It defies intuition to think innocent people would confess to a crime they did not commit. But, research has shown that everyone has a breaking point. In this episode, Saul Kassin, PhD, talks about the psychology behind false confessions and how law enforcement officials and legislators can take steps to prevent them. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mental preparation can affect performance, whether you're preparing for a big test at school or competing at the Olympics. In this episode, Steve Portenga, PhD, talks about the psychology behind performing at your best and how to help overachievers handle stress. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Protecting children from sadness, anxiety and stress is a natural instinct for many adults. But, finding ways to help them address these inevitable obstacles to happiness is a challenge parents, teachers and other caregivers have to face head on. In this episode, Bonnie Zucker, PsyD, talks about how to explain death to young children as well as the research into the effectiveness of relaxation and mindfulness techniques for kids. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Married people are often considered to be happier and healthier, while single people are often stereotyped as being isolated, self-centered and unhappy. But what if these are myths? In this episode, psychologist Bella DePaulo, PhD, talks about the benefits of remaining unattached and calls on psychology to pay more attention to why certain single people do, in fact, thrive. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fear and anxiety are part of most normal children’s lives. But how do we know when anxiety is a problem in need of professional help? In this episode, Golda Ginsburg, PhD, talks about how to recognize the signs of an anxiety disorder in your child and what are the most effective, evidence-based treatments. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are terrorists flooding into our country? Are we facing an epidemic of mass shootings and violence? Whatever your thoughts are on gun control or terrorism, psychologists who study human behavior, specifically thrill-seeking and risk taking behaviors, have a lot to contribute to the discussion. In this episode, Frank Farley, PhD, talks about why mental health experts need to be on the front lines of violence prevention efforts. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political elections ought to bring out the good in people – aren’t they a chance to talk about plans and hopes for the future? But lately they have come to resemble brawls on a playground. When did it become OK to wave insulting signs at rallies or call candidates ugly names? Why are so many candidates focusing on the personal instead of policy? In this episode, Jonathan Haidt, PhD, talks about incivility in politics and how psychological research can help us understand each other a little better and return civility to politics. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chances are parents know they need to tell their boys something about sex but aren’t sure where to start. As a result, television, friends and the internet often fill in the gaps, leading to confusion and misconceptions about what it means to be romantic and masculine. In this episode, Andrew Smiler, PhD, talks about his new book, a guide aimed at teen boys, in which he challenges the “myth of manhood,” and gives advice and tips on how to encourage boys to become sexually responsible and mature in their relationships. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever felt awkward, worried or tense during social encounters, especially with people you don’t know? We’ve probably all felt shy at one time or another, but for some people the shyness is so intense it can keep them from interacting with others even when they want or need to – leading to problems in relationships and even at work. In this episode, Bernardo Carducci, PhD, gives advice and tips to shy people who want to understand and manage their reticence. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In order to understand how children think and behave, psychologists need to study them. Most of the time, these experiments take place in university labs or sometime in schools, but one program is taking psychological science into museums around the country. In this episode, Peter Blake, EdD, talks about the Living Laboratory and how it’s breaking down barriers between scientists and the public. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices