New Books in Psychology

Discover the emotional toll of lost time in our tech-driven world. The discussion dives into how excessive screen time can lead to feelings of depression and social isolation, especially when technology disrupts meaningful connections. Learn about strategies for managing screen time effectively and setting healthy boundaries with devices. The hosts also highlight the significance of intentional screen usage for better sleep and overall well-being. Time with others is a precious commodity, and reclaiming it is key to personal growth.

Uljana Feest, a philosophy professor at Leibniz University in Hanover and author of "Operationism in Psychology: An Epistemology of Exploration," dives deep into the historical ties between psychological concepts and research methods. She discusses the challenges of defining abstract phenomena like memory and its connection to folk psychology. Feest advocates for clearer operational definitions to improve measurement in psychology, while addressing the replication crisis and the need for a more integrated understanding of how psychological constructs relate to real-life behaviors.

Join Sandra Matz, a Columbia Business School professor and author, as she delves into the fascinating intersection of algorithms and human psychology. Discover how data-driven insights can reveal intimate aspects of our behavior, offering both potential benefits and ethical concerns. Matz discusses the dark side of manipulation in marketing and politics, yet highlights hopeful advances in mental health technology. With a balanced view, she explores how big data can encourage healthier choices while cautioning against our decreasing personal agency.

This discussion dives into the turbulent intersection of race, history, and education in America. Psychoanalysts dissect denial as a defense mechanism that shields societal identities from troubling truths about systemic racism. They also explore 'splitting' and 'projective identification,' shedding light on how these psychological forces impact classroom dynamics and educational debates. The conversation emphasizes the need for comprehensive education that welcomes diverse perspectives, advocating for open dialogue and understanding to address historical injustices.

In this engaging conversation, Dr. Gill, an expert on technology's impact on human connection and brain function, discusses the phenomenon of technoference and its detrimental effects on relationships. They highlight a powerful example of a family dinner disrupted by smartphones, illustrating how technology steals precious moments of genuine connection. Dr. Gill emphasizes the importance of being present during family interactions and the emotional toll that distractions can take on children, urging listeners to prioritize real connections over digital ones.

Edward L. Jones III, author of *Medication, Mental Illness, and Murder*, dives into the tragic story of the Crespi family. He discusses the complex interplay between mental health and pharmaceuticals, highlighting how SSRIs might have influenced violent behavior. The conversation raises awareness about the stigma surrounding mental illness and the need for informed consent in treatment. Jones shares Kim Crespi's journey of trauma and forgiveness, while also calling for better mental health care and understanding amidst personal and societal challenges.

In this engaging discussion, social psychologist Vanessa Bohns, a professor at Cornell University, reveals the unnoticed power of influence we wield in daily interactions. She explores why we often underestimate our impact and how this oversight can lead to missed opportunities. Bohns shares compelling stories and insights about social media's effects on self-perception, the significance of requests, and how biases can shape academic hiring. Her research encourages listeners to embrace their influence while being mindful of its responsibilities.

Why do our attempts to control uncertainty often leave us feeling more adrift? What if our greatest source of stress could become our deepest well of creativity? Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and two decades of experience across advertising and venture capital, Dessy T. Levinson offers a radical reframing of how we relate to intensity. From Overwhelm to Flow: Sailing the Seas of Self with Courage, Meaning, and Resilience (Crate Mind, 2025) reveals how our nervous system actually processes complexity-and how understanding this transforms our relationship with uncertainty. Through intimate stories and cutting-edge research, the book introduces CRATE-a framework that combines cognitive insight with emotional intelligence to build lasting resilience. At its core, this book challenges our default response to overwhelm. Rather than trying to eliminate intensity or bypass emotion, we learn to welcome these experiences as portals to deeper understanding. Whether you're a founder navigating startup chaos, a leader building psychological safety for your team, or simply someone seeking to understand why your emotions feel like they're steering the ship, you'll discover practical tools for charting a new course. The journey unfolds in three parts. First, we dive into the science of how our minds and emotions actually work, discovering why traditional approaches to managing stress often backfire. Next, we explore the CRATE framework-Clarity, Regulation, Agency, Trust, and Energy-learning how to transform these insights into practical tools for navigating complexity. Finally, we discover how personal transformation extends beyond the individual, creating ripples that enhance our relationships, teams, and communities. More than just another self-help manual or management guide, this is an invitation to remember what we've always known but perhaps forgotten: that our struggles become our strengths when we learn to sail with, rather than against, the seas of our nature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology

Gohar Homayounpour, a psychoanalyst and Crediva award-winning author, discusses her book and the intertwined themes of mourning, culture, and psychoanalysis. She emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort and the complexities of personal grief, particularly through her experience of loss. The conversation delves into the connections between Persian blues, storytelling, and identity, as well as the nuances of femininity in Iranian culture. Homayounpour also explores empathy in therapeutic settings, advocating for creativity and authentic engagement in psychoanalysis.

Drs. Messina and Gill talked about cognitive offloading in our digital age—how smartphones, AI, and other technologies are reshaping our mental habits, our memory, our capacity for attention, and ultimately, our emotional lives.Cognitive offloading refers to the process of using tools and technologies to take over mental functions we used to perform ourselves. Whether it's using GPS to navigate, storing phone numbers in our contacts, or asking ChatGPT for help organizing thoughts, we’re increasingly externalizing our thinking.They also discussed the psychoanalytic defense mechanisms involved in our reliance on technology, how AI impacts metacognition, and how this process influences us both individually and collectively.From a psychoanalytic perspective, cognitive offloading is similar to projection—placing uncomfortable labor or responsibility outside of ourselves. It may also involve disavowal: we know we’re becoming dependent, but we ignore or deny the psychological cost.Dr. Messina mentioned that Freud saw memory as a core element of identity adding that when we delegate memory to devices, we risk fragmenting the ego. She also elaborated on the concept of “metacognition” which refers to the awareness and regulation of one’s own thought processes, also described as “thinking about thinking.” It involves understanding how we learns, plans, monitors, and evaluates our cognitive strategies to achieve specific goals.Dr. Gill talked about cognitive offloading from a neuroscience perspective noting that the practice of using external tools or resources to reduce mental effort involves complex interactions between several brain regions. He discussed how the prefrontal cortex plays a central role in cognitive offloading while the hippocampus is critical for memory encoding and retrieval.How to mitigate problems that arise from cognitive offloading was also discussed as well as the risks of overreliance on AI chatbots which can lead to cognitive atrophy. This is now referred to as artificial intelligence chatbots induced cognitive atrophy or AICICA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology