Description: What is the difference between shame and guilt (and what do they have to do with Covid-19)? Well, we could dive deeply into philosophy to try and sort that out but let’s start with how shame and guilt are viewed within Psychology. With roots in Psychodynamic (Freudian) theory, shame is the earlier arising feeling… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Moral Development
Anger and Self-Regulation: Learn From the Inuit
Description: A huge part of growing up (well of developing and being “raised”) is learning how to self-regulate. Think of what small children do from time to time – they may have a tantrum when they do not get their way, they may eat all the cookies on the counter, they may be distracted by… Read more »
Schadenfreude — a Cool German Word and a Fascinating Psychological Construct
Description: Before setting up the article that is the focus of this post let me start by saying that, if you have not run across this before, you should look for some of the amazingly descriptive words the German language has for aspects of the human condition. Some have been borrowed into English (like Wanderlust… Read more »
PTSD and The Parents of Seriously Ill Children
Description: PTSD is an issue for first responders (Police, fire, ambulance etc.) and for soldiers in the military, right? Well yes, that IS correct, BUT they are not the only ones at risk for developing symptoms of PTSD. If you looked at my previous post about PTSD in general, you will have understood that the… Read more »
Spotting Liars: New tools for assessing character (shhhh don’t tell your friends and relatives!)
Description: Can you tell when someone is lying to you? If you do a You Tube search on lie detection you will find a great many postings showing versions of the classic lie detection game where someone tells you several things about themselves one of which is a lie and you have to figure out… Read more »
Is Civic Engagement Good For You? Maybe …. It Depends on What Type!
Description: A key theme in the recently identified life stage of emerging adulthood is engagement. While often not well defined, engagement can range form self-engagement (digging into figuring out what you are going to do and how you are going to do it in life and in the development of a sense of personal identity)… Read more »
Mirror Neurons and Moral Dilemmas: Bidirectional Ethical Opportunities and Challenges
Description: What brain based activations are associated with your tendency to consider causing harm to others in moral decision-making situations? Typically, we are asked questions in abstract or “hypothetical” manners. Would you consider causing pain to one person if it might result in information to needed to stop a bombing that could harms many others?… Read more »
Criminal Brains: Opportunties and ethical pitfalls of looking beyond minds
Description: Have you ever watched an episode of the TV show Criminal Minds which fictionally focusses on the activities of an FBI behavioral analysis unit that hunts psychopaths? In the show there are many discussions of the sorts of developmental histories that amplify some psychopathic behavioral tendencies and of the sorts of things that can… Read more »
The Psychologies of Sycophants and Narcissists: Historical Shifts, Developmental Histories and Clear and Present Dangers
Description: What is a sycophant? Well, colloquially we sometimes use the term “suck up” as in “that person is a suck up” or “that person is really sucking up to the boss”. But what is going on in situations like that psychologically? There are a couple of hints for possible hypotheses in the pictures posted… Read more »
What’s Wrong? … “Nothing”!! Changing the Conversations Between Parents and Teens
Description: Think about this either based on personal experience or hypothetically. A teenager goes to school in the morning seeming rather relaxed and happy. At the end of the day they return home quiet (sullen) and clearly distracted. When one of their parents asks what is up they respond “nothing” in a grumpy tone and… Read more »
Books for Success!
