My Year of Rest and Relaxation, reviewed by Andrew Archer
My Year of Rest and Relaxation, reviewed by Andrew Archer
“There she is, a human being, diving into the unknown, and she is wide awake.” (p. 289)
A Buddhist Analysis of My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Ottessa Moshfegh’s 2018 novel—My Year of Rest and Relaxation—is written as a retrospective, reflection of the narrator’s former self. The characters and details of the story are a critique of Western psychology—including psychiatry—and American culture. Buddhist philosophy is applied to analyze the narrator’s mission... / moreThe Quelling, reviewed by Katharine Coldiron
The Quelling, reviewed by Katharine Coldiron
Debut Novel Explores and Explodes Attachment Therapy
Barbara Barrow’s intriguing new novel, The Quelling (Lanternfish Press, September 25) explores a psychological treatment called attachment therapy. Although this innocuous name connects to attachment theory, which is legitimate, attachment therapy is controversial and dangerous, as the novel demonstrates ably. In The Quelling, two sisters, Addie and Dorian, are placed in a treatment facility as children and forced to...
/ moreRoadblocks to Mental Health Research
Roadblocks to Mental Health Research
Another busy ward round: a telephone rings; a nurse apologises to patients that the ward is too short-staffed to facilitate their leave this afternoon; a junior doctor furiously types up their notes whilst simultaneously explaining to a healthcare assistant how to check the observation charts; there is a strong... / more
How to get into shape like the Hulk
keywords:
exercise / habits / health / self-regulation / self-control
How to get into shape like the Hulk
Do you want to get into shape but find it hard to carry out your good intentions? The Hulk can help you! 
After summer vacation, chances are you are trying to get back into shape. Your goals may include fitting into your pants again, training for a 5k in the winter, or improving your overall physical strength and endurance. Each day you try to start off with...
/ moreThe Effect of Acute Stress on Memory: How It Helps and How It Hurts
The Effect of Acute Stress on Memory: How It Helps and How It Hurts
Although we often perceive the effect of stress negatively, research suggests that stress effects are not always detrimental. This review paper examines the impact that acute stress has on memory formation and retrieval by highlighting the ways that stress can help improve memory, but also the ways in which it typically harms memory. This paper focuses on the neurobiology behind the stress response, the ways in which researchers typically examine...
/ moreCall for Blogs and Bloggers
Call for Blogs and Bloggers
Call for Blogs and Bloggers: In-Mind Magazine
We invite you to submit a blog (1,000 words or less) for In-Mind Magazine, the flagship online journal of the In-Mind Foundation. In-Mind Magazine is a peer-reviewed online journal that publishes short reviews of topics in all fields of psychology. Our outlet is unique—articles are written for a broad audience, and intended to inform the general public about psychological trends and research.Our blog section at In-Mind complements our...
/ moreRemembering what never occurred? Children’s false memories for repeated experiences
keywords:
false memories / repeated events / implantation paradigm / children / McMartin preschool
Remembering what never occurred? Children’s false memories for repeated experiences
“Memory, my dear Cecily, is the diary that we all carry about with us.”
“Yes, but it usually chronicles the things that have never happened, and couldn't possibly have happened.”
─ Miss Prism and Cecily conversing about Cecily’s diary in Oscar Wilde’s play, “The Importance of Being Earnest”, from 1895.
In 2016 a thirteen-year-old girl identified as Autumn approached the police in Keighley, England, with a...
/ moreThe Hope Circuit, Reviewed by Joe Smith
The Hope Circuit, Reviewed by Joe Smith
The Hope Circuit by Martin Seligman
Review by Joe Smith
Introduction
Martin Seligman is one of the best-known and most influential psychologists in the world. He is also something of a celebrity, central to the development of popular psychology and its incursion into the self-help publishing genre. Seligman is most famous today for fathering positive psychology, which celebrates 20 years of...
/ moreDoing ill for ‘the greater good’: Understanding what really went on in the Stanford Prison Experiment
Doing ill for ‘the greater good’: Understanding what really went on in the Stanford Prison Experiment
Just about every highschool and college psychology textbook offers extensive coverage of Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE). The meaning of the SPE seemed obvious — that when given roles with power, people naturally become brutal tyrants. This message has had lasting influence, not only in psychology but in the world at large. However, after researchers have recently gained access to the SPE archives, it has come to light that much of what we thought we knew about the study is inaccurate. We asked three experts to weigh in on these recent events, and the resulting discussion is one... / more
Wait, What?! The Stanford Prison Experiment was pre-tested?
Wait, What?! The Stanford Prison Experiment was pre-tested?
With the recent news regarding the questionable nature of the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, we thought it was purdent to republish one of our earlier blog articles drawing attention to the issue. The piece below appeared on our blog in 2012.
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