Dr. Gary Bell's Absurd Psychology

Pornography, often colloquially referred to as porn, is any sexually explicit material—written, visual, or otherwise—that is intended to sexually arouse. While pornography has existed in some form for millennia, today it's most readily available online—though it continues to be widely available in literature, audio, magazines, and more. The increasing presence of the Internet in daily life has led...

The ancient Greek philosophers were pretty much obsessed with the idea of a good life. Their whole way of life was organized around ideas about what makes a human life "good" or "noble" or "worthwhile." While others pursued commerce, politics, or war, the philosophers tried to figure out why these things mattered. Each philosophical school had its own answers, but Aristotle's was one of the most i...

We're constantly taking in information about our social world, and this can involve judging people. These judgments can be super quick and automatic. Some research has even shown that we can form pretty accurate impressions of people in just a few seconds. Tune in for a deep dive on why we judge and how to stop.

Borderline personality disorder is a chronic condition that may include mood instability, difficulty with interpersonal relationships, and high rates of self-injury and suicidal behavior. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term pla...

The brains of children raised in violent families resemble the brains of soldiers exposed to combat, psychologists say. They're primed to perceive threat and anticipate pain, adaptations that may be helpful in abusive environments but produce long-term problems with stress and anxiety. Tune in and learn about the impact of abuse and how to heal!

When daylight hours start to decrease and it gets colder outside many people may find themselves experiencing symptoms resembling depression. For some the symptoms are relatively brief. Tempers may seem shorter for parents stuck inside with cranky or sick children and an increased sense of lethargy is not uncommon on a dreary winter day. For others, however, these symptoms can be quite disabling.

One of the biggest relationship challenges that people struggle with is emotional flooding. It's something that happens to everyone sometimes, and if you don't know how to respond to it, it can escalate conflict and create disconnection. Fortunately, many of the steps you can take to resolve it are pretty simple. Not necessarily easy, but simple. Think back on a time when you were surprised by bad...

Adversity is a fact of life. Resilience is that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back at least as strong as before. Rather than letting difficulties or failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes. Resilience is not some magical quality; it takes real mental work to transcend hardship. But even after misfortune,...

Although memories seem to be a solid, straightforward sum of who people are, strong evidence suggests that memories are actually quite complex, subject to change, and often unreliable. Memories can be reconstructed as people age and also as their worldview changes. They can falsely recall childhood events, and through effective suggestion, can even create new false memories. They can be tricked in...

You may have a pretty good idea about what it is you're attracted to: hair color, eye color, height, smell… Smell? Believe it or not, your subconscious has quite the strong opinion when it comes to finding others attractive. From the depths of the human brain, here are 10 fascinating facts about the psychology of attraction. Tune in and learn how attraction operates!

Stupidity is in all of us. However, the degrees of stupid varies. . We are influenced by various cognitive biases that we are not aware of. The music we are listening to influences our opinion of the wine we drink, the weight of the spoon influences how creamy we find the yoghurt and our moral assessment of strangers depends on what movie we have just watched. Tune in for a wild ride examine stupi...

Bipolar disorders, or manic-depressive illness, is a group of disorders characterized by the presence of pronounced high-energy phases known as manic episodes. Typically, unusual shifts in mood and energy manifest in increased activity levels and impair ability to function. The impairment created by bipolar disorder can be severe and can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performa...

The emotional bond that typically forms between infant and caregiver is the means by which the helpless infant gets primary needs met. It then becomes an engine of subsequent social, emotional, and cognitive development. The attachment experience can have an influence on the ability to form additional stable relationships. We will explore all that makes attachment and how what we emotionally attac...

Self-entitlement is when an individual perceives themselves as deserving of unearned privileges. These are the people who believe life owes them something; a reward, a measure of success, a particular standard of livinA sense of entitlement brings with it an uncompromising attitude. There is a lack of understanding of others' needs and of certain social situations, accompanied by an expectation th...

For some people, persistent sexual desires, thoughts, and behavior can become problematic. Such individuals may become preoccupied with sexual fantasies and urges, and a subset will act on these impulses while feeling that they have no control over their actions repeatedly sending explicit texts and images, for example, or attempting to fondle others without consent. This pattern of behavior is of...

We are all despicable in various forms of despicableness. If we all could come to grips with that, than we understand that what makes us despicable are often triggered as coping or defense mechanisms that display our personal insecurities. The highest ranking mechanism is dishonesty, followed by cruelty, self centeredness, attention seeking, violent, mean and so much more. Tune in and learn about...

Truth tends to lead to successful action. In that much, truth has instrumental value. But truth also has intrinsic value. Given the choice between a life of limitless pleasure as a brain in a vat and a genuine human life along with all its pain and suffering, most people opt for the latter. We will explore the depths of truth and the value it brings to our lives. As hard as its is, the truth will...

ESP has been defined as 'anomalous processes of information or energy transfer, processes such as telepathy… that are currently unexplained in terms of known physical or biological mechanisms.' Magical thinking is defined as believing that one event happens as a result of another without a plausible link of causation. For example: I got up on the left side of the bed today therefore it will rain....

People victimized by violent hate crimes are more likely to experience more psychological distress than victims of other violent crimes. Specifically, victims of crimes that are bias-motivated are more likely to experience post-traumatic stress, safety concerns, depression, anxiety and anger than victims of crimes that are not motivated by bias. This show is about how to cope with hate crimes and...

By 2030, the number of Americans age 65 and over is projected to be about 71.5 million, of which nearly 10 million will be at least 85. As more people are living longer, more individuals can expect to spend more time in retirement than those in previous generations did. Research has established the physical and mental advantages of a consistent exercise regimen. Screening programs can lead to prev...

Ironically, before romantic love became the basis for marriage—a game-changer that historian Stephanie Coontz dates to the 1700s—marriage was based on talk because it was a contractual binding of individuals, property, and families. (And marriage is still a contract, as anyone who has ever gone through a divorce knows.) Marriage is complicated because we are complicated. Each of us brings into mar...

A microaggression is a subtle, often unintentional, form of prejudice. Rather than an overt declaration of racism or sexism, a microaggression often takes the shape of an offhanded comment, an inadvertently painful joke, or a pointed insult. In a world that is changing dynamically socially, micro aggression is called out as real and harmful. Experiencing microaggressions on a daily basis can be de...

For many, beer, wine, and spirits conjure up thoughts of social gatherings and tipsy fun. But alcohol is a nervous system depressant and is also associated with damaging behavior, as well as the emotional pain and physical disintegration of alcohol addiction, known as alcoholism. Experts continue to debate the benefits and risks of drinking and passionately argue over whether moderation or complet...

Emotional and psychological effects following abortion are more common than physical side effects and can range from mild regret to more serious complications such as depression. The emotional side effects of having an abortion are just as real as physical side effects. Tune in and learn how to discuss prior, how to deal after, how to support someone who has gone through it and what toll it can ta...

Schizoid, Paranoid and Schizotypal Personality Disorders are the most commonly seen personality disorders in the World. They are considered Cluster A in the DSM V. These disorders are called the odd, eccentric cluster. The common features of the personality disorders in this cluster are social awkwardness and social withdrawal. We will examine how these disorders are differentiated, what they look...