Explores the relationship between the physiology and psychology of love. Lecture covers the differences between infatuation and real love, and explains why the chemistry behind infatuation doesn’t always translate to compatibility. Video lecture outlines the biology behind “The Love Cocktail” (heightened libido) that makes infatuation so irresistible.
Subjects: Psychology
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Is it Love or Is it Lust?
Explores the difference between sexual desire and love. The class debates how the two are linked and whether or not they can be mutually exclusive. Lecture reveals the role of oxytocin in partner bonding, and relates how the ratio of positive to negative responses decides the success of a relationship.
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Cross-Cultural Look at Mate Selection
Considers the factors that contribute to effective mate selection. Lecture outlines factors critical to a successful match, such as finances, family values, children, and spirituality. The class poses the question, “When do you really fall in love – before you get married or afterward?”
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Dating – Is it Out-Dated?
Explores the best strategies for meeting new love prospects. Relationship experts discuss the various ways in which singles meet and reveal how such factors as proximity, timing, and intent affect the outcome. Internet dating services and the role of alcohol in the meet-and-greet process are discussed.
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What Attracts men? What Turns Men Off?
Men share their thoughts on what attracts them. Relationship experts explain why men fall in love faster than women but are slower to commit. Students learn why men often find women more attractive than women find themselves and why the innate “hyperarousal response” predisposes men to be hypersensitive to criticism and shame.
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What Attracts Women? What Turns Women off?
Women share opinions on the qualities that attract them most. The lesson helps provide answers to Freud’s question, “What do women want?” Lecture reveals what male attributes are deemed “good” by women, why women fall prey to the lure of “bad boys”, and how the evolution of the female brain directly affects this dichotomy of impulses.
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Griffiths: Cognitive Bias & Gambling
‘Pokies’ are now a part of community life. They create an addictive stream of money for governments, but can also wreak havoc within communities, families and individuals. In this program, Mark Griffiths, international renown gambling and gaming expert talks about his case study ‘The Role of Cognitive Bias and Skill in Fruit Machine Gambling’, discussing the origins, aims and methodology of his study, as well as his findings and the implications of his findings for cognitive psychology and understanding gambling addiction and rehabilitation. This is a thought-provoking examination of one of modern society’s most complex ills.
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Maguire: Navigation & the Human Brain
Ever arrived home with almost no recollection of how you got there? Quite often we find our way around our planet with astonishing ease, almost not conscious about how we do it. The human mind is an incredible tool for navigation but how does it actually work? In this excellent program, psychologist Dr. Eleanor Maguire discusses her seminal study ‘Navigation-Related Structural Changes in the Hippocampus of Taxi Drivers’, looking at its context and aims, groundbreaking methods, surprising findings and what they suggest about navigation, memory and the plasticity of the human brain. This DVD includes navigation footage and original scans from the study.
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Don’t Panic! A recipe for success in times of stress.
Panics come in many shapes and sizes. Their common denominator is that they are never helpful. Whether in your work or personal life, to panic is to lose perspective and succumb to fear. This often leads to poor decisions, lost focus, paralysis and a bad outcome. Don’t Panic! was created to help people within organizations handle stressful situations in a way that is positive and productive. We present 5 key elements of a constructive response to circumstances that might intimidate or frighten us. Designed to be used in a work or academic environment, the principles of this program can also be applied in our personal lives. In this entertaining and thoughtful video cooking serves as a metaphor for working through a challenge together, as nine fascinating people who have successfully navigated stressful situations at work come together to cook a meal. After the flames die down, the participants enjoy the meal they’ve created and share what they’ve learned from their dialogue.
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Baron Cohen on Autism
Simon Baron Cohen is a world figure in psychology and autism in particular. Professor of Developmental Psychopathology in the Departments of Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge, he is the Director of the University’s Autism Research Centre, and also a Fellow of Trinity College. In this program Baron Cohen discusses his case study ‘Another Advanced Test of Theory of Mind’. Cohen explains the aims and origins of his study, illustrates his ‘Eyes Test’ methodology, explaining why the eyes were chosen, and talks about his findings and their implications for understanding autism. The DVD is intercut with illustrative footage of autistic children, their parents and autistic adults.