The Really Useful Psychology Podcast

Have you ever been in the situation where you've felt something (eg. rage, jealousy or fear), or acted in a particular way - and you don't understand why? One explanation for this is what Freud called the 'dynamic unconscious', and it's the subject of this week's podcast. The discussion explores what the unconscious is, and how unconscious factors can affect us. We talk about the conflicts that can occur between the competing drives of the id, ego & superego; we investigate the way defence mechanisms can protect us but also be counter-productive. If you're interested in understanding why people behave the way they do, you'll love this episode! And if you've enjoyed it, do dive into my FREE online workshop: https://bit.ly/3z7Em2v

Have you ever wondered why you always seem to be the person in your family who does x? Or why someone else never does y? This is because we all have roles in our family. You might be the peacemaker, or the family baby. The black sheep or the scapegoat.  In this mini-episode, we explore how these roles can affect our lives - and what we can do about it. Perhaps you are the family joker & mascot? The truthteller who gets shunned & silenced? These are a few of the roles that we can find ourselves playing in our family. What are the payoffs of the roles we play? What are the costs? And how do they come about? It's no accident, that's for sure.  If you've enjoyed this mini-episode, do dive into my FREE online workshop useful: https://bit.ly/3z7Em2v

When was the last time you helped someone? What motivated you to do it? Perhaps someone did you a good deed recently. How did it pan out? What if you help someone and it goes wrong? What if they don't want you to help them? If we force help on another person when they don't want it, is that altruism or selfishness? What are the origins of altruism? These are some of the questions we consider on the podcast this week. We discuss what altruism is, whether pure selflessness is actually humanly possible, and explore altruism in the news. And I share with you some exciting, brand new research findings on the benefits of altruism. You aren't going to want to miss this episode! If you'd like to find out more about ways to boost your happiness & fulfilment, I have a free starter course which you can find here.

It's hard enough to balance our responsibilities with pursuing the desire for a meaningful life, but unconscious gender biases makes this even more difficult for women to achieve. In this episode, we consider what brand new research findings mean for women and what they mean for gender equality. We explore the contribution of stereotypes, evolutionary psychology, and brain science - and ask the question, Are we still raising and praising girls to think that people in powerful positions are likely to be male? If you'd like to find out more about ways to boost your happiness & fulfilment, I have a free starter course which you can find here.

At some point in our life, I’m sure we’ve all felt 'stuck' but what do we mean when we use this phrase? Is being 'stuck' always a negative thing? Is my idea of being stuck, and my experience of it, the same as yours and everyone else’s? Does being stuck have to be painful? And how can we get ourselves unstuck? Author and teacher, Vicky Newham, guides us through this fascinating topic. If you'd like to find out more about ways to boost your happiness & fulfilment, I have a free starter course which you can find here.

'Liar liar, pants on fire.' Isn't that what children scream when they think someone is lying? Psychologists view lying as a normal and healthy part of children's development. But once we know it's wrong, why do we do it? Do some types of lies matter more than others? Who is most likely to  be taken in by a big, fat whopper? And what's the best way to catch someone out? Author and teacher, Vicky Newham, sifts through the latest research in psychology so you don't have to. Tune in and sit back. Believe me, you'll never lie again! If you'd like to find out more about ways to boost your happiness & fulfilment, I have a free starter course which you can find here.