Psychology in Everyday Life: The Psych Files

Michael Pipich, a seasoned expert with over 30 years in the field, dives into the complexities of bipolar disorder, as discussed in his new book, Owning Bipolar. He uncovers the challenges of accurate diagnosis and the historical stigma associated with mental illness. Pipich explains the dual perspective needed for understanding bipolar—applicable to both those affected and their families. He also introduces 'mood zones' to illustrate the disorder's episodic nature, emphasizing the importance of recognition and support.

Alright, let’s all admit it – we talk to our pets in that funny pet voice. “Who’s a good dog?” Well, there’s been a lot of research on your use of this voice to talk to your dog as well how you talk to babies. What exactly are you doing with your voice? And most importantly, does your dog know what the heck you’re saying? Does it help to talk this way? Let’s find out.

If you’re suffering from the effects of a trauma in your life or know someone who is, then listen to Dr. Matt Jaremko talk about his new book with Beth Fehlbaum called Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt. Dr. Jaremko’s approach to therapy with trauma victims is straightforward and respectful. It’s about helping survivors get their confidence back and move forward. Individuals suffering from PTSD of many kinds will find this episode especially helpful. Students of psychology will also see how the ideas of Albert Bandura and Arnold Lazarus come together in a fascinating therapeutic technique.

Did you see the movie A Quiet Place? How about Mission Impossible? It’s always fun to analyze movies from a psychological perspective and that’s what I do in this episode. A Quiet Place has a lot of family dynamics issues going on but Mission Impossible? You’d be surprised. We’ll look at such things as family therapy, the identified patient, sexism and even correlational statistics. Let’s have some fun.

Hopefully you've watched the TV show Columbo. Curious about what this character has to do with psychology? You'd be surprised. In this episode I analyze Columbo in terms of the psychological technique called motivational interviewing. I also take a look at the criminal lineup scene in the Jennifer Garner movie, "Peppermint". I also explain why you remember how to ride a bike but can't remember where you put your cell phone. Along the way we learn about Semantic vs. Procedural memory.

Have you ever seen something so cute you just want to squeeze it - to death? Or a child so cute you want to pinch it's cheeks really hard? Why do we have these odd, powerful, opposite feelings? It's called "cute aggression" and we'll try to explain it in this episode. 

Do feel slightly uncomfortable in the bathroom? How does the presence of others in the bathroom affect you? What about places other than the bathroom? How close is too close? A psychological study was done in 1976 in which psychology researchers hid in men's bathrooms to observe...well, you'll find out. Learn more about personal space in this episode of The Psych Files.

Do you have your own little “tricks”? That is, ways of doing things that are faster than how you used to do them? Well, congratulations, you’re something of an efficiency expert. And if you can picture an assembly line of people putting products together, then you’ve seen one way of increasing productivity. But some of us are really, really obsessed with efficiency and often those people are computer programmers. Some of them, as you’ll hear from Clive Thompson (author of Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World) have even developed ways to make their love lives more efficient! Sounds impossible but I think you’ll enjoy hearing what some coders are up to. Why are they obsessed with efficiency? Do they score highly on Conscientiousness in the Big Five personality score? Would Frederick Taylor – founder of scientific management – feel a kindred spirit in them? Let’s find out.

Why do our digital assistants such as Alexa, Google Home, Siri and Cortana have “feminized” voices and what are the effects of this trend? That’s what I explore in this episode. Are there negative effects of using female voices in the devices we talk to and who talk to us? Are there alternatives? Turns out there is an alternative – a “genderless” voice. What does that sound like? Tune in to find out as we explore gender roles, expectations and equality.

Here’s my interview with Emil Rasmussen, who will give you the background behind the genderless voice called Q and his hopes for the future of Q.