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Jim Fallon: Exploring the mind of a killer
For psychology students interested in the criminal justice sector, this particular TED Talk provides plenty to pique their intrigue. Jim Fallon uses both science and personal history to deeply dissect the complex genetic and neurological factors that contribute to homicidal impulses. However, some of the biological components do frequently require traumatic events to trigger. Watch the Ted Talk here
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Daniel Kahneman: The riddle of experience vs. memory
Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahnman pioneered the study of behavioral economics, making note of some bizarre disparities between how different elements of the human brain process emotions. This lecture focuses mainly on the "cognitive traps" the mind sets for itself — a phenomenon most people never even realize in their lifetimes. Both the "experiencing self" and the "remembering self" impact perception, memory and personality in unique ways and shape individuals for good and for ill alike. Watch the TED Talk here
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Oliver Sacks: What hallucination reveals about our minds
Mainstream society tends to associate hallucinations and delusions with the drug-addled and the mentally ill, but in reality they stem from many different sources and provide some amazing insight into how the brain works. Charles Bonnet syndrome, for example, involves the visually impaired "seeing" some incredibly vivid images that aren't there. Neurological anthropologist Oliver Sacks has studied this phenomenon and discusses his interesting findings regarding perception, cognition and brain activity. Watch the TED Talk here
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Lost in the Shopping Center
You go to the mall to buy one pair of jeans and leave with your jeans plus new shoes, a pretzel, and a couple of magazines. Sound familiar? Watch Marc Fennell of Hungry Beast explain how store design can encourage impulse buying — and why Ikea shoppers in particular tend to overbuy. According to Alan Penn of University College London, Ikea really is designed like a maze. You can read more about Penn’s research from Daily Mail and the Telegraph. If you’re looking for tips on orienting yourself and escaping from maze-like buildings, Laura A.
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Viktor Frankl: Why to believe in others
The highly regarded psychiatrist Viktor Frankl formulated many of his revolutionary ideas while incarcerated in a concentration camp. In this illuminating lecture, he adroitly summarizes his main points regarding humanity's never-ending quest for an overarching meaning of life. He argues that overestimation and idealism nurtures the best in people, likening the phenomenon to landing an aircraft. -MasterDegree.net Watch the TED Talk here
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Taming temper tantrums: Are you doing it wrong?
Today: Research shows that 70 percent of children throw temper tantrums, according to parenting expert Michele Borba. Wait, what? Who are these 30 percent of calm children, and where can I get one? Just kidding – like most parents I’ve accepted that the occasional tantrum is going to be a kicking, screaming, brain-jarring pothole on the road to maturity. But researchers from Yale University and Kings College in the U.K. have been hard at work studying tantrums, and they say taming them is possible. It's all about proper training – for the parents, not the children. "Hold those sticker charts, fancy point systems and our pleads and threats.
