Psychology Archives

The Confidence Game: Book Overview (Maria Konnikova)

What is the book The Confidence Game by Maria Konnikova about? How do con artists get away with manipulating their victims? How can you see past their games? Psychologist Maria Konnikova claims that con artists have existed for as long as human communities have. Con artists are people with an uncanny ability to gain someone’s trust, swindle them, and disappear before the victim even grasps what’s happened—a ruse known as a confidence game, or “con.” Read below for our The Confidence Game book overview to get the main ideas.

David Robson’s The Expectation Effect: Book Overview

What is David Robson’s The Expectation Effect about? Do your expectations always become your reality? Science writer David Robson argues in The Expectation Effect that your brain’s predictions about your body, your health, your intellect, and your emotions are so powerful that they create your reality. By changing what your brain predicts, you can change the reality your brain creates for you and the limits it sets for you. Read below for a brief overview of The Expectation Effect.

Behaviorism Experiments That Pushed Psychology Forward

Who began behaviorism experiments? What animals were commonly used in these experiments? Behaviorism is the study of why people and animals behave the way they do and how they learn. Psychologists often used dogs, cats, and rats to examine behavior because it yielded better results than a philosophical approach. Keep reading to learn more about certain behaviorism experiments that changed the face of psychology.

8 Secondary Trauma Symptoms Caregivers Experience

Do you care for trauma patients? What are the signs of secondary trauma? According to Laura van Dernoot Lipsky’s book Trauma Stewardship, people have different responses to trauma exposure. If you work with trauma patients, you must understand how secondary trauma affects you so you can better care for others. Let’s look at eight secondary trauma symptoms that you may be experiencing.

Do Not Hide Unwanted Things in the Fog (Beyond Order Rule 3)

Do you let small stressors pile up until they’re big problems? Do your health, happiness, and relationships suffer as a result? Jordan Peterson wants to help you live a life of meaning despite the chaos all around. He provides 12 rules for doing so in his book Beyond Order. Rule 3 says this: Do not hide unwanted things in the fog. Read more to learn exactly what this means and how to improve this area of your life.

Positive Intelligence: Saboteurs & How They Affect You

How to Protect Yourself from Negative Influences

What are the 10 Positive Intelligence Saboteurs? Which ones are causing you stress? In Positive Intelligence, Shirzad Chamine explains that our mental antagonists, known as Saboteurs, are survival mechanisms that hinder our happiness and success in adulthood. He explains that our Saboteurs are driven by our survival brain, which exaggerates threats and causes stress. Read on to learn how Shirzad Chamine explains Saboteurs in his book Positive Intelligence.

The Expectancy Effect: How Your Beliefs Manifest Reality

What is the expectancy effect? How do your expectations unconsciously come true? In The Expectation Effect, David Robson argues that your brain, body, and environments conspire to create what researchers call expectancy effects. This means that what you expect to be or do becomes your reality. Keep reading to learn more about this effect and how it plays a role in your life.

The Psychology of Con Artists: The 3 Most Common Behaviors

How Beautiful Forevers Asha Embraced Charity Scams

What is the psychology behind con artists’ behaviors? What traits are con artists predisposed to? In The Confidence Game, Maria Konnikova says that many con artists become manipulative and vindictive because they show signs of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. Showing signs of all three together can create a master manipulator. Below we’ll look at the psychology of con artists to dive into their minds.

How Your Beliefs About Learning Impact Your Ability to Learn

Do you say “I can’t” a lot? Did you have teachers who believed in you? Whether you’re a student in school or looking to pick up new skills, you need to learn effectively. Your beliefs about learning—whether positive or negative—affect your ability to learn. That includes your beliefs about learning in general and your beliefs about your own learning capacity. Keep reading to know more about the power of what you believe.

The Disadvantages of Urban Life: How to Reclaim Nature’s Benefits

How do city sounds and the sight of strangers affect people? How is rain a mood booster? Modern cities offer us many benefits. But, urban environments have removed us from the discomforts of the natural world that we belong to, and this has a variety of harmful consequences. Read on to learn Michael Easter’s research on the disadvantages of urban life and the benefits of getting back to nature.