PsychSessions: Podcast

Back in October, the first of nine episodes of the PsychSessions podcast came out. At the time, I was coaching and had no time to listen. I was able to listen to two of the episodes this week and am impressed. Perhaps I am biased because I know the people interviewing and being interviewed, but I found the discussions with Randy Ernst and Elizabeth Yost Hammer engaging, entertaining, and educational. The interviews are informal and examine educational and psychological topics as well as delve into the personal experiences of the interviewees. For me, those are the most fascinating parts--they share stories about the histories of organizations they've been a huge part of and their own lives.

Psychsessions has a website for the podcast here.
Link for Apple Podcast

From the website:

This podcast, co-hosted by Garth Neufeld and Eric Landrum, is about the teaching of psychology. We leverage our connections with top psychology educators as well as up-and-coming superstars to have deep conversations about what it means to be a teacher of psychology. Of course we veer away from the teaching conversation from time to time to hear about origin stories and the personal perspectives of our guests.

posted by Chuck Schallhorn

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My Damn Mind

"This American Life" did it again: they produced a podcast that is very nearly PERFECT for high school psychology teachers. If you've never listened to TAL before, this is a good place to start.

Their story, "My Damn Mind" investigates a shooting in a hospital. Along the way we learn what a delusion feels like from the inside, the impact of medication and the lack of medication, how rationality tries to fight delusion, and the impact of stereotypes and lack of training in very scary, aggressive situations.

This American Life "My Damn Mind" (Podcast) 

TAL partnered with the New York Times on this story, and the NYT provides even more details about this fascinating, scary, tragic situation. (Note:
includes photos - looking at this article while listening to the podcast might be fascinating for students)

When the Hospital
Fires the Bullet

posted by Rob McEntarffer

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Are you listening to "Invisibilia" yet? No? Why not?!?!

NPR recently started airing a podcast called "Invisibilia," and it is AMAZING. It's what you'd expect from NPR: a well produced and written science podcast filled with compelling stories. Here's the description from their website:

"Invisibilia (Latin for all the invisible things) is about the invisible forces that control human behavior – ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. Co-hosted by Lulu Miller and Alix Spiegel, Invisibilia interweaves narrative storytelling with scientific research that will ultimately make you see your own life differently"

What I DIDN'T expect was that every episode I listen to, I learn what feels like a radically different interpretation/aspect of psychological research that I thought I was very familiar with. This podcast blows me away every time I listen to it. Examples:

• "World with No Fear" - "Alix explains how nature imbued us with the need to feel fear, and how the modern world sends it into unnecessary overdrive. We'll also hear about the striking (and rare) case of a woman with no fear" (thanks to Scott for alerting me to this episode)
• "Mirror Touch" - "the hosts introduce you to Amanda, who can physically feel what other people are feeling."
• "How to Become Batman" - "Alix and Lulu examine the surprising effect our expectations can have on the people around us. Plus, the story of a blind man who says expectations have helped him see. Yes, see" 

Even if you don't normally listen to podcasts, even if you don't really have time, this one is worth listening to - promise! Try it! You'll love it!


posted by Rob McEntarffer

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This Week in the History of Psychology Podcast

The following was taken from http://www.yorku.ca/christo/podcasts/

This Week in the History of Psychology is a weekly podcast written and produced by Christopher D. Green, professor of psychology at York University in Toronto, Canada. Each episode is about 25 minutes in length and is freely available to anyone who is interested in the topic. Its main intended audience is students in college and university courses on the history of psychology.

The focus of each episode is an interview with an expert on a featured event that occurred during that particular week in psychology's past. In addition, each episode begins with brief descriptions of several events from that week and ends with a celebration of the week's birthdays (and other anniversaries).

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Randomness AKA Stochasticity

Radiolab's most recent podcast/radio show has some great ideas for psychology teachers. First, those of us who teach statistics often need something to illustrate randomness. There is a brief interview with a Berkeley stats prof and a demo she uses. There is also an explanation of how the brain/people choose to include or exclude information when telling/sharing stories. The role of personal schemas plays heavily.

When I was driving to the coast today, I listened to the episode and reacted with great emotion--mainly laughing out loud and with visible disbelief at the stories. It was an amazing show and had wonderful stories. Even if you do not listen to the entire hour, do take time to listen to the first 20 minutes. You will not regret it. Laura Buxton didn't.

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Milgram: What Would We Do Now?

Michael Britt, on his most recent podcast "The Psych Files" goes into historical and modern detail about the original Milgram study on obedience. Given the widespread knowledge of the obedience study, despite ethical restraints, and despite changes in society, how might a 2008 study replicating the original study come out? Would we be more or less obedient or about the same? How would the new study be handled by the researchers and university? What strange coincidence occurred with Milgram's heart attack and death.

Oh, would you like some great resources including a PowerPoint to help teach the Milgram obedience study? If so, check out Dr. Britt's newest podcast and page link.

There are also links to books, videos, ABC television demonstrations of a replication, other additional resources and much more. If you are into social psychology, ethics, or just like people to be obedient, this is a great podcast to check out.

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Make a Personal Psychology Review (MAPPR)

One of the very first postings on this blog included information on Michael A. Britt's www.thepsychfiles.com where, if you dig down deep enough, you will find what might possibly be a look at the next generation of concept maps.

While in the very early stages of development, the technique called "Make a Personal Psychology Review" (MAPPR), looks extremely promising. The method starts with a standard concept map of a typical unit in an introductory psychology course. Students can then click on any concept or number of concepts on the map and hear a definition and in some cases, an example for each of the terms.

To date, only the Research Methods unit and Learning unit have been mapped out. I am hoping in time, the other units will be added. For more information go to http://www.thepsychfiles.com/mappr/

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Podcast-Radiolab

Whenever I have to drive, I make sure I have my iPod with me. While NPR is my only radio station, its programming is not always what I want to hear at the time. With that in mind, and going back to my childhood listening to CBS Radio Mystery Theater (back when AM radio was used for more than talk radio), I now listen to the best radio show around.

Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad are the hosts of each show, and they create a movie for the ears. In the words of the website, "Radiolab is a show about curiosity. Each episode is an investigation - a patchwork of people, sounds, stories all centered around one big idea." This means that topics will likely include psychological topics--memory, curiosity, deception, music, the brain, nostalgia, tickling, coincidence, morality, science, parasites (and effects on behavior). Every episode is seemingly a wonderful interdisciplinary show that feeds the mind.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab
http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/?utm_source=links&utm_medium=hp&utm_campaign=radiolab

One recent show was about the Obama Effect. The show was about people's perceptions related to their scores on intelligence tests (or some other term that was used). Results included differences in test scores when minorities had different beliefs about what the test was about. It really challenged the notion of the efficacy of intelligence tests.

In short, it is my favorite radio show and I highly recommend it. Please try one episode and you'll see. Enjoy!

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The Psych Files by Michael Britt

One of the ways I am able to keep up with more recent research or to have someone condense it into a format that works for my brain, is to listen to the psych files by Michael Britt. Whether video or audio, high school psych teachers can gain an incredible amount of insight into the concepts we teach.

He even has a section that is geared for teachers http://www.thepsychfiles.com/category/instructional-tools/

I highly recommend the site. You can listen to the podcasts off his site at: http://www.thepsychfiles.com/ or subscribe via iTunes. I've even been able to use his methodology podcast in class. So thanks to Michael Britt and the PsychFiles.

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