The Psych Files - Michael Britt

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Ep 171 Psych Files Brief #5: Yawning, Telling Jokes to Babies, Politics and Looks Mar 08, 2012

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A whole bunch of fascinating studies in this episode of The Psych Files! I cover the "Red Dress Effect", what exactly we're looking for in the facial characteristics of our leaders, how dark rooms might make you more likely to cheat, and how "contagious yawning" really works. Join me on this jaunt down some of the recent and fun research coming out of the fascinating field of psychology.

Ep 170: Is the Web Making You More Narrow-Minded? Feb 15, 2012

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You probably know that sites like Facebook are using the information they have about you - like your age, gender and interests - to serve up ads that are most likely to appeal to you. That's a little bit harmless and perhaps even helpful. But how about the more subtle filtering that is going on that you may not be aware of? Search engines are using information they have about you to show you news that these search tools think will most likely appeal to you based on your previous search activities. The problem with that? You might find yourself living in a bubble - sheltered from ever hearing about things you might not agree with, but which might also open your mind a bit and make you what your parents always wanted for you - to be "well-rounded".

Ep 167: The Fat Trap – How Not to Get Discouraged About the Difficulty of Losing Weight Jan 03, 2012

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Guess What? Bad news: if you've ever been overweight and you're trying to lose weight it's even harder than you think. Yikes. Pretty de-motivating. However, let's see what motivational psychologists would have to say about this. How to keep from throwing up your hands at the whole effort.

Ep: 166: The Secret Life of Pronouns - an Interview with James Pennebaker Dec 31, 2011

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What do you reveal about yourself in the way you use the smallest and seemingly most insignificant words you use every minute? That's the focus of Dr. James Pennebaker's fascinating book and one of the most interesting psychology books of 2011: The Secret Life of Pronouns. If you're fascinated by language then you'll find this episode especially interesting.

Ep 164: What’s So Disgusting About Poop? Nov 05, 2011

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Just about everyone finds poop disgusting right? So who finds it not so disgusting? Would you believe women in their 20s who are in the middle of their menstrual cycle, and who have motherhood as one of their goals in life? Disgust has become quite a popular topic in psychology lately. Join me as I discuss one of the more interesting studies that looks at how the intensity of our emotions can be affected by our nonconscious goals. MOre interesting than you might think really. And certainly not to be poo-pooed at…

Ep 163: Psych Files Brief#4: Animals Smiling, Yogurt Destressing, and the Psychology of Success Oct 22, 2011

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Do animals smile? Do they feel emotions and if so how many kinds of feelings do they share with us? In this episode we also take a look at the probiotics in yogurt - how do they affect your thinking and do they might help protect you from stress. It turns out that these probiotics increase the production of the neurotransmitter GABA which helps quiet down your neurons. I also talk about the work of female psychologists: Carol Dweck on the psychology of success, and and a tribute to Evelyn Hooker whose research helped in removing homosexuality from the DSM in 1973.

Ep 162: How to Spend Your Money and Truly Make Yourself HappyEp 162: How to Spend Your Money and Truly Make Yourself Happy Oct 11, 2011

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In episode 160 I discussed the first 2 ideas on how to spend your money wisely. In this episode I'll talk about 4 more great ideas on how to get the most from your money and 2 things you have to be careful about. Get the latest findings from positive psychologists like Elizabeth Dunn

EP 161: Self Help You Can Believe In: Interview with Dr. Tim Wilson, Author of Redirect Oct 03, 2011

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Looking for a self-help book with some meat? One that won't insult your intelligence with flowery words and hyped up promises and pseudoscience? Take a look at the book Redirect by psychologist and author Tim Wilson. Redirect will give you a lot to think about and some new insights into human nature.

EP 159 Psych Files Brief #3: Evidence in Favor of Affirmations? The Licensing Effect and the Power of Gossip Sep 06, 2011

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What's Wrong With a Little Gossip?

While some research points out that gossipers are in general disliked, there is an upside: sharing negative gossip can actually help two people like each other better. In this episode we'll find out the benefits of sharing a tasty piece of negative gossip.

The Licensing Effect

If you take supplements you need to hear this news about how you might be using your taking of the supplements to "license" other activities that aren't so good for your health.

Evidence in Favor of Affirmations?

In a previous episode on self affirmations I presented some strongly negative evidence. However, in this study there might be a role for affirmations - especially in helping people with social anxiety to feel a bit more confident.

Ep 158: Tired of Low Grades? 5 Ways to Raise Your Test Scores (and 1 Warning!) Aug 19, 2011

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But I studied!! Don't be frustrated with low grades. If you study RIGHT you will get good grades. What does that mean to study right? I've got 5 techniques that will help you get better grades and one very important warning about something you may be doing that you have to stop! Find out how to study right in this episode of The Psych Files.

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