Psychology Archives

How to Bring About Change: Lessons From Biology & Chemistry

Do gun buyback programs work? How did Barack Obama accelerate his 2008 presidential campaign? Change is hard. But, The Great Mental Models Volume 2 provides two models from science that can help us initiate and accelerate change in our own lives and even in the world around us. Authors Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish discuss what we can learn from incentives and catalysts. Keep reading to learn how to bring about change in yourself and others.

Why Change Is Hard: Intriguing Answers From Physics

Why is change hard? How is momentum both a help and a hindrance to change? How can understanding friction help you remove barriers to progress? In The Great Mental Models Volume 2, Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish argue that the laws of motion and thermodynamics can help us understand why change is hard. They discuss how the principles of inertia, momentum, and friction play a role in our lives. Continue reading to see how these lessons of physics can help us understand resistance to change.

Why Practicing Delayed Gratification Is Hard but Vital

What is delayed gratification? What are some ways to practice delaying gratification? Why does your brain thrive on instant gratification? Author Anna Lembke discusses practicing delayed gratification in her self-help book, Dopamine Nation. According to her, overindulgence is fueled by the pursuit of instant gratification, and learning how to delay gratification leads to a happier and more satisfying life. Keep reading to learn Lembke’s ways to practice delayed gratification by pursuing long-term rewards.

How to Increase Your Willpower: 5 Effective Strategies

Want to know how to increase your willpower? What causes a lack of willpower? What strategies do experts recommend? According to author and addiction expert Anna Lembke’s book, Dopamine Nation, you’re wired to seek out pleasurable activities. The dopamine produced by pleasurable activities can lead to a vicious cycle of overindulgence and a chronic lack of willpower, according to Lembke. Keep reading to learn how to increase your willpower, according to Lembke’s five strategies.

How to Give a Woman an Orgasm: Techniques & Tips

Want to know how to give a woman an orgasm? What makes women feel aroused? In She Comes First, Clinical Sexologist Ian Kerner answers what gives women orgasms: cunnilingus. He lays out techniques that will help make a woman’s experience in bed more fun and enjoyable. Continue reading to learn how to give a woman an orgasm.

The Brain Reward System and Addiction: Are We Wired to Overindulge?

What’s the connection between your brain’s reward system and addiction? How do experts explain the neuroscience of addiction? In Dopamine Nation, author Anna Lembke explores what causes addictive behaviors and how you can take back control. Lembke further explains both the neurological and emotional causes of the addiction cycle and overindulgence. Read on to learn about your brain’s reward system and addiction, according to Lembke.

The Importance of Foreplay and After-Play in Bed

What are foreplay and after-play? Why are they just as important as the act of intercourse? Clinical Sexology doctor Ian Kerner defines foreplay and after-play as forms of sexual play that are essential in relationships. These methods can help you and your partner get aroused while also cooling down when necessary. Keep reading for Kerner’s explanations of foreplay and after-play, as described in his book She Comes First.

Behavior Patterns in Psychology: How to Identify Yours

What are behavior patterns in psychology? Which patterns are potentially harmful? What is self-sabotage? Holistic psychologist and bestselling author Nicole LePera says certain experiences from your childhood could be affecting you as an adult, creating psychological behavior patterns that harm your wellbeing. Her book, How to Do the Work, teaches you which pattern you need to change. Read on to learn how to identify and address the behavior pattern that LePera says could be most harmful.

Pressures on Students: How Selective Admissions Criteria Harms

Why do so many students feel pressured to be perfect? Are they competing for what matters most? Admissions criteria at elite U.S. schools are so selective that they harm students. In Excellent Sheep, William Deresiewicz argues that highly-selective college admissions criteria put certain pressures on prospective students and enrolled students. The harm even extends past graduation. Keep reading to learn about these pressures on students.

Anna Lembke on Addiction: How Daily Habits Are Addictive

What does Anna Lembke say about addiction in modern society? How could your daily habits and activities lead to addiction? In her bestselling book, Dopamine Nation, author Anna Lembke explains how pleasure and pain motivate you to overindulge in pleasurable activities. According to Anna Lembke, addictions can take hold when you have a hard time stepping away from your favorite indulgence. Keep reading to learn Lembke’s advice for identifying daily behaviors that could lead to addiction.