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.

We Are All Mentally Ill

The brain and cause and changes in mental health issues, neuroplasticity, basics of brain science and psychiatric disorders in a nutshell. The impact of society on mental illness and mental illness on society. Mental health issues don’t occur in, and can’t be cured in, isolation.

The Neuroethics of Neurocriminology: New Challenges

Is it possible to predict criminal violence with brain scans, and prevent it with biological interventions? Part of the excellent Neuroethics Learning Collaborative video series.

Stoned in Suburbia

A positive British documentary about the social acceptance of cannabis, and how it’s evolved over the last 50 years.

L’Approssimatio in Tempora

Social convention, math philosophy, mad pride, a pendulum set, and dancing children come together in this innovative and fascinating short film [in Italian with English subtitles]. First prize winner of the Mind the Difference video contest. Congratulations to Alessandro Seidita, Joshua Wahlen, and all the top filmmakers!

Power of Networks

Social networks (not social media): how we shape our personal networks and how they shape us – literally, in clusters of obesity. Your behavioural choices influence other people. See also: a 2008 Health Matters interview with James Fowler and Michael Gottschalk about their book Connected, on social contagion and obesity.

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work

Perspectives on industrialized work, workplace psychology and Western culture. I enjoyed his recent TED Talk so much that I sought out more talks by Alain de Botton, and this lecture is equally entertaining and thought-provoking. A truly excellent speaker and original thinker.

The Baroness, Consciousness, and the Twitterverse: A Conversation with Susan Greenfield

Greenfield recommends pub debates or rants on street corners instead of using social media. Quote: “How sad that a species that previously wrote novels and expressed themselves in thousand word letters, are now having to encapsulate important or interesting ideas in 150 [sic] characters, and that’s the first issue. And if you are used to doing that, are you going to start living your life in windows of 150 characters? And I do find that rather sad. Secondly, there’s many ways in which you can have debates and discussions. You can go to the pub, you can go out to the street, you know, you can go to universities, you can come to the Royal Institution in London. There’s many, many places and ways in which you can discuss ideas… to say that this is the only vehicle for debate and discussion for people who are ordinary human beings who aren’t in positions of power, who don’t have the platforms politicians have, I find that a bit disingenuous.” Then we’re told how one becomes a Baroness in the House of Lords. Greenfield admits she’s never used Twitter, but characterizes users as threatened and angry with a “shaky sense of identity” similar to small children demanding attention, and “perhaps they’re going nowhere.” Ironically, she is keen on the Royal Institution of Great Britain producing webcasts for the “globalization, not just democratization of science.” While their talks look interesting, the Royal Institution demands your street address and other personal data to register to watch, so I won’t. Ah, culture clashes.

title Involvement or Isolation: Research on the Social Lives of Children with Autism at School
description A look at research and case studies of kids diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and their social experiences at school.
producer U.C. Davis M.I.N.D. Institute
featuring Connie Kasari
format Flash
date 19/05/09
length 00:57:08
link http://www.ucsd.tv/search-details.asp?showID=16234

Tags: brain video lecture autism neurodevelopmental sociology psychology youth education

title Through a Blue Lens
description A squad of seven Vancouver Police Department patrol officers carry a video camera on their beat in the skid row Downtown East Side, and interview people about their addictions. The award-winning film was made to shock school children away from trying drugs, but was also controversial with questions about filmmaker ethics, policing and privacy. The well-meaning officers talk about “addictive personalities” (doesn’t exist in the DSM-IV) and not underlying causes or treatments of drug abuse, however, their view of the real effects of addiction makes this film quite powerful and unique. One woman shows off very severe (and fresh) scars from delusional parasitosis, digging into her skin at hallucinated bugs.
producer Odd Squad Productions & the National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
featuring Numerous people with addictions, and police members
format Flash
date 1999
length 00:52:13
link http://www.nfb.ca/film/through_a_blue_lens/

Tags: brain video documentary doc addiction law psychology psychosis social homelessness ethics