Carrying out a sequence of actions is something we do every day without thinking much about it—like when we cook. We first gather ingredients, then clean, chop, and arrange them so they are ready for cooking. Each step follows the previous one, requiring cognitive control to stay on track. But for people with mental health […]
Cognitive Control
In many professions, evaluations can be rough; one negative comment can negate all of the positive comments. Oftentimes, that negative comment takes on the “white bear” or thought suppression phenomenon identified by Daniel Wegner in 1987. Reportedly influenced by the following line from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Winter Notes on Summer Impressions” Try to pose for yourself […]
Shall I respond to the email that just pinged, write this blog, referee the kids, or take the dog out? Every day, we are bombarded by multiple tasks that must be performed seemingly at the same time. Sometimes they are menial tasks that do not require much attention like a message coming into your phone […]
We are bombarded by stimuli almost every instant of every day. Even logging off Twitter provides only temporary relief before more information arrives that we have to deal with. Being able to inhibit unwanted responses to stimuli is therefore a critically important cognitive ability, and researchers have shown considerable interest in such inhibitory and control […]
Apparently the internet, video games, and social media are damaging our children’s development, and are responsible for the increase in autism over the last few decades—or so it has been claimed, although that claim hasn’t withstood scrutiny. Similarly, Wikipedia has an entry for something known as Internet addiction disorder, which apparently occurs when internet use […]
We all get tired. Sometimes we get so tired that we find it almost impossible to stay awake. Especially if we are in a meeting of the parking committee, and perhaps even if we are a meerkat: Although we are all familiar with the feeling of fatigue, we may not always realize that fatigue comes […]
Have you ever studied extremely hard for a test or an exam only to completely blank on all the information and bomb the exam? Or have you ever practiced extremely hard for a game, only to deliver an under-whelming performance on game day? If so, you, like many of us, have fallen prey to choking […]
What goes up, but never comes down? If you guessed age, then you are absolutely right. Despite the significant advancements made in science, we have yet to reverse time or stop the process of aging (sorry anti-aging creams). As a result, many people suffer from a fear of getting old (known as Gerascophobia). But are […]
The start of a Formula 1 Grand Prix is always exciting and adrenalin producing, even if you watch it on TV from thousands of miles away and keep the noise level below the pain threshold. (A Formula 1 cockpit is one of the loudest places on Earth.) Have a look at a start of a […]
The scientific process relies on the ability to replicate findings. This is as true in psychology as in any other discipline. If findings can be reliably replicated, researchers can draw theory-changing conclusions from relatively few data points. But all is not well, and psychology has been dealing with the famous “replication crisis.” Recently a very […]