In this video I explain how we assess the validity of assessments that have been created for a particular property (such as intelligence). There are several types of validity that can be assessed including construct validity, face validity, content validity, … Read More
Assessing Intelligence
In this video I introduce psychometrics, the study and design of testing for traits and abilities. I describe the difference between power tests and speed tests for assessing intelligence and the importance of differentiating people in order to have a … Read More
How Should We Define Intelligence?
In this video I discuss a number of ways of thinking about intelligence and determining which skills should be considered part of intelligence. I briefly describe Louis Leon Thurstone’s primary mental abilities, Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory, Robert Sternberg’s Triarchic … Read More
What is Intelligence?
In this video I introduce the concept of intelligence and the difficulties of defining and measuring intelligence. I mention the tendency toward reification when thinking about IQ scores and the importance of remembering that intelligence is a hypothetical construct, not … Read More
What is Meditation?
In this video I describe meditation, focusing on two types of practices: focused awareness meditation and mindfulness meditation. Focused awareness involves maintaining fixed attention on a particular object, sound, or mantra, while mindfulness allows attention to move freely without allowing … Read More
What is Hypnosis?
In this video I describe hypnotic induction and hypnotic suggestibility. Next I describe several applications where hypnosis has been shown to be effective (such as analgesia), as well as areas where it is not effective (accurately recalling “lost” memories). Finally … Read More
How Are Psychoactive Drugs Classified?
In this video I describe the 3 main classifications of psychoactive drugs: stimulants, depressants (including narcotics), and hallucinogens. I provide several examples of each drug type, the associated effects on the nervous system, and the relationship to concepts of neuroadaptation, … Read More
How Do Drugs Influence Neural Communication?
In this video I describe how psychoactive drugs can influence neural communication by passing through the blood-brain barrier and acting as either agonists or antagonists. The brain also responds to this influence via neuroadaptation which can create tolerance and withdrawal … Read More
Theories of Dreaming: Freud, Activation-Synthesis, & Information Processing
In this video I describe three approaches for thinking about dreaming; a Freudian perspective, the activation-synthesis model, and information-processing theory. Freud emphasized the role of the unconscious and believed that dreams could be divided into manifest content and latent content, … Read More
Is Polyphasic Sleep Possible?
In this video I describe the polyphasic sleep schedules often promoted by lifehackers as ways of reducing the need for sleep. Though these schedules originate from sleep research, they are intended for maintaining performance in situations necessitating chronic sleep deprivation … Read More