Extend your Psychology Knowledge Further 

TED TALKS - Explore mini talks by specialists on a range of topics!

TV Shows

The Mind Explained - Netflix

Babies - Netflix

Attachment, gender and development.

100 Humans - Life’s Questions Answered - Netflix

Research methods.

I am killer - Netflix

This might be something you wouldn’t have thought of as a first pick, but psychologically, this is a very interesting topic. In I am a Killer, criminals who have received the death penalty relay the events for which they have been convicted from their own perspective. Speaking from death row, these criminals give you a very different side to the stories you hear about on the news. Along with the stories, the events are re-enacted without being too graphic. Do these killers feel guilty? Some do, but not all respond in a way you might want to see (with remorse).

Some come across as (surprisingly?) regular people, while others seem closer to the “stereotypical” image you may have of a murderer. This can make the series unsettling at times, but also turns it into a very compelling watch. I am a Killer doesn’t veer either way of the judgement, you’re left to make up your own mind about what has happened. How guilty do you think they are? It’s a well thought-out series, and definitely interesting for anyone interested in psychology. Especially for fans of criminology, forensic psychology and social psychology; this is a good one.

Mindhunter -  Netflix

This one is topically related to I am a Killer, but is set in the late 1970s. As you may know, compared to all the big fields of science – chemistry, physics, biology etc. – psychology is quite young. During the time the series is set criminal psychology and profiling were just about starting to gain serious interest. The premise of the series revolves around FBI agents and a psychologist from the FBI’s behavioural science unit who interview serial killers in the hopes of gaining insight as to why these people turned out this way. They hope to be able to apply this knowledge to solving future cases.

Innsaei - Netflix

Okay before we get into this, the approximate way to pronounce this Icelandic word is ‘inn-sigh-ei’ (apparently). Are there any Icelandic speakers who can verify? Innsaei is an Icelandic concept that allows people to connect through empathy and intuition. This is a documentary in which creative people and loads of others from different walks of life go on a journey to learn more about connecting with others and finding peace amongst the stress of a hectic modern lifestyle.

Take your pills - Netflix

This is also a documentary. As opposed to Inssaei, Take Your Pills focuses on use of Adderall. Under the pressure of modern culture and a stressful lifestyle more people take drugs or supplements to get by. What are their reasons for using them? Do they think it works, and is it worth the costs and the possible risks. People discuss how and why they use it, and what side-effects they have experienced, and what possible dangers can lie in sometimes innocent looking supplements that enhance your performance.

Afflicted

In Afflicted people with mysterious and unusual symptoms for which there is not a clear diagnosis. It kind of relates to stigmas people with mental health face sometimes; disbelief, playing down people’s suffering. In this series, people look for an explanation for what is happening to them, and ultimately, a possible cure.

Sense8

The premise of Sense8 is as follows: 8 people who have never seen each other and live spread out across the globe, get the same vision. From that moment on these ‘sensates’ can occasionally see, hear, feel and smell each other – and even talk to each other. In this way they can help the others out in difficult situations, as all of them have particular skills and talents.

True Detective

IMDB describes the series as  ‘seasonal anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law’. It’s often described as a dark, brooding and brilliant detective drama, with an interest in the minds of all those involved in the crime. It switches between present times and flashbacks, and has garnered a lot of praise not only for its storylines, but also for the dramatic and thoughtful way it is shot.

Hannibal

Mads Mikkelsen plays the character very compellingly, gaining a mass following for his portrayal of the brilliant psychiatrist/murderer. Some may find it disturbing – who could say that a corpse being turned into a cello, and it’s vocal chords being played like the strings isn’t a bit… troubling – but the series is more than that. For those with an interest in psychology it provides a lot of food (haha, get it) for thought. How do people turn out the way they do? What makes a murderer a murderer?

Books

There are hundreds of books about different areas of psychology. Below are some you might enjoy.

As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl – John Colapinto – The case study of David Reimer.

Bad Science – Ben Goldacre – how to spot good research and the effects of poor media understanding of scientific research

Picking Cotton – Ronald Cotton and Jennifer Thompson-Cannino - A story of a man wrongly convicted of rape due to a false eyewitness testimony.

Superstition in the Pigeon – B.F. Skinner – Famous experiment about learning theory.

The Bobo Doll Experiment – Albert Bandura – Famous experiment on social learning theory.

The Lucifer Effect – Philip Zimbardo – Understanding how good people turn evil

The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat - Oliver Sacks - A story of a man with visual agnosia.

Forever Today - Deborah Wearing - A book about a man with amnesia written by his wife.

A Secure Base - John Bowlby - A developmental psychology book by a famous attachment researcher

Witness for the Defence - Elizabeth Loftus - The accused, the eyewitness, and the expert who puts memory on trial

Tales from Both Sides of the Brain: A Life in Neuroscience - Michael Gazzaniga - Split Brain Research.

Podcasts

“Happier with Gretchen Rubin”

Although not a psychologist by trade, Rubin’s observation of happiness and human nature makes her podcast, “HAPPIER WITH GRETCHEN RUBIN,” a must-listen. With more than 42 MILLION podcast downloads, Rubin showcases her understanding of human behavior and how she has HELPED MOTIVATE PEOPLE to accomplish their goals. Each episode, she and her co-host sister discuss tips and tricks on how to become and stay happy in life when challenges arise.

“Hidden Brain”

NPR science correspondent Shankar Vedantam hosts a weekly podcast called “HIDDEN BRAIN” focusing on social sciences to explain human behavior. Vedantam interviews psychologists and expert scientists to explore different facets of the brain and behavior. In a recent episode, John Hibbing, a political scientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said that he can tell if someone tends to lean toward a liberal or conservative point of view based on a brain scan. This claim suggests that political views could be in part influenced by our biology in addition to our environments.

“Speaking of Psychology”

“SPEAKING OF PSYCHOLOGY,” produced by the American Psychological Association, takes a deep dive into psychological research of contemporary issues. Each week, the rotating cast of hosts interviews scientists and medical professionals about a specific topic. During the episodes, the host and guest will offer advice to users to help them overcome issues related to psychology, like using critical cognitive thinking to avoid clicking phishing emails.

“Waking Up”

Sam Harris, a famous author who holds a degree in philosophy and a Ph.D. in neuroscience, hosts a weekly podcast called “WAKING UP.” In the podcast, Harris interviews guests who use psychological principles in their professions but don’t necessarily practice psychology in a clinical setting. In one episode, Harris interviews a former FBI hostage negotiator to discuss how he got inside the mind of criminals. In another interview with author Yuval Harari, Harris and his guest discuss the importance of meditation and the desire to update our beliefs about human civilization.

“All in The Mind”

BBC Radio’s “ALL IN THE MIND” examines various psychology topics each week, like tolerance in the brain and exercise to prevent depression. Claudia Hammond, a radio personality with college degrees in applied and health psychology, hosts a wide-variety of guests who work within the psychology field. In recent episodes, Hammond and her guests have broken down the results of the LONELINESS EXPERIMENT, an experiment designed to better understand how loneliness impacts people. Topics included why young people feel the loneliest and how people can feel less lonely.

“99% Invisible”

“99% INVISIBLE” creates the full picture of a product from inception to modern day use. Hosted by Roman Mars, “99% Invisible” looks at a product or subject and digs deep into its history, life cycle, and how it’s subconsciously impacted our country. In one episode, Mars and his guest, author SELENA SLAVIC, discussed the psychological impact of urban benches. Newer benches are being made of stone and designed in a way that becomes uncomfortable over time. Urban planners have designed these benches to allow people to rest for a short time and then urge them to move on.

In addition to the six described above, there are hundreds more psychology podcasts available to users over the Internet, and more are being added every day. Find something you’re interested in and research it.

https://www.verywellmind.com/psychology-podcasts-2794800

Websites

10 Psychological Studies That Will Change What You Think You Know About Yourself..

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.huffpost.com/entry/20-psychological-studies-_n_4098779/amp

PsychCentral

From their about page: “Psych Central is the Internet’s largest and oldest independent mental health social network. Since 1995, our award-winning website has been run by mental health professionals offering reliable, trusted information and over 250 support groups to consumers.”

The NeuroSkeptic column

From their website: “Neuroskeptic is a British neuroscientist who takes a skeptical look at his own field, and beyond. His blog offers a look at the latest developments in neuroscience, psychiatry and psychology through a critical lens.”

Psychology Today

From their about page: “Psychology Today is devoted exclusively to everybody’s favorite subject: Ourselves. On this site, we have gathered a group of renowned psychologists, academics, psychiatrists and writers to contribute their thoughts and ideas on what makes us tick. We’re a live stream of what’s happening in ‘psychology today’.”

Scientific American Mind

From Wikipedia: “Scientific American Mind is a bimonthly American popular science magazine concentrating on psychology, neuroscience, and related fields. By analyzing and revealing new thinking in the cognitive sciences, the magazine tries to focus on the biggest breakthroughs in these fields.”

Research Digest

From their about page: “We digest at least one new psychology study every weekday. Published by the British Psychological Society since 2005, this blog aims to demonstrate that psychological science is fascinating and useful while also casting a critical eye over its methods.”

PsyBlog

From their about page: “This website is about scientific research into how the mind works. The studies I cover have been published in reputable academic journals in many different areas of psychology.”

MindHacks

From WikiPedia: “Mind Hacks is an ongoing psychology and neuroscience blog that publishes daily news and commentary on mind and brain issues. It won a Scientific American Science and Technology Web Award in 2005 and was listed as a Top 30 science blog by The Times in 2010.”

The National Institute of Mental Health news page

From their about page:  “The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders. NIMH is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s medical research agency. NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).”

The Association for Psychological Science news page

From their about page: “The Association for Psychological Science (previously the American Psychological Society) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of scientific psychology and its representation at the national and international level.”

The Public Library of Science’s Mind and Brain blog

From Wikipedia: “PLOS (for Public Library of Science) is a nonprofit open access scientific publishing project aimed at creating a library of open access journals and other scientific literature under an open content license.”

Psychiatric Times

From Wikipedia: “Psychiatric Times is a medical trade publication written for an audience involved in the profession of psychiatry. It is published monthly by MJH Associates and is distributed to about 50,000 psychiatrists monthly.

Below are some more websites that are not exclusively about psychology, but often feature quality articles about psychological research.

The Conversation

From their about page: “The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public.”

ScienceAlert

From their about page: “ScienceAlert is an independently run news website that covers the most important developments in the world of science and scientific research, while sharing fun, interesting information.”

Medical News Today

From their about page: “Medical News Today (MNT) is owned and operated by Healthline Media UK Ltd., a leading healthcare publishing company. There are offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan. MNT is within the top 10 most popular health websites worldwide, as reported by Comscore, with more than 90 million monthly visits.”