How Do We Know Ourselves: Curiosities and Marvels of the Human Mind
Author: David G. Myers
ISBN: 976-0-374-60195-9
 
APA Style Citation
Myers, D.G. (2022). How do we know ourselves: Curiosities and marvels of the human mind. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, New York, N.Y.
 
Buy This Book 
https://www.amazon.com/How-Do-Know-Ourselves-Curiosities/dp/037460195X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=132R4UVO8UGHD&keywords=How+Do+We+Know+Ourselves%3A+Curiosities+and+Marvels+of+the+Human+Mind&qid=1685917569&sprefix=how+do+we+know+ourselves+curiosities+and+marvels+of+the+human+mind%2Caps%2C230&sr=8-1
​

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

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
​

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

Why We Act: Turning Bystanders into Moral Rebels
Author:  Catherine A. Sanderson, PhD
ISBN:  9780674241831

APA Style Citation
Sanderson, C. A. (2020). Why we act: turning bystanders into moral rebels. Belknap Press Harvard University. 

Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Act-Turning-Bystanders/dp/0674241835

Book Description
 
Author Catherine Sanderson, Chair of Psychology at Amherst College, has published over 25 journal articles, several trade books, four university-level textbooks, as well as textbooks for middle and high school students. Her research has received funding from the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Health for her work on topics ranging from social norms, health, parenting, bystander apathy, heroism, health, and longevity.
 
In Why We Act, Sanderson explores the various factors that explain why good individuals engage in bad behavior, fail to act when faced with the bad behavior of others, and how this inaction leads to more bad behavior. She explores bad behavior, including bullying in school and unethical workplace behavior, corporate fraud, political corruption, sexual harassment, and the inaction of bystanders. Her book also explores individuals who are more likely to act, who she calls moral rebels, and what we can learn from their examples.
 
In Part 1, The Silence of Good People the book explores what Sanderson calls the myth of monsters and the various reasons good people engage in bad behavior or fail to intervene. She combines classic research in social psychology (e.g., Philip Zimbardo, Stanley Milgram) and modern neuroscience research to explore the impact of deindividuation, obedience to authority, and gradual escalation of both bad behavior and inaction. Research indicates that gradual escalation plays an important role in unethical behavior due to the foot-in-the-door effect. For example, she cites examples of corporate fraud that began with small unethical actions but slowly built to substantial unethical and criminal behaviors. The author compares this to findings in Milgram’s study that began with small “shocks” and gradually escalated to extremely dangerous ones. This section also explores research on social loafing in various settings. For example, restaurants add a minimum gratuity or tip to bills for larger groups. This is because, left to their own devices, individuals contributing to a group bill are likely to tip poorly because they believe the group will not notice their contribution amount. The text also offers current research on other reasons behind the phenomenon of social loafing, the bystander effect, and diffusion of responsibility, including the cost of helping, ambiguity, connection, and the influence of social groups.
 
In Part 2, Bullies and Bystanders, the author explores these different roles (bully and bystander) in various contexts. For example, the author discusses bullying in schools and how most students who witness bullying do not stand up for the victim but actively watch. It is also disturbing to note that more students join in the bullying than intervene. Neuroscience research partially explains this lack of intervention — deviating from the group activates the same areas of the brain as physical pain. Research has revealed that students who intervene in cases of bullying have social capital (e.g., support from peers or teachers, social skills, or high social status in the group). This may seem counterintuitive, as earlier research found that bullies often have high social status. Researchers believe bullying is a social tool, and only a few students at the very top of the social hierarchy have enough security in their level of popularity to stand up for the bullied students. In addition to high social status, research has found that other factors predict if a student will stand up for bullied students, including high levels of self-confidence and self-efficacy. The section on bullying in schools ends with research on how to reduce bullying in schools. Subsequent sections address bullying and bystander apathy in university and career settings.
 
In Part 3, Learning to Act, the book explores developing moral courage and tactics for becoming a moral rebel. Key characteristics of moral rebels include a lack of social inhibition and high levels of empathy. Sanderson provides a range of examples for resisting the pressures of conformity, social loafing, and the bystander effect. Regarding building moral rebels, the author suggests developing a belief in change and practicing strategies for speaking up as a bystander. She recommends paying attention to the “small stuff” because of the effect of the foot-in-the-door phenomenon on how small acts can easily build to increasingly more unethical responses. She provides tools for building empathy, widening the in-group, utilizing ethical leaders, finding a friend, shifting social norms, and changing the culture.
 
Why We Act provides a research-based explanation for bad behavior and addresses how that research can be used to train individuals to stand up to bullying in schools, online, and in the workplace. By acknowledging the forces that prevent individuals from intervening or engaging in unethical behaviors, it is possible to build strategies for resilience and resistance.
 
Other Related Resources
 
Author Catherine Sanderson’s website
https://sandersonspeaking.com/
 
Author Catherine Sanderson’s TEDx talk – The Psychology of Inaction (17:42)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Lmf7ZT_04
 
Author Catherine Sanderson - The Psychology of Courage and Inaction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMPDkPU1hps
 
Resources for the Teaching of Social Psychology
http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/crow/
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Solomon Asch
Albert Bandura
Carol Dweck
Kitty Genovese
Bibb Latane
Stanley Milgram
Philip Zimbardo
 

​The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness
By Susan Cahalan
ISBN: 9781538715284
 
APA Citation
Cahalan, S. (2019). The great pretender: The undercover mission that changed our understanding of madness. Grand Central, New York, N.Y.
 
Buy the book here
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Pretender-Undercover-Mission-Understanding/dp/1538715287
 

​Book description
In her follow-up to the acclaimed Brain on Fire, Susannah Cahalan tackles the infamous 1970s study “On Being Sane in Insane Places.” In this study, David Rosenhan and seven volunteers checked themselves into mental health care facilities to see if the mental health care workers could determine who had a mental illness from those who did not.  Cahalan begins with a history of asylums and efforts to improve the conditions and treatment of individuals. In some cases, individuals were held against their will in these facilities. She cites that many individuals living in these asylums reported the ease of getting admitted but the difficulty of getting out. Cahalan’s interest in this study stems from her misdiagnosis with schizophrenia and time in a mental health ward, even though her disorder stemmed from brain inflammation. 
 
Calahan recounts the familiar story of the Rosenhan study, in which eight people (three women and five men, including Rosenhan) checked themselves into mental health care facilities reporting that they were hearing the words, “thud, empty, and hollow.” Once the pseudopatients were admitted, they no longer displayed any symptoms and acted normally. Patients spent on average four and one-half minutes per day with doctors. The doctors and staff in many facilities treated patients rudely and often ignored their requests or questions. The pseudopatients had stays that ranged from 17-51 days. While it took the staff a long time to determine that the pseudopatients were sane, many other patients identified the pseudopatients as being a journalist or a professor quickly after their arrival. 
 
The study has often been cited as addressing the problem of labeling people with disorders and the need to develop clear criteria for diagnosis. Rosenhan also wanted to address the need for more time with the staff who work in the facilities.  Cahalan obtained the original files from a good friend of Rosenhan (who died in 2012), Lee Ross.  Ross was a good friend of Rosenhan and a well-respected social psychologist. As the author searched to find more of the pseudopatients, she runs into many inconsistencies in Rosenhan’s notes, which nobody can quite work out. Rosenhan used aliases for all of the patients, and Cahalan quickly determined that Rosenhan was David Lurie. She finds evidence and speaks to a number of those involved with the study, and she is even able to work out who one of the pseudopatients was and get a direct account of their experiences. The others were harder to track down, and in continuing her research, she begins to question if the remainder of the pseudopatients ever took part in the study.  She finds much misinformation in Rosenhan’s notes to demonstrate that many of the pseudopatients were highly embellished if not made up entirely. Callahan is not convinced that all the participants were real. She finds evidence that in some cases, the events and characteristics attributed to one participant were a conglomeration of the experiences of others who in some cases were from outside of the study. She finds credible evidence that one pseudopatient had the characteristics of a good friend of Rosenhan, and that other patients in the wards were depictions of some of his own patients. Rosenhan had a book deal to write a full report about the study but never completed the manuscript and was sued by the publisher. 
 
While she cannot conclude decisively that many of the pseudopatients were falsified, she does create a credible case that this study has some fatal flaws. This book comes as yet another hit to some of the most famously cited studies in psychology and calls into question the legitimacy of one of the most often cited studies in the field of abnormal psychology. 
 
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Alois Alzheimer
Paul Bleuler
Rene Descartes
Dorothea Dix
Sigmund Freud
Emil Kraepelin
Philippe Pinel
David Rosenhan
Benjamin Rush
Carl Wernicke
Philip Zimbardo
 
Alzheimer’s disease
Antipsychotic medication
Asylum
Belief perseverance
Bipolar disorder
Borderline personality disorder
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Delusion
DSM
Lobotomy
MRI scan
Munchausen syndrome
Paranoia
Psychoanalytic psychology
Psychosis
Schizoaffective disorder
Schizophrenia
Trephination
 
Related Resources
 
NPR Interview with Susannah Callahan
https://www.npr.org/2019/11/13/777172316/the-great-pretender-investigates-a-landmark-moment-in-psychiatric-history
 
Susannah Callahan discusses The Great Pretender
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LUqGRa2Iqo
 
Being Sane in Insane Places: Science
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.179.4070.250
 
David Rosenhan on being Sane in Insane Places
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6bmZ8cVB4o
 
 
 
 

Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive our Life
Author: Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.
ISBN: 978-1-4019-6198-5
E-book ISBN: 978-1-4019-6199-2
 
APA Style Citation
Taylor, J.B. (2021). Whole brain living: The anatomy of choice and the four characters that drive our life. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Brain-Living-Anatomy-Characters/dp/1401961983
​

Book Description
In 2008, Dr. Taylor who is a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist delivered one of the first TED Talks and quickly her and TED talks became famous. Her first book, My Stroke of Insight, shared her personal experience of a stroke shutting down her brain over four hours. Because of her background as a neuroscientist, she knew what was happening as her stroke occurred. She suffered damage to her left parietal lobe and her brain was silent for five weeks, but then she began her eight-year recovery. During this time, she came to recognize the power of turning on and off her emotional circuitry by choice. She explains, humans are feeling creatures who think rather than thinking creatures who feel. The left hemisphere is commonly identified as being linear and a sequential processor, while the right hemisphere is a parallel processor. The left brain provides our individuality, while the right brain connects us with the collective whole and consciousness of the universe. Dr. Taylor offers the 4-character framework that identifies a left and right-thinking brain and a left and right emotional brain. By utilizing all 4 characters, she proposes whole-brain living as a way to bring about peace. It is important to note that the left and right brains do not function in isolation. In the 70s and 80s, our society went overboard with split-brain studies and right/left brain comparisons, with schools establishing curricula based on these differences. But modern technology has confirmed that both hemispheres are actively participating at all times.
 
Character 1- Left Thinking
This character perceives and processes information according to these attributes: serial processor, verbal, thinks in language, linear, past/future based, analytical, detail-orientated, finds differences, judgmental, punctual, individual, concise, fixed, focus is on me, busy, conscious, structure/order. This character is not always the friendliest or the best self; it often wants to control and conquer the day. While character 1 is effective in leadership, it is also highly critical of its own performance and comparing itself to others. Rules are to be followed and order is necessary.
 
Character 4- Right Thinking
This character perceives and processes information according to these attributes: parallel processor, nonverbal, thinks in pictures, experiential, present moment-based, kinesthetic/body, wholistic big picture, finds similarities, compassionate, lost in the flow of time, collective, flexible/resilient, open to possibilities, focus is on WE, available, unconscious, fluid/flow. This character is the authentic self and the energy within which we exist. It is the part of our brain that is a spiritual being having a physical experience. Studies have found that while meditating or praying, the left-brain centers become silent. Choosing to bring your mind to the present moment and embody a deep sense of gratitude can bring you in touch with your character 4. By learning to set our intention, we can choose to change the way that energy flows. Multiple details can be juggled at the same time, without being paralyzed by fear or a feeling of being overwhelmed. There is no judgement, simply the wonder of life. Children are often more comfortable with their character 4 than adults.
 
Each moment, information is entering your emotional brain. You are being asked “Am I safe?”  and your amygdalae have to make an automatic threat assessment based on how something feels. The left brain uses the wisdom of your past and sounds the internal alarm if there is a threat. The right brain stays in the moment and does not compare to the past. There are two different emotional responses done simultaneously by each side of your brain. Fear is often triggered by the present moment right brain, while anxiety can also be triggered by an experience or trauma from the past. Both emotional characters can throw a fit at any time because our emotional systems never mature. Cell bodies of our emotional brains are present at birth, while the cell bodies of our thinking characters have moved to the cortex when we were born but then take years to interconnect and fully develop.
 
Character 2- Left Emotion
This character perceives and processes information according to these attributes: constricted, rigid, cautious, fear-based, stern, loves conditionally, doubts, bullies, righteous, manipulates, tried-and-true, independent, selfish, critical, superior/inferior, right/wrong, good/bad. This character often is key to one’s physical and mental well-being. Character 2 needs to filter out immediate danger and help us focus our attention. By focusing on the external world, we end up being suspicious and dissatisfied. Some of our deepest emotions exist in Character 2. If you are feeling unappreciated, undervalued, unwanted, or unworthy, your character 2 is activated. While many of these traits are negative, the core of this behavior is due to pain and fear. When you see someone acting like a bully, seeking revenge, being belligerent, using sarcastic humor, or purposely trying to provoke you, then their character 2 is on public display.
 
Character 3- Right Emotion
This character perceives and processes information according to these attributes: expansive, open, risk-taking, fearless, friendly, loves unconditionally, trusts, supports, grateful, goes with the flow, creative, collective, sharing, kind, equality, and contextual. This character sees everything as interconnected and evaluates the bigger picture. To activate this character, feel a deep sense of gratitude, do something fun and be messy. Joy is the underlying feeling. Kids embrace this character while playing on the playground.
 
Dr. Taylor proposes you can learn to know which character is engaged and make conscious choices about who and how we want to be.  The 4 characters become familiar with one another and create healthy relationships among themselves. She created an acronym to help remember the steps of the B.R.A.I.N. huddle for the 4 characters. B is for breathe (pause button), R is for recognize (which is running in the present moment), A is for appreciate (listen to all 4), I is for Inquire (invite all 4 and strategize), N is for navigate (all 4 bring their best game). There are benefits to having a B.R.A.I.N, huddle, which include pushing the pause button, encouraging all 4 characters to voice their opinion, and knowing that a decision was based on the support of all 4 characters. With more experience you can see how the 4 characters play out in the lives of those around you, you can use it as a tool for quick and precise communication, and personal reflection can lead to positive change. With practice when we run a circuit by choice, it becomes stronger. The B.R.A.I.N, huddle can also be beneficial for resetting a connection with others during conflict or rescuing yourself in a challenging moment.
 
To help understand each of the 4 characters, Dr. Taylor uses analogies and modern topics in society. She explains what each character would title this book, what they might say after reading this book, and provides a message to each of your characters. She also relates each character at work and each character at the beach. The examples are easy to follow and there are personal reflection questions after each character description. Each character is connected to the body in how they would manage an illness, fitness, diet, and dieting. All are described as to how they relate to medical professionals and how they age. Then, each character is characterized for their connection with others. Each character is discussed for their role in romantic relationships, partner patterns, and when a relationship goes bad. Dr. Taylor takes the reader through the 4 character’s role in addiction and recovery. She describes her own addiction to tobacco and draws connections between the power of the B.R.A.I.N. huddle, hero’s journey, and 12 step programs. Finally, she looks at the influence of technology over the last 100 years. She explores the 4 characters for the GI generation, Silent generation, Baby boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z, and Alpha generation.
 
While you may have a dominant character, each of our 4 characters show up in different situations. You are not bound to your past. Everyone has the power to train their brain to easily shift between the characters and build new neural connections. She truly believes that if you are open to the 4 characters, you will have the power to influence your life in a positive way. She goes on to offer several suggestions on how to practice whole-brain living. Dr. Taylor has done her best to make sure readers do not fall deaf to the message that we all are perfect, whole, and beautiful beings. She believes there are two beautiful hemispheres that process information in their own unique way, but by bringing them together into whole-brain living there is a road map to both a deep inner peace and peace in the world. Her first TED talk was about her, but now her message is about you. According to Dr. Taylor, “You have the power to choose, moment to moment, who and how you want to be in the world… The more time you spend choosing to run the deep inner peace circuitry of your right hemisphere, the more peace you will project into the world and the more peaceful our planet will be. And I still think that’s an idea worth spreading.”
 
Other Related Resources
TED Talk- My Stroke of insight/Jill Bolte Taylor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU

My Stroke of Insight Website
http://www.mystrokeofinsight.com/

Whole Brain Living with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor/ The You-est YOU Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LisJ6vFwEk

Neuro Movement Revolution Podcast: Whole Brain Living with Jill Bolte Taylor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aExhhx12pY

The Secret to Using Your Whole Brain with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor & Jim Kwik
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwwC0Vi3FrU

Learn the Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our LIfe/ Dr Jill Bolte Taylor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhOeaxfdPg4

Good Life Project- Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor/ Whole Brain Living
https://www.goodlifeproject.com/podcast/dr-jill-bolte-taylor-whole-brain-living/

Psychological Concepts and Figures
Carl Jung
Michael Gazzaniga
Roger Sperry
 
Addiction
Amygdala
Archetypes
Attachment
Brain stem
Collective unconscious
Corpus callosum
Egocentric
Fast-track pain fibers
Hemisphere
Hippocampus
Intelligence
Limbic system
Motor cortex 
Multiple personality disorder
Myer-Briggs type indicator 
Nature v. nurture
Neuroanatomy
Neurogenesis 
Neuroplasticity
Parietal lobe
Personality 
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Schizophrenia
Scientific method 
Slow-track pain fibers
Split-brain surgery
Stroke
 

The Personality Brokers: The Strange History of Myers-Briggs and the Birth of Personality Testing
Author: Merve Emre
ASIN: B07B78TJ11
 
APA Style Citation
Emre, M. (2018). The personality brokers: The strange history of Myers-Briggs and the birth of personality testing. Toronto, ON: Random House Canada.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B78TJ11/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
​

Book Description
Have you been asked to take a personality test to be matched to the ideal college roommate or perfect summer job? If so, perhaps you have taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). But what exactly is this test and should you believe its results? Marve Emre, author of The Personality Brokers: The Strange History of Myers-Briggs and the Birth of Personality Testing takes the reader on a journey to discover the history of the test and its authors Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers.
 
Katharine was a self-reflective and intelligent young child. At a young age she attended college and met her husband Leyman Briggs. Once upon graduating, they lived in the Washington D.C. area and started their family. Katharine began her experiments and personality testing on her only daughter Isabel. Her living room became a laboratory for baby training. Soon she used her methods on neighborhood children and family acquaintances as well. Her daughter Isabel was a bright young child, just like her mother. Writing under a pseudonym, she wrote a checklist for transforming any child into an obedient and curious one.
 
While in college, Isabel met Clarence “Chief” Myers. Isabel quickly fell in love and they were engaged. They kept their engagement secret, which was scandalous and provided a divide with her mother. Upon President Wilson declaring war on Germany, Chief left college and joined the army. They were married June of 1918 and Chief encouraged her to pursue her passions. During WWI, Isabel recognized that there should be a division of labor so everybody works but at the job fit for them. This would become the goal of the MBTI, which promised to match workers to the jobs they were best suited for based on their needs. Isabel titled her first and only book Gifts Differing. When Chief returned, they moved to Philadelphia so he could attend law school. After Chief was fired from his teaching assistance position, she moved back home with her parents to save money. It was at just the right time; her mother was struggling with depression.
 
Katharine was obsessed with Carl Jung and that is not being dramatic. After ordering his book Psychological Types, she spent the next five years contemplating life and classifying all of her friends and family. His book became her Bible. Jung, the man from Zurich, was her personal God on earth. She wanted to bring Jung’s theories to the masses. She wrote another magazine article titled, “Meet Yourself: How to Use the Personality Paintbox.” It provided sixteen ways to grow from infancy to maturity. Later she created a questionnaire, but first she started with a 3x5 index cards method. If the reader recognized a description on a card, they would move it to the top of the table, only to be replaced if something else spoke to them more strongly. Self-discovery became accessible and even fun! Katharine was consumed and wanted to know more. She wrote a letter to Jung, asking more about intuition. Before Isabel returned home to her husband, Katharine shared her notes on type and child-rearing and encouraged her to use type language to improve her marriage.
 
Katharine turned to dream analysis. She was known for documenting her husband’s dreams when he awoke on her 3x5 cards. She also started a dream study club to analyze women in the neighborhood. She did not think of ethical concerns, which would be drafted two decades later by the APA.  Katharine analyzed other people's dreams and sought Jung's opinion.
 
In 1925, Henry Murray and Jung spent three weeks sailing Lake Zurich talking about life and women. Murray fell in love with Christina Morgan and took her to meet Jung. Once hypnotized, her inner self appeared to Jung in images rather than language.  Eventually, Murray was prompted to create images rather than ask for images when testing personality. Morgan was a skilled artist and created 19 original pictures. Subjects were handed a card and allowed to examine it for 20 seconds before being asked to name the main character. Most subjects then told developed stories. Morgan was the co-creator of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), but was never given credit. Murray went on to be the director of Harvard Psychological Clinic and became the public image of American personality psychology.
 
Both Murray and the Briggs family contributed to WWII and spent time trying to type Adolf Hitler’s personality. Murray was approached by the Office of Strategic Services (OCC) to analyze Hitler from his biography, political speeches, and classified reports. While it was fraught with speculation, Murray felt it was his patriotic duty and essential to the war effort. Katharine was fascinated by Hitler and her husband was asked to join a special advisory committee on the atomic bomb. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Isabel used her mother’s materials to create a questionnaire to match people’s different gifts to different professions. She called her device form A and insisted on putting her mother’s last name first- Briggs Myers Type Indicator.
 
Isabel started to work on her own indicator and was convinced to study normal behavior rather than the abnormal. In 1943, Isabel debuted her finished indicator, but not with her mother’s approval. Katharine did not believe it was necessary to have a questionnaire, when only simple observation was needed. But Isabel wanted the indicator to move on to the masses. The test now had 117 questions and offered two answer options.
 
The first request for the MBTI was from the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), led by Murray. They were interested in matching spies to the secret missions that best suited their personalities. The use of Isabel’s indicator meant she now played a role in the war effort. In the 1950’s Isabel’s fortunes rose along with capitalism, but her mother’s dementia was also developing. Isabel sent a letter to Jung sharing form C. Jung had his secretary respond warmly that the type indicator would be helpful to the future of type theory. He died shortly after. Isabel’s clients grew to some of the largest utility and insurance companies in the US. As she became more confident in the indicator, its influence began to spread more. Soon she was using it for admission to medical school. By 1954, she had typed over 5,000 medical students from 45 schools.
 
Isabel attended the first national conference on personality measurement in 1960.  She was not well liked by many members of the ETS staff. However, she was under the wing of president and founder of ETS Henry Chauncey, who was known for administering the SAT to Army and Navy reserve officers and then college admissions. Chauncey wanted to find the test that could do what the SAT did for cognitive testing. He released a memo called “Why the MBTI Seems Promising” with six practical reasons and made several changes to the indicator. First, he had Isabel change the last names so it would not be called BM. He also revised the test and recalibrated the answer keys. Then he switched intuition to N rather than I so as not to get mixed up with introversion. Chauncey’s lengthening and strengthening of the indicator turned the newly debuted form D into a questionnaire of 250 items. He also had the power of the computer, which made it possible to score tests at a much faster rate and collect data. Throughout the early 60s ETS worked to check the validity of each test item.
 
Isabel was hired as a consultant by ETS. For the first five years, she refused to share the answer keys with the statisticians. She thought validating each question was only a delay. During her time at ETS, she had several handlers throughout the transition to form E and F. However, her most challenging mentor was Lawrence Stricker. He was only 27 years-old and younger than her kids when he partnered with her. He prepared a secret document to be provided to the research department that outlined the major problems with the MBTI. Systematically he dismantled her indicator. Isabel was shaken, but returned to ETS being careful to reveal her true feelings. As the ability of validating the MBTI grew more and more impossible, Chauncey was still unwilling to give up. Instead, he shifted his attention to what the test could do without being valid. He believed it had a simple systematic language that any layman could identify with to help better understand their expressed preferences.
 
Isabel’s relationship with ETS was fracturing and she experienced several personal struggles, including her mother’s health declining and both of her children going through a divorce. She had also never asked for royalties on the thousands of tests ETS was selling. It was the mid 60’s when the writing on the wall became clear and ETS had to move on from Isabel and the MBTI. They had invested too much money in the validation and sales were below expectation. But Isabel was hard to shake; she had one last year with ETS. She turned her attention to the nursing field and went out west.
 
In 1968, Katharine died in Philadelphia at the age of 93. Her death, spurred 70-year-old Isabel into action. She spent the next 12 years hoping to preserve the family creation. That year she met Mary Hawley McCaulley, a psychologist at the University of Florida. Mary wanted a test to administer to multiple people that could be scored quickly. She discovered the MBTI in an ETS catalog and sent for a copy. She was skeptical at first, but soon recognized how much her patients reacted to their results. Mary met Isabel and quickly earned her trust. Isabel offered her the scoring key and made copies of the special keys. When Mary returned to Florida, she was determined to start a research center for type. Isabel would often travel to see Mary and help her sort the data. They called the joint venture the “typology laboratory” and would attend conferences together. Over the next decade they gathered 30,000 answer sheets from couples and families. Their hope was to one day create guidelines for couples of all type combinations. By the mid 70s their lab had become a leading center for marriage counseling in the state.
 
When Isabel was 75-years- old, she discovered her daughter dead on the bathroom floor after a surgery. She had lost her mother a few years earlier. It was then that her cancer came back. It was first in her lymph nodes when she was 56, but now it was in her right arm and elbow. Soon it spread to every organ and she was given a year to live. ETS had dismissed her as a consultant in the 60’s, but now they were ending publishing the test altogether. After her daughter’s death, it was Mary’s dedication to type that pushed Isabel. Since she was not an authentic psychologist, she feared the MTBI would die with her. She made it her final mission to find another publisher for her indicator.
 
It was Mary that reached out to Consulting Psychologist Press (CPP) as a last resort. The owners were businessmen and agreed under several conditions. First, the test had to be shortened to be more manageable. Second, Isabel must edit her type descriptions to be more friendly. Finally, she had to give them full aesthetic control. They wanted to make the test more attractive and easier to read. In 1975, Isabel agreed and signed control of the MBTI over to CPP. Soon CPP introduced a self-scoring form G. Her impending death gave up her control, but it also made the test shorter and more appealing to meet the masses.
 
Isabel died on May 5th, 1980 surrounded by her family. The story goes that one of her grandchildren misquoted a favorite line of poetry, to which Isabel drew a breath and corrected him before dying. Later she was cremated and her husband spread her and her daughter’s ashes in the wind. The Center for Applications of Psychological Type (CAPT), a nonprofit research center Isabel and Mary co-founded just before she died is where Isabel’s letters, diaries, and forms A-M are stored. The staff is very protective of her image. In order to receive access to materials, the author had to go through a re-education program for $2,000 and a four-day accreditation session. There were three rules needed to speak type fluently. First, you had to memorize the history of type. Second, you must not refer to the type indicator as a test.  There were no better or worse types. Each of the 16 types were equal and had strengths and weaknesses.  Third, you had to think of personality as innate and fixed. The MBTI became the most popular personality inventory in the world. For those born since the 80s you have probably been introduced to the MBTI at some point: applying to college, applying for a job, office furniture, or even through the American Bar Association. Many assumed that it was two male psychologists that created the indictor. Few know that it was really a mother-daughter team, not trained in psychology that changed the field of personality psychology.
 
Other Related Resources
Author’s Websitehttps://www.merveemre.com/paraliterary
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Anna Freud
Carl Gustav Jung
Charles Darwin
Emil Kraepelin 
Erik Erikson
Gordon Allport
Henry Murray
Ivan Pavlov
John B Watson
Philip Zimbardo 
Sigmund Freud
Stanley Milgram
William James
 
American Psychological Association 
Barnum effect
Behaviorist theories
Bimodality 
Confounding variables 
Creativity 
Cross-sectional research
Culture
Depression
Dream analysis
Empirical approach
Ethical concerns
Eugenics
Experimental design
Genius
Happiness and well-being
Hypnosis
Identity 
Industrial psychology
Innate
IQ 
Laissez-faire parenting
Libido
Longitudinal research 
Natural selection
Nature vs nurture
Obedience 
Percentile ranking
Persona
Personality assessment
Projection
Psychoanalysis
Psychometrics
Reliability
Rorschach inkblot
Schema
Scientific method
Self-actualization
Self-discovery
Self-report
Statistical significance, p values
Stereotypes 
T tests
Tabula rasa
Temperaments
Test-retest reliability 
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) 
Transference 
Type theory
Unconscious 
Validity 

The 57 Bus
Author:  Dashka Slater
ISBN:  9780374303259
 
APA Style Citation
Slater, D.  (2017).  The 57 bus. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/57-Bus-Story-Teenagers-Changed/dp/0374303231
​

​Book Description
Sasha and Richard were teenagers from Oakland, California trying to find themselves in the complicated world of identity, sexuality, friendships, school pressures, and family life.  This book is based on interviews conducted by author Dashka Slater with the individuals involved in an event that would change the lives of Sasha and Richard, their families and friends, and random strangers on the 57 bus that day forever.
 
Sasha was a quirky teenager who loved languages, communism, self-created games, ska-pop-punk bands, and public transport. Sasha was a brilliant academic who attended a small private high school in Oakland. Sasha had recently come out as agender and used the pronouns, they, them, and their. They wore a daily uniform of vest and skirts, bow ties and often top hats, enjoying this gender mash-up.  While Sasha's parents worried about whether they would be accepted, Sasha had a tight-knit group of friends at school and excelled in their classes.
 
Richard attended Oakland High School, which had a diverse population from the many different ethnic neighborhoods in the area. Richard sometimes left school in the middle of the day but maintained a good relationship with the school's truancy officer, Kaprice Wilson. The latter served as a surrogate mother to many of the school's toughest students. Richard asked to be on her caseload and wanted to meet her expectations, and often spent passing periods with other students in her office. Richard's mother was loving but often worked long hours to make ends meet and had not had a chance to finish high school after becoming pregnant at 14. In addition, Richard spent time in a juvenile detention center after he and some of his friends got into a fight on a trip to the beach.  Oakland was a dangerous city, and Richard knew many people who were sent to prison or shot due to the violence in the city.  
 
Both Sasha and Richard rode the 57 bus home after school on a regular basis. Even though Sasha had to make two transfers, they did not care because they were fascinated with public transport.  Sasha often read or did homework during the trip.  One afternoon they had dozed off while reading. Richard and his cousin Jamal were riding the same bus that day.  Jamal handed Richard a lighter after noticing Sasha sleeping and commented saying, "Look at this dude." Sasha was in their usual gear with a gauzy skirt, and Richard, as a prank, held the lighter to the bottom of the skirt. Much to his surprise, the skirt ignited and burst into flames. Richard and Jamal jumped from the bus at the next stop, and some other riders were able to extinguish the flames, but Sasha's legs were badly burned. They had to spend weeks in a burn unit, enduring multiple painful surgeries to graft skin back onto their injured legs. 
 
In his interview with police Richard, stated, "I wouldn't say that I hate gay people, but I am very homophobic." With that statement, Richard was charged with a hate crime and charged as an adult. There was an outpouring of support for Sasha at her school and in the community, and those who were close to Richard were confused as this did not seem to be the actions of the person they knew. Richard went first to the Alameda County Juvenile Hall and seemed to do well there with a lack of distraction and strict schedules. Richard was a 16- year-old junior in high school but was tried as an adult because of his prior record, the identification of this act as a hate crime, and what some saw as a lack of remorse. Richard had written a letter of apology to Sasha and her parents, but they did not receive the letter until years later because of ongoing litigation with the case. Many also believe that race played a role in the harsh sentence applied to Richard's crime.  Each year 250,000 juveniles are tried as adults and lose the privilege of anonymity or the ability to serve their time in a juvenile detention center. Despite Sasha's parents' plea to treat Richard as a minor, they were unsuccessful. However, they did reach out to Richard's mother, who they knew was struggling just as they were. 
 
Eventually, Sasha was back in school and thriving. They were accepted to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  Richard was ultimately sentenced to five years in state prison. Those who knew Richard contend that this was not a hate crime, but a prank gone horribly wrong.  This tragic event speaks not only to the pain and suffering Sasha endured due to the terrible burns on their legs but about the everyday challenges that nonbinary individuals face.  It also speaks to the justice system's flaws that send juveniles into adult prisons rather than juvenile detention centers, often creating individuals who come of age not in a place geared toward rehabilitation but towards punishment. 
 
Other Related Resources
 
Dashka Slater: Author's website
https://www.dashkaslater.com
 
Transgender Resources GLADD
https://www.glaad.org/transgender/resources
 
Online transgender support groups
https://www.verywellmind.com/best-online-transgender-support-groups-4800840
 
The Trevor Project: Organization to support LGBTQ youth
https://www.thetrevorproject.org
 
Live Out Loud: LGBT Youth  Organizations
https://www.liveoutloud.info/resources/lgbt-youth-organizations/
 
IGLYO: Creating LGBTQ youth advocates
https://www.liveoutloud.info/resources/lgbt-youth-organizations/
 
ACLU Factsheet on minors in the legal system
https://www.verywellmind.com/best-online-transgender-support-groups-4800840
 
The Juvenile Justice System
https://www.nap.edu/read/9747/chapter/7
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Agender
Cisgender
Discrimination
Gender fluid
Stereotyping
Transgender
 

Personality Isn’t Permanent: Break Free From Self-Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story
Author: Benjamin Hardy
ISBN: 9780593083314
Bottom of Form
​
APA Style Citation
Hardy, B. (2020). Personality isn’t permanent: Break free from self-limiting beliefs and rewrite your story. New York, NY: Portfolio/Penguin.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Personality-Isnt-Permanent-Self-Limiting-Beliefs-ebook/dp/B07N5H5C4N
 

​Book Description
Who do you want to be? Is your personality determined for you or do you have a choice? Personality Isn’t Permanent: Break Free From Self-Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story takes you on a journey of self-discovery. The mainstream perspective is that personality is innate and fixed. You are born the person you are and cannot change that. However, many people are at least partially dissatisfied with their personality. Why do so many of us think personality is fixed? We rely on causal determinism, where everything is caused by the past. However, you can make choices, and your social and cultural environments help guide you. Your personality isn’t permanent and you are not bound by your past.
 
The field of personality is filled with myths. One myth includes personality can be split into “types.” The mother-daughter team of Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers created personality types to help individuals feel comfortable with who they are, but type-based personality tests are unscientific. Instead, leading research focuses on five factors that describe traits along a continuum that also allows for change. Research has supported that personality can be changed with personal effort and goal-setting. Intentional change is challenging, but possible. Another myth is that personality is innate and fixed, stemming from your past. Longitudinal studies have found that personality changes. You will not be the same person as you are now in ten years. Who you want to be is more important that who you are now, so make decisions based on your future rather than present desires. As you grow and develop, your past changes with you. The personal narrative changes with each retelling and new experience. Your present context changes everything, including your memories. Another myth is one must discover their personality. Individuals are often encouraged to find their passion, but perhaps they should focus on finding a need that needs to be filled. Dr. Hardy talks about how passion and motivation should be viewed as effects rather than causes. Passion is the prize, but you will have to invest first. Personality is the same, it is the consequence of your life decisions. Purpose feeds personality and purpose isn’t something you discover, but rather something you choose. Finally, finding your personality will help you find your “authentic” self. This belief allows individuals to only do what is natural or easy to them and take a fixed approach to personality. Instead, your authentic self should be who you want to become.
 
It is your goals that shape your personality. What are your goals? Goals have three sources: exposure, desire, and confidence. Knowledge helps build your goals. Find sources of inspiration, read biographies of those who wish to emulate, pursue your desires, be courageous, and build your confidence. Peak desires happen not by random chance, but with intention. Who is your future self? Build your identity based on who you want to become. Dr. Hardy encourages individuals to set one goal. According to him, “One goal creates focus. Focus creates momentum. Momentum and confidence spill into all other areas of your life.” In order to stay motivated, you need a clear goal, a path to achieve that goal, and the confidence that you can succeed. Commitment to that goal should be 100%! Each decision should be based on helping you achieve that goal and individuals should measure their performance towards that goal. Dr. Hardy believes success at night and in the morning are important to your success. If your willpower is weak at night, then just go to bed. Going to bed after you search social media or watched some Netflix, gets you no closer to your goal. However, an extra hour of sleep does wonders. Get up early and seize the day! The positive effects of gratitude journals have been well documented. Daily journaling can also keep you on track to achieve your goals.
 
According to Dr. Hardy, there are four “personality levers” that shape your future self. These levers include: trauma, identity narrative, subconscious, and environment. Once you understand how they work, you can change your personality. Transform your trauma. The author talks of having an empathetic witness to help transform the trauma into growth. Painful experiences need to be faced rather than avoided. Shift your story and make your identity narrative about what you can attain in the future. Meaning is used to understand our life. You can control the meaning of your experiences by controlling your emotions. You have to get better at identifying and labeling your emotions, and finally letting the negative emotions go. Recognize that memories change. A horrible experience can be turned into a learning experience, and you can choose the story to remember. Dr. Hardy said, “The past is just raw material to work with. It’s entirely malleable and flexible. You get to take the pieces and choose which one’s to discard and how you’re going to frame them.” Be more aware of your subconscious. Emotions and memories are physical. Our body becomes addicted to the repetitive behaviors we do. Some individuals become addicted to stress. When not feeling stressed, they become uneasy. Dig deep and find out what you are hiding within. Some suggestions offered by the author include fasting (i.e., food or technology) and making charitable donations.  Both are connected to happiness and techniques to enhance your subconscious. Finally, pay attention to your environment. Putting yourself in a new environment (i.e., people, places, roles) is a quick way to change your personality. As we age, we tend to stop having “first experiences.” We also tend to stop trying new environments and stick with what is comfortable, which helps strengthen the belief that personality is fixed and stable over time. Your personality is shaped by the culture that surrounds you and the peer group you choose. Learn to control your environment, by picking one that reminds you of your future self. A culture wall, consisting of illustrations representing your beliefs and aspirations, can be used as a visual reminder of who you want to become. Change your computer password to a phrase that is consistent with your future self. Reorganize your surroundings, even your closet, to match your goals. Be selectively ignorant of anything that gets you off track of finding your future self. As Dr. Hardy stated, “Your input shapes your identity, biology, and personality. When you change your inputs, all of these change.” Sometimes it is necessary to have a forcing function, which is a situation that forces you to take action and produce a result. They are designed to force individuals in the direction of growth. Sometimes they can be financial investments, such as paying for a gym membership to inspire positive health habits. Get to know your environment and the impact it has on you, then be strategic about picking an environment that steers your future.
 
Personality isn’t fixed, it is a choice. Your personality isn’t permanent and you are not bound by your past. Instead, the future helps change your past. Dr. Hardy believes, “Your past isn’t happening to you. Your past is happening for you.” It is purpose that drives your personality. Many people put stock in their personality test results, but personality tests are usually self-reported and therefore constantly changing based on current circumstances. Personality tests can provide different scores at different times and even different settings. Personality is so much more than the results on a simple test. You have the power to pick your future personality, it is not permanent. Make it a good one!
 
Other Related Resources
Author’s Website
https://benjaminhardy.com/
 
Author’s YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC07WXGmXVbNrv3VMOp5DvDw
 
Benjamin Hardy, Medium’s Most Popular Write, Shares the Three Keys to Writing Great Non-Fiction
https://www.writingroutines.com/benjamin-hardy/
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Abraham Maslow
Carol Dweck
Daniel Gilbert
William James
 
Altruism
Authenticity
Big Five personality traits
Causal determinism
Confidence
Context
Cortisol
Culture
Decision fatigue
Dopamine
Ego
Emotional regulation
Empathetic witness
Enhance imagination
Enneagram
Environment
Fight-or-flight
Fixed mindset
Flow
fMRI
Gratitude
Homeostasis
Ideal self
Identity
Inkblots
Innate
Instant gratification
Labels
Longitudinal
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
NEO Personality Inventory
Peak experiences
Personality
Primary and secondary emotions
Refractory period
Reliable
Selective attention
Selective ignorance
Self-actualization
Self-esteem
Self-report tests
Subconscious
Traits
Trauma
Type A personality
Valid
 

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Author:  Isabel Wilkerson
ISBN-13:  978-0-593-23025-1
 
APA Style Citation
Wilkerson, I. (2020). Caste: The origins of our discontents. New York, NY: Random House.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Caste-Origins-Discontents-Isabel-Wilkerson/dp/0593230256
​

​Book Description
Isabel Wilkerson's follow-up to her epic first book, The Warmth of Other Suns about the migration of American blacks out of the South, tackles the long history of race in America. It is clear from the title that Wilkerson contends that race in America is comparable to the longstanding caste system in India.  Wilkerson defines caste as "the granting or withholding of respect, status, honor, attention, privileges, resources, benefit of the doubt, and human kindness to someone based on their perceived rank or standing in the hierarchy of order and a justification for the classification of people." Wilkerson describes the eight pillars of a caste system, which provide a sense of entitlement and ingrains this into people's subconscious so that the system perpetuates itself generation after generation.  While the untouchables in India still face discrimination and oppression despite the official eradication of the caste system, so do blacks in America despite many laws and court cases that propose all people are treated equally.  
 
Wilkerson traces the origins of the American caste system back to colonial times in which America invented this system to benefit the dominant caste and then created laws and customs to ensure that the system remained intact. Wilkerson describes that Europeans were initially considered Italian or German, etc. Africans were Igbo or Yoruba, etc. It was not until all of these individuals came to America that they were considered "white" or "black."  Wilkerson describes how Paul Broca tried to use thirty-four shades of skin color to delineate the races but could make no conclusion because of the many variations in skin tones within a given culture. Even the name Caucasian is a socially constructed term.  German medical professor Johann Friedrich studied human skulls. He deemed the skull from the Caucasus Mountains of Russia to be the most beautiful, thereby associating "better" characteristics to white skulls and associating the name far more broadly than it was initially intended. Jane Elliott explains how an arbitrary division can create a sense of superiority or inferiority as she did in her famous Brown-Eyes, Blue-Eyes study.  She first told her class that all of those with brown eyes were lazy and not smart, and within hours they were ostracized by their classmates. 
 
Black bodies became dehumanized, deemed as property in the courts, and inspected as if cattle at slave auctions.  Even the father of gynecology came to his discoveries by conducting unnecessary surgeries on enslaved women without the use of anesthetic. Psychological research from Stanley Milgram to Philip Zimbardo tells us that dehumanization makes violence more likely. Many in the dominant caste even convinced themselves that what they were doing was righteous and "noble." Even after the Civil War, in which enslaved people were free by law, the caste system, as well as a series of Jim Crow laws, made the caste system as strong as ever for African-Americans. This system of subordination was passed through many generations, and those in the dominant caste consoled themselves by placing child-like qualities on African-Americans and believed the system they had created was somehow "just." 
 
Acts that were intended to protect Americans mistreatment at work and provide for a secure retirement with the Wagner and Social Security Acts often excluded black workers who were in the 1930’s still often farm laborers and domestics based on the jobs available to their caste. Even as some African-Americans came to be well-known, certain careers were deemed acceptable such as athletes or entertainers.  Many well-known African-Americans today still fit this profile. These separate worlds created an implicit bias demonstrated by the association of "good" with white dolls and "bad" with black dolls demonstrated by psychology professors Kenneth and Mamie Clark.  This work was used as part of the 1954 Supreme Court case of Brown vs. Board of Education, which demonstrated that separate educational facilities for black and white children were inherently unequal. 
 
Wilkerson sets out to understand how the hierarchy of class continues to oppress African-Americans today. She recounts one instance in which she arrives at a shop to interview the owner as a journalist for the New York Times. He is running late, and Wilkerson looks around the shop until he arrives. When she approaches him, he indicates that he cannot talk because he is late for an interview with the New York Times.  Wilkerson indicates that she is the journalist, but the man cannot seem to understand that a black woman could be the journalist, and he demands to see her credentials. She leaves without the interview but with a clear message that he believes her to be an imposter in her own career.  
 
Wilkerson explains the health implications that come with keeping one's head constantly on a swivel and dealing with the daily slight or blindness that comes with one's placement: the stewardess's expectation that you are sitting in coach, the person who grasps their purse as you pass by, the interview you do not get because of your African sounding name, the low expectations that teachers may place on you because of skin color.  While Wilkerson does provide examples of moving beyond this system to find common ground with those who may hold stereotypes, she provides ample evidence that we are not living in a post-racial America and that the acceptance and understanding of this is a step towards compassion and understanding.
 
Other Related Resources
Authors website
https://www.isabelwilkerson.com
 
Isabel Wilkerson interview with NPR
https://www.npr.org/transcripts/898574852
 
Muck Rack: Articles by Isabel Wilkerson
https://muckrack.com/isabel-wilkerson/articles
 
Armchair Expert: Dax Shepard podcast with Isabel Wilkerson
https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/isabel-wilkerson
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Paul Broca
Kenneth and Mamie Clark
Jane Elliott
Stanley Milgram
Philip Zimbardo
 
Dehumanization
Discrimination
Heritability
Implicit bias
In-group
Narcissism
Out-group
Out-group homogeneity
Prejudice
Scapegoat theory
Stereotype
Stereotype threat
Stockholm syndrome

So You Want To Talk About Race
Author: Ijeoma Oluo
ISBN:  978-1-58005-882-7
 
APA Style Citation
Oluo, I. (2019).  So you want to talk about race. Hachette Book Group, New York, N.Y.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QBQF4GS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
​

Book Description
Given the racial tensions that came to a head after the killing of George Floyd this past summer, demonstrations by many white supremacy groups, and the increasing diversity in the United States, a better understanding of how to discuss the issue in a way that promotes greater understanding is essential.  Ijeoma Oluo provides these tools in So You Want To Talk About Race.  As a social activist, Ijeoma often fielded questions about conversations regarding race that did not go well or addressed questions about how to bring up issues of race with family members, co-workers, or others who have behaved in a racially insensitive way.  Oluo describes her intention to write this book as a toolkit that people can go back to as different issues regarding race come up in their own lives.  
 
Oluo does not suggest that moving towards racial equality will be easy or comfortable. The intention of the book is to find constructive ways to engage in the conversation. Starting the conversation means accepting some facts about racial disparities in the United States:  Someone with a black sounding  (Jamal) name is less likely to be called back for a job interview than someone with a white sounding (Peter) name even when the credentials are equivalent. Living in a "black neighborhood" means that the value of a house will be less than a house in a "white neighborhood," and the person who owns the house is more likely to be paying a higher interest rate on the house's loan. One in three African-American men will spend some time in prison despite committing crimes at the same rate as Caucasian men. Black boys and girls are more likely to face more severe disciplinary actions at school (i.e., referrals, suspensions, expulsion) than their white counterparts for the same infractions. 
 
Oluo makes a clear distinction between race as a social construct and dismisses the idea that social class rather than race is the primary factor in the oppression of African-Americans. A mistake that many will make in conversations about race is that intention drives offense. The first guideline Oluo provides is that if a person of color thinks it's about race-its about race.  The second rule is that it is about race if it disproportionately or differently affects people of color. While there are many acts of overt racism (but not all), it is the daily slights that Oluo says add up to anger and frustration on the part of African-Americans.  She describes being black in the United States as being in an abusive relationship with the world. To her, each time a person assumes she was promoted because of her race, told she is "too loud," or asked if someone can touch her hair is a cut that eventually leads to a huge wound.  
 
Oluo is clear that these conversations are likely to go poorly, at least some of the time, but they are still important to have and continue having. We have to recognize that we might screw it up and have to work on doing things better in the future.  She shares a conversation she had with her own mother (who is white) and assumed that she could understand her children's day-to-day life.  Even though her mother had good intentions, as a white woman she could not understand what it was like to live as a black person.  While Oluo provides many recommendations for engaging in these conversations, a few need particular attention. 

1. Don't make your anti-racism argument oppressive against other groups.
2. When you start to feel defensive, stop and ask yourself why.
3. If you are white, watch how many times you say "I" and "me".
4. Ask yourself, "Am I trying to be right, or am I trying to do better?"
5. Do not force people of color into discussions of race.

 
Oluo goes on to explain privilege and provides some questions for reflection regarding your own privilege. She recognizes her own privilege and challenges and encourages those who want to engage in meaningful discussions to address the advantages they may have experienced because of their gender, race, socioeconomic status, educational background, marital status, etc. 
 
Oluo discusses intersectionality, which addresses the interconnectedness of many social categorizations.  All of us have numerous identities, and each of these contribute to our interactions with the world.  We cannot just look at an individual's race as their only defining factor.  This makes fighting racism more complicated because elements of race are interwoven with other elements of a person. For example, a single black mother is more likely to live in poverty than a white single mother.
 
The book serves as a workbook for tackling tough conversations and provides a space for self-reflection about how each of us can contribute to changing racism one conversation at a time, it also dispels many myths and assumptions about discussions of race but does not shy away from the challenges ahead.  
 
Other Related Resources
Google Talks: Ijeoma Oluo
Discussion with Ijeoma Oluo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnybJZRWipg
 
Author's Website
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnybJZRWipg
 
NPR: Want to have better conversations with your parents about racism? Here's how
https://www.npr.org/2020/06/09/873054935/want-to-have-better-conversations-about-racism-with-your-parents-heres-how
 
The Cavalier Daily: So you want to talk about race
A toolkit for starting tough conversations
https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2020/07/so-you-want-to-talk-about-race
 
Interview with Ijeoma Oluo
https://www.vox.com/2020/6/9/21285062/ijeoma-oluo-interview-talk-race-book-george-floyd-protests
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Discrimination
In-group
Microaggressions
Out-group homogeneity
Prejudice
Stereotyping
 

​Talking to Strangers  
Author:  Malcolm Gladwell
ISBN-13:  978-0-316-53562-5
 
APA Style Citation
Gladwell, M. (2019). Talking to Strangers. Little Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group, New York, N.Y.
 
Buy this Book 
https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Strangers-Should-about-People/dp/0316478520
 
 

​Book Description
Malcolm Gladwell’s latest foray into the investigation of human behavior explores how implicit biases can lead us astray when evaluating someone’s intentions and behaviors. Most of the stories that Gladwell features are those in which something went wrong, and someone was misjudged because of their charisma, work ethic or skin color. Gladwell opens with the story of Sandra Bland, who was pulled over for a simple traffic stop in Houston, Texas in 2015 and in a series of misjudgments and misunderstandings wound up dead in a Texas jail.  Gladwell addresses how Adolf Hitler was able to convince Neville Chamberlin and other world leaders in the 1930s that he was simply trying to unify German speakers who were split apart after WWI, not take over all of Europe. Gladwell addresses judges doling out sentences or determining who will be “high risk” when setting bail. He contends that we often think that we can “see into the hearts of others based on the flimsiest of clues.”
            In most cases, people will default to truth, when we are unsure about others intentions, we assume they are being truthful. When we know a little bit about someone else and especially when that little bit is good, “they went to Harvard,” “they are a hard worker,” we tend to demonstrate the halo effect. When this happens, we assume that people with one positive characteristic also have other positive characteristics. This phenomenon allowed Ana Montes to rise through the ranks of the CIA to become known as, “The Queen of Cuba.”  Montes was hard-working, attractive, and articulate.  When questioned about an American plane that was shot down over Cuba, Montes had answers at the ready, and the CIA agent who interviewed her was satisfied she had nothing to do with the event despite a number of unusual coincidences between her connections in Cuba and the events surrounding the plane incident. As psychological researchers have long known, people are generally terrible at spotting a liar. We are also far more likely to believe that people are telling the truth rather than lying. Tim Levine of the University of Alabama labels this the Truth-Default Theory (TDT).  Ana Montes was a spy for the Cubans and had a direct connection to Fidel Castro, but she fooled her co-workers, siblings, and boyfriend (all of whom were in the intelligence community) for years.  Once people found out that Montes had been secretly funneling information to Cuba for years, they demonstrated hindsight bias and began to question her earlier behavior, but nobody raised questions at the time. As intelligence officers, they felt guilt about not being able to detect a spy in their ranks, and tried to reflect back on events in which they had suspicions about Montes’ behavior.  This rationalization likely helped to alleviate the cognitive dissonance of those who knew and worked with Montes, but Gladwell suggests that we are still likely to default to the truth and believe people even when we should not.
In other examples, Bernie Madoff embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars in a Ponzi scheme, which went on for years undetected despite multiple people raising questions about his returns and the amount of market share he supposedly managed. Jerry Sandusky took advantage of his high-profile status as a football coach to abuse young boys who were in his care.  In other cases, we can assume that someone is lying when, in fact, they are telling the truth. Amanda Knox was accused of killing her roommate in a strange sex triangle gone wrong because she did not act “how a grieving roommate should” in her interactions with police and others after the crime occurred. She spent seven years in an Italian prison until it was demonstrated that a drifter with a record was the true perpetrator. Even then, some Italian officials claimed that Knox was the killer because they had become convinced that she committed the crime, and their belief perseverance would not let them change their mind.
 
One might think that this default to truth is a dangerous way to live as we can be duped into believing people who are lying to us. Levine suggests otherwise, he indicates that in general lies are fairly rare and told by a small subset of people. As such, our default to truth might serve a purpose of social connection because if we questioned everyone’s intentions all of the time, we would often accuse people of lying when they were telling the truth and we would ostracize ourselves for the accusation. We overestimate our ability to judge others behaviors, but according to Gladwell, we may be wrong more often than we think.
 
 
Other Related Resources
Malcolm Gladwell website
https://www.gladwellbooks.com
 
Malcolm Gladwell Revisionist History podcast 
http://revisionisthistory.com
 
Malcolm Gladwell on Taking to Strangers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is8_0cJx82w
 
Malcolm Gladwell on C-Span
https://www.c-span.org/video/?464128-1/qa-malcolm-gladwell
 
 
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Charles Darwin
Paul Ekman
Tim Levine
Stanley Milgram
Claude Steele
 
Actor-observer effect
Amygdala
Availability heuristic
Belief perseverance
Cerebellum
Cognitive dissonance
Discrimination
Displacement
Duchenne smile
Frontal lobe
Fundamental attribution error
Halo effect
Hindsight bias
Implicit bias
Just world phenomenon
Overconfidence
Prefrontal cortex
Prejudice
Self-serving bias
Stereotypes
 
 
 

Smoke and Mirrors: An Experience of China
Author: Pallavi Aiyar
ISBN-13: 978-8172238469
ISBN-10: 8172238460
 
APA Style Citation
Aiyar, P. (2008). Smoke and mirrors: An experience of China. India: HarperCollins Publishers.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Mirrors-Experience-Pallavi-Aiyar/dp/8172238460
​

​Book Description
How much do you know about two of the most populated countries in the world? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in another country? Pallavi Aiyar, author of Smoke and Mirrors: An Experience of China, provided her personal account of being Indian and living in China from 2002-2007. During her stay in China, she taught English at a public university and reported for an Indian newspaper. For five years, she traveled and asked questions to learn more about the history and culture of China. Her story is one that quickly draws in the reader and explores various stereotypes about two of the most populated countries in the world.
 
Aiyar’s story is much more than a travel journal, she shared her observations about politics and culture for both China and India. While comparing the two countries she addressed topics such as language, education, social etiquette, diet, SARS coronavirus, economic partnerships and growth, poverty, infrastructure, technological feats, gender, the elderly, religion, Tibet, and population growth to name a few. She looked at China under the leadership of Mao and the country’s preparation of the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing.
 
While living in Beijing, Aiyar was drawn to the hutong neighborhoods, many of which were being destroyed in preparation for the Olympics. Hutongs are narrow streets hidden between Siheyuans, a traditional building in China with central courtyards and filled with Chinese history and culture. The houses are connected, and people quickly build relationships with one another simply due to the close proximity in which they live. She talked of how the hutongs were a “celebration of the collective over the individual.” Residents also shared a communal toilet, where quite a few impromptu gatherings occurred. The densely packed housing forced people outside to come together in the cold, share gossip, play games, and exercise. Even in the winter, individuals would wake up early and participate in group exercises or dances.
 
After her experience in China, Pallavi is often asked the questions of “Which country is better?” and “If I could choose, would I rather be born Indian or Chinese?” Not an easy question to answer, it becomes even more complicated by the fact the countries mirror each other’s failures and achievements. To understand a little more about the politics and culture of two of the most populated countries in the world, check out Smoke and Mirrors: An Experience of China.
 
Other Related Resources
Book website
https://pallaviaiyar.com/books/smoke-and-mirrors/
 
NYT Book Review: Smoke and Mirrors
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/arts/16iht-bookwed.html
 
Beijing Hutong
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/hutong/
https://www.chinahighlights.com/beijing/hutong/
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/a-comprehensive-guide-to-beijings-hutongs/
 
Morning Exercises
https://qz.com/996047/the-song-and-exercise-morning-routines-of-modern-chinese-offices-have-revolutionary-roots/
 
Hotel Team Building Exercise
https://observers.france24.com/en/20130118-video-chinese-company-team-building-exercise-youku
 
Mandatory Exercise
https://foreignpolicy.com/2010/08/11/beijing-reintroduces-mandatory-exercises/
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Categorize
Collectivism
Homonyms
Identity
Optimism
Phonemes
Stereotypes
Suicide
Well-being

​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

​Behind the Shock Machine:  The Untold Story of the Notorious Milgram Psychology Experiments
ISBN: 978-1921844553
 
APA Style Citation:
Perry, G. (2012). Behind the shock machine: The untold story of the notorious Milgram psychology experiments. Brunswick, Vic: Scribe Publications.

​Book Description
This book will change many notions you have regarding what happened in the now infamous Milgram shock experiment at Yale University in the 1960s. Australian writer Gina Perry ventures to Yale to examine the original transcripts from Milgram’s work. Much has been written regarding the debriefing and reuniting of the teacher and learner before the departure of the teacher from the lab. Perry argues that perhaps as many as two-thirds of participants left the lab, never knowing that they did not harm the learner. Some of the nearly 3,000 participants in the study may not have learned about the results until almost three years after their participation in the study, while other participants were tested. It seems that Milgram was worried about word of the study getting around the relatively small town of New Haven before he concluded his work. He believed the debriefing had the potential to confound the results of the research, and from his perspective was enough of a reason to deny debriefing directly after the experiment ended. Perry interviewed a number of the former participants, many of whom still have particularly bad feelings and recollections about the study. One past participant explains calling all of the local hospitals after participating, believing that he had harmed someone so severely that they must have checked into a nearby hospital. Another describes sitting in his car for an hour after he left the lab, pondering what he had just done and feeling terrible. The wife of one participant describes her despondent husband, who had trouble sleeping for an extended period after the study.  
These first-hand descriptions are a far cry from the description Milgram provided of participants stating they were glad they participated in the study. The experimenter (a high school science teacher) was provided with four prompts to encourage participants to continue with the shocks. If the participants still refused to continue after all four prompts were exhausted, he was instructed to stop the study and allow the participant to leave. As the experiments continued over multiple years, Perry cites instances in which the experimenter went through eight attempts to urge the participants to continue. This likely had the effect of creating higher participation rates, which Milgram then published.  
Milgram described defiant participants as “bad” and complying participants as “good” in his notes, which, according to Perry, demonstrates a strong confirmation bias. Perry argues that Milgram knew the result he wanted and expected far ahead of the “live” study. Milgram ran several “practice trials” before the experiment went live, which produced nearly the same result. Also, Perry addresses Milgram’s argument that the events surrounding WWII had inspired this work. In her research, she did not find any references to this until after the study’s conclusion when Milgram gained popularity for the study.  
While this is a harsh assessment of Milgram’s infamous study, it is a revealing snapshot of what occurred behind the scenes of the famous study, and the personal reflections of the participants alone make this a compelling read.
 
 
Other Related Resources
Podcast with Gina Perry
http://www.wnyc.org/story/313564-untold-story-notorious-milgram-psychology-experiments/
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Solomon Asch
Diana Baumrind
Stanley Milgram and obedience to authority
 
 
 

Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave
Author:  Adam Alter
ISBN-10: 0143124935
ISBN-13: 978-0143124931

APA Style Citation
Alter, A. (2013).  Drunk tank pink: And other unexpected forces that shape how we think, feel, and behave. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
 
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/Drunk-Tank-Pink-Unexpected-Forces/dp/0143124935

​Book Description
Can the color pink calm rowdy prisoners? Yes! Drunk tank pink is the affectionate name for the bubblegum-pink shade of paint used in jail cells in San Jose, CA in the 1980s. Soon after, the use of the color pink spread like wildfire in efforts to change people’s behavior. Drunk Tank Pink investigates how context effects and hidden forces shape our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is filled with studies that leave you wondering just how much we are impacted by the world within us, the world between us, and the world around us.
 
The World Within Us: The world within us consists of names, labels, and symbols.
 
Sometimes our names can determine our destiny. For example, Carl Jung “young” studied youth and rebirth. Freud, which means joy in German, studied the pleasure principle. Usain Bolt became the fastest man in the world. If our name is easy to pronounce, it opens doors and makes us money. People tend to prefer the letters in their name. For instance, people with a name starting with K donated more for Hurricane Katrina recovery because they associated the storm with their name. Names can be powerful.
 
Labels also make our lives easier and help us make decisions. Color labels shape how we see the world. Our reality is also influenced by the language we speak. Language impacts our perception of personal space, physical space, and time.  Sometimes even meaningless labels gain meaning and impact us. For example, north is thought of as being above. Individuals are more willing to travel five minutes south because north implies uphill and requiring more effort and gas. According to the framing effect, the wording of a statement impacts decision making. Labels can distort eyewitness memory and reshape our social interactions.
 
Symbols are also a powerful influencer. Symbolic images can be more powerful than words. For example, students were exposed to negative symbols that changed their later impressions. Company logos set off a network of associations, such as The Apple Company enhances our creativity. Money is a powerful symbol. As we watch money be destroyed, possibilities seem to disappear. Nationalism and religion are also powerful symbols. The American flag can unite or inspire aggression, depending on the association when primed. Being reminded of religion primes an individual to be honest in their future interactions. The world within us shapes a diverse range of outcomes.
 
The World Between Us: We are surrounded by others, socially motivated, and view life through a cultural lens.
 
Being surrounded by others changes our behavior. Adding a picture of eyes above an honesty box by communal coffee influences the amount of contributions. Posting ads stating “We’ve got our eyes on criminals” lowers criminal activity. We like to be surrounded by others, and social isolation has significant effects. We’ve learned this from case studies, such as Genie, a girl who was isolated for the first 13 years of her life, and individuals living underground to simulate the isolation astronauts might experience. Our behaviors change when we are forced to compare ourselves with others. A utility company reduced electricity use by showing customers how much other households use.  Noor, a Turkish soap opera, changed the Arab world by showing viewers marital benefits of gender equality. We feel connected to others when we mimic each other. While two people talk on the phone, they often synchronize their steps by following the rise and fall of their voices. Performing in front of others can be exhilarating, but it depends on the ease of the task. Students did better on the SAT with fewer competitors. Also, having too many people around can be problematic as found in the bystander effect.
 
According to Abraham Maslow, we are socially motivated. After our physiological needs are met, we seek safety. Men are more likely than women to die from accidental causes because they take greater risks. Next, we need the social support of love and belonging. A nasal spray, called Liquid Trust, applied before important social events can lead to feelings of trust. The spray contains oxytocin, which is believed to promote positive responses for in-group members. A photo of a loved one produces the same response as oxytocin by activating the same reward centers in the brain. Amazingly, imagined social support is just as effective as real support. The top of Maslow’s hierarchy is self-actualization, consisting of self-acceptance and moral clarity. Individuals donate more when asked to recall childhood memories. People are also more honest when forced to stare at their mirror image.
 
Everyone sees objects and places through a cultural lens. This is evident with the famous Muller-Lyer illusion. Bushmen from southern Africa and tribes from North Angola and Ivory Coast failed to fall for the illusion because they were raised in rounded houses that did not possess angled lines. Studies have also explored the impact of culture and focus. Chinese and American participants studied photos with a central background. Americans focused their attention on the main object and less time on the background, whereas Chinese participants focused more on both the object and background. We see people, math, art, and honor through a cultural lens. There are also culture-bound disorders. Anorexia is concentrated in the wealthiest regions of the world. While the hikikomori disorder of lacking any social contacts is a disorder almost exclusively limited to Japan. Being immersed in another culture impacts the person we become. The social world we live in shapes a diverse range of outcomes.
 
The World Around Us: We are shaped by colors, locations, and the weather.
 
Colors influence our world by shaping how we think and behave. Blue lights in Scotland have decreased criminal activity, and blue lights in Japan have stopped suicide attempts. We have learned to associate colors and objects. That blue light mimicked a police car’s flashing lights. Colors can impact us at work or school. Students have learned to fear red ink. While using a red pen, teachers found more errors. At the same time, writing in red ink students produced more mistakes. Even more confusing, depending on the intellectual task red can be beneficial. Proofreading or memorizing a list of words (tasks that both require attention to detail) presented against a red background becomes beneficial. Color impacts sports. Athletes who wear red uniforms win more often, while athletes who wear black are seen as more aggressive. Colors have even been associated with morals. We associate lightness with morality and darkness with immorality. Colors influence through association, but also biology. Red is associated with love because it signals sexual arousal. Blue halts production of melatonin.
 
Locations also influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Outgoing children became hostile, anxious children after minutes in an overcrowded room. Living in packed quarters hinders generosity and diminishes quality of life. Overcrowding creates noise, and the constant hum stifles creativity and learning. Children raised on lower floors, which tend to be loud, struggled more to read than their peers living on higher floors. Natural environments can bring positive effects. Patients recover faster in rooms facing a small courtyard. Children who spent time outdoors were more relaxed, focused, happier, and friendly. Even children who sat indoors with natural views were calmer. Japan and Germany have already been using natural therapy. The Japanese practice forest bathing- walking for a long time while inhaling woodsy scents. The Germans physically exercise in forest clearings. Natural environments promote calmness and well-being because they expose us to low levels of stress.
 
Even the weather influences us. Civil conflicts have been driven by changes in climate. Southern states are more prone to violent crime. On hot days, domestic violence rates increase. Long cold winters breeds love. Social isolation creates a literal chill. Students held a cup of hot coffee or iced coffee while riding an elevator and were asked to rate another person. If they held the hot coffee cup, they rated the individual as warmer and friendlier (not attractive or strong). The sensation of physical warmth alleviates the need for social contact.  The weather also influences our well-being. Rain, snow, and darkness are responsible for great unhappiness. However, a sunnier day brings on mental stupor. Individuals recalled three times as many items on rainy days as sunny days. Gloomy weather hampers mood, but it makes us think more deeply and clearly. The world around us shapes our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
 
Think about the world within us, the world between us, and the world around us.  Just how much of you has been determined by your environment? If you want to know more, this is a must read!
 
Other Related Resources

Adam Alter Webpage
http://adamalterauthor.com/drunk-tank-pink
 
Color Matters
https://www.colormatters.com/color-and-the-body/drunk-tank-pink
 
NPR: “Drunk Tank Pink” Find Clues To Behavior
https://www.npr.org/2013/04/05/176339686/drunk-tank-pink-finds-clues-to-behavior
 
Scientific American- MIND Reviews: Drunk Tank Pink
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mind-reviews-drunk-tank-pink/?redirect=1
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts 
 
Alfred Adler
Solomon Asch
Darley and Latané
Jane Elliott
Sigmund Freud
Genie
Kitty Genovese
Harry Harlow
William James
Carl Jung
Wolfgang Köhler
John Locke
Elizabeth Loftus
Abraham Maslow
Hermann Rorschach
Stanley Schachter
Normal Triplet
Benjamin Whorf
Bob Zajonc
 
Biologically predisposed
Chameleon effect
Circadian rhythm
Conformity
Context effects
Correlation
Cortisol
Critical period
Culture
Diffusion of responsibility
Discrimination
Distress vs. Eustress
DSM
Evolution theory
Experiment
Feeding and eating disorders
Flashbulb memories
Hawthorne effect
Individualism vs. collectivism
Insula
Melatonin
Müller-Lyer illusion
Necker Cube
Oxytocin
Phobias
Phonemes
Pineal gland
Placebo
Schizophrenia
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Serotonin
Sleep paralysis
Social facilitation
Social inhibition
Social norms
Stigma
Stroop task
Subliminal priming
Temporoparietal network
Testosterone
Visual cortex
Well-being

​Becoming 
Author: Michelle Obama
ISBN:  9781524763138
 
APA Style Citation
Obama, M. (2018). Becoming. New York, NY: Penguin, Random House.
 
Buy this Book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079ZYWJJ8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
 

​Book Description
Becoming describes Michelle Obama`s life from her early years living on the South Side of Chicago to her post First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS)experiences.  Many of the situations presented in Becomingcan easily be integratedinto a psychology class in particular, in the social and cognitive units of the course.
 
Michelle was raisedin the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago just a few miles south of the Loop. Thiswas a neighborhood that was experiencing “white flight.”  As middle-class black families moved into the neighborhood because of the reasonable home prices, the traditionally White, Irish Catholic neighborhood changed into what some described as a “black ghetto.” Included in the book are some pictures of Michelle`s 2nd-gradeclass which is fairly diverse and her 6th-gradeclass in which all but one of the students is black.  As the neighborhood changed, so did the schools and the local schools began to have a reputation for being poor quality inner-city schools that were not educating their students properly.  Good teachers were leaving, and talented teachers did not want to come to South Shore. Obama describes thefeeling of a failing school, she reports that people know it is happening but they often there is nothing they can do to stop it.  
 
Michelle had an advocate in her mother, who went in to protest the lack of teaching in Michelle`s grade school classroom.  She was able to arrange for Michelle to get tested and Michelle was ultimately placed into the talented and gifted program. This change allowed Michelle to have an enriching grade school experience.  Michelle loved learning and as a result,was givenmore and more challenging assignments. For high school, Michelle tested into Morgan Park Academy which was a magnet school about an hour away from Michelle`s home but also one of the best schools in the city where she was challenged by demanding classes and surrounded by other ambitious students from all over the city.  From there, Michelle was accepted to Princeton University to complete her undergraduate degree and then onto Harvard University Law school before landing a job at a successful law firm in Chicago. 
 
Michelle experienced the impact of stereotyping both at home and in her education.  One of her cousins once asked her “why she talked like a white person.”  This comment resonated with Michelle and her feel like she was somehow an outsider even with some members of her own family.  When she attended Princeton, she was one of the few black students on campus and spent much of her time at the black student center to feel like she had a support network with people whom she could identify with.  Because she was often the only black person in class, she felt pressure to work harder and be better as she did not want people to feel that she was attending Princeton for any other reason other than her academic talent.  Stereotype threat can be a strong force, but in this case,Michelle worked harder and focused all of her energy to overcome the belief some people had that perhaps she was not “Princeton material.”  When things were difficult, Michelle demonstratedGRIT and a belief in herself and her abilities and was able to show her true abilities.
 
Michelle also found friends who had the same academic ambitions as herself, andthey helped to motivate her but also to keep her grounded.  She was good friends with Jesse Jackson’s daughter.  Michelle participated in her first political marches and saw the inner working of what occurred behind the scenes for a public political figure. She also saw the sacrifice and the challenges that a life of public service created for the family of the public figure.
 
Michelle met Barack Obama when she was assigned to supervise him while he completed a summer internship at the law firm she was working at.  At first,she was skeptical as she described people`s excitement about this brilliant young intern, she expected him to be arrogant and entitled, what she found instead was that he was confident but kind and personable.  By the end of the summer they were dating, and Barack quickly introduced Michelle to his passion as a community organizer.  While Michelle accompanied him to many meetings, she understood the concerns of neighbors who were watching their communities being taken over by gangs and drug dealers, seeing businesses move out of the area, and home prices plummet.  Michelle had seen the same thing in her ownneighborhood and felt compelled to do something to help.
 
Eventually, she left her law firm to take a job at the City of Chicago working for Valerie Jarrett, they became fast friends, andMichelle became acquainted with the many challenges facing people in different neighborhoods in the city.  She went on to create a mentor program and then to work as a community organizer for the University of Chicago hospital.  By this time Barack had become a state senator, andMichelle was surprised by the expectation from women in D.C. that she drop everything and move to support her husband. She faced judgmentfrom the other Senators’ wives who thought she should be lunchingwith them in Washington while their husbands were legislating.  Michelle was juggling a successful career, two young children and a husband that was often away for work.  She credits the many others around her including friends, family and babysitters who helped to assist her through this demanding time in order for her to remain committed to the passions of her work.  
 
When Barack decided to run for president, Michelle tried to keep her position at the hospital, buteventually,it became too challenging, she did, however, insist on a schedule that would get her home in time to put her children to bed each night.  She also advocated for her ownstaff as her travel became more constant and hectic.  People were quick to judge her involvement in the campaign, her care (or lack thereof) of her children, her clothing choices and her informal and accessible style of speaking.  She believed that if she told her story honestly and worked hard that her best was all she could give.  She was right andher husband, with her help, was elected the 44thpresident of the U.S.
 
During the almost instant transition into public life, Michelle kept her focus on creating a normal life for her children and creating a platform as the firstlady that would focus on a healthy lifestyle.  Michelle had seen in her own Chicago community the lack of fresh food and had herself experienced a dependenceon processed food and takeout for her and the girls asshe tried to navigate each busy day.  Michelle organized the planting of a community garden on the lawn of the White House and advocated for causes she believed in.  She met with state and national leaders but limited her time for formal events to be certain that Malia and Sasha felt supported in their new environment.  She also brought her mother with her to the White House so that when she was traveling, her girls would have their grandmother to support and make the White House feel more like a home. 
 
Becoming begins and ends with Michelle in her post-WhiteHouse home, making herself a cheesy sandwich.  She sits on her back steps relishing the strange quietness of being home alone for the first time in years (despite the secret service located feet away in the garage).  She expresses gratefulness for the time she spent doing the many things she loved and wonders what will be next. 
 
Other Related Resources
 
NPR:  Michelle Obama tells the story of “Becoming” herself
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/09/666093279/michelle-obama-tells-the-story-of-becoming-herself-and-the-struggle-to-hang-on
 
BBC radio:  Eight amazing things we learned from Michelle Obama
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2KRlQwwrfbLmpf08pltxtJz/eight-amazing-things-we-learned-from-michelle-obama
 
Playhouse Square:  Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama
http://www.playhousesquare.org/events/detail/becoming-an-intimate-conversation-with-michelle-obama
 
BOOKRIOT:  The Most Powerful Quotes from Becoming
https://bookriot.com/2019/02/06/becoming-quotes/
 
Time Magazine review of Becoming
http://time.com/5457854/michelle-obama-becoming-review/
 
 
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Belief Perseverance
Discrimination
GRIT
Prejudice
Social Facilitation
Stereotyping
Stereotype Threat

​You May Also Like: Taste in an Age of Endless Choice
Author:  Tom Vanderbilt
ISBN:  978-0-307-93859-5
 
APA Style Citation
Vanderbilt, T. (2016).  You may also like:  Taste in an age of endless choice. New York, NY: Vintage Books.
 
Buy This Book here:
https://www.amazon.com/You-May-Also-Like-Endless/dp/0307948595
 


​
Book Description
Tom Vanderbilt explores why we like what we like. This seems fairly straight forward, we have an experience, we determine how we feel about that experience and then assess that experience.  We tend to believe that our preference leads us to a choice, but Vanderbilt sites economists who argue that this can also work in reverse and that our choices can lead to preferences.  For example, once we have paid $200 for concert tickets, we are more likely to report liking that concert than if we saw the same concert for free.  Effort justification is one component of liking, it occurs when the more effort we put into something is indicative of liking that experience more.  Vanderbilt explores many more of the components that make up liking and reveals that we often fool ourselves into believing that we have total control over what we like and that we are not influenced by outside sources.
 
Preference for colors may be one of the earliest likes we verbalize, however, it may be the association of colors that feed our preferences rather than the color itself.  Young girls may describe a preference for pink not because of some natural inclination but rather because the marketing of toys that they enjoy are often pink.  Pinkaliciousis a cartoon character intended to appeal to young girls, liking the character may also increase liking of the color. We may demonstrate a preference for our own school colors without realizing that we are demonstrating a preference for colors that have brought some positive outcome or feeling in the past. 
 
Our preferences for taste may in part have a biological basis, we are quicker to articulate what we do not like rather than what we like. Evolutionary psychologists suggest that we have a natural inclination to dislike bitter tastes.  Try to recall your first taste of coffee, you likely cut the bitterness with milk or sugar, but over time you may have come to enjoy and even crave this taste, thus bypassing your natural preferences.  The taste for sweet conversely is prewired and desirable as highly caloric foods may have served the function of providing calories and energy.  Provide a young child with a taste of bitter chocolate or sweet candy and the preference will be easily displayed.  Humans naturally are “neophobic” or hesitant to try new foods, this may be because we do not know what new foods contain and are not certain that they are safe. Think of the first time you have tried a new food, chances are you did not immediately fall in love.  Vanderbilt argues that the mere exposure effect has a dramatic influence on what we like or do not like.  We tend not to like what is new or different, this applies to tastes, or music or fashion rather, the more we are exposed to something, the more we tend to like it.  Once we try that new food, song, or style over and over again, it becomes familiar which often leads to liking.  However, this liking is not completely objective, we now have an expectation of what a certain food will taste like or what a certain genre of music should sound like and we compare it to past experiences.  
 
This top-down processing allows us to place our experiences into context by comparing them to similar experiences in the past.  If you loved classic 1960s rock music and then heard the punk music of the 1970s you may have initially been horrified, but after listening over and over again you may find you prefer this to classic rock.  Just seeing a new food or knowing your favorite band has a new album creates an expectation before the sensory experiences even begins.  While we attribute our preference to bottom-up processing, our preferences are driven by our expectations as much as by our sensory receptors.  We also like choice, just by having items on a menu or a playlist to select from makes us enjoy our choice more that if this is out of our control.  If you go to The Cheesecake Factoryand are presented with a menu that spans seven pages, you may still choose the same item or few items each time you dine, but the illusion of choice increases your liking for what you have selected.  
 
Marketers make a living from studying people`s preferences and may know what we like, or dislike better than we do.  We are not always honest in reporting what we like because we want to portray ourselves in a positive light.  Organizations like Netflix know this, so you might report that you love watching historical documentaries, but the recommendation Netflix is making for you is a silly romantic comedy.  What people say they like and what they actually watch are not the same.  Todd Yellin, Netflix vice president for product innovation says, “You might giveHotel Rwandafive stars and two stars to Captain America, but you are much more likely to watch Captain America.”  We also don`t necessarily show consistency over what we like, as people rate the same movie differently after multiple viewings.  Context, mood, setting, and who you watch a movie with have a tremendous impact on your preference for that film, food, person, artwork, etc.  
 
Experts no longer have the same sway as before in terms of creating our sense of liking.  With social media sites anyone can become an expert and the opinions of lay people and experts vary greatly.  Those who rate hotels or restaurants, tend to come from a bimodal population, they either had a great experience or a horrible experience and can easily share this online.  When we see positive reviews, we are more likely to follow suit or adjust our opinion in a positive direction.  When the first comments are negative, the next comments seem to also follow suit. However, this can backfire; books that have received literary awards actually are rated lower after they receive the rewards.  Presumably this occurs because sales increase after the award causing people who would not normally purchase the book to buy a book that might not suit their particular preferences.  It may also set up an unrealistic expectation that the book will be life changing and it may not live up to the hype.  Too many reviews online are like too many choices, even if a book or a hotel has 4,000 reviews you cannot reasonably take in and assess all of that information, so you will read a few reviews and make a decision from there. 
 
Everyone wants to feel that we are unique in our likes or dislikes, so we reject the idea that we are conforming to a norm, we feel silly when we wear the same shorts as someone else to work or wear the same prom dress, which we think perfectly suits our personality.  Solomon Asch clearly demonstrated our tendency to conform to others in his historic line study, but just as the participants in his study stated that they believed they provided the correct responses, we also believe that we set our own trends and do not give into the pressure of conformity.  We conform to the preferences of our friends and fashion and we tend to like those who share our preferences.  
 
Each of these factors contribute to the vast lists of likes and dislikes we experience each day. Knowing these factors can allow us to realize that preferences are more subjective and less personal than we might like to believe.  Knowing how are preferences are shaped can help marketers or advertisers, or those social media influencers shape our likes and dislikes.  Vanderbilt`s research demonstrates that, “we really can account for taste.” 
 

​Other Related Resources
Video description of book in discussion with Tom Vanderbilt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9rRDhE409Q
 
Tom Vanderbilt Website Featuring You May Also Like
http://tomvanderbilt.com/books/you-may-also-like/
 
Talks at Google:  Interview with Tom Vanderbilt
https://talksat.withgoogle.com/talk/you-may-also-like
 
Social Psych online:  The Mere Exposure Effect
http://socialpsychonline.com/2016/03/the-mere-exposure-effect/
 
Video on Mere Exposure Effect from Easy A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9MvUdR6j3w
 
The Guardian:  Advertising and Controlling our thoughts
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/31/advertising-academia-controlling-thoughts-universities
 
 
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Solomon Asch
John Dewey
Hans Eysenck
Gustav Fechner
Eric Kandel
John Locke
Konrad Lorenz
Stanley Milgram
Amos Tversky
Robert Zajonc
 
Alzheimer`s Disease
Assimilation
Amygdala
Assimilation
Bimodal Distribution
Bottom-Up Processing
Cognitive Dissonance
Critical Period
Dual Processing
Effort Justification
Factor Analysis
False Consensus Effect
Foveal Vision
Fronto-temporal Dementia
Gestalt
Habituation
Heuristics
Idealized Self
Inter-Rater Reliability
Mere Exposure Effect
Modeling
Necker Cube
Neuropsychology
Pavlovian Conditioning
Priming
Prototype
Psychophysics
Regression to the Mean
Repressed Memories
Snowball Effect
Social Influence Bias
Social Learning
Top-Down Processing