration and love.
 
Healthy Transcendence
Maslow found that peak experiences (any experience that comes close to perfection) had many triggers and were common in a variety of people. However, those with greater psychological health had a greater frequency of peak experiences. Maslow thought peak experiences were profound and transformative for the person experiencing them. What distinguishes self-actualizing people, are more frequent and intense peak experiences.
 
In 1967, Maslow began wondering if there were different types of self-actualizing people and if there was a different motivation besides temporary peak experiences. There appeared to be a higher motivation for continual striving for transcendent experiences and values. Maslow put his ideas together in a 1969 paper called Theory Z. He proposed that “merely healthy” people fulfilled Theory Y, but transcenders went beyond basic needs and fulfillment of one’s unique self. He identified the characteristics of transcenders. A Theory Z worldview is full of awe, beauty, wonder, savoring, exploration, discovery, and openness. It is similar to modern research on wisdom. Theory Z was an inspiring vision of what humans could be. Maslow was also working on humanistic education and psychopolitics. As his health declined he did not fear death. Instead, he had found new depths of meaning, which he related to a plateau experience. A plateau experience was more enduring and cognitive, in contrast to a peak experience that was ecstatic and momentary. A key trigger of the plateau experience was a confrontation with mortality. In 1970, Maslow mentioned the intention to develop exercises to help bring to the B-realm.
 
The man that built humanistic psychology had so much more to offer. Thanks to his journals we have a little bit more of an understanding about where he was wanted to take psychology with his beliefs of a “Being Psychology.”
 
Other Related Resources
Author Webpage
https://scottbarrykaufman.com/
 
Self-Actualization Tests
https://scottbarrykaufman.com/selfactualizationtests/
 
Scientific American- Summary of Research on Characteristics of Self-Actualization Scale
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/what-does-it-mean-to-be-self-actualized-in-the-21st-century/
 
Research on Characteristics of Self-Actualization Scale
https://scottbarrykaufman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Kaufman-self-actualization-2018.pdf
 
The Psychology Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hjyLvI7ywc
 
SLOWW website (Detailed Book Summary)
https://www.sloww.co/transcend-book-scott-barry-kaufman/
 
Scientific American Stories by Scott Barry Kaufman
https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/scott-barry-kaufman/
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Alfred Adler
Mary Ainsworth
John Bowlby
Brené Brown
David Buss
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Angela Duckworth
Erik Erikson
Sigmund Freud
Howard Gardner
Harry Harlow
Karen Horney
William James
Henry Murray
Carl Rogers
Martin Seligman
Robert Sternberg
Edward Thorndike
John Watson
 
Altruism
Attachment
Being psychology
B-needs vs. D-needs
Brain parts
Cortisol
emotion-focused coping strategies
Eros
Evolutionary psychology
Flow
fMRI
Grit
Hormones
Humanistic psychology
In-group biases
Instincits
Instrumental social alue
Intelligence
Intrinsic
Learned helplessness
Narcissism
Natural selection
Neuroticism
Openness to experience
Overconfidence
Oxytocin
Peak experience
Personality
Plateau experience
Pleasure system- opioid system
Post-traumatic growth
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
problem-focused coping strategies
Projection
Proximity
Relational social value
Robbers Cave study
Self-actualization
Self-efficacy
Signature strengths
Stress
Sublimation
Terror management theory (TMT)
Theory of mind
Theory X vs. Y vs. Z
Third force
Transcendence
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Transformational leadership
Unconditional positive regard

Upside:  The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth
Author: Jim Rendon
ISBN-10: 1476761639
ISBN-13: 978-1476761633
 
APA Style Citation
Rendon. (2015). Upside: The new science of Post-Traumatic Growth. New York, NY: Touchstone.
 
Buy This Book
www.amazon.com/Upside-New-Science-Post-Traumatic-Growth/dp/1476761639

​Book Description
 
As teachers of psychology, we often devote considerable time and attention to mental illness and treatment while spending significantly less time on positive psychology or the scientific study of strengths and the potential to grow from negative experiences. 
According to the DSM-5, individuals may receive a diagnosis of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from exposure to three types of traumatic events: 

1. The event happened to them personally
2. They learn that a traumatic event happened to a family member or a close friend
3. They experienced repeated exposure to a traumatic event (e.g., first responders, caretakers).

The most common PTSD symptoms are:

• Intrusion (e.g., involuntary distressing memories, flashbacks, nightmares)
• Avoidance (e.g., hiding from distressing memories, dodging reminders of the event)
• Negative changes in thoughts and mood (e.g., negative beliefs about oneself, numbness, detachment from others)
• Increased arousal and reactivity (e.g., exaggerated startle response, irritability, problems concentrating, sleep difficulties)

 
After an extremely dangerous or life-threatening event, most individuals have initial symptoms, and in most cases, those symptoms go away on their own.  For some, the symptoms continue, and PTSD may be diagnosed. There is, however, research related to how these same events ultimately lead to post-traumatic growth (PTG), which is the subject of the book, Upside.  While it is critical to teach and build an understanding of PTSD, it is equally important to illustrate that the types of experiences that lead to PTSD do not always result in the condition. In reality, most individuals who experience a traumatic event do not develop PTSD.
 
The book Upside, traces the development of research into the potential positive benefits of trauma that began in the 1980’s.  Two psychology professors from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun built the initial research on individuals who had been devastated by losses including accidents and illness.  Another early study conducted by a psychiatrist and professor at the Yale School of Medicine named William Sledge covered what would become post-traumatic growth in aviators who were POWs during the Vietnam War, which was published in 1980.  Interest in the field grew slowly as more research funding was devoted to PTSD.  While examples of post-traumatic growth have been documented for thousands of years, it was not a focus of scientific inquiry until the 1980’s. Tedeschi and Calhoun continued their research and found that individuals who experienced positive outcomes post-trauma experienced changes in one or more of the following areas:

• Greater inner strength
• An openness to new life possibilities
• Closer and deeper relationships with friends and family
• An enhanced appreciation for life
• A stronger sense of spirituality

Tedeschi and Calhoun named the phenomenon – post-traumatic growth and published research based on the questionnaire they created called the perceived benefits scale and published their work on the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory in 1996. The inventory consisted of questions directly linked to the five growth areas. According to their study, half or more of trauma survivors reported some positive effects post-trauma.  This contrasts with the negative outcomes related to PTSD that researchers believe will impact about eight percent of Americans during their lives and potentially as much as thirty percent of certain cohorts such as Vietnam or other veterans. According to research by psychologist George A. Bonanno of Columbia University, only 5-10% of individuals experience PTSD after traumatic events.  That rate does increase if stressors are extreme or occur over a long period, but they rarely rise above 30%. PTSD is not inevitable.  Post-traumatic growth is more likely than PTSD.
 
Research indicates that PTSD is not inevitable after trauma, but that it is less likely than PTG.  More individuals develop growth as opposed to PTSD post-trauma.  Since the first book on PTG was published by Tedeschi and Calhoun, researchers around the world have been further documenting the incidence of posttraumatic growth. On their website, Tedeschi and Calhoun make some key clarifications about post-traumatic growth research (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2014):

• Most of us, when we face very difficult losses or great suffering, will have a variety of highly distressing psychological reactions. Just because individuals experience growth does not mean that they will not suffer. Distress is typical when we face traumatic events.
• We most definitely are not implying that traumatic events are good – they are not. But for many of us, life crises are inevitable, and we are not given the choice between suffering and growth on the one hand, and no suffering and no change, on the other.
• Post-traumatic growth is not universal. It is not uncommon, but neither does everybody who faces a traumatic event experience growth.
• Our hope is that you never face a major loss or crisis, but most of us eventually do, and perhaps you may also experience an encounter with post-traumatic growth.

The book is packed with case studies that illustrate one or more of the five areas of post-traumatic growth, including individuals who have lost loved ones, wealth, physical mobility, limbs, and careers.  The book also details the scientific research exploring the post-traumatic growth experiences. Chapter Two, "The Psychiatrist in the Death Camp," explores the story of Viktor Frankl and his influential book Man's Search for Meaning from the lens of post-traumatic growth research. Frankl's book, with more than twelve million copies in print, is a must-read for psychology teachers and students.  What follows are detailed accounts of many case studies in post-traumatic growth and how this research can improve therapy methods for individuals with PTSD or who are dealing with trauma and loss.  Psychologists working in the field of PTG began by studying individuals who experienced positive change after trauma independently but are working to develop therapy methods based on the growth experiences of the individuals they studied to help others. Upside is packed with research and inspiring examples that help students understand the complexity of trauma and growth. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Related Resources
 
Author Jim Rendon
Author website:  https://www.jimrendon.com/
Author contact information
Follow on Twitter:  @RendonJim
 
Posttraumatic Growth Research Group
https://ptgi.uncc.edu/ptg-research-group/
 
Remarkable Resiliency: George Bonanno, Ph.D. on PTSD, Grief, and Depression
George A. Bonanno presentation at the Association for Psychological Science (2020)
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/bonanno
 
National Institute of Mental Health information on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml#part_145371
 
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl's influential book which tells his Holocaust survival story and how it inspired the
treatment method he developed, logotherapy.
 
Frankl, V. E., Lasch, I., Kushner, H. S., & Winslade, W. J. (2019). Man's search for meaning.  
Boston: Beacon Press.
 
1972 video of Viktor Frankl speaking
          https://www.ted.com/talks/viktor_frankl_why_believe_in_others
 
Posttraumatic Growth Article
American Psychological Association article from the Monitor on Psychology about posttraumatic growth
 
http://www.apamonitor-digital.org/apamonitor/201611?pg=1#pg1
Collier, L. (2016, November). Growth after trauma: Why are some people more resilient
than others—and can it be taught? Monitor on Psychology, 47(10), 48-51.
doi:https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/11/growth-trauma
 
Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky discussion of posttraumatic growth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PG71LHinQc
 
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
 
Viktor Frankl
Joseph  LeDoux
Jean Piaget
Martin Seligman
 
Accommodation
Amygdala
Assimilation
Cerebellum
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Creativity
Deliberate rumination
Diagnostic and Statistical Model, 5th Edition
Dual-pathway of fear
Expressive writing therapy
Fight-or-flight response
Flow
Gratitude
Just-world phenomenon
Individualistic culture
Logotherapy
Openness to experience
Optimism
Positive psychology
Prefrontal cortex
Post-traumatic growth (PTG)
Post-traumatic growth inventory
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Thalamus
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

​Range:  Why Generalists Triumph in A Specialized World
Author: David Epstein
ISBN:978-0735214491
 
APA Style Citation
Epstein, D. (2019). Range:  Why Generalists triumph in a specialized world.  New York, NY:  Riverhead books.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Range-Generalists-Triumph-Specialized-World/dp/0735214484/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=range&qid=1578144141&sr=8-1
 

​Book Description
We live in a world of hyper specialization.  Children often start their violin or piano lessons as young as age 3 or 4.  They start their preferred sports often just as young, and by the time they reach high school, teenagers are told they must concentrate on what they want to do in the future and focus all of their effort in one particular area.  If people realize they have gone down the wrong path, they are often told that they must persevere for fear of “being behind” if they switch areas of study or they just stick with it because of all of the work they have already put in.  David Epstein, the author of Range, believes that this advice is misguided.  Epstein argues that the greatest triumphs come from having experience in multiple fields and casting one’s net widely so as to draw upon different sources when trying to solve a problem.  Epstein believes the benefit of Range rather than hyper specialization is that it can give people a different perspective and approach that those in a single area of specialization are not able to see.  This can result in great insight and more thorough and complete decision-making.

Those who specialize later are often better suited for the careers they eventually select, and as a result, they are also generally more passionate and productive in their roles.  Epstein presents many examples of how experience in a single field can limit how one approaches a new problem.  The need for conformity and groupthink can limit consideration of all possible outcomes in a situation and can, in cases such as NASA's space shuttle Challenger explosion, lead to deadly results.  Epstein cites examples of fire firefighters who lost their lives fighting fires because their specialized training taught them never to drop their equipment, but when fighting a fast-moving fire, dropping one’s equipment might actually save their life.  

Epstein points to Tiger Woods, who seemed to be a child prodigy at golf, as an example of early and focused practice.  Many parents use this example to apply to their own children, but they overlook other athletes such as Tom Brady, who participated in football, baseball, basketball, and karate as a child and then had to choose between playing college football or basketball.  Often those with specialized early training peak early or move away from their area of specialization because their parents selected their instrument/sport/activity for them rather than the child selecting their specialty based on experimentation in many different fields.  Epstein challenges the 10,000-hour rule by arguing that the amount of practice time is not a good measure of exceptionality, in music, for example, those who know how to play multiple instruments can draw on their knowledge from their different experiences to add depth to their performance.  Epstein argues that the “sampling period” in which one explores many different interests will serve people well in future unknown situations.  Many jazz musicians or musical improv masters never had formal training in music but learned from watching others and then experimenting.  This experimentation necessitated intense and conscious thought about what was working (or not), but because of the lack (at least initially) of formal training, there was never a single “correct” way of doing things which allowed for more creativity later in their work.  

Epstein does not dismiss the importance of expertise but rather presents situation after situation in which someone with a different perspective who challenged the conventional wisdom. Individuals with diverse backgrounds are often able to see a situation in a new light and offer a solution that in many cases is successful and one that the “experts” could not see.  Epstein points out that scientists who have been inducted into the highest national academies are likely to have hobbies and interests outside of their field of study.  “Nobel laureates are at least twenty-two times more likely to partake as an amateur actor, dancer, magician, or other type of performer.”  This breath can support new insights that those obsessively focused on a single area may miss.  Epstein cites Steve Jobs, who took calligraphy courses, which ultimately informed his design aesthetics and fonts that would become part of the now infamous Mac design.  These individuals avoid cognitive entrenchment by applying their knowledge in one area and applying it creatively to another.  

Nearly 75% of today’s college students will go into a career unrelated to what they studied in college.  Epstein’s argument takes on more importance as those with a wide array of experiences should allow them to be better equipped to adapt and adjust to novel problems and situations.  Epstein applies his findings to classroom environments and suggests that in many classrooms, teachers are making learning “too easy” by giving students hints towards the right answer without having them work through the frustration of not knowing and having to figure something out on their own.  Epstein also recommends ‘interleaving’ in which instructors demonstrate (or ask students to) look for connections between different units of study or even across disciplines.  

Epstein refutes the old adage of “winners never quit," he believes that if something is not interesting or if one is not passionate about a particular area, they should pursue something new. The “late bloomers” may actually prove to be the most well-suited for the area they finally land on, and their earlier experiences may give them a leg up even on those whose sole focus has been single-mindedly on one area of study.  

Other Related Resources
Book website
https://www.davidepstein.com/the-range/

An introduction to Range by David Epstein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmoMmK7qKt4

Epstein and Gladwell discuss Range at MIT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cQJH3aj4YY


Psychological Concepts and Figures

Charles Darwin
Angela Duckworth
James Flynn
Daniel Gilbert
Daniel Kahneman
Walter Mischel
Amos Tversky

Analytical thinking
Catharsis
Chunking
Cognitive bias
Conformity
Congruence
Creativity
Distributed practice
Functional fixedness
Groupthink
Incongruence
Lateral thinking
Raven’s Progressive Matrices
Statistical significance
Tabula rasa (blank slate)
The Ebbinghaus illusion
The Flynn effect
The Marshmallow Test
Trial and error 
Savants

​Modern Romance (An Investigation)
Authors:  Aziz Ansari, Eric Klineberg
ISBN: 1-59420-627-9
 
APA Style Citation
Ansari, A and Klineberg, E. (2015). Modern Romance (an Investigation).  Penguin; Random House.

​Book Description:
Ansari’s experience as a stand up comedian makes this book about how we find love an amusing read full of humorous anecdotes and revelations of his own dating mishaps.  He does, however, work with sociologist Eric Klinenberg to be certain that he has data to support his musings on love.   Klinenberg and Ansari conducted focus groups and interviews to determine how dating varied in different parts of the country, across generations, and in other countries.
 
Ansari opens with a description of a woman named Tanya with whom he had gone on a date and was interested in seeing again.  He struggles with the decision of whether to call or text or send a smoke signal to her, but ultimately decides on texting (with a cute joke included) to see if she wants to meet up for dinner.  He waits a few minutes, a few hours, and eventually a few days with no reply.  This is the impetus Ansari needs to explore issues of dating and relationships in the modern world.  
 
Ansari begins his exploration with interviews at senior centers to get a better idea of how people met, dated, and potentially married in the past.   Most older people with whom Ansari spoke indicated that they met their significant other because they "lived in the same building" or "were friends of the family."  14 of the 36 people with whom Ansari spoke married someone who lived within walking distance of their childhood home.  A study conducted by James Bossard at the University of Pennsylvania in 1932 reinforces these findings.  The study found that one-third of all married couples lived within a five-block radius of each other before they got married.  One in six lived on the same block, and one in eight lived in the same building.
 
Some of the women in these groups indicated that they got married to get out from under the rule of their parents, only to find themselves under the rule of their husbands.  When divorce became more acceptable, some of these women found a way out of these types of marriages.  Even those who were happy in their marriages indicated they wanted their daughters and granddaughters to approach marriage differently.  People got married not because they had found their soulmate but because they could raise a family together.  They were looking for a “good enough” marriage.
 
Marriage for generations was about bonding two families and creating financial and personal security.   Thoughts about who one married were more practical than romantic.  This began to change in the 1960s and 70s when people began to demand a closer bond with their marriage partner.  Today, this trend continues in large part because people marry later and often spend their twenties in the time period currently referred to as “emerging adulthood."  A generation before, they would likely have been married off nearly a decade earlier.  People today move in and out of relationships in their twenties and often prioritize career, and education before relationships.  In addition, these life experiences connect people to many different groups with whom they may eventually find themselves romantically connected (rather than their childhood neighbor).  
 
But finding one’s soulmate can take an awful lot of work and sometimes too much choice leads to a paralysis of choice or unhappiness after a decision has been made because one considers that there could be someone else out there who is a better match or who is "the one."    Even in the past few years, the dating game has changed dramatically; no longer do people call one another, even for a first date.   58% of teens today indicated that they would ask someone out via text; in 2010 this percentage was 10%.  In a recent survey, 67% of teens indicated they had been asked to prom via text.  Texting may create less anxiety than calling, but now those who call seem brave.  MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle believes that texting allows people to gather their thoughts and plan out what they want to say, but this may leave their spontaneous speaking skills lacking.  The dependency on texting also allows teens to go over and over the meaning of a given text, and without an immediate response, this can easily leave people wondering the level of interest of the other person.  There seems to be a whole new set of rules regarding how long to wait before responding to a text, what to do if the person does not respond, are they busy? Not interested?  Playing hard to get?  When someone responds positively to our text messages, we get a shot of dopamine, which can be quite addictive, but when this reward is uncertain, the anticipation might be more addicting than the actual response.  This is similar to behavior found in gambling.
 
This unknowing can lead to a strong romantic attraction as we often find we want resources that are scarce.  If people make themselves too available, it may be a turn off for some as the person may come off as desperate.  So texting less may actually be better for creating a high level of attraction.  However, the reciprocity principle indicates that we will like people who like us.  Women seem to be slightly more responsive to this than men, but it is difficult to know when scarcity will work versus when reciprocity will be more effective in finding a mate.  
 
Online dating has introduced endless options to the dating scene.  By 2005 the website Match.com had registered over 40 million people.  There are now dating sites for farmers, those who are Jewish, older, gay, etc.  There are dating sites, hook up sites, and the list goes on.  Some are free; some charge a large fee, which can create very different populations in the dating circles to which one is exposed.  To realize just how quickly dating has changed, roughly one-third of people who got married between 2005 and 2012 met on an online site; this is more than twice the percentage of those who met in any other way (work 14%).  Even with this success, using algorithms to find a marriage partner is not always the best method.  People can have similar interests, backgrounds and families but like someone else "just because."  No algorithm can perfectly plan for this.  In fact, knowing too much about someone from his or her dating profile can make a first date much harder than in the past because they already know so much about the person and the normal first date “chit chat” becomes moot.  On the other hand, online dating may also cause safety concerns for people who do not feel like they know their potential partner well enough to be alone with them. People can become addicted to these apps, swiping through hundreds of people in a single day without giving them so much as a second glance and potentially missing out on people with whom they might be quite happy.  
 
Barry Schwartz wrote The Paradox of Choice, which states that too much choice may paralyze many people when making a decision. Instead of looking for a good match, people look for a perfect match and wind up being disappointed.  It is good to have some choice but having too many options actually decreases decision-making.  Even after a decision is made one often feels like maybe there was a better choice out there and they wind up less happy with the decision they have made.  Schwartz finds this is true with buying jams, and selecting a job, Ansari believes it is also true in finding love.  This might mean that those in large cities like New York and Los Angeles wait longer to find love because there are so many options. People in Wichita, Kansas felt like they had exhausted all of their potential options earlier tended to marry before those in larger cities.  
 
Ansari also investigates love in different cultures, those in France seem less concerned if their marriage partner takes on a lover whereas many in Tokyo are often not interested in marriage or sex because they are focusing on career and building their financial capital. The “herbivore man” is a term used to describe Japanese men who are very shy and passive and 60% of men in Japanese men in their 20s and 30s describe themselves this way.  In Buenos Aires, the opposite is true; passion and sex infiltrate many aspects of society.  Men are vocal about their interest in women and many hotels “telos” or love hotels that rent by the hour are acceptable places to go to consummate a relationship.  People are known to have many relationships at the same time. Casual sex is an expected part of life and romantic partnerships.
 
Once one does find love, their brain actually changes.  Ansari discusses how love moves from passionate to companionate love over the length of long-term relationships.  The physiology of the brain changes from lighting up the pleasure centers of the brain to over time lighting up the calming centers of the brain.  Those long-term relationships may lack passion, but generativity is more satisfying because it involves being part of a long-term, nurturing relationship.  The typical American now spends more time single than married as people get married later, or some opt never to marry either because they never find the right person or because they never actually make a choice to be with someone long-term.  Finally, Ansari advocates for embracing the mere exposure effect.  “Someone who just seems just “all right” at first may grow on you over time, give them a shot”, and it could lead to the most important relationship of your life.
 
 
Other Related Resources
Ansari’s article with TIME: 
http://time.com/aziz-ansari-modern-romance/
 
How is Technology Shaping Romance?
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_is_technology_shaping_romance
 
The Guardian: What effect has the Internet had on finding love?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/may/01/online-dating-untangling-the-web
 
Aziz Ansari’ Love Lessons Good Morning America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuXyKPgw0Ys
 
Aziz Ansari stand up on Love Madison Square Garden (warning:  Language)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2LwGqDSpL4
 
TED talk: Helen Fisher, Technology Hasn’t changed Love here’s Why  
https://www.ted.com/talks/helen_fisher_technology_hasn_t_changed_love_here_s_why
 
Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love
http://www.robertjsternberg.com/love/
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Daniel Gilbert
Barry Schwartz
Robert Sternberg
Algorithm
Aron and Dutton Shaky Bridge Study
Companionate Love
Dopamine
Emerging Adulthood
Generativity
Mere Exposure Effect
Monogamy
Passionate Love
Reciprocity
Reward Uncertainty
Romantic Love
Scarcity

​Author:  Carmine Gallo
ISBN: 978-1-250-04112-8

APA Style Citation
Gallo, Carmine (2014). Talk Like TED:  The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds.  New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Buy This Book
​​www.amazon.com/Talk-Like-TED-Public-Speaking-Secrets/dp/1250041120

Book Description
The TED Conference, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, has been around since 1984 but did not become well known until they began posting videos of their trademark 19-minute presentations online for free.  Author Carmine Gallo is a communications expert and the author of the bestselling book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs.  Gallo examined over 500 TED presentations and added insights from research on persuasion and communication to generate a list of the critical aspects of highly engaging presentations. Talk Like TED offers nine key public-speaking tips utilized in some of the most well-known presentations.  The tips for giving great talks are organized into three broad categories:  Emotional (they touch the heart), Novel (they teach something new), and Memorable (they present ideas in a unique manner).  As teachers, we frequently deliver content to students in a presentation form, and this book can provide a variety of tools to use to increase student engagement and learning.  Each chapter describes a method used in the most successful TED talks including specific examples and insight from the speakers. One of the best aspects of this book was stopping periodically to watch the amazing TED talks discussed in the book!
 
EMOTIONAL
The first third of the book is devoted to the three tips in the category related to emotional factors that “touch the heart.”  In chapter one, “Unleash the Master Within,” the author discusses the importance of choosing topics to discuss in which you have personal passion and interest.  According to the author, “the first step to inspiring others is to make sure you are inspired yourself.”  An excellent example of a TED talk that exemplifies passion was given by University of Waterloo Economics professor Larry Smith titled, “Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career.”  Smith discusses that although college students are told to pursue their passion most will not because “You’re afraid to pursue your passion.  You’re afraid to look ridiculous.  You’re afraid to try.  You’re afraid you may fail.”
https://www.ted.com/talks/larry_smith_why_you_will_fail_to_have_a_great_career
 
Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor gave one of the most watched TED talks of all time (about 20 million views).  The talk illustrates how having a strong emotional connection with the material leads to increased audience engagement.  Bolte Taylor’s talk is compelling because it involves a personal connection and exceptional storytelling.  TEDster Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor offers advice for teachers and other presenters, and that is to tell a story and demonstrate your passion for the topic. According to Bolte Taylor, “When I was at Harvard, I was the one winning the awards.  I wasn't winning the awards because my science was better than anyone else’s.  I was winning because I could tell a story that was interesting and fascinating and it was mine, down to the detail.”
http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight 
 
 
Chapter two discusses how to “Master the Art of Storytelling” by illustrating how effective speakers utilize narratives to make an emotional connection with the audience.  For example, TED speaker Brene Brown famously begins her topic by defending qualitative research she conducts with the statement that “Stories are data with a soul.”  Effective storytelling engages each listener individually and allows them to become emotionally attached and to the ideas being presented.  Some of the most effective TED storytellers are discussed in this chapter including Brian Stevenson’s talk, “We Need to Talk About an Injustice” which led to the longest standing ovation in TED history (see earlier Books for Psychology Class post on his book Just Mercy).  The 1,000 attendees at Stevenson’s talk collectively donated $1 million dollars to his nonprofit, the Equal Justice Institute.  Stevenson raised $55,000 for every minute he spoke that day.  This TED talk was given without the aid of a PowerPoint, visuals, or props of any kind – a testament to the power of story. 
https://www.ted.com/talks/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_an_injustice
 
Another tip for an effective persuasive presentation according to the author, is to utilize Aristotle’s three components of effective persuasion ethos, logos, and pathos in the most effective ratio. Ethos refers to the credibility and credentials of the speaker, logos is the use of logic and data to make effective arguments, and pathos is the ability to appeal to the emotions of the audience.  When the author of the book analyzed the content of Brian Stevenson’s TED talk, he found it was 10 percent ethos, 25 percent logos, and 65 percent pathos or emotional appeal. Despite being 65 percent of pathos Stevenson’s talk has been rated as one of the most persuasive of all time. One of the ways the book recommends inserting pathos or emotional appeal is by including extreme moments. Dan Ariely, a psychologist and behavioral economist at Duke, introduces his talk on how research shows that people are predictably irrational with a dramatic personal story of his recovery from an injury that left him burned over 70 percent of his body.  Ariely’s talk is an excellent addition to the research unit for illustrating the need to test beliefs that are held intuitively through careful research methods. 
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_on_our_buggy_moral_code/transcript?language=en#t-102037
 
In chapter three, the author describes how effective TED presenters can use body language and verbal delivery to engage with the audience in a manner that feels authentic and conversational instead of an impersonal lecture to a large group.  The four elements of verbal delivery addressed in this section are rate, volume, pitch, and the effective use of pauses for emphasis.  One of the examples of effective nonverbal communications is a 2012 TED talk by a former Army general and U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell on the importance of providing children with structure early in life.  His speech is broken down to illustrate how particular gestures corresponded with the words he used during his speech. 
 
Another amazing TED talk that powerfully uses gestures to strengthen an argument was given by Ernesto Sirolli titled, “Want to help someone?  Shut up and listen!” is also broken down to highlight the expert use of gestures.  Sirolli’s talk discusses how his failure to listen led to failure for his NGO project designed to help increase food production in rural Zambia.  The project involved teaching people living in southern Zambia to grow Italian tomatoes and other vegetables.  Because the local population was uninterested, the NGO paid them to grow the vegetables.  Sirolli and his team were surprised that agriculture was not being used in this fertile region with excellent weather and soil.  According to Sirolli, instead of asking the people living there why they did not grow crops, they said, "Thank God we're here." Just in the nick of time to save the Zambian people from starvation." The result was that everything grew extremely well and we were telling the Zambians, "Look how easy agriculture is." When the tomatoes were nice and ripe and red, overnight, some 200 hippos came out from the river, and they ate everything. It was then that Sirolli asked the Zambians, “My God, the hippos!" and the Zambians said, "Yes, that's why we have no agriculture here." When Sirolli asked, “Why didn't you tell us?" the Zambians replied, "You never asked."
https://www.ted.com/talks/ernesto_sirolli_want_to_help_someone_shut_up_and_listen
 
NOVEL
The second section of the book explains three aspects that contribute to an effective presentation because it is new and unique.  Kevin Allocca, who studies YouTube trends, stated this perfectly when he pointed out that in an era when two days’ worth of video is uploaded every two minutes, it is only the truly unique and original ideas that capture the attention of the online audience. 
 
The topic of chapter four, “Teach Me Something New,” describes how the best TED talks find a way to introduce new ideas or perspectives.  The author suggests that the titles of some of the most frequently viewed TED talks promise to teach something new such as “Schools Kill Creativity” (Sir Ken Robinson), “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” (Simon Sinek), “The Surprising Science of Happiness” (Dan Gilbert), “The Power of Introverts” (Susan Cain), “8 Secrets of Success” (Richard St. John), and “How to Live Before You Die” (Steve Jobs).  Martha Burns, a professor at Northwestern, teaches how to use neuroscience to be a better educator and highlights the biology behind the “buzz” we experience when learning something in her powerful TEDx talk.  One of the best examples of teaching something novel is Hans Rosling's talk that makes statistics and correlations exciting and meaningful.  Rosling, an expert on global health, animates correlational data regarding health and wealth in a powerful demonstration.  You can view his entire talk at ted.com or view the abbreviated version titled:  200 countries, 200 years, 4minutes.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLYSojo
 
Novel presentations, according to chapter five, “Deliver Jaw-Dropping Moments,” in which presenters capture the attention and imagination of their audiences by using dramatic demonstrations or surprises.  Some of the most dramatic moments or “hooks” at TED talks have included Bill Gates releasing mosquitos and Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor who opens her talk by holding a human brain that is still attached to the spinal cord.  “Wow” moments can also come from a single shocking statistic.

• “This country is very different today than it was 40 years ago. In 1972 there were 300,000 people in jails and prisons. Today there are 2.3 million.  The United States now has the highest rate of incarceration in the world.”

Bryan Stevenson
 

• “Why are we ignoring the oceans?  If you compare NASA’s annual budget to explore the heavens, that one-year budget would fund NOAA’s budget to explore the world's oceans for 1,600 years.” 

Robert Ballard
 

• “One in a hundred regular people is a psychopath.  So there are 1,500 people in this room. Fifteen of you are psychopaths.”

Jon Ronson
 
Successful TED talks also hook new viewers by creating memorable headlines, which turn into sound bites that are often spread across social media.  TED even has a Twitter handle devoted to the catchy, memorable quotes that are likely to generate public attention (@TEDQuote). 
 

• “There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.”

Susan Cain
 

• “Don’t fake it till you make it.  Fake it till you become it.”

Amy Cuddy
 

• “Numbers are the musical notes with which the symphony of the universe is written.”

Adam Spencer
 
Chapter six highlights how the ability to “Lighten Up” by using appropriate and genuine humor can increase audience engagement.  The book provides numerous tips for adding humor to presentations, including quotes, short video clips, and anecdotes.
 
MEMORABLE
The final third of the book is dedicated to various ways to make your ideas and your presentation memorable.  Chapter seven, “Stick to the 18-Minute Rule,” explains why all TED talks are limited to 18 minutes.  This key rule was established because it allows enough time for thoughtful analysis, yet short it is enough to maintain audience engagement.  Research shows that information is remembered better if it is organized into related chunks, this has led TED to recommend that presentations be centered around three main areas or points that support one large overarching idea.  This concept can be applied to classroom presentations as well by limiting direct instruction to shorter chunks broken up with time for reflection and formative practice.  The 18-minute rule forces researchers to create a focused message that maintains attention levels, and that does not create what researchers call “cognitive backlog” or the problem in which too much information prevents the successful transfer of ideas.  There are also numerous other TED rules of three such as the Three A’s of Awesome:  Attitude, Awareness, and Authenticity which were shared by award-winning blogger and author of the Book of Awesome, Neil Pasricha in a TEDx talk.  https://www.ted.com/talks/neil_pasricha_the_3_a_s_of_awesome 
Kevin Allocca, a YouTube trends manager studies why some videos go viral, and others do not.  According to Allocca, 48 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, yet only a few will have millions of views.  In Allocca’s TED talk, he explains the three factors that contribute to the success of a video:  tastemakers, communities of participation, and unexpectedness.  Of course, there is also the three-minute TED talk titled “TED in 3 Minutes,” which has been given by individuals such as Arianna Huffington and New York Times tech columnist David Pogue.  The original three-minute talk was given by Terry Moore who showed the audience a better way to tie their shoes, which has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.  The rule of three suggests

1. Creating a Twitter-friendly headline
2. Support the headline with three key messages
3. Reinforce the three messages with stories, statistics, and examples

 
Chapter eight describes how effective speakers can “Paint a Mental Picture with Multisensory Experiences” and engage as many of the senses of audience members as possible.   For example, the best TED talks use memorable images, not excessive text on slides.  One of the major tips is for creating better more effective PowerPoint presentations by avoiding too much text and instead relying more on memorable images and other visuals.  One of the worst ways to present is PowerPoint karaoke in which the speaker reads text aloud off of the screen. The chapter includes several examples of successful TED talks that show the words being used by the presenter alongside a description of the images being displayed to audience members.  A powerful example of how words are delivered alongside dramatic images is Lisa Kristine’s TED talk about the hardships of indigenous peoples and the reality of the 27 million individuals living in modern-day slavery. https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_kristine_glimpses_of_modern_day_slavery
 
The final tip for making your presentation memorable, “Stay in Your Lane,” is outlined in chapter nine. Staying in your lane means that your presentations need to be authentic and honest and speak from the heart.  One of the tips offered for “staying in your lane” is to practice by giving your presentation to a friend or family member first because when you have a close relationship with someone, you are more likely to show who you are. 
 
Talk Like TED is an excellent guide full of practical ideas for making your presentations, activities, and demos more engaging and effective.  The book is also an opportunity to learn about some amazing TED talks you may not have heard of before.  TED talks can be shown in class, assigned as homework to facilitate class discussions or offered as opportunities for students who want to expand their understanding of a particular area of psychology.  Another interesting way to use TED talks is to execute the demos or activities presented by a particular TED talk in class, and then after hooking students on the content, let your students know how to access the entire TED talk. Because many TED presenters are also authors, TED talks can be used to stimulate interest for students to read books related to their favorite TED talks or pursue research projects in areas related to what they watched. 
 
Other Related Resources
 
Author’s Website
Carmine Gallo’s website offers articles, videos, and links to other books.
http://gallocommunications.com/books/talk-like-ted-2/
 
The Top 20 TED Talks of All Time
http://www.ted.com/playlists/171/the_most_popular_talks_of_all?gclid=CjwKEAjwtNbABRCsqO7J0_uJxWYSJAAiVo5LuME8Z7o2-Ki6OahJAA2Liq3mJcpOAdNcrtYR4zRz0RoCKgPw_wcB
 
How to Sound Smart in Your TED Talk
Comedian Will Stephen’s take on how to give a TED talk and impress your audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S0FDjFBj8o
 
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Dan Ariely
Aristotle
Paul Bloom
Jill Bolte-Taylor
Lera Boroditsky
Susan Cain
James Flynn
Daniel Gilbert
Malcolm Gladwell
Sydney Jensen
George Miller
Daniel Pink
Hans Rosling
 
10,000 Hour Rule
Altruism
Amygdala
Analogies
Dopamine
Dual-Coding Theory
Flashbulb Memory
Flynn Effect
Genius
Hippocampus
Imagery
Introversion
Linguistic Determinism
Linguistic Relativity
Magic Number 7 Plus or Minus 2
Multitasking
Neuroplasticity
Nonverbal Communication
Persuasion
Positive Emotion
Self-Esteem
Statistics 

The Hope Circuit: A Psychologist’s Journey from Helplessness to Optimism
Author:  Martin E.P. Seligman
ISBN-10: 1610398734
ISBN-13: 978-1610398732

APA Style Citation
Seligman, M. (2018). The hope circuit: A psychologist’s journey from helplessness to optimism. New York, NY: Public Affairs.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Circuit-Psychologists-Helplessness-Optimism/dp/1610398734
​

Book Description
The Hope Circuit is the personal story of Martin Seligman.  Seligman used his position at the APA to transform American psychology from focusing on weakness to looking at strengths. Rather than being driven by the past he created a new psychology of hope based on the future.  The field is now known as Positive Psychology.
 
Beginning
Seligman was born to Jewish parents and strongly identified as Jewish.  As a young boy he was intelligent and well-liked by teachers.  Even though Marty had top grades, he was denied a promotion due to anti-Semitic sentiments.  Eventually, this also led to his rejection to Harvard. Seligman ultimately attended Princeton. He started taking philosophy classes, but got caught up in the rigor (internal validity) versus reality (external validity) debate. The summer before his senior year, he completed his first lab work in psychology studying the effects of electric shock as punishment. The rat study led to his first publication in a top journal. Soon after he was granted a fellowship to study experimental psychology and a fellowship to study analytic philosophy. He was at a crossroads and needed to decide whether he wanted to be a psychologist or a philosopher.

He was a natural psychologist and decided to start down the road of psychology.  It was during a meeting at University of Pennsylvania that Dick Soloman said, “I think the dogs in my lab are helpless, and I don’t know why.”  This statement stuck with Marty for years and presented one of the first of many paths in his career.  From 1964-67, Seligman did research on learned helplessness. He published helplessness (outlining his cognitive theory) with limited criticisms. However, learning theorists, fearing the cognitive storm, quickly went on the defense especially with animals. His research involved shocking dogs, which was called into question due to ethical concerns. After the experiment the dogs were taken to a park and set free. Marty does not know their fate, but thinks of them often. After finishing the PhD program, Marty took a job as assistant professor of psychology at Cornell University. His assertive personality kept him distant from others and he was not always well-liked. Despite his negativity, he was ambitious and surrounded by devoted students and followers. In 1967, he was introduced to psychiatry by Joe Wolpe who took him under his wing and gave him first look at mental illness. It was then that Seligman drifted from a learning psychologist to a clinical psychologist.
 
Becoming 
Seligman continued teaching at Cornell and his passion for psychology came across in his teaching. After reading an article by John Garcia he opened a new career path once again. Marty shared his “sauce béarnaise” taste aversion story with his students and it became one of the “most publicized meals since the Last Supper.” Seligman became known for his work on learned helplessness and biological constraints.  He extended his work to evolutionary preparedness for phobias and OCD.   At this point in his life, he paid little attention to his personal life, was seen as self-obsessed, and classified himself as anxious and depressed.  Meanwhile, learned helplessness was being replicated in rats, mice, goldfish, cats, and cockroaches based in part on the work Seligman had done with dogs.

Marty’s life took a turn when he received the Guggenheim Fellowship and became visiting professor at the Institute of Psychiatry of the Maudsley and Bethlem Hospitals, run by Hans Eysenck. He met Suzanne, a PhD student, and fell in love. Soon after he left his wife and two children for Suzanne. It was also at this time that his first trade book, Helplessness, was published. When questioned publicly about his research he invited the critic to collaborate. Together, with his research group, they worked to define the “depressive attributional style” for internal, stable, global bad events. This new style was called “pessimism” and hypothesized as a risk factor for depression. In 1980, his relationship with Suzanne ended and Marty was a 38-year-old bachelor with major depression. Seligman reinvested himself into college life. He and a friend formed “Chicken Dinner Club” where twelve of the liveliest faculty from all disciplines were invited to dinner once a month. He wanted to create an environment similar to the one he experienced in college; an intellectual environment filled with faculty and students. Then, he became director of his department and could no longer straddle the natural and social sciences or basic and applied science. He believed scientific psychology was meaningful only if it applied to human problems and he became the advocate of applied psychology. His research took new turns into the world of business and predicting sports.  He also explored the connection between cancer and helplessness.
 
Being
Seligman bought a large house and hoped to one day make it a home. Mandy, a new graduate student, caught Marty’s attention. Despite being 17 years older, once divorced, and not ideal marriage material, he asked her to marry him. They were married one year later. She was the love of his life and mother to five of his children. She made the house a home. At the age of 46, he changed his life and spent more time with his wife and thought about the good in life.

In 1990, Seligman’s publishing career took hold. He wrote Learned Optimism and presented evidence-based exercises to raise optimism and decrease depression. Next, he wrote Optimistic Child to help teach optimism in middle school and lower the risk for depression and anxiety. Then he wrote a book that changed his life. He wrote the book What You Can Change and What You Can’t. It was a guide to major disorders and major treatments. At the time, evaluation of psychotherapy was unclear. It was concluded that the effectiveness studies were a decent guide and efficacy studies were not. Marty was seen as a traitor by his academic colleagues, but a hero with therapists.

Building on his support from therapists, Marty ran for president of the American Psychological Association (APA) and won. He used this new position to lead the charge for positive psychology. Together with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Marty spent his 1998 New Year’s vacation inventing positive psychology. They created a name, secured funding, and worked to find leaders in the field. Positive psychology launched at the end of 1999. From there, the research led into writing a DSM of good character and virtue.  At this point, Seligman was 60 years old and flourishing. His life was filled with love, work, and play.  By 2001, there was a Positive Psychology Center and a master’s degree of applied positive psychology (MAPP) by 2005. The Authentic Happiness website was created and five elements (PERMA) of positive psychology were identified.

Seligman started positive education; prevention being better than therapy. The first Penn Prevention Program for children began.  He began to train teachers and measure how well it worked. His work had a giant boost from Angela Duckworth (who joined Penn as a grad student in 2002). She wanted to explore how self-discipline compared with IQ in predicting success. Seligman would go on to create a positive education program in Australia. The program was taught to teachers first and had a huge effect of providing rejuvenation for teachers. The prevention program was then extended to the UK, Bhutan, Mexico, and Peru.
Seligman’s story took a turn with his work for the government. In 2002, he was asked by the CIA how the research on learned helplessness could help captured Americans resist and evade torture and interrogation. He was never asked about using his research with detainees.  He was also invited to the Pentagon to address mental illness that plagued the army. He decided to teach and measure resiliency and positive psychology for the army. Seligman helped create a 120-item Global Assessment Tool (GAT) and pilot a program to teach signature strengths, build strong relationships, and use effective praise. Penn received a $31 million contract to train U.S. Army personnel in resilience and positive psychology. While this caught a lot of criticism, it was a sole-sourced no-bid contract because no other entities besides Penn could compete for the contract. More recently Marty’s work has turned to protective factors against physical illness. Studies have shown optimism mattered above all factors in preventing heart disease.  Prospection, the mental activity of envisioning future scenarios about our lives, is an important factor.  Thanks to the U.S. Army consolidating personnel and medical records he has the data for longitudinal studies. That coupled with data from Twitter has found that changing what you think and what you say, might be the royal road to physical health.  Marty is looking to the future rather than the past. Philosophy may once again join with psychology. He is exploring prospection, creativity, and consciousness.

Seligman’s original learned helplessness research has been turned upside down. His collaborator, Steve Maier, was retrained as a neuroscientist and studied brain circuits in rats. Steve showed that being helpless was a natural, unlearned, default response to prolonged shock. He found that it was not helplessness, but control and mastery that were learned.  The hope is that we can learn- and teach- that future bad events can be controlled, and this will help buffer against helplessness and anxiety. The story of the hope circuit comes amidst a foggy, painful state. Seligman’s friend Jack Templeton died and the night before the funeral Marty had significant pain from a cyst on his spine. He woke from a deep sleep, and knew that the circuit Steve found was the hope circuit. He was able to attend Jack’s funeral that day. When he was asked to give the eulogy, he added “I want to tell Jack what happened to me this morning. Jack and I talked often about a science of hope and its relation to faith. Between science and religion one can grasp everything. Jack wanted there to be a hope circuit in the brain and I can tell him now that there is.” He delivered the eulogy and went home to bed for days.

​In Seligman’s lifetime, psychology has shifted away from behaviorism and turned more seriously toward cognition, evolution, and the brain. In addition, attention has shifted from weaknesses and focusing on one’s past to strengths and the possibilities of the future.   As president of the APA he led the charge to change psychology.  Marty has transformed from a learning psychologist to a clinical psychologist and now a positive psychologist. His personal life has gained fulfillment. He is no longer a pessimist and skeptic. His personal and professional story is one of change and for the better.
 
Other Related Resources
Learned Helplessness Article
https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/learnedhelplessness.pdf
 
APA- Old Problem, New Tools
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/10/helplessness
 
What is Learned Helplessness?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325355.php#in-children
 
Learned Helplessness Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFmFOmprTt0
 
TED Talk: Martin Seligman- The New Era of Positive Psychology
https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_the_new_era_of_positive_psychology/transcript?language=en    
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Gordon Allport
Albert Bandura
Aaron (Tim) Beck
Mary Whiton Calkins
Noam Chomsky
Mihaly (Mike) Csikszentmihalyi
Charles Darwin
Angela Duckworth
Little Hans
Erik Erikson
Hans Eysenck
Sigmund Freud
John Garcia
William James
Carl Jung
Richard Lazarus
Elizabeth (Beth) Loftus
Abraham (Abe) Maslow
Walter Mischel
Ivan Pavlov
Jean Piaget
Robert (Bob) Rescorla
Dave Rosenhan
Julian Rotter
BF (Fred) Skinner
Edward L. Thorndike
Edwin Twitmyer
Margaret Washburn
John B. Watson
Joe Wolpe
Wilhelm Wundt
 
Amygdala
Anxiety
APA
Appraisal theory
Archetypes
Attachment
Availability error
Avoidance learning
Basic vs. applied psychology
Biological constraints and preparedness
Brain circuitry
Catastrophic thought
Clinical psychology
Cognitive therapy
Cohort effect
Confounding characteristics
Consciousness
Coping
Creativity
Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal
Demand characteristics
Depression
Depressive attributional style (pessimism)
Determinism
DSM and UnDSM
Duchenne smiles
Eating disorders
Eclectic therapy
Efficacy vs. effectiveness research
Ethics
Evidence-based therapy
External vs. internal validity
Fight or flight
Flow
Free will
Generativity
Heritability
Heuristics
Hope circuit
Introspection
Law of effect
Learned helplessness
Learned optimism
Locus of control
Memory
Natural selection
OCD
PERMA
Phobias
Placebo
Positive psychology
Posttraumatic growth
Psychiatry
Psychotherapy
Puzzle box
Random assignment
Reflexes
Resilience
Self-discipline
Self-efficacy
Serotonin
Skepticism
Taste aversions
Thorazine
VIA Signature Strengths Test
Well-being

If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating
Author: Alan Alda
ISBN-10: 1524781924
ISBN-13: 978-1524781927
 
APA Style Citation
Alda, A. (2017). If I understood you, would I have this look on my face? My adventures in the art and science of relating and communicating. New York, NY: Random House LLC.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Understood-Would-Have-This-Look/dp/1524781924
​

​Book Description
What is the key to communication? Alan Alda, author of the book If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating, believes it is empathy and recognizing what the other person is thinking. He is an actor, writer, and director. Some may know him from his role on the TV show M*A*S*H and various movie appearances. Others know him within the scientific community as host of the PBS show Scientific American Frontiers and founder of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University.  Recently, he has also been thrust into the spotlight by sharing his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. His varied history within the fields of science and media provides him an interesting perspective when answering the question of how to enhance communication. He started with wanting to teach scientists how to communicate better, but now wants to share what he learned with you so you can become a better communicator.
 
As he ventured into the world of interviewing scientists, he recognized the need to listen with his eyes, ears, and feelings. He believes his training in improvisation helped him do just that and can help you too. Through games and exercises, your communication can be transformed. These theater games include sharing something in space, using mirroring exercises, guessing the relationship, and playing imaginary games, such as volleyball or tug-of-war. He also explored the fundamental rule of improv known as “Yes, and…” in the context of communication. If one can start with where the listener is in their knowledge and build, they will have more successful communication.  According to Alda, the person delivering the message is responsible for good communication, not the person receiving it. You need to listen to what the audience needs and is feeling. This advice works in all areas of life, including business and personal relationships. 
 
Not all empathy is created equal. Empathy is never good if it traps you in quicksand and encompasses your life. It can also be bad if it is being used to keep others submissive, what Alda refers to as dark empathy. This topic is further addressed in a blog entry for Against Empathy under the category Motivation/Emotion. Alda uses examples of bullies, torture sessions, and dishonorable sales techniques to point out how empathy can be used in a negative way. But then he quickly emphasizes that empathy is not the basis of good behavior, but rather a tool for communication.  A little acting training that involves empathy, can lead to a positive doctor-patient relationship and improve communication in those on the autism spectrum. It can also enhance writing and teaching.
 
On Scientific American Frontiers, Alda was always willing to volunteer and throw himself into the research. So when he was curious about the power of empathy on communication, he began a personal journey. He started to practice reading the faces of strangers, listening to people, and mentally attaching a word to what he thought was the emotion they were experiencing. He believed that naming emotions would help increase empathy. He was able to test this hypothesis with the help of a colleague and a cellphone application that allowed one to record every time you read someone’s emotion and labeled it. After one week with daily practice of paying attention to emotions and faces, his empathy did improve.
 
Along the journey to enhance communication, Alda explores what both helps and hurts communication. He shares how emotions make experiences memorable. In particular, laughter not only aids in memory but helps people connect. Stories provide the perfect vehicle to build a personal connection. A little dramatic action in the story is sure to catch the listener. People also become better communicators when they recognize what they have in common with each other. On the flip side, there are some aspects to avoid. Jargon and the curse of knowledge prevent people from communicating.  One of the most challenging roadblocks to communication is when you can’t imagine what it is like to not have that knowledge. It prevents you from being able to truly listen to the other person.  
 
Daily life offers you a continuous chance at improvisation. While there are no specific tips necessary to increase empathy, Alda encourages you to make personal connections and experience improvisation if you can. To get better at communication, it takes practice and being able to read another person. It is an art, not a formula. So keep practicing!
 
Other Related Resources
Author Website
http://alanalda.com/
 
Clear + Vivid Podcast
http://www.aldacommunicationtraining.com/podcasts/
 
Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
https://www.aldacenter.org/
 
Alan Alda Twitter
https://twitter.com/search?q=alan+alda&ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Esearch
 
Life’s Work: Interview with Alan Alda
https://hbr.org/2017/07/alan-alda
 
NPR: Learning Life’s Lessons from Alan Alda
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4856461
 
Alan Alda has Parkinson’s disease
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/31/entertainment/alan-alda-parkinsons/index.html
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/31/634346984/i-m-not-angry-alan-alda-says-he-s-living-with-parkinson-s
 
Mirror Neurons
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-social-brain/
 
TED Talk- Helen Riess and Doctor-Patient Empathy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baHrcC8B4WM
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Albert Bandura
Carl Rogers
Daniel Goleman
Edward Thorndike
Michael Gazzaniga
Sigmund Freud
 
Active listening
Affective resonance
Altruism
Amygdala
Attention
Autism spectrum
Body language
Cognitive empathy
Communication
Corpus callosum
Dreams
EEG
Emotional intelligence
Empathy
Epilepsy
Facial expressions
Fear
fMRI
Humor
Learned helplessness
Lie detectors
Meditation
Memory
Meta-analysis
Mirror neurons
MRI
Neuroscientists
Oxytocin
Self-regulation
Similarity
Social awareness
Split brain
Stress-hormone response
Theory of mind

Against Empathy:  The Case for Rational Compassion
Author:  Paul Bloom
ISBN:  978-0-06-233933-1
 
APA Style Citation
Bloom, P.  (2016). Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion, Harper Collins, New York, New York.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Against-Empathy-Case-Rational-Compassion/dp/0062339338
​

​Book Description
Paul Bloom knows that many people will read this book out of anger, with the intention and hope of refuting the argument that empathy is bad for the world.  I did. I wanted to find fault with the reasoning that placing ourselves in the shoes of someone else was somehow a danger to both ourselves and others.  While Bloom has not convinced me that empathetic behaviors cause more harm than good, I can acknowledge that sometimes his argument is strong.  He concedes that not all empathy is negative, but rather argues that on the whole, it is not beneficial.  He opens with an example of an adorable young girl who needs a kidney transplant.  Once we get to know this girl and understand that she will likely die without the transplant, we often demonstrate empathy by imagining what it might feel like if this was happening in our own family.  When given the opportunity to move this girl up the list of those waiting for the transplant, we may jump at the opportunity to save her and her family from their continued suffering.  Bloom argues that this would be a case of empathy leading to injustice.  The feelings of empathy for this young girl have prioritized her life over the lives of others also waiting for a kidney who were rightfully in line ahead of the girl with whom we empathize.
 
Bloom argues that one of the reasons most people are so deeply in favor of the concept of empathy is that is has been associated with many concepts such as compassion, sympathy, and kindness which are related to but not actually empathy.  Bloom makes it clear that he is in favor of kindness and compassion.  He believes that empathy causes us to make decisions that seem kind and compassionate but that can actually hurt more people than help. He argues that empathy is like cholesterol and has both good and bad types.  The first, cognitive empathy is the type of empathy in which a person can understand another person`s suffering but does not feel what they feel.  We can feel compassion or sympathy without feeling what the person themselves feel, Bloom argues that this is often the case when we help others.  If a child falls from a high jungle gym and breaks his nose, we will immediately try to help, but it is unreasonable to argue that we feel what he/she feels. Similarly, we can buy a gift that we think someone else will enjoy, without necessarily liking it ourselves; this is kindness but not empathy.  These concepts are often presented as interchangeable and interwoven, but Bloom argues that can exist as distinct entities.
 
The second type of empathy is emotional empathy; this occurs when we feel the pain of others, this is the emphasis of the book and the type of empathy that Bloom believes can blur the lines of morality, balanced reasoning and fairness and that which he argues against.  Bloom argues that empathy can be learned and socialized and is often employed to encourage people to “do the right thing.”  Children are often scolded by asking, “How would you like it if someone did that to you?”  Bloom argues that there needs to be more to morality than empathy and that in fact, they are distinct because they need not occur simultaneously.  If you see someone throw garbage out of his or her car window, this may upset you morally, but there is no empathetic element, you do not feel what the person does or for that matter what the garbage feels. 
 
Bloom uses the very emotionally sensitive topic of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in Newtown Connecticut as an example of how empathy can result in an unseen negative outcome.  While it is impossible to overestimate the tragedy that occurred in Newtown, More children were killed in the city of Chicago in a single year than those killed in Newtown.  However, the vividness of hearing the news of the Newtown victims and the painful emotions associated with this single event, makes the Newtown shootings stand out in our minds.  While the Chicago shootings may be covered daily in the paper they are not a single event, but rather multiple less salient events that are easier to forget. This availability heuristic created an outpouring of emotional empathy and gifts flooded into Newtown from all over the country.  Unfortunately, the gifts far exceeded what could be distributed in Newton a relatively affluent community, but many volunteers were needed to help store the gifts and toys even after Newtown officials asked that nothing else be sent. Bloom argues that this money could have been better spent saving lives by buying mosquito netting for children in Sudan and providing clean drinking water for those who have no access or meals to the elderly who do not have enough food.  In this way, people would be saving lives, but instead, their emotional empathy created a glut of teddy bears in a community that needed emotional support, but not tangible items and diverted resources from other potentially deadly situations.  
 
Bloom argues that this and other similar examples demonstrate that compassion is biased and often results in a cost-benefit net loss. Therapists who are too empathetic with their client’s problems face burn out and need to learn how to help their clients through the healing process without taking on the pain and suffering of their clients at the same time.  Bloom provides an example of a worker at the 9-11 sight looking for bodies when it was clear that they would find no more survivors, this person needed to try to dial back their empathy as they would otherwise have become overwhelmed and unable to help in the recovery efforts.  Surgeons may also need to practice this skill as too much empathy may inhibit their ability to do their job well.  The key here may to be employ understanding and caring rather than empathy. 
 
Empathy can also be counterintuitive; when we perceive that individuals play a role for creating a negative situation in their own life, we are likely to employ the just world phenomenon and demonstrate very little empathy even if it would be the kind and moral thing to do.  For example, if you found that someone was infected through HIV because they were an intravenous drug user who had used and infected needle, we might be likely to say that “it was their own fault.” Psychopaths are often said to lack empathy, but Bloom argues that criminal psychopaths have normal empathetic abilities, but they can dial it up to ingratiate themselves with people and then turn it down if they violate trust or engage in a criminal activity that may result in hurting others. Those with autism, unlike the criminal psychopaths, have little ability to empathize but do not have questionable moral behavior. Demonstrating Bloom`s argument that empathy and morality and not inevitable linked to one another. 
 
Bloom also discusses that the development of an in-group to whom we are likely to empathize and find similarities often creates and out-group may lead to stereotyping, dehumanization and unfair negative attributes.  While we can empathize with the victim of a crime or a family member who is suffering, Bloom argues that there are limits in empathy.  For example, if you heard that 30 people were killed in a flood in Indonesia, you would likely feel badly and perhaps empathize with the families of those killed or injured.  However, if you heard that 3000 people were killed in the flooding, would you feel 300 times worse?  We might go to herculean efforts to remove child trapped in a well, but do very little to try and change the climate which may over time results in the deaths of thousands more people.  Bloom uses quotes by both Stalin and Mother Teresa to demonstrate this point.  Stalin said, “One death is a tragedy, one million is a statistic.  Mother Teresa, “If I look at the mass, I will never act, if I look at the one, I will. Both understood the limits of empathy, but one in demonstrating Bloom`s thesis, the morality of this understanding is neutral, empathy need not only be used for good.  
Bloom does recognize that some good can come out of empathy and organizations such as effective Altruism advocate doing good deeds that combines the efforts of the head and the heart.  
 
Other Related Resources
The Atlantic:  Short video of psychologist Paul Bloom making the argument that empathy is a bad thing
https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/474588/why-empathy-is-a-bad-thing/. Bloom maintains that he is against empathy but for compassion.  He poses that empathy should not override rational deliberation; it should be a reliable servant-but never a master.
 
Big Think:  Why Empathy is not the Best Way to Care:  Video in which Paul Bloom describes why empathy can backfire and lead to negative effects.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhCGmDJQRpc
 
Psychology Today:  Why Paul Boom is Wrong about Empathy and Morality
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/good-thinking/201310/why-paul-bloom-is-wrong-about-empathy-and-morality
 
Quartz: Empathy Makes us Immoral
https://qz.com/1250764/work-japan-app-aims-to-help-foreigners-find-blue-collar-jobs-despite-japans-resistance-to-immigrants/
 
Oxford Education Blog:  Against Empathy?  Really
https://educationblog.oup.com/theory-of-knowledge/against-empathy-really
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Amygdala
Anterior Insula
Autism
Availability Heuristic
Base Rate
Clinical Psychology
Cognitive Empathy
Cognitive Neuroscience
Dualism
Emotional Contagion
Emotional Empathy
Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis
File Drawer Problem
fMRI
Incentive
Just World Phenomenon
Localization
Medial Prefrontal Cortex
Mindfulness
Mirror Neuron
Neuroanatomist
Neuroimaging
Posterior Cingulate Gyrus
Psychopaths
Statistical Significance
Theory of Mind
 
Psychological Figures
Charles Darwin
David Eagelman
Sigmund Freud
Michael Gazzaniga
Marc Iacobini
Steven Pinker

The Upside of Your Dark Side:  Why Being Your Whole Self – Not Just Your “Good” Self – Drives Success and Fulfillment
Authors:  Todd Kashdan and Robert Biswas-Diener
ISBN: 9781594631733
 
APA Style Citation
Kashdan, Todd and Biswas-Diener, Robert (2014). The Upside of Your Dark Side:  Why Being Your Whole Self – Not Just Your “Good” Self – Drives Success and Fulfillment.  New York: Penguin Random House LLC.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Your-Dark-Side-Self_Drives/dp/1491528222
​

Book Description
Positive psychology began in 1998 with Martin Seligman’s American Psychological Association Presidential address in which he proposed a refocusing of psychology away from illness and dysfunction and onto positive human traits and strengths such as optimism, social responsibility, compassion, courage, and gratitude.  Positive psychology proponents Kashdan and Diener propose in The Upside of Your Darkside that psychology and mental health depend on balance and that negative emotions have an important and useful purpose.  The authors argue that although mindfulness, compassion, happiness and other positive emotions are keys to a productive and purposeful life, negative emotions despite how uncomfortable they may be are important tools for success and fulfillment.  Kashdan and Diener are unique among positive psychologists because they have outlined the evidence that negative emotions such as guilt, fear, selfishness, anger, self-doubt, sadness, and boredom offer specific advantages over positive emotions in various situations.  The Upside of Your Darkside argues that the negative emotions of anger, fear, anxiety, and guilt are adaptive and thus necessary for overall well-being. Individuals attempt to avoid negative emotions because they represent the idea of being stuck, are assumed to involve a loss of self-control, are unpleasant, and have a social cost. Kashdan and Diener however see numerous advantages to experiencing these emotions at least periodically.  Below are some of the ways in which they note that negative emotions may be useful.

• Guilt is a powerful motivator for personal growth and improvement and helps individuals regulate their behavior and behave in ways that are consistent with their moral compass.
• Fear provides needed restraint and protection when you are in a situation where physical or emotional harm are possible and helps you to avoid harm.
• Selfishness and narcissism promote bravery.
• Anger drives creativity and gets things done as well as giving you the courage to stick up for yourself and others.
• Self-doubt motivates increases in performance with improved practice.
• Boredom allows individuals to discover their interests and determine where to focus one’s efforts.
• Frustration lets you know when you are making inadequate progress toward an important goal.
• Anxiety can be helpful because without it small issues can develop into serious threats.

 
Throughout the book, the authors cite research and examples of how negative emotions are useful and how balance between positive and negative emotions is a key to well-being. Guilt, for example, is seen as an uncomfortable and undesirable state that is best avoided yet there is an upside to this experience.  Individuals who experience guilt are more motivated than others to make changes in their behavior, which can lead to self-improvement. Clinical psychologist June Tangney found that former felons who experienced higher levels of guilt about their crimes were much less likely than their less guilty peers to experience recidivism. Research has also demonstrated that individuals who experience higher levels of guilt are less likely to drive drunk, steal, use illegal drugs, or commit assaults. Guilt allows individuals to experiment, fail, feel bad, and then become motivated to adjust their actions in the future.
 
Psychologist Roy Baumeister investigated the upside of narcissism and found that highly entitled individuals have the willingness to pursue goals that others view as impossible.  The authors suggest that a certain amount of narcissistic entitlement led to the iPhone, the Human Genome, and Microsoft Windows.  The grandiosity of narcissism has led to great leaders who were willing to take risks and be disliked all in the pursuit of ambition even when others believe a certain task cannot be accomplished.  Small amounts of this trait can help convince and motivate others.  Anxiety in high levels is, of course, a problem, but small amounts of anxiety are helpful. Anxious individuals are quick to warn others and often have a strong desire to care for others.  If anxious individuals do not receive support, they typically seek more data and examine the situation more thoroughly.  In one study, participants were led to believe that they had accidentally activated a computer virus that was rapidly destroying files on the computer they were using. On the way to inform the owner of the computer about what happened researchers set up a series of four obstacles:  a person asking them to take a short survey, another person gave them the name of the building manager but also asked for help with copying in return, the building manager’s door had a sign asking them to wait, and after being finally directed to a specific technician they were confronted by a student who dropped a large stack of important papers.  To make it through the obstacles the person had to be abrupt and assertive, but under these conditions, the most anxious individuals were easily able to cut through the roadblocks with laser like precision.  Requests were declined and they were far more effective than the less anxious participants when it came to alerting others of a danger and getting immediate results.
 
Other positive outcomes, which can come from experiencing negative emotions involve:

• Students who struggle with material but who persist score higher than students who “get it” right away on later exams.
• Interviews with individuals who live to be over 100 report that negative feelings are more closely associated with better health and physical activity than positive ones.
• Police officers who have personally been the victim of a crime have higher levels of grit and engagement when working with crime victims.
• Employees who start the day in a bad mood but shift to a more positive one in the afternoon were more engrossed in their work than those who were happy all day long.
• Individuals who experience both negative and positive emotions produce ideas that are rated as more creative than those who are continually happy potentially because the stress involved with dealing with negative states serves as a motivator.

 
The authors suggest that the most productive individuals experience an 80:20 ratio of positive to negative affect although this figure is not an exact cutoff.  Experts in the field of happiness have long stressed the need for eliminating negative emotions and focusing wholeheartedly on positivity and optimism. According to the authors, the secret to success lies in utilizing the full range of emotions and behaviors not only the positive ones to react most effectively to the various situations and dilemmas presented by life. The book is packed with references to scientific research on both the value of negative and positive emotions as well as fascinating real-world examples related to love, work, education, parenting and the military.  The authors outline how comfort addiction leads to a reduced ability to cope with negative experiences, how negative emotion can be very useful in specific situations, and how small doses of very negative traits such narcissism, and psychopathy can give individuals a competitive edge in complex interpersonal interactions. 
 
Other Related Resources
 
Author’s Website:  Author Todd Kashdan, Ph.D.’s website includes links to his TED talk, his Psychology Today blog, and several scientific articles.  Kashdan is a professor of psychology at George Mason University.
http://toddkashdan.com/
 
Author’s Website: Author Robert Biswas-Diener’s website includes links to articles regarding the upside of negative emotions
http://robertdiener.com/
 
Todd Kashdan’s TED Talk “Becoming a Mad Scientist with Your Life”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UunaTEpWrME
 
Robert Biswas-Diener’s TED Talk “Your Happiest Days Are Behind You”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QTVv9tAlIE
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Albert Ellis
Hans Eysenck
Sigmund Freud
Daniel Gilbert
Hermann von Helmholtz
Carl G. Jung
Sonya Lyubomirsky
Abraham Maslow
Martin Seligman
Philip Zimbardo
Aggression
Altruism
Anterior cingulate cortex
Autopilot thinking
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Collectivist v. individualistic cultures
Creativity
Defense mechanism
Depression
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5)
Disgust sensitivity
Exposure therapy
Flourishing scale
Guilt
Happiness
Heuristic
Hierarchy of fears
Hierarchy of needs
Humanist
Identity formation
Leadership style
Learned optimism
Mindfulness
Narcissism
Nucleus accumbens
Optimism v pessimism
Persuasion
Psychopathy
Reciprocity
Rumination
Self-esteem
Social anxiety
Stanford prison experiment
Test anxiety

​Psych Experiments:  From Pavlov's Dogs to Rorscharch's Inkblots, Put Psychology's Most Fascinating Theories to the Test
Author:  Michael A. Britt
ISBN: 10:  1-4405-9707-3
 
APA Style Citation
Britt, Michael (2017). Psych Experiments.  Avon, MA: Adams Media.

Book Description
Psych Experiments, the much-anticipated book by psychologist Michael Britt, known to psychology teachers everywhere as the host of the Psych Files podcast is an excellent source for experiments that can be used in the classroom or as student projects.  The Psych Files is best known to students and teachers for the animated videos designed to help students memorize the parts of the brain. The book contains 50 different experiments that are all based on psychological research. The experiments range from classic studies to more current research.  The book opens with general advice for conducting psychological research including information about replication, ethics, participant rights, and statistics.  Each of the 50 studies includes background information, related psychological concepts, a summary of how the original research was conducted, and step-by-step instructions for replicating either the original research design or a modified version.  Before replicating any of the studies listed in the book students should review the ethical guidelines in the early chapters.
 
One of the experiments Britt discusses is the famous examination of the misinformation effect by Elizabeth F. Loftus and John C. Palmer (1974).  After describing the original study and discussing the significance of the results for illustrating the fallibility of memory students can use Britt’s outline for exactly how to replicate this research in the classroom. The book includes step-by-step instructions. The author recommends having a sensitivity to students who may not wish to participate possibly as a result of personal experiences with car accidents.  An additional activity related to the Loftus and Palmer research on memory can be found in the “Open Your Class with this” activity posted with this book review.  This activity is designed to demonstrate the fallibility of memory using virtual reality technology.  An excellent way to close out this lesson/research experiment would be to show Elizabeth Loftus’s TED talk titled “How Reliable is Your Memory.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLYY77LPr3U. 
 
Many of the experiments created by Michael Britt for this book would work well as class demonstrations or student-directed research projects for science fair competitions.  Students can view the examples of direct replications and unique variations of classic psychology experiments to help them develop ideas for their own original research.  Some of the ideas in the book that are easily adapted for classroom use are:
 
Cognition (Memory, Thinking, and Problem Solving)
How You Are Manipulated Into Paying More Money Than You Wanted:  I Bet You Expected to Pay Thousands For This! - Anchoring Bias
Based on research by Dan Ariely, George Loewenstein, and Drazen Prelec (2003)
 
Mental Sets Can Limit You Into One Way of Thinking:  How to Get Unstuck – Mental Set
Based on research by Abraham S. Luchins (1946)
 
Why Do You Remember Certain Things:  That’s Deep, Man – Levels of Processing
Based on research by Fergus I. M. Craik and Endel Tulving
 
Learning/Conditioning
When Trying Really Hard Makes No Difference:  I Give Up! – Learned Helplessness
Based on research by Martin Seligman and Steven Maier (1967)
Replication/extension research by Steven Maier and Martin Seligman (2016)
 
Motivation and Emotion
Noticing a Face in the Crowd:  I Never Forget a Face – Identifying Emotions
Based on research by Paul Ekman and Wallace V. Friesen (1971)
Replication/extension research by Christine Hansen and Ranald D. Hansen (1988)
 
Treatment
How to Think More Positively About Life:  Sing Your Problems Away – Cognitive Therapy/Cognitive Defusion
Based on research by Andreas Larsson, Nic Hooper, Lisa A. Osborne, Paul Bennett, and Louise McHuch (2015)
 
How Psychiatric Labels Affect How We Se People:  Sticks and Stones May Not Break My Bones, but Labels May Incarcerate Me – Labeling and Mental Illness
Based on research by David L. Rosenhan (1974)
Replication/extension research by Darcy Haag Granello and Todd A. Gibbs (2016)
 
Social Psychology
How Roles Can Affect Us at a Deep Level:  Are You the Role You Play?- Social Roles
Based on research by Craig W. Haney, W. Curtis Banks, and Philip G. Zimbardo (1973)
Replication/extension research by Stephen Reicher and Alexander Haslam (2006)

How Anonymity Can Make Us Mean: “That is the Stupidest Thing You Ever Said!” – Deindividuation
Based on research by Philip Zimbardo (1969)
 
The Power of Conformity:  How Much Would You Pay for That Cornflake? – Conformity
Based on research by Solomon Asch (1952)
 
When Trying to Look Good Looks Bad:  My What Big Words You Have! – Influence
Based on research by Daniel Oppenheimer (2006)
 
Where Discrimination Begins: Those People are All the Same! – Prejudice and Discrimination
Based on research by Muzafer Sherif (1954)
Replication/extension research by Henri Tajfel (1970)
 
Michael Britt’s book, Psych Experiments contains many more that could be used by student both inside and outside of class, and that can serve as inspiration for additional student-directed research.
 
Other Related Resources

Author’s Website
http://www.thepsychfiles.com/
Michael Britt’s website includes psychology resources for review and years of excellent podcasts organized by unit. Some of the most popular podcasts include:

• Episode 274: Be the First to Act – or the Second – Both Are Great
• Episode 243:  Did Your Therapy Really Work?
• Episode 224: If Freud Worked Tech Support (Defense Mechanisms)
• Episode 195:  How to Memorize Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
• Episode 72 (video): Memorize the Parts of the Brain
• Episode 68: Mnemonic Device for Erikson’s Eight Stages of Development

 
Elizabeth Loftus TED Talk “How Reliable is Your Memory?”
https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_loftus_the_fiction_of_memory
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Dan Ariely
Solomon Asch
Robert Cialdini
Fergus Craik
John Darley
Hermann Ebbinghaus
Paul Ekman
Leon Festinger
Carol Gilligan
Harry Harlow
Daniel Kahneman
Lawrence Kohlberg
Elizabeth Loftus
Konrad Lorenz
A.S. Luchins
Stanley Milgram
George Miller
Ivan Pavlov
Jean Piaget
Hermann Rorschach
D.L. Rosenhan
Martin Seligman
Muzafer Sherif
B.F. Skinner
Richard Wiseman
Philip Zimbardo
 
Anchoring Heuristic
Attachment
Attraction
Change Blindness
Classical Conditioning
Cognitive Development
Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Therapy
Conformity
Creativity
Decision Making
Deindividuation
Discrimination
Dopamine
Emotion
Encoding
Eyewitness Memory
Facial Expressions and Emotion
Forgetting
Framing Effect
Frontal Lobe
Functional Fixedness
Human Factors Psychology
Intelligence
Labeling and Mental Illness
Loci Method
Mental Set
Moral Development
Obedience to Authority
Operant Conditioning
Perception
Personal Fable
Persuasion
Prejudice
Rorschach Inkblot
Social Psychology

Talk Like TED:  The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds
Author:  Carmine Gallo
ISBN: 978-1-250-04112-8
 
APA Style Citation
Gallo, Carmine (2014). Talk Like TED:  The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds.  New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Book Description
The TED Conference, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, has been around since 1984 but did not become well known until they began posting videos of their trademark 19-minute presentations online for free.  Author Carmine Gallo is a communications expert and the author of the bestselling book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs.  Gallo examined over 500 TED presentations and added insights from research on persuasion and communication to generate a list of the critical aspects of highly engaging presentations. Talk Like TED offers nine key public-speaking tips utilized in some of the most well-known presentations.  The tips for giving great talks are organized into three broad categories:  Emotional (they touch the heart), Novel (they teach something new), and Memorable (they present ideas in a unique manner).  As teachers, we frequently deliver content to students in a presentation form and this book can provide a variety of tools to use to increase student engagement and learning.  Each chapter describes a method used in the most successful TED talks including specific examples and insight from the speakers. One of the best aspects of this book was stopping periodically to watch the amazing TED talks discussed in the book!
 
EMOTIONAL
The first third of the book is devoted to the three tips in the category related to emotional factors that “touch the heart.”  In chapter one, “Unleash the Master Within” the author discusses the importance of choosing topics to discuss about which you have personal passion and interest.  According to the author, “the first step to inspiring others is to make sure you are inspired yourself.”  An excellent example of a TED talk that exemplifies passion was given by University of Waterloo Economics professor Larry Smith titled, “Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career.”  Smith discusses that although college students are told to pursue their passion most will not because “You’re afraid to pursue your passion.  You’re afraid to look ridiculous.  You’re afraid to try.  You’re afraid you may fail.”
https://www.ted.com/talks/larry_smith_why_you_will_fail_to_have_a_great_career
 
One of the most watched TED talks of all time (about 20 million views) was given by neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor.  The talk illustrates how having a strong emotional connection with the material leads to increased audience engagement.  Bolte Taylor’s talk is compelling because it involves a personal connection and exceptional story telling.  TEDster Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor offers advice for teachers and other presenters, and that is to tell a story and demonstrate your passion for the topic. According to Bolte Taylor, “When I was at Harvard, I was the one winning the awards.  I wasn't winning the awards because my science was better than anyone else’s.  I was winning because I could tell a story that was interesting and fascinating and it was mine, down to the detail.”
http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight 
 
 
Chapter two discusses how to “Master the Art of Storytelling” by illustrating how effective speakers utilize narratives to make an emotional connection with the audience.  For example, TED speaker Brene Brown famously begins her topic by defending qualitative research she conducts with the statement that “Stories are data with a soul.”  Effective storytelling engages each listener individually and allows them to become emotionally attached and to the ideas being presented.  Some of the most effective TED storytellers are discussed in this chapter including Brian Stevenson’s talk, “We Need to Talk About an Injustice” which led to the longest standing ovation in TED history (see earlier Books for Psychology Class post on his book Just Mercy).  The 1,000 attendees at Stevenson’s talk collectively donated $1 million dollars to his nonprofit, the Equal Justice Institute.  Stevenson raised $55,000 for every minute he spoke that day.  This TED talk was given without the aid of a PowerPoint, visuals, or props of any kind – a testament to the power of story. 
https://www.ted.com/talks/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_an_injustice
 
Another tip for an effectively persuasive presentation according to the author is to utilize Aristotle’s three components of effective persuasion ethos, logos, and pathos in the most effective ratio. Ethos refers to the credibility and credentials of the speaker, logos is the use of logic and data to make effective arguments, and pathos is the ability to appeal to the emotions of the audience.  When the author of the book analyzed the content of Brian Stevenson’s TED talk, he found it was 10 percent ethos, 25 percent logos, and 65 percent pathos or emotional appeal. Despite being 65 percent of pathos Stevenson’s talk has been rated as one of the most persuasive of all time. One of the ways the book recommends inserting pathos or emotional appeal is by including extreme moments. Dan Ariely, a psychologist and behavioral economist at Duke introduces his talk on how research shows that people are predictably irrational with a dramatic personal story of his recovery from an injury that left him burned over 70 percent of his body.  Ariely’s talk is an excellent addition to the research unit for illustrating the need to test beliefs that are held intuitively through careful research methods. 
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_on_our_buggy_moral_code/transcript?language=en#t-102037
 
In chapter three the author describes how effective TED presenters can use body language and verbal delivery to engage with the audience in a manner that feels authentic and conversational instead of an impersonal lecture to a large group.  The four elements of verbal delivery addressed in this section are rate, volume, pitch, and the effective use of pauses for emphasis.  One of the examples of the effective nonverbal communications is a 2012 TED talk by a former Army general and U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell on the importance of providing children with structure early in life.  His speech is broken down to illustrate how particular gestures corresponded with the words he used during his speech. 
 
Another amazing TED talk that powerfully uses gestures to strengthen an argument was given by Ernesto Sirolli titled, “Want to help someone?  Shut up and listen!” is also broken down to highlight the expert use of gestures.  Sirolli’s talk discusses how his failure to listen led to failure for his NGO project designed to help increase food production in rural Zambia.  The project involved teaching people living in southern Zambia to grow Italian tomatoes and other vegetables.  Because the local population was uninterested, the NGO paid them to grow the vegetables.  Sirolli and his team were surprised that agriculture was not being used in this fertile region with excellent weather and soil.  According to Sirolli, instead of asking the people living there why they did not grow crops they said, "Thank God we're here." Just in the nick of time to save the Zambian people from starvation." The result was that everything grew extremely well and we were telling the Zambians, "Look how easy agriculture is." When the tomatoes were nice and ripe and red, overnight, some 200 hippos came out from the river, and they ate everything. It was then that Sirolli asked the Zambians, “My God, the hippos!" and the Zambians said, "Yes, that's why we have no agriculture here." When Sirolli asked “Why didn't you tell us?" the Zambians replied, "You never asked."
https://www.ted.com/talks/ernesto_sirolli_want_to_help_someone_shut_up_and_listen
 
NOVEL
The second section of the book explains three aspects that contribute to an effective presentation because it is new and unique.  Kevin Allocca who studies YouTube trends stated this perfectly when he pointed out that in an era when two days’ worth of video is uploaded every two minutes it is only the truly unique and original ideas that capture the attention of the online audience. 
 
The topic of chapter four, “Teach Me Something New” describes how the best TED talks find a way to introduce new ideas or perspectives.  The author suggests that the titles of some of the most frequently viewed TED talks promise to teach something new such as “Schools Kill Creativity” (Sir Ken Robinson), “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” (Simon Sinek), “The Surprising Science of Happiness” (Dan Gilbert), “The Power of Introverts” (Susan Cain), “8 Secrets of Success” (Richard St. John), and “How to Live Before You Die” (Steve Jobs).  Martha Burns, a professor at Northwestern teaches how to use neuroscience to be a better educator and highlights the biology behind the “buzz” we experience when learning something in her powerful TEDx talk.  One of the best examples of teaching something novel is Hans Rosling talk that makes statistics and correlations exciting and meaningful.  Rosling, an expert on global health, animates correlational data regarding health and wealth in a powerful demonstration.  You can view his entire talk at ted.com or view the abbreviated version titled:  200 countries, 200 years, 4minutes.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLYSojo
 
Novel presentations according to chapter five “Deliver Jaw-Dropping Moments” in which presenters capture the attention and imagination of their audiences by using dramatic demonstrations or surprises.  Some of the most dramatic moments or “hooks” at TED talks have included Bill Gates releasing mosquitos and Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor who opens her talk by holding a human brain that is still attached to the spinal cord.  “Wow” moments can also come from a single shocking statistic.

• “This country is very different today than it was 40 years ago. In 1972 there were 300,000 people in jails and prisons. Today there are 2.3 million.  The United States now has the highest rate of incarceration in the world.”

Bryan Stevenson
 

• “Why are we ignoring the oceans?  If you compare NASA’s annual budget to explore the heavens, that one-year budget would fund NOAA’s budget to explore the world's oceans for 1,600 years.” 

Robert Ballard
 

• “One in a hundred regular people is a psychopath.  So there are 1,500 people in this room. Fifteen of you are psychopaths.”

Jon Ronson
 
Successful TED talks also hook new viewers by creating memorable headlines, which turn into sound bites that are often spread across social media.  TED even has a Twitter handle devoted to the catchy, memorable quotes that are likely to generate public attention (@TEDQuote). 
 

• “There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.”

Susan Cain
 

• “Don’t fake it till you make it.  Fake it till you become it.”

Amy Cuddy
 

• “Numbers are the musical notes with which the symphony of the universe is written.”

Adam Spencer
 
Chapter six highlights how the ability to “Lighten Up” by using appropriate and genuine humor can increase audience engagement.  The book provides numerous tips for adding humor to presentations including quotes, short video clips, and anecdotes.
 
MEMORABLE
The final third of the book is dedicated to various ways to make your ideas and your presentation memorable.  Chapter seven, “Stick to the 18-Minute Rule” explains why all TED talks are limited to 18 minutes.  This key rule was established because it allows enough time for a thoughtful analysis, yet short it is enough to maintain audience engagement.  Research shows that information is remembered better if it is organized into related chunks, this has led TED to recommend that presentations be centered around three main areas or points that support one large overarching idea.  This concept can be applied to classroom presentations as well by limiting direct instruction to shorter chunks broken up with time for reflection and formative practice.  The 18-minute rule forces researchers to create a focused message that maintains attention levels, and that does not create what researchers call “cognitive backlog” or the problem in which too much information prevents the successful transfer of ideas.  There are also numerous other TED rules of three such as the Three A’s of Awesome:  Attitude, Awareness, and Authenticity which were shared by award-winning blogger and author of the Book of Awesome, Neil Pasricha in a TEDx talk. 
https://www.ted.com/talks/neil_pasricha_the_3_a_s_of_awesome 

Kevin Allocca, a YouTube trends manager studies why some videos go viral, and others do not.  According to Allocca 48 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, yet only a few will have millions of views.  In Allocca’s TED talk he explains the three factors that contribute to the success of a video:  tastemakers, communities of participation, and unexpectedness.  Of course, there is also the three-minute TED talk titled “TED in 3 Minutes” which has been given by individuals such as Arianna Huffington and New York Times tech columnist David Pogue.  The original three-minute talk was given by Terry Moore who showed the audience a better way to tie their shoes, which has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.  The rule of three suggests

1. Creating a Twitter-friendly headline
2. Support the headline with three key messages
3. Reinforce the three messages with stories, statistics, and examples

 
Chapter eight describes how effective speakers can “Paint a Mental Picture with Multisensory Experiences” and engage as many of the senses of audience members as possible.   For example, the best TED talks use memorable images not excessive text on slides.  One of the major tips is for creating better more effective power point presentations by avoiding too much text and instead relying more on memorable images and other visuals.  One of the worst ways to present is PowerPoint karaoke in which the speaker reads text aloud off of the screen. The chapter includes several examples of successful TED talks that show the words being used by the presenter alongside a description of the images being displayed to audience members.  A powerful example of how words are delivered alongside dramatic images is Lisa Kristine’s TED talk about the hardships of indigenous peoples and the reality of the 27 million individuals living in modern day slavery. https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_kristine_glimpses_of_modern_day_slavery
 
The final tip for making your presentation memorable, “Stay in Your Lane” is outlined in chapter nine. Staying in your lane means that you presentations need to be authentic and honest and speak from the heart.  One of the tips offered for “staying in your lane” is to practice by giving your presentation to a friend or family member first because when you have a close relationship with someone you are more likely to show who you are. 
 
Talk Like TED is an excellent guide full of practical ideas for making your presentations, activities, and demos more engaging and effective.  The book is also an opportunity to learn about some amazing TED talks you may not have heard of before.  TED talks can be shown in class, assigned as homework to facilitate class discussions or offered as opportunities for students who want to expand their understanding of a particular area of psychology.  Another interesting way to use TED talks is to execute the demos or activities presented by a particular TED talk in class and then after hooking students on the content let your students know how to access the entire TED talk. Because many TED presenters are also authors, TED talks can be used to stimulate interest for students to read books related to their favorite TED talks or pursue research projects in areas related to what they watched. 
 
Other Related Resources
 
Author’s Website
Carmine Gallo’s website offers articles, videos, and links to other books.
http://gallocommunications.com/books/talk-like-ted-2/
 
The Top 20 TED Talks of All Time
http://www.ted.com/playlists/171/the_most_popular_talks_of_all?gclid=CjwKEAjwtNbABRCsqO7J0_uJxWYSJAAiVo5LuME8Z7o2-Ki6OahJAA2Liq3mJcpOAdNcrtYR4zRz0RoCKgPw_wcB
 
How to Sound Smart in Your TED Talk
Comedian Will Stephen’s take on how to give a TED talk and impress your audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S0FDjFBj8o
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Dan Ariely
Aristotle
Jill Bolte-Taylor
Susan Cain
James Flynn
Daniel Gilbert
Malcolm Gladwell
George Miller
Daniel Pink
Hans Rosling
10,000 Hour Rule
Altruism
Amygdala
Analogies
Dopamine
Dual-Coding Theory
Flashbulb Memory
Flynn Effect
Genius
Hippocampus
Imagery
Introversion
Magic Number 7 Plus or Minus 2
Multitasking
Neuroplasticity
Nonverbal Communication
Persuasion
Positive Emotion
Self-Esteem
Statistics
 

​Grit:  The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Author:  Angela Duckworth
ISBN:  978-1-44344-231-2
 
APA Style Citation
Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit:  The Power of Passion and Perseverance.  Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  Harper Collins Publishers. Ltd.

Book Description
 
The long-awaited book from Angela Duckworth has finally arrived.  If you are feeling like you have already read much about the idea of Grit and are wondering if this book is worth your time, the answer is a definitive “yes.”  Duckworth explains in far more detail than other publications the specific details of Grit, how to grow Grit and develop Grit in others. 
 
Early in her career, Duckworth was a math teacher.  She indicates that initially talent blinded her view of her student’s abilities, but eventually she saw a connection between students that did well and students that worked hard regardless of their original level of talent.  It was the students who worked hard who ultimately became more successful.  One student, David, was not an outstanding math student at first.  David completed his homework each night with great care, and eventually, Duckworth moved him into a higher-level math class.  By senior year, David was taking honors calculus and more recently graduated from UCLA with a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.  So, the student who initially began in a lower level math class became a “rocket scientist” through hard work and much effort.
 
The history of intelligence was born from the belief that intelligence was inherited not learned or created.  Eventually, this idea morphed into the belief that there are limits to intelligence determined by the bounds of genetics.  Duckworth examines the upper limits of talent and advocates that with hard work and determination these limits are quite malleable. Duckworth argues that effort may count twice as much as talent in determining one’s success.  She references the work of outstanding athletes, those who compete in the Olympics and other world class competitions and argues that most of their work in done in grueling early morning workouts in which athletes attempt to beat their best performance without any other competition and without any fanfare.  They work to be their own best, and while their moment in the spotlight is impressive, it is only a glimpse into the often unglamorous work that goes into the training of an athlete.  Without all of the prior hard work, their accomplishments would not be possible even with outstanding talent.  Still, many people want to attribute great accomplishments exclusively to talent, but Duckworth believes that talent and effort create skill while skill plus effort create achievement.  Talent may accelerate the pace of this achievement, but the effort should not be underestimated. 
More important than talent is the consistency over time in reaching a goal.  Duckworth notes that children often try many different activities throughout their formative years.  Experimenting with a variety of activities during childhood is healthy and normal, but not necessarily “gritty”. Grit occurs as the result of sticking with a particular activity over a long period.  People are less likely to quit an activity in which they have invested much time and effort if the effort is deliberate practice to improve areas in which that individual is not particularly strong, grit is occurring.  Duckworth states, “enthusiasm is common, endurance is rare.” In addition to the ability to stick with a task, one should have a guiding principle or philosophy that provides an overall purpose for one’s work.  Having purpose creates a unifying goal rather than simply having a number of small low-level goals that may or may not be connected to one another.  A challenge that many successful individuals face is deciding what NOT to do rather than accepting every opportunity that comes their way because if an individual accepts all of the offers posed to them, they will often be sidetracked from their larger goal.  Those who can reject smaller offers are more likely to reach a larger goal they care about more. 
 
According to Duckworth’s research, Grit does seem to increase as people age.  She interviews many experienced individuals who report that being a promising beginner is less gratifying than being a well-practiced expert.  People perform better when they pursue careers that match their personal interests. Unfortunately, many people today are engaged in work in which they are actively disengaged, they are in careers for the money or have selected a career without much thought, or rely on someone else’s guidance.   Engagement in work creates passion.  That passion is what allows people to dive deeply into their work and becomes experts who can tease out the nuance that others may miss.  Passion sets one on a path to continuous improvement which the Japanese refer to as ‘Kaizen.'  Passion often leads work to transform from a job to a calling.  No matter what someone does for a living they can find meaning and a larger purpose to their work, which will make their work more personally meaningful and deepen the richness and pleasure they derive from their respective careers.  Duckworth identifies her passion as “using psychological science to help kids thrive.”  This relates to her research, writing, and her speaking.  Duckworth asks readers to contemplate how the work that they are already doing can make a positive impact on society, which may help them find the larger meaning in their work.
 
Others like Anders Ericsson who is known for writing about experts needing 10,000 to rise to the top of their field support Duckworth’s findings that hard work and personal perseverance are keys to becoming an expert regardless of the field one pursues of their innate talents.  Experts who strive for mastery create a stretch goal which deliberate practice can help them to achieve.  They must focus on their weaknesses and seek to improve those deficits no matter how small.  Contrarily, the novice has any number of areas in which they may improve and even without deliberate practice; they are likely to get better. Deliberate practice is hard, and even world-class performers can only take about an hour before they need a break. 
Duckworth addresses how hope can impact Grit and cites the seminal work of Martin Seligman and his learned helplessness studies with dogs; she goes on, however, to also discuss Seligman’s later work with learned optimism by demonstrating that behaviors can have a positive impact on one’s environment.  Duckworth also cites the work of Carol Dweck who has demonstrated that children can be coached into creating a growth mindset, which will allow them to learn more and gain more meaning in their educational life and beyond. 
Duckworth believes that parenting also plays a large role in the creation of Grit, by encouraging children to try new activities and stick with at least a few of them even when things get hard.  Parents can create circumstances in which children will develop ‘grittiness.' Parents can encourage children to stick with at least some of the activities they begin.  The activity matters less than the hard work that goes into doing a task to the best of one’s ability.  That task may be athletics, schoolwork, music or anything else that requires deliberate practice to improve.  This work ethic can then transfer to nearly any other task.  Duckworth addresses creating a culture of Grit in business, in a classroom at home in which hard work, deliberate practice and Kaizen (continuous improvement) are a part of everyday life.  Duckworth believes that as more people are aware that talent does not determine one's worth or the outcomes of one's life,  and that if they are willing to do the hard work necessary to master a task, they will set themselves up for a future of meaningful work and passion to something important to that person, this seems like a goal worth fighting for. 
 
Other Related Resources
 
Book Website
http://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/
 
TED talk:  Angela Duckworth
Grit:  The Power of Passion and Perseverance
https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?language=en
 
Author Angela Duckworth’s Webpage
http://angeladuckworth.com
 
The Grit Scale
http://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/
 
The Guardian:  Is Grit the True Secret of Success?
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/may/07/is-grit-the-true-secret-of-success
 
Journal of Personality Processes and Individual Differences:
Grit:  Perseverance and Passion for Long-term Goals
https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~duckwort/images/Grit%20JPSP.pdf
 
Freakonomics radio:  How to Get More Grit in Your Life
http://freakonomics.com/podcast/grit/
 
The Atlantic:  Is Grit Overrated?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/05/is-grit-overrated/476397/
 
The Bregman Leadership Podcast
http://peterbregman.com/podcast/angela-duckworth-grit/#.WA0NnFeCNFI
 
Geoffery Canada TED talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/geoffrey_canada_our_failing_schools_enough_is_enough?language=en
 
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi  TED talk on Flow
https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Aristotle
Albert Bandura
Aaron Beck
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Charles Darwin
Angela Duckworth
Carol Dweck
Anders Ericsson
James R. Flynn
Sir Francis Galton
William James
John Stuart Mill
Martin Seligman
John Watson
Authoritarian Parenting
Bobo Doll Study
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Flynn Effect
Flow
Genius
Goal-setting
Grit
Heritability
Intelligence
I.Q.
Learned Helplessness
Learned Optimism
Limbic System
Mindfulness
Mindset (Fixed v. Growth)
Myelin
Nature v. Nurture Debate
Perseverance
Positive Psychology
Prefrontal Cortex
Resilience Training
Self-fulfilling Prophecy
Twin (Monozygotic and Dizygotic)
Wechsler Intelligence Scales

Blog Contributor: Jessica Flitter
West Bend East High School
[email protected]
 
Great Myths of Education and Learning
Author: Jeffrey D. Holmes
ISBN: 978-1-118-70939-9 (Paperback)
 
APA Style Citation
Holmes, J. (2016). Great Myths of Education and Learning. Chichester, West Sussex:
Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Book Description
How many times have you heard something about using learning styles or being too left-brained? Sometimes components of researching findings become pervasive in the world of education even though they lack sound scientific research.  This book looks at sixteen popular myths concerning education and learning.  The content is dense and various studies are presented, addressing both sides of the myth.  A scientific claim should not be based on the finding of a single study, but rather a combination of studies all of which find fairly consistent results.  Existing studies should be combined through meta-analysis to find reliable patterns and limit potential bias. Through this sound research method, hopefully, a more complete picture is formed regarding a specific scientific claim. The summaries below provide a basic understanding of the findings presented in the book. 
 
Myth 1: Students are accurate judges of how much they know
Have you been told to empower your students and ask them how they learn best? Student empowerment is important but students, especially low-achieving students, tend to be overconfident and do not recognize what learning strategies are most effective. When material feels easy and quickly comes to mind, students falsely believe they understand the information well.  In addition, after reviewing assessments, they fall victim to hindsight bias.  Familiarity increases their confidence, leading to a false assessment of their knowledge.  Without an accurate ability to gauge performance, students are less efficient and do not study effectively.
 
Myth 2: Students learn better when teaching methods are matched with their learning styles
We have all sat through an in-service that demands we learn our students’ learning styles, but does it really matter?  A common claim supported by educators, parents, and students is that instruction which matches students’ learning preferences leads to more successful learning. To date, over 71 different learning style models have been identified, and the most common ones include the senses (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic). However, few scientifically sound studies support matching instruction to these preferences.  The studies lack reliability and appropriate assessments. Rather than using specific sensory modes to store content, most successfully learned memories are semantic in nature.  It has been found that students can use many different learning strategies when the specific content calls for it.
 
Myth 3: Lecturing is broadly inferior to other teaching methods
We are told, “Stop lecturing!” yet our students beg for it.  Should we lecture? Lectures compared to alternative teaching methods often reveal no significant difference in learning.  Many arguments center on the loss of attention span after 10-15 minutes.  However, few scientific studies support this statement.  A quick resetting of attention can easily get students back on track.  The lecture actually offers several advantages, including its efficiency for significant amounts of novel material.  On the contrary, lectures lack effectiveness when it comes to attaining applied skills or communication skills. It should be noted that classroom research is challenging due to a lack of control and experimenter bias. Also, lecturing is very difficult to define operationally.
Interestingly, instructors often negatively associate lectures with effectiveness. In contrast, students view lecturing as one of the most effective learning strategies. Studies reveal that high achieving students prefer lectures. In addition, structured lectures seem to help low-achieving students, as well as those students with high anxiety. While preferences are not the best evaluation tool, student perception does play a role in a successful classroom. Ultimately, effective teaching is partly the teaching method and the preferences in the classroom.
 
Myth 4: Using PowerPoint in the classroom improves student learning
PowerPoint has become the new overhead projector, but does it really work? Many students believe that PowerPoint leads to effective learning, but studies find no significant advantage compared to other presentations.  When students focus too much on elaborate slides, PowerPoint can actually hurt student performance.  However, students report the method as being more interesting, more organized, and more enjoyable.  They believe they take better notes and have increased confidence.  Interestingly, this increased confidence leads to a halo effect and improves students’ perception in other areas of the course as well.  There is little empirical evidence that PowerPoint affects student learning, but once again it is necessary to take student perception into account. 
 
Myth 5: Minimally guided instruction is superior to traditional direct instruction
How many times have you heard that you should be using problem-solving learning? Minimally guided instruction is founded on the constructivist learning philosophy. According to this theory, it is believed that knowledge must be based on personal experiences in the world, not gained through direct instruction.  However, there is no empirical evidence that leaving students to their own devices provides more effective learning.  Studies have found that direct instruction can be successful for students at all levels, for verbal and social skills, and increased performance on immediate and delayed tests.  Problem-solving teaching strategies utilize a very limited working memory.  When one’s ability to problem-solve is at capacity students will struggle with learning.  This is especially true for low-achieving students.  Most likely a balanced approach of direction instruction and discovery would work best. 
 
Myth 6: Rewards always undermine students’ intrinsic motivation
Has your school been consumed by a Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) plan? Various empirical findings support that rewards can increase intrinsic motivation, but with certain contingencies.  As is stated by the overjustification hypothesis, expected tangible rewards for simply engaging in an activity of high interest reduces intrinsic motivation.  While this is true, it has been found that intrinsic motivation actually increases with verbal praise.  Also, an expected tangible reward is not detrimental if it is based on the quality of the task as opposed to participation.  However, research has found that rewards for simply performing the task actually increases intrinsic motivation for low-achieving students. Lab research does not always generalize to the classroom; however, researchers agree that rewards do not always reduce intrinsic motivation.
 
Myth 7: Multitasking does not inhibit academic performance
How many of your students are addicted to their cellphone? Technology is everywhere, and young people are easily tempted by it. Some argue that young people, born since 1980, may be able to multitask more efficiently than members of past generations.  Young people believe they can successfully multitask.  Some even think it helps them focus and complete homework.  However, none of these statements are supported by research.  Switching tasks results in slower performance and increased errors. Completing homework with the TV on in the background takes longer.  It was also found that students watching other students multitask learned significantly less than those who could not see other students multitasking.  When others control the content, multitasking is even more challenging.
While multitasking, performance usually declines as the difficulty of the task increases.  However, one study found that multitasking students took longer to read, but did not have lower performance. While learning may not be affected, few high school students have the extra time that it takes to multitask.
 
Myth 8: People are either left-brained or right brained
I am sure you have heard of the vocabulary learning technique that utilizes both sides of your brain; self-made definitions invoke the left-hemisphere, while drawings activate the right hemisphere. Many educators support the claim that differences in hemispheric dominance can explain learning differences.  Early research grabbed everyone’s attention but lacked the ability to generalize to the general population. Early split-brain research utilized unique brains and usually had very limited sample sizes.  Current research with brain-imaging technology supports that both hemispheres are necessary for various functions.  Greater hemispheric lateralization has been found only in people of low-achieving ability.  Furthermore, the statements supporting a brain dichotomy are often oversimplified, and neuroscience has been incorrectly applied to the world of education and business. 
 
Myth 9: There are many independent varieties of intelligence
The number of intelligences has been debated for years.  Sir Francis Galton was the first to talk of general intelligence, but it was Charles Spearman that was able to identify it statistically through factor analysis.  The g factor is probably one of the most studied traits in the history of intelligence in psychology.  Several theorists have offered opposing models supporting specific intelligences.  Howard Gardner’s theory has caught on with educators due to its ability to identify all children as being special.  However, the theory has several pitfalls.  It utilizes eight criteria to find separate intelligences, but they are not always consistently applied.  Also, there is no specific assessment that can measure each specific intelligence.  Currently, most tests are based on self-report and still measure general intelligence.  Empirical evidence does not support the existence of many separate intelligences.   
 
Myth 10: Self-esteem improves academic performance
In order to excel you have to feel good about yourself, right? There is a small, positive correlation between self-esteem and academic performance. However, it often shrinks when other environmental factors are controlled.  Self-esteem is studied most often in the United States, an individualistic culture.  One strategy, self-evaluation educational interventions, needs to be used with caution because it can actually reduce performance. Interestingly, Americans have enjoyed increased self-esteem scores in recent decades but have witnessed a decrease in the average SAT score. Research supports that academic self-concept is a better predictor of performance than self-esteem.
 
Myth 11: Repetition is a highly effective study strategy
Tight on time before a test? Everyone has probably utilized the study strategy of rereading a text, and it can enhance learning to a degree.  The benefits of rereading are greatest the first time the content is reread and immediately tested, but little enhancement is achieved when testing is delayed after rereading content.  In addition, high-achieving students benefit the most from rereading a second time.  Most of these findings have been found in the laboratory and need to be questioned before being generalized to the classroom. 
While rereading is not that effective, there are study methods to increase performance. The most effective method is the testing effect.  Practice testing leads to better performance on similar future tests than restudying the content. The benefits of practice testing can occur using a variety of test formats, even when the final test is a different format. This finding has held up across a wide range of ages and abilities.  Two additional effective study methods include elaborative interrogation and self-explanation.  Both are effective but require more time.  Students have limited time, but will hopefully recognize the powerful ability of practice testing to increase retention.
 
Myth 12: Multiple-choice exams are inferior to other exam formats
Essay exams take time to grade and have concerns of inter-rater reliability, but can a multiple-choice test really measure all aspects of student knowledge?  Even though students are exposed to misinformation via the multiple-choice format, the testing effect is increased by providing feedback no matter if it is immediate or delayed.  Scientific studies find that both testing formats, multiple-choice and essay, assess similar abilities and students perform at similar levels on both parts of an exam. 
Many concerns with multiple-choice tests are not supported by scientific findings. It is believed that essay tests measure higher levels of thinking, but often they do not. Before we abandon multiple-choice tests, let’s make sure that the new exam format actually provides a better performance indicator. 
 
Myth 13: Students should not change answers on multiple-choice exams
Many of your students have probably heard of the first instinct fallacy; once you select an answer on a test, it is best not to change it.  Scientific studies show that usually students, especially high-achieving students, benefit from changing their answer as long as they are not just guessing.  If you re-evaluated or better understand the questions, then the odds are in your favor to make the change.
As is often the case, students’ perceptions do not match the research.  Even when trained to change their answers, they still believed that it would lead to a lower exam score.  The circumstance when changing your answer did not work is more memorable thanks to the availability heuristic.  Don’t stress your students out during the exam, but share the possible benefits of changing answers well in advance.
 
Myth 14: Coaching produces large gains in college admission test scores
As any high school student wanting to attend college knows, the SAT and ACT are a common hurdle one must first pass.  Studies suggest that coaching can increase student SAT scores.  However, there are many confounding variables. Coaching time becomes confused with coaching methods.  In addition, a certain type of student seeks academic coaching.  These concerns, as well as a lack of random assignment, call these scientific findings into question.    
 
Myth 15: Standardized tests do not predict academic performance
We have all heard that story about a young person who did poorly on the SAT or ACT but excelled in college. The problem is that story is not the norm and only shows that the correlation is not perfect.  Almost all studies support that there is a significant positive correlation between standardized tests for college admission and first-year college GPA.  Critics question the validity of the assessment due to range restriction and reliability. However, after correcting for these issues, as well as socioeconomic status, the SAT still had predictive validity.
 
Myth 16: Standardized ability tasks are biased against some minority groups
The average group differences in IQ has spurred concerns about cultural bias in testing.  If a test measures different things for people within different groups, it is biased.  However, research has not been able to find anyone, including experts that can find biased test items based on content.  In addition, the claim that tests underpredict for minority members has not been demonstrated.  Studies have actually found an overprediction for most minority groups.  The origin and meaning of intelligence is a complex issue that is heavily debated.  To date, empirical evidence does not support a testing bias against minority groups.
 
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Paul Broca
Sir Francis Galton
Howard Gardner
Jean Piaget
B. F. Skinner
Charles Spearman
Roger Sperry
L. L. Thurstone
Achievement Test
Aptitude Test
Availability Heuristic
Cognitive Psychology
Cohort Effect
Confirmation Bias
Confounding of Variables
Correlation (Positive, Modest)
Creativity
Critical Thinking
Cultural Bias
Dichotic Listening Study
Distributive Study
Divergent Thinking
EEG
Efficacy
Empirical Evidence
Experimenter Bias
Experimental Control
Expressive vs. Receptive Language
Factor Analysis
General Intelligence
Generalizability of Research
Halo Effect
Hemispheric Dominance
Hindsight Bias
Individualistic Cultural Belief
Intelligence
Inter-Rater Reliability
Intrinsic Motivation
Lateralized
Learning Styles:  Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic
Longitudinal Data
Meta-analysis
Metacognition
Motivation
Multitasking or Task Switching
Neuroscientific Research
Operational Definition
Overconfidence
Overjustification Hypothesis
“Psychological Refractory Period”
Positive Emotions- Left Hemisphere
Predictive Validity
 “Prodigy” or “Idiot Savant”
Psychometrician
Random Assignment
Repetition
Replicate
Scaffolding
Self-Efficacy
Self-Esteem
Self-Report Measure
Semantic Memory
Sensory Memory
Split-Brain Operation
Statistical Significance
Test Bias
Testing Effect
Visual Field Study
WISC
Working Memory
 
 
Other Related Resources
 
Great Myths of Psychology Series
Erber, J. T., & Szuchman, L. T. (2014). Great Myths of Aging. Chichester, West Sussex:
Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 978-1-118-52145-8
 
Hupp, S., & Jewell, J. (2015). Great Myths of Child Development. Chichester, West
Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 978-1-118-52122-9
 
Jarrett, C. (2014). Great Myths of the Brain. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.
ISBN: 978-1-118-62450-0
Johnson, M. D. (2016). Great Myths of Intimate Relationships: Dating, Sex, and
Marriage. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 978-1-118-52128-1
 
Lilienfeld, S. 0., Lynn, S. J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B. L. (2009). 50 Great Myths of
Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behavior. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN : 978-1-4051-3112-4
 
Series Website www.wiley.com/go/psychmyths
 
Podcast
Britt, M. A. (2009, December 27). Episode 113: Interview with Scott Lilienfeld on the 50 great myths of popular psychology [Audio Podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.thepsychfiles.com/
 
Articles
Willis, J. (2015). The High Cost of Neuromyths in Education. Edutopia, http://www.edutopia.org/. Retrieved on July 26, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/high-costs-neuromyths-in-education-judy-willis
 
 

​Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being
Author:  Martin E.P. Seligman
ISBN:  978-1-4391-9076-0
 
APA Style Citation
Seligman, M. (2011).  Flourish: A visionary new understanding of Happiness and Well-being.  New York, Atria Paperback.

​Book Description
Flourish is a narrative reflection regarding Seligman’s chronicle of work (and the work of many others) towards improving the well-being of others.  Seligman opens Flourish by discussing his training as a therapist.  During his education and early practice as a therapist Seligman learned that in order to help those who were mentally ill or suffering from some other emotional ailment, the goal was to remove one’s suffering.  Seligman contends that there is far more to life than the lack of suffering.  He advocates for acting in a more proactive manner, which he argues could potentially prevent many ailments altogether.  Seligman also argues that treatment should work towards helping clients to thrive rather than just removing their pain.  Seligman is frustrated that much of current research and practice in psychotherapy focuses on drug therapies, which mask rather than treat the problem from which a client suffers.  Many drugs blunt the feeling of emotion, however feeling emotions is part of the human experiences and should be felt even if they are sometimes painful.  Seligman in large part has been able to do work in the field of Positive Psychology because of generous grants, which were provided from an initially anonymous source to fund the research.  It is this funding which has allowed Seligman to make efforts toward revolutionizing the field of psychology from a focus on illness to a focus on well-being.
 
Seligman makes a distinction between happiness, which he considers a mood and well-being which he considers a state of being.  We describe happiness when we are feeling cheerful or merry.  Seligman argues that this term is so overused as to become almost meaningless.  Well-being, however, is a way of thinking and behaving in order to live one’s best possible life. A focus on well-being may not lead everyone to “happiness” as there are many individual differences concerning happiness and one’s subjective experience of when they are feeling “happy.”  For example, introverts generally report lower levels of happiness than extroverts, but both can pursue and achieve well-being in relatively similar levels.  According to Seligman, authentic happiness also involves engagement (flow), a complete loss of time when engaged in an activity in which one is completely absorbed in a meaningful activity. 
 
The elements of well-being are slightly different than happiness and include positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement.  Seligman uses the anagram of PERMA to describe the characteristics of well-being.  Flourish’s main emphasis is to provide the reader with recent and ongoing research regarding how to improve PERMA in specific populations. 
 
What follows is a description of the components of PERMA.  Positive Emotion is the cornerstone of well-being as well as life satisfaction. Engagement addresses the issue of flow, losing one’s self in a task for which one is completely engaged.  One finds their flow when an individual’s strengths are used when challenged to the limits of their ability.  These first two elements are pursued for their own sake rather than to gain some other benefit or external “prize”.  Resiliency is the ability to bounce back from failures and regroup in the face of setbacks.  Meaning refers to working for something that is larger than one’s self and may be completely different from positive emotion.  For example, Abraham Lincoln, who famously experienced periods of depression also experienced great meaning in his work feeling that he was doing something that would impact the nation in a positive fashion for years to come.  Finally, Accomplishment is pursuing a goal for its own sake. 
 
Seligman makes many recommendations regarding how one can improve well-being.  He is forthcoming about the fact that he does not always use these in his own life but that he strives to do better.  He is a self-described “curmudgeon” and states if he can do this so can anyone else.  His family, who are now well versed in the elements of well-being call him out if he violates his own advice.  In one example, Seligman advises a gratitude visit in which one writes a letter and personally delivers it to someone to whom they are thankful.  He also recommends keeping a daily gratitude journal and after completing a task assessing the result in a ‘what went well exercise.'  Seligman describes the work of Angela Duckworth (a graduate of MAPP Masters of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania) who has done much research of the resiliency portion of PERMA, her research into Grit indicates that those who can pick themselves up after failures and continue to be motivated even in the face of setbacks will experience more ‘success’ than those who give up more easily. 
 
The remainder of the book describes how Seligman and others have created a Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania and other activities in which Seligman and others have made efforts to share positive psychology with as many people as possible. Seligman describes the many varied people from salespeople to CEO’s, teachers and “coaches” who have benefitted from this program by capitalizing on their strengths and employing PERMA in their lives.   
Perhaps two of the most exciting endeavors that positive psychology has taken on thus far are pushing the characteristics of positive psychology into classrooms in Australia and implementing a positive psychology program in the military to build up the resilience and emotional well-being of soldiers and their families. The military has long been one of the most underserved populations regarding mental health and some military traditions have made it difficult to discuss emotional issue or struggles with others who serve in the military.  Seligman worked with members of the armed forces to create a program that seeks to change the awareness of illnesses such as PTSD and to make those serving more aware of the resources they have to assist them with both their physical and mental health, the reports which Seligman mentions suggest that the program has been quite successful and because of the large number of trainees will eventually produce the largest body of data thus far collected regarding the outcomes of well-being training.  Seligman refers to the training as creating a psychologically fit army.  The program identifies one’s personal social, spiritual and family fitness to determine one’s strengths and also to identify those who may be more vulnerable to emotional illness and to provide more proactive targeted in those areas.  The program has also looked at the potential ways in which trauma can be channeled into growth.
 
Seligman address those who have dismissed his work with Positive Psychology such as Barbara Ehrenreich who published, Bright-Sided:  How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America, she claims that she was told if she thought more positively, her breast cancer would go away, and she blames relentless optimism on the 2007 housing market because people believed that things would simply continue to get better in perpetuity.  Seligman believes this criticism is misguided and cites his research with PERMA as evidence-based while still admitting that much work is ongoing.  Seligman is careful to say that the research on positive psychology is not perfect and not plentiful but building. 
 
Seligman explores how well being can improve not only emotional health but also physical health.  Optimists have better cardiovascular health, less body fat and less death by cancer than their pessimistic counterparts.  Seligman created the signature strengths inventory to determine areas in which one excels.  Please see the activity to find your own signature strengths and use this to determine the activities for which you will likely excel and then try to find activities in which these strengths can be employed.  Seligman believes that everyone can increase their levels of well being they just have to opt in, and one method of beginning is to take the signature strengths inventory.
 
Resources
TED talk:  the new era of Positive Psychology
https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology?language=en
 
Positive Psychology Center:  University of Pennsylvania
http://www.positivepsychology.org/people/martin-ep-seligman
 
University of Pennsylvania:  Authentic Happiness website
https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu
 
Huffington Post:  The Father of Positive Psychology and his two Theories of Happiness
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sze/the-father-of-positive-ps_b_7600226.html
 
Harvard Business Review:  Building Resilience
https://hbr.org/2011/04/building-resilience
 
The New Yorker:  Trying to cure depressions but inspiring torture
http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/theory-psychology-justified-torture
 
PERMA model
http://positivepsychologymelbourne.com.au/perma-model/
 
The Irish Times:  Can You Teach Well-being?
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/can-you-teach-wellbeing-martin-seligman-thinks-so-1.2544072
 
Edge:  The Third Culture (a talk with Martin Seligman)
https://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/seligman04/seligman_index.html
 
VIA Institute on Character:  Strengths Test
http://www.viacharacter.org/www/Character-Strengths-Survey
 
 
Psychological Terms and Concepts
 
Charles Darwin
Angela Duckworth
Charles Murray
Tom Rath
Anxiety Disorder
Control/Experimental Group
Depression
Duchenne Smile
Extrovert/Introvert
Flow
GRIT
Immune System
Independent Variable
Learned Helplessness
Lymphocyte
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Optimist/ Pessimist
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Positive Emotion
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Psychotherapy
Self-consciousness
Signature Strength
Well-Being
 
 

Ambler Warning
Author:  Robert Ludlum
ISBN:  978-0312990695
  
APA Style Citation
Ludlum, R. (2006).  Ambler Warning. New York, New York:  St. Martin’s Paperbacks.

​Blog Contributor: Joseph Swope, PhD
Institution: Northwest High School
Germantown, Maryland
Website:  http://swopepsych.com/
Email:  [email protected]

Book Description
This is a fiction book that explores and uses many of the concepts in a psychology class to hook the reader.  Imagine Paul Ekman and Jason Bourne combined into one super spy.
People are communicating machines.  More than any other trait it is our ability to communicate that defines us.  While language is critical, what about the other messages, signals, and signs that help us read each other?  Paul Ekman has spent his career showing us that our facial muscles are hardwired to our emotional processing modules of our brain.  Most people have some ability to read the expressions and thus the emotions of others.  What if there was a person who was so good at it, so intuitive, he could read others’ intentions before they consciously knew what they themselves were going to do?
 
Hal Ambler wakes up in a psychiatric hospital designed for former clandestine agents who are deemed too unstable to walk free with government secrets.  Worse than the restraints and forced medications is the fact that he has no memory of himself or why he is trapped.
Using his gifts at reading peoples’ expressions, body language, and voice cues, Hal Ambler begins to unlock not only the cause of his confinement but also the reason for his amnesia.  With each question answered more spring up until he doubts his name, his recently uncovered memories, and even his very sense of self.  Did his amnesia come from a past event or was it forced upon him by those who don’t trust him?  For a man who can read others effortlessly, having no knowledge of himself is torture in and of itself.
 
Note: While this was ghost written and probably not the best book with Ludlum’s name on it if you want a great read that might also hook your students, this book is fun.
 
Note: This book does not explicitly teach psychology to the reader. Still, for students who want to see what might be possible by applying concepts in their textbook, this book could be the hook that draws the into the curriculum.

Other Related Resources
http://www.paulekman.com/micro-expression-training/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Loftus
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Paul Ekman
Brain Washing
Amnesia
Bottom-Up Processing
Deduction
Display Rules
Duchenne Smile
Emotional Control
Implanted Memory
Intuition
Involuntary Committal
Micro Expression
Mirror Neuron
Neuroleptic
Psychiatric Hospital
Retrograde Amnesia
Somatic Nervous System
Stockholm Syndrome
Top-Down Processing