Introduction to Health Psychology

In this video I introduce the unit on health psychology by defining several key terms and discussing the challenges of understanding the causes of illness. I describe etiology (or aetiology), epidemiology, the use of retrospective & prospective studies, and the … Read More

Altruism & Prosocial Behavior

In this video I discuss how prosocial behavior is a commonplace but important part of life and we shouldn’t forget that every day billions of people come together and help one another. What explains this altruistic behavior? Kin selection theory … Read More

The Stanford Prison Study

In this video I discuss the Stanford Prison Study conducted by Philip Zimbardo and colleagues at Stanford University. Psychologically-healthy college-aged male participants were randomly assigned to the roles of prisoners and guards for a 2 week study. The prisoners were … Read More

Crowd Behavior & Deindividuation

In this video I describe how crowds can encourage behaviors that individuals might not engage in alone. Part of the explanation for the emergence of behaviors like looting, theft, destruction, and violence in crowds in deindividuation. Deindividuation refers to a … Read More

Group Polarization

In this video I describe how group opinions and decisions can differ from those of the individuals who make up the group. Group polarization refers to the tendency of groups to become more extreme and more polarized than the original … Read More

The Implicit Association Test

In this video I discuss the implicit association test (IAT) as well as some of the controversies surrounding interpretations of results and widespread use of the test. Negative attitudes may not always be directly expressed and the implicit association test … Read More

The Robbers Cave Study – Improving Group Relations

In this video I discuss Muzafer Sherif’s well-known field experiment on the reduction of group conflict conducted at Robbers Cave State Park in Oklahoma. In this study, two groups of boys, the Eagles and the Rattlers, were put into competition … Read More

Stereotypes, Prejudice, & Discrimination

In this video I discuss how our tendency to use heuristics, shortcuts, and assumptions to fill in the gaps in our knowledge reveals our reliance on stereotypes to understand the world. These can lead us to prejudice or discrimination when … Read More

Impression Formation

In this video I discuss how we form impressions of others and how quickly and accurately we are able to form impressions. Thin slices theory suggests that we’re able to form impressions fairly quickly, though it’s unclear if these first … Read More