Psychology Archives

How to Overcome Confirmation Bias in Decision-Making

The 25 Cognitive Biases: The Availability Bias

What is confirmation bias? How does confirmation bias skew your decision-making? Confirmation bias is the psychological term for our tendency to search for and favor information that underscores our existing beliefs. In decision-making, confirmation bias causes us to ignore information that supports our non-preferred options, even if those options are better. Here are some strategies for overcoming the pull of confirmation bias in decision-making.

The Innate Emotions Illusion: You’re Not Born With Them

What does psychological research say about innate emotions? Why are innate emotions now considered to be an outdated concept? Where do your emotions actually come from? In her book, How Emotions Are Made, Lisa Feldman Barrett analyzes and critiques outdated concepts of human emotions, developing a new theory based on neuroscience and her background in psychology. Barrett’s research shows that innate emotions are an outdated illusion of past experiments. Read on to learn why innate emotions don’t exist and where emotions actually come from, according to Barrett.

How Perfectionism Drives Procrastination

Do your perfectionist tendencies cause you to procrastinate? How does perfectionism prevent you from getting things done? Sometimes we procrastinate because we’re worried about what can go wrong with a task or project. This happens especially when we demand perfection from ourselves. But perfectionism only exacerbates procrastination by making you more stressed. Here’s how perfectionism drives procrastination and what to do about it.

Surviving Childhood Trauma: A Path to Healing

Does everyone have trauma from childhood? How can suppressed emotions from your childhood affect your adult relationships? The source of your suffering may lie hidden in your unconscious, where traumas from your past—and your family’s past—are stopping you from being truly happy and free. Childhood trauma can reverberate throughout your entire life, preventing you from forming healthy relationships in adulthood. Surviving childhood trauma is a lifelong journey, but some deep traumas may never heal fully. Keep reading to learn about the roots of childhood trauma, how it manifests itself in adulthood, and the steps you can take towards healing.

How to Be More Optimistic (Even if You’re a Pessimist)

Want to learn how to be more optimistic? How can you become an optimist if you’re naturally pessimistic? In Martin Seligman’s book, Learned Optimism, Seligman explains how you don’t have to live your life being pessimistic just because you weren’t conditioned to be an optimist. Seligman believes anyone can learn optimism by cultivating a balanced mindset. Read on to learn Seligman’s advice for how to be more optimistic, including a short exercise at the end.

The Meaning of Emotional Development for Children

What does emotional development mean in early childhood? Why is emotional development so important for children, according to psychology? Lisa Feldman Barrett’s book, How Emotions Are Made, explains a new theory of emotions, according to Barrett’s background in neuroscience and psychology. Barrett’s new theory of constructed emotions impacts the meaning and importance of emotional development for young children. Read on to find out the meaning of emotional development in early childhood, according to Barrett’s new theory.

The 2 Simple Rules for Objective Decision-Making

Do you base your decisions on emotions or facts? Why is objectivity important in decision-making? When we make decisions, we’re prone to confirmation bias—seeking information that confirms our existing beliefs and biases. This prevents us from making credible predictions by distorting how we interpret information, leading to suboptimal decisions. Here are two simple rules for objective decision-making.

How Your “Predictive Brain” Takes Care of You

What is your “predictive brain,” according to psychology? How do humans use prediction to maintain well-being? Your predictive brain is in charge of monitoring all of your body’s needs, according to neuroscientist and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett. In her studies of the brain and emotions, Barrett found that the predictive brain plays a large role in regulating your mood, too. Read on to learn more about the function of your predictive brain, according to Barrett’s research.

The 4 Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination

What causes procrastination? Why do we put off things that matter to us the most? More importantly, how can you stop procrastinating once and for all? Contrary to a common misconception, procrastination doesn’t result from laziness or lack of motivation. Rather, procrastination stems from how you think about and approach work. Therefore, the key to overcoming procrastination is changing your relationship with work (and play). With this in mind, here are four strategies for overcoming procrastination.

What Creates a False Sense of Entitlement?

How does a person create a false sense of entitlement? Why is it harmful to themselves and others? According to psychologist Martin Seligman, unearned self-esteem leads to a false sense of entitlement by making people believe it’s not necessary to work hard for success. Seligman says this is in part due to societal pressure to always maintain high self-esteem. Read on to learn the causes and dangers of a false sense of entitlement, according to Seligman.