The Top Ten Myths of Behaviour Change

- A Communications Specialist with Metro Vancouver talks about what drives behaviour change, in the context of increasing recycling, at the Recycling Council of British Columbia’s 2011 annual conference. He lists ten myths and breaks them down into anecdotes and references to studies on things like financial incentives.

For example, a daycare instituted fines for parents who picked up their kids late, but lateness increased because people felt like they’d bought a service.

After discussing myths, he talks about how we can change behaviours and develop new habits, drawing on knowledge from psychology, behavioural economics, marketing, neuroscience, sociology, social media, and more.

As an avid recycler who wants to help the environment however I can, new ways to promote recycling using social proof and other smart tactics sound very promising.

Perspective is Everything

- Perspective is essential to happiness, says Rory Sutherland. He gives examples of applied perspective and argues that the element of choice is what makes a situation more tolerable. Psychological factors should be added to mechanistic ideas in cost-benefit analyses. Things like train arrival clocks and traffic light timers have improved lives because they address human anxieties.

People believe that a company that only sells one type of product is better than a company that sells a wide array of products, which means “Google is as much a psychological success as it is a financial one.” Economics and advertising often fail to understand that what something is, has value, he asserts. An interesting intellectual TEDxAthens Talk.

The Fantasy Bond

- A presentation about the “fantasy bond,” defined as an illusion of a close relationship with a parent that is replayed later in life with romantic partners. Idealizing partners reinforces negative self-image formed early on. Firestone lists ways it manifests in a relationship, such as withholding emotions, polarizing, denigrating, and/or idealizing partners, and having form instead of substance, not really relating to each other. She describes three states of fantasy involvement, discusses personal differentiation, and looks at types of healthy and unhealthy interactions. Finally, she explores separation theory.

Means Matter: How Bridge Barriers Help Prevent Suicide

- Physical barriers to suicide produce results; this slide presentation video explains why we need them. Explodes common myths about suicide barriers, including the idea that if you put a net on a bridge people will just go somewhere else to do it. Research has shown that removal of barriers has led to an immediate increase of deaths. Watch to learn about this common sense approach to suicide prevention. Read more, including references, click here.

Sh*t People Say About OCD

- Although the Sh*t People Say meme is past its prime, this overlooked homemade video still rings true by parodying common things that uneducated people say to people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Example: “Could you clean my room?” Warning: coarse language (an obvious four letter word). Interactive transcript available. To learn real facts about OCD, visit her blog, and search PsychCentral’s vast archives for lots more information.

Catwoman Therapy! Episode 13

- Comedy skit about villainess Catwoman in session with a frustrated psychotherapist, delving into her obsession with Batman, and her many annoying cat mannerisms. Well-acted and edited, this is a hilarious concept that’s been nicely executed. Watch the whole Super Therapy series featuring assorted superheroes in therapy. Great stuff.

Brené Brown: Listening to shame

- After her awesome 2010 TEDxHouston talk on vulnerability went viral, with close to 4 million views, Brown was invited to speak at the main TED conference in Long Beach this year. With warm humour she describes what happened in her life after becoming famous, while quick to point out she must “dance with the one you came with” and continue to talk about her research on shame, which led to conclusions on vulnerability, authenticity, and courage. A very quotable talk filled with nuggets of wisdom. For example: “Vulnerability is not weakness, and that myth is profoundly dangerous.” “Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage.” Features an interactive transcript, and English subtitles.

Psychology Experiment: Invisible Rope

- A simple, light-hearted prank by college students using a cognitive illusion. Two men appear to be holding a rope above the ground. People move around them, jump the rope, and even stop their cars to avoid it. But is it real? Set to an energetic soundtrack, this is an easy-to-view video for all ages.

What BETTER Feels Like

- A project featuring three stories of recovery from depression. Here, Deanna talks about noticing signs of recovery from depression and what did and didn’t help her. With family support and advocacy she worked with clinicians and her workplace. Now she says, “Feeling better is noticing the beautiful things in life.” Useful inspiration for those who wonder if there is hope for recovery, along with giving information about what to look for, from the perspective of a person with lived experience of depression. Watch all three videos and learn more about recovery here.

So You Want to Get a PhD in Psychology

Animation of an imaginary conversation between a psychology professor and a student who wants to follow in his footsteps. Want to help people? Study the human condition? Make lots of money? Apparently academia is not the right career choice. This cute, short video points out some of the potential drawbacks of working in the field.
This is the first in my new series, Funny Fridays. I’ll be featuring amusing videos about the brain and behaviour every week. Sit back and relax, have a laugh, and feel free to share links to your favourites in the comments.