Follow me as I journey across the world to converse with influential Psychologists
Does culture influence how we think? Dr. Daphna Oyserman has been researching culture, identity and the interaction of these constructs as they impact social and psychological development of children and families across three continents during her career. While she is currently the Dean’s Professor of Psychology and Co-Director of the Dornsife Center for Mind and … Continue reading The Possible Selves of Dr. Daphna Oyserman
Psychology has but a few superstars whose research is widely known across all of our sub-disciplines, and whose findings, books, and talks are influential for people not involved in Psychology. This level of renown is rare because to be known in the public requires an influence that directly affects our social mores and activities; because Psychology … Continue reading Dr. Elizabeth Loftus for the People
Cognitive-neuroscientist, author, rock star, music producer. It's the kind of CV that an ambitiously dreaming 8-year old might conjure and it is also the career of Dr. Daniel Levitin. Someday, Dr. Levitin will undoubtedly put together the collected tales of his life. His early experiences in engineering and musical arrangement, those years performing with bands, … Continue reading The Canons of Dr. Daniel Levitin
Dr. Rich Mayer is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California -- Santa Barbara who has bridged from his roots in cognition into educational psychology. If one traces his career, the influence of Dr. Mayer is very quickly evident. Over his long and incredibly prolific career, Dr. Mayer was one of the … Continue reading A Model for Understanding Dr. Rich Mayer
Dr. Alison Gopnik is inspired by the scientific vision of young children. Without the preconceptions, the extensive set of cognitive heuristics, and the rigid approaches to problem-solving we adopt in adulthood, children see the world with a sense of exploration. Dr. Gopnik and her colleagues have shown young children to be incredible problem-solvers, creative theoreticians, … Continue reading The Intellectual Wonderland of Dr. Alison Gopnik
Dr. Albert Bandura has been one of the foremost influential thinkers and researchers in Psychology since his career began in the mid-1950's. His work with Social Learning Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, Self-Efficacy, and the related clinical applications with Guided Mastery have been seminal to our understanding of everything from how people learn, to the Psychology … Continue reading The Legend of Dr. Albert Bandura
Dr. Mike Corballis met me on the tiny island of Waiheke, a short ferry ride from downtown Aukland. He is an Emeritus Professor and Inaugural Creativity Fellow at the University of Aukland in New Zealand where he has served since 1978. His research is far-reaching in scope, his publications are theoretically provocative and speak to … Continue reading A Few Short Stories of Dr. Michael Corballis
Dr. Max Coltheart has drawn together people and ideas to form an understanding of thought and belief systems. He has done so with studies of visual perception, speech and language processes, computational modeling, clinical patients and their delusions, and a range of other fascinating phenomena. While Dr. Coltheart is Australian, his career has taken him … Continue reading The Polythematic Approach of Dr. Max Coltheart
As a young man, Dr. Joe Forgas risked his life and liberty to travel from soviet-controlled Hungary to Australia. In doing so, he eventually forged a career that spanned the social and cognitive domains in Psychology, he became an authority on how affect influences decision-making, and he brought an unique voice and influential perspective to … Continue reading An Unobtrusive Conversation with Dr. Joe Forgas
(Featured image is Dr. Bower at his home. Below are some of the trees that populate the campus of Stanford University. The title of this post refers to Dr. Bower's height, his prominent position among many influential psychologists, and his career in northern California, home to the Giant Redwoods -- the tallest trees in … Continue reading Dr. Gordon Bower Among Giants
