Chapter 1: The Brain

FromPsych

Start listening View podcast show

Chapter 1: The Brain

FromPsych

ratings:

Length:

59 minutes

Released:

Mar 6, 2023

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

In this episode, Paul and David discuss the human brain. Is psychology just brain science? Is the brain a computer? What are brains made of and how do they work? Are people right or left brained? What do split brain patients tell us about identity?
Read the book that inspired the podcast: "Psych: The Story of the Human Mind (https://amzn.to/3YoZDAa)" [amazon.com]
Email us your questions for a future episode!: askpsychpod@gmail.com

Released:

Mar 6, 2023

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (17)

Join two psychology professors (Paul Bloom and David Pizarro) as they cover a wide variety of topics about human psychology. Based on Paul Bloom’s new book Psych: The Story of the Human Mind.

Skip carousel

Chapter 3: Freud: Paul and David discuss Freud's legacy in psychology and culture, why he should continue to be taught, his theories of the unconscious and psychosexual development, the oedipal conflict, the efficacy of psychoanalysis, and the unfalsifiability of his theories. (And we edited out all of the Freudian slips so nobody will ever know our deepest desires). by Psych
56 min listen
Chapter 1: The Brain by Psych
59 min listen
Chapter 0: An Introduction: In this episode Paul and David talk about who they are and what they're doing with this podcast. Learn about their background, why they teach intro psych, and their personal biases about theories in psychology. Read the book that inspired the podcast: "[Psych: The Story of the Human Mind](https://amzn.to/3YoZDAa)" [amazon.com] Email us your questions for a future episode!: askpsychpod@gmail.com by Psych
42 min listen
Chapter 2: Consciousness by Psych
58 min listen
Chapter 5: Piaget and Development: Paul and David discuss the influential developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, his theories and legacy, stage theories of development, modern developmental psychology and its methods, and the "nature vs nurture" debate. by Psych
57 min listen
Chapter 4: B.F. Skinner and Behaviorism: Slot machines, phobias and superstitions, dog training techniques, cures for insomnia... behaviorism has something to say about all of these (and much more!). The scope and ambition of B.F. Skinner's behaviorism rivals that of Freud's--except Skinner wanted nothing to do with the "mind" (or anything else he couldn't observe in a lab). How successful was this program of research? What did it get wrong? Is everything learned through mere associations and reinforcement? And where do Paul and David stand on the big debate between nativism (the idea that the mind comes equipped with knowledge) and empiricism (the idea that all knowledge comes from experience? Read the book that inspired the podcast: "[Psych: The Story of the Human Mind](https://amzn.to/3YoZDAa)" [amazon.com] Email us with your psychology questions for a future episode!: askpsychpod@gmail.com by Psych
69 min listen
Chapter 9: Emotion and Motivation: What are the things that move us as human beings? In this episode Paul and David cover a broad range of "hot" topics (having to do with emotion and motivation), including evolutionary theory, disgust, sexual desire, morality, and how much money it would take for us to spit on a picture of someone we love. by Psych
61 min listen
Chapter 8: Rationality: Paul and David discuss human rationality and its limitations, including the heuristics-and-biases approach, System 1 and System 2, positive illusions, confirmation bias, motivated reasoning, and conspiracy theories. by Psych
56 min listen
Chapter 6: Language: In this episode Paul and David discuss another of Paul's area of expertise--language. What is language? Do any animals have it? How does it develop (and how do children learn it so fast)? Why do children learn nouns sooner than they learn verbs and adjectives? How much does language shape thought? by Psych
74 min listen
Chapter 7: Sensation, Perception, and Memory: How do we get the external world into our heads? In this episode, Paul and David cover a few of the more interesting features of sensation, perception, and memory. What can visual illusions tell us about the mind? Can perception be influenced by our beliefs and desires? What are flashbulb memories, and are they accurate? Are some of our memories completely false? And what is a memory palace? Read the book that inspired the podcast: "[Psych: The Story of the Human Mind](https://amzn.to/3YoZDAa)" [amazon.com] Email us with your psychology questions for a future episode!: askpsychpod@gmail.com by Psych
61 min listen
Psych Q&A: Paul and David devote an episode to listener questions. Among the topics we discuss--the function of consciousness, the psychology of trauma (and it's growing popularity), how we deal with our non-expertise when discussing research outside our fields, the "extended mind" hypothesis, and our picks for some of the best living psychologists. by Psych
69 min listen
Chapter 10: The Replication Crisis: In this episode, Paul and David dive into the controversy surrounding the very public failings of scientific psychology--the so-called "replication crisis". Why did it happen, how has it changed how we view (and teach) about our field, and are we optimistic about the future of psychology? by Psych
56 min listen
Chapter 13: Individual Differences: Paul and David step away from the study of psychological universals to discuss the ways in which we are different from one another. What is our best theory of personality? How is personality assessed? Do personality tests predict behavior? What does it mean to be intelligent? Do IQ tests measure anything important? What sorts of things does IQ predict? Are there multiple intelligences? Finally we dip our toes into behavioral genetics. What is heritability? How heritable are psychological traits? Finally, can parents really shape the personality or IQ of their children? by Psych
61 min listen
Chapter 11: Social Psychology Pt. 1: Paul and David begin their discussion of social pyschology by diving into a few of the big topics/areas of research in the field: the differences between the way we see ourselves and the way we see others, obedience to authority and Milgram's classic experiments, and research on "thin-slicing" -- our tendency (ability?) to form quick impressions of others based on minimal information. They end the episode by discussing the controversial research on "social priming": can trivial features of your environment really have such a strong influence on your judgment and behavior? by Psych
55 min listen
Chapter 12: Social Psychology Pt. 2: In this episode, Paul and David tackle the social psychology of groups (or at least, a small part of it!). Why do we fall prey to stereotyping? Why do we so sharply distinguish between "us" and "them"? What are the developmental and evolutionary origins of our ingroup favoritism/outgroup bias? Is there such a thing as implicit bias/implicit racism? What does the most popular measure of implicit bias (the IAT) actually measure? And finally, what can be done about these group biases? by Psych
69 min listen
Chapter 15: Happiness: Our final chapter (at least for now)! In this episode, Paul and David discuss the science of happiness. We cover the difficulty of defining happiness (or the good life in general), the rise of 'positive psychology', the various factors that we know are related to happiness (genes, money, age, having children), and the question of why we can't just choose to be happy. We end with a discussion of pleasure and pain, and some puzzling findings about our memory of painful experiences. by Psych
53 min listen
Chapter 14: Clinical Psychology: Paul and David go further beyond their areas of expertise than usual and discuss the field of clinical psychology--the part of psychology interested in understanding and treating psychological dysfunction. What are mental illnesses? How do we come up with the categories of various psychopathologies? Are mental illnesses the same sort of thing as other diseases, or is the term "disease" more like a metaphor? Are disorders like schizophrenia best understood as discrete categories (either you have it or you don't) or are they continuous? How should we understand personality disorders? Finally, are we making progress on understanding and treating mental illness? by Psych
56 min listen

More Episodes from Psych

Skip carousel

Chapter 15: Happiness: Our final chapter (at least for now)! In this episode, Paul and David discuss the science of happiness. We cover the difficulty of defining happiness (or the good life in general), the rise of 'positive psychology', the various factors that we know are related to happiness (genes, money, age, having children), and the question of why we can't just choose to be happy. We end with a discussion of pleasure and pain, and some puzzling findings about our memory of painful experiences. by Psych
53 min listen
Chapter 14: Clinical Psychology: Paul and David go further beyond their areas of expertise than usual and discuss the field of clinical psychology--the part of psychology interested in understanding and treating psychological dysfunction. What are mental illnesses? How do we come up with the categories of various psychopathologies? Are mental illnesses the same sort of thing as other diseases, or is the term "disease" more like a metaphor? Are disorders like schizophrenia best understood as discrete categories (either you have it or you don't) or are they continuous? How should we understand personality disorders? Finally, are we making progress on understanding and treating mental illness? by Psych
56 min listen
Chapter 13: Individual Differences: Paul and David step away from the study of psychological universals to discuss the ways in which we are different from one another. What is our best theory of personality? How is personality assessed? Do personality tests predict behavior? What does it mean to be intelligent? Do IQ tests measure anything important? What sorts of things does IQ predict? Are there multiple intelligences? Finally we dip our toes into behavioral genetics. What is heritability? How heritable are psychological traits? Finally, can parents really shape the personality or IQ of their children? by Psych
61 min listen
Chapter 12: Social Psychology Pt. 2: In this episode, Paul and David tackle the social psychology of groups (or at least, a small part of it!). Why do we fall prey to stereotyping? Why do we so sharply distinguish between "us" and "them"? What are the developmental and evolutionary origins of our ingroup favoritism/outgroup bias? Is there such a thing as implicit bias/implicit racism? What does the most popular measure of implicit bias (the IAT) actually measure? And finally, what can be done about these group biases? by Psych
69 min listen
Chapter 11: Social Psychology Pt. 1: Paul and David begin their discussion of social pyschology by diving into a few of the big topics/areas of research in the field: the differences between the way we see ourselves and the way we see others, obedience to authority and Milgram's classic experiments, and research on "thin-slicing" -- our tendency (ability?) to form quick impressions of others based on minimal information. They end the episode by discussing the controversial research on "social priming": can trivial features of your environment really have such a strong influence on your judgment and behavior? by Psych
55 min listen
Psych Q&A: Paul and David devote an episode to listener questions. Among the topics we discuss--the function of consciousness, the psychology of trauma (and it's growing popularity), how we deal with our non-expertise when discussing research outside our fields, the "extended mind" hypothesis, and our picks for some of the best living psychologists. by Psych
69 min listen
Chapter 10: The Replication Crisis: In this episode, Paul and David dive into the controversy surrounding the very public failings of scientific psychology--the so-called "replication crisis". Why did it happen, how has it changed how we view (and teach) about our field, and are we optimistic about the future of psychology? by Psych
56 min listen
Chapter 9: Emotion and Motivation: What are the things that move us as human beings? In this episode Paul and David cover a broad range of "hot" topics (having to do with emotion and motivation), including evolutionary theory, disgust, sexual desire, morality, and how much money it would take for us to spit on a picture of someone we love. by Psych
61 min listen
Chapter 8: Rationality: Paul and David discuss human rationality and its limitations, including the heuristics-and-biases approach, System 1 and System 2, positive illusions, confirmation bias, motivated reasoning, and conspiracy theories. by Psych
56 min listen
Chapter 7: Sensation, Perception, and Memory: How do we get the external world into our heads? In this episode, Paul and David cover a few of the more interesting features of sensation, perception, and memory. What can visual illusions tell us about the mind? Can perception be influenced by our beliefs and desires? What are flashbulb memories, and are they accurate? Are some of our memories completely false? And what is a memory palace? Read the book that inspired the podcast: "[Psych: The Story of the Human Mind](https://amzn.to/3YoZDAa)" [amazon.com] Email us with your psychology questions for a future episode!: askpsychpod@gmail.com by Psych
61 min listen
Chapter 6: Language: In this episode Paul and David discuss another of Paul's area of expertise--language. What is language? Do any animals have it? How does it develop (and how do children learn it so fast)? Why do children learn nouns sooner than they learn verbs and adjectives? How much does language shape thought? by Psych
74 min listen
Chapter 5: Piaget and Development: Paul and David discuss the influential developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, his theories and legacy, stage theories of development, modern developmental psychology and its methods, and the "nature vs nurture" debate. by Psych
57 min listen
Chapter 4: B.F. Skinner and Behaviorism: Slot machines, phobias and superstitions, dog training techniques, cures for insomnia... behaviorism has something to say about all of these (and much more!). The scope and ambition of B.F. Skinner's behaviorism rivals that of Freud's--except Skinner wanted nothing to do with the "mind" (or anything else he couldn't observe in a lab). How successful was this program of research? What did it get wrong? Is everything learned through mere associations and reinforcement? And where do Paul and David stand on the big debate between nativism (the idea that the mind comes equipped with knowledge) and empiricism (the idea that all knowledge comes from experience? Read the book that inspired the podcast: "[Psych: The Story of the Human Mind](https://amzn.to/3YoZDAa)" [amazon.com] Email us with your psychology questions for a future episode!: askpsychpod@gmail.com by Psych
69 min listen
Chapter 3: Freud: Paul and David discuss Freud's legacy in psychology and culture, why he should continue to be taught, his theories of the unconscious and psychosexual development, the oedipal conflict, the efficacy of psychoanalysis, and the unfalsifiability of his theories. (And we edited out all of the Freudian slips so nobody will ever know our deepest desires). by Psych
56 min listen
Chapter 2: Consciousness by Psych
58 min listen
Chapter 0: An Introduction: In this episode Paul and David talk about who they are and what they're doing with this podcast. Learn about their background, why they teach intro psych, and their personal biases about theories in psychology. Read the book that inspired the podcast: "[Psych: The Story of the Human Mind](https://amzn.to/3YoZDAa)" [amazon.com] Email us your questions for a future episode!: askpsychpod@gmail.com by Psych
42 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

Psych Q&A: Paul and David devote an episode to listener questions. Among the topics we discuss--the function of consciousness, the psychology of trauma (and it's growing popularity), how we deal with our non-expertise when discussing research outside our fields, the "extended mind" hypothesis, and our picks for some of the best living psychologists. by Psych
69 min listen
Chapter 2: Consciousness by Psych
58 min listen
Chapter 8: Rationality: Paul and David discuss human rationality and its limitations, including the heuristics-and-biases approach, System 1 and System 2, positive illusions, confirmation bias, motivated reasoning, and conspiracy theories. by Psych
56 min listen
Chapter 9: Emotion and Motivation: What are the things that move us as human beings? In this episode Paul and David cover a broad range of "hot" topics (having to do with emotion and motivation), including evolutionary theory, disgust, sexual desire, morality, and how much money it would take for us to spit on a picture of someone we love. by Psych
61 min listen
Chapter 4: B.F. Skinner and Behaviorism: Slot machines, phobias and superstitions, dog training techniques, cures for insomnia... behaviorism has something to say about all of these (and much more!). The scope and ambition of B.F. Skinner's behaviorism rivals that of Freud's--except Skinner wanted nothing to do with the "mind" (or anything else he couldn't observe in a lab). How successful was this program of research? What did it get wrong? Is everything learned through mere associations and reinforcement? And where do Paul and David stand on the big debate between nativism (the idea that the mind comes equipped with knowledge) and empiricism (the idea that all knowledge comes from experience? Read the book that inspired the podcast: "[Psych: The Story of the Human Mind](https://amzn.to/3YoZDAa)" [amazon.com] Email us with your psychology questions for a future episode!: askpsychpod@gmail.com by Psych
69 min listen
Chapter 7: Sensation, Perception, and Memory: How do we get the external world into our heads? In this episode, Paul and David cover a few of the more interesting features of sensation, perception, and memory. What can visual illusions tell us about the mind? Can perception be influenced by our beliefs and desires? What are flashbulb memories, and are they accurate? Are some of our memories completely false? And what is a memory palace? Read the book that inspired the podcast: "[Psych: The Story of the Human Mind](https://amzn.to/3YoZDAa)" [amazon.com] Email us with your psychology questions for a future episode!: askpsychpod@gmail.com by Psych
61 min listen
Chapter 10: The Replication Crisis: In this episode, Paul and David dive into the controversy surrounding the very public failings of scientific psychology--the so-called "replication crisis". Why did it happen, how has it changed how we view (and teach) about our field, and are we optimistic about the future of psychology? by Psych
56 min listen
Chapter 5: Piaget and Development: Paul and David discuss the influential developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, his theories and legacy, stage theories of development, modern developmental psychology and its methods, and the "nature vs nurture" debate. by Psych
57 min listen
Chapter 3: Freud: Paul and David discuss Freud's legacy in psychology and culture, why he should continue to be taught, his theories of the unconscious and psychosexual development, the oedipal conflict, the efficacy of psychoanalysis, and the unfalsifiability of his theories. (And we edited out all of the Freudian slips so nobody will ever know our deepest desires). by Psych
56 min listen
# 122 Robert Cialdini - The Principles of Persuasion: What are the best strategies to get people to say “Yes” to your requests in life? Acclaimed psychologist Robert Cialdini dives deep into the seven small things that make a huge impact in influencing others, as well as the difference between being... by The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish
65 min listen
Taking pleasure in being wrong (with Buck Shlegeris) by Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg
76 min listen
Gila Ashtor, "Exigent Psychoanalysis: The Interventions of Jean Laplanche" (Routledge, 2021): An interview with Gila Ashtor by New Books in Psychoanalysis
60 min listen
The Secret To Happiness | How To Let Go And Stop Worrying (10 Stoic Tips) by The Daily Stoic
13 min listen
Psychology: Should Freud Still Be On The Syllabus? Paul Bloom, Part 1 by Behavioral Grooves Podcast
60 min listen
WEP 231: Seven Mindshifts for School Leaders: This is the Wired Educator Podcast episode 231. My interview with the authors of the book, 7 Mindshifts for School Leaders, authors Connie Hamilton, Dr. Joseph Jones, and Dr. TJ Vari. This episode will challenge your thinking and provide you with the... by Wired Educator
55 min listen
OCD myths and realities, with Dean McKay, PhD, and Uma Chatterjee: Have you heard people say, “I’m so OCD”? There are a lot of myths around obsessive compulsive disorder. In reality, it’s a multi-faceted mental health disorder that seriously affects people’s lives – but is also treatable with... by Speaking of Psychology
49 min listen
03 - Thomas Talhelm: Is Our Understanding of Collectivism Wrong? A New Theory of Responsibilism by Stanford Psychology Podcast
61 min listen
Motivated Unknowing: Repression with a Hint of Dissociation by Philosophy of Psychoanalysis
48 min listen
Crowds, obedience and the psychology of group behavior, with Stephen Reicher, PhD: What happens when people gather in crowds – whether for political rallies, protests, football games or religious pilgrimages? Stephen Reicher, PhD, of St. Andrew’s University in Scotland, discusses why “mob mentality” is a myth; other... by Speaking of Psychology
48 min listen
Chapter 6: Language: In this episode Paul and David discuss another of Paul's area of expertise--language. What is language? Do any animals have it? How does it develop (and how do children learn it so fast)? Why do children learn nouns sooner than they learn verbs and adjectives? How much does language shape thought? by Psych
74 min listen
#646: Brian C. Muraresku with Dr. Mark Plotkin — The Eleusinian Mysteries, Discovering the Divine, The Immortality Key, The Pagan Continuity Hypothesis, Lessons from Scholar Karen Armstrong, and Much More by The Tim Ferriss Show
64 min listen
How niche construction affects inheritance systems in human evolution: A seminar for the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology by John Odling-Smee (an Emeritus research fellow from Oxford University), 30 November 2011. by Anthropology
49 min listen
Chat GPT-3 on AI & Human Risk: Are you curious about how AI and automation are changing the world of human risk? Do you wonder what the future of work might look like in a world where machines and humans are increasingly interconnected? Then you won't want to miss the latest... by The Human Risk Podcast
28 min listen
A Neuroscientist Critiques the Dangerous "Populist" Pseudoscience of Yuval Noah Harari by Current Affairs
55 min listen
Narcissism and Shame: Fear of Being Found Wanting by Philosophy of Psychoanalysis
47 min listen
Moral Behavior in Animals, Evolution, & Human Nature | Frans de Waal | EP. 1 MMM: Dare to know! Philosophy Podcast by Dare to know! | Philosophy Podcast
95 min listen
Summit Fever: Imagine that you’ve put in effort toward a goal, but things haven’t quite worked out the way you hoped. Maybe your goal was more expensive than you expected; maybe it’s taking longer to reach than you thought. So the question is, do you double down and continue to work toward that increasingly difficult goal, or do you move on to something new? Do you fish or cut bait? On this episode of Choiceology with Dan Heath, we look at how past effort, time or expense can influence the way we make decisions moving forward—even when they shouldn’t. The episode begins on an auction house floor but quickly climbs to the top of the highest peak in the world. Along the way, you’ll see how common is the lure to continue no matter what, and how it affects all kinds of decisions, big and small. Professor Michael Roberto explains how to identify this bias in your day-to-day life. You’ll also find out how to fight back against the influence of this trap in a story about Intel CEO Andy Grov by Choiceology with Katy Milkman
30 min listen
BS 190 How our Brain gets things done with David Badre: Interview with Author of "On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done by Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone
56 min listen
AI in Pharmaceutical Supply Chains and Manufacturing - with Laks Pernenkil of Deloitte: Today’s guest is Laks Pernenkil, a principal in life sciences consulting at Deloitte. Laks joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella on today’s show to discuss AI in pharmaceutical supply chain manufacturing, showcasing a host of AI use... by The AI in Business Podcast
26 min listen
The Philosophers: Stoic revival by The Gray Area with Sean Illing
65 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Chapter 1: The Brain

Chapter 1: The Brain

Description

Titles in the series (17)

More Episodes from Psych

Related podcast episodes