32 posts · 11,004 views
Psychology graduate with boundless curiosity. I would describe myself as a libertarian sceptic. I've explored many mystical and spiritual philosophies but have become a committed rationalist. "Science be praised!" The phenomenology of consciousness still fascinates me. I have a particular interest in personality and intelligence. Scientific controversies are best approached with a level head and a regard for truth over politics or ideology in my view.
Eye on Psych
32 posts
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- May 22, 2013
- 08:23 AM
- 8 views
Twitter versus the Grim Reaper: Extraverts but not introverts use Twitter to ward off existential anxiety
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
A great deal of Twitter content has been described as "pointless babble." However, an experimental study found that Twitter usage can ward off existential anxiety, at least in extraverts. Even banal tweets might serve a deeper psychological purpose.... Read more »
Qiu L, Leung AK, Ho JH, Yeung QM, Francis KJ, & Chua PF. (2010) Understanding the psychological motives behind microblogging. Studies in health technology and informatics, 140-4. PMID: 20543286
- May 16, 2013
- 07:41 AM
- 48 views
The effectiveness of placebo treatment for pain is related to personality traits
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
A recent study found that people high in agreeableness, ego-resiliency, and low in neuroticism have a stronger response to placebo pain relief. The placebo effect may be related to a person's capacity for self-control. ... Read more »
Peciña M, Azhar H, Love TM, Lu T, Fredrickson BL, Stohler CS, & Zubieta JK. (2013) Personality trait predictors of placebo analgesia and neurobiological correlates. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 38(4), 639-46. PMID: 23187726
- April 17, 2013
- 07:44 AM
- 85 views
The Mental Health Troubles of the "Spiritual but not Religious"
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
A large British survey found that spiritual but not religious people have poorer mental health compared to both religious and non-religious/non-spiritual people. Reasons for this are no yet clear, but personality traits associated with spiritual beliefs and interests might be a factor.... Read more »
King, M., Marston, L., McManus, S., Brugha, T., Meltzer, H., & Bebbington, P. (2012) Religion, spirituality and mental health: results from a national study of English households. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 202(1), 68-73. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.112.112003
- March 30, 2013
- 06:29 AM
- 180 views
What are Porn Stars' Personalities Like?
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
Recent studies on porn stars found that performers had higher self-esteem than other people. Little else is known about their personality traits, but it is reasonable to speculate. Porn stars' interpersonal traits might be warmer or colder than average. ... Read more »
Griffith, J., Mitchell, S., Hammond, B., Gu, L., & Hart, C. (2012) A Comparison of Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes, Self-Esteem, Quality of Life, and Drug Use Among Pornography Actors and a Matched Sample. International Journal of Sexual Health, 24(4), 254-266. DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2012.710183
Griffith, J., Mitchell, S., Hart, C., Adams, L., & Gu, L. (2012) Pornography Actresses: An Assessment of the Damaged Goods Hypothesis. Journal of Sex Research, 1-12. DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2012.719168
- January 30, 2013
- 01:09 AM
- 260 views
An Evolutionary Psychology Perspective on Porn Stars
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
New research has opened a window into the lives of porn actors and actresses. Could evolutionary psychology shed light onto the motivations of these individuals? ... Read more »
Griffith, J., Mitchell, S., Hammond, B., Gu, L., & Hart, C. (2012) A Comparison of Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes, Self-Esteem, Quality of Life, and Drug Use Among Pornography Actors and a Matched Sample. International Journal of Sexual Health, 24(4), 254-266. DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2012.710183
Griffith JD, Mitchell S, Hart CL, Adams LT, & Gu LL. (2012) Pornography Actresses: An Assessment of the Damaged Goods Hypothesis. Journal of sex research. PMID: 23167939
- December 25, 2012
- 01:28 AM
- 302 views
Spirituality through Psychedelic Drugs
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
Recent research has found that users of psychedelic drugs consider themselves more spiritual than users of other drugs and people who do not use any drugs. Whether psychedelic drugs increase spirituality, or if spiritually oriented people are drawn to these drugs is not yet clear. ... Read more »
Lerner M, & Lyvers M. (2006) Values and beliefs of psychedelic drug users: a cross-cultural study. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 38(2), 143-7. PMID: 16903453
Móró L, Simon K, Bárd I, & Rácz J. (2011) Voice of the psychonauts: coping, life purpose, and spirituality in psychedelic drug users. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 43(3), 188-98. PMID: 22111402
- December 15, 2012
- 02:54 AM
- 233 views
Sex and religion: natural enemies?
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
An interesting research study found that asking people to think about sex subsequently improved their performance on analytical tasks requiring attention to detail. Getting them to think about love improved their performance on creative tasks. Previous studies have found that priming tasks that activate analytical thinking tend to weaken religious beliefs. This raises the intriguing possibility that thinking about sex could weaken religious belief, whereas thoughts about love might strengthen it........ Read more »
Forster, J., Epstude, K., & Ozelsel, A. (2009) Why Love Has Wings and Sex Has Not: How Reminders of Love and Sex Influence Creative and Analytic Thinking. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35(11), 1479-1491. DOI: 10.1177/0146167209342755
Gervais, W., & Norenzayan, A. (2012) Analytic Thinking Promotes Religious Disbelief. Science, 336(6080), 493-496. DOI: 10.1126/science.1215647
- November 26, 2012
- 05:45 AM
- 275 views
Eating Disorders and the Not So Female Brain
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
A recent paper claimed that eating disorders manifest an "extreme female brain" in contrast to an "extreme male brain" proposed for autism. The evidence for this was mixed especially when some of the results applied more clearly to males than females. Additionally, eating disorders and autism may have certain features in common even though they are supposed to represent opposite brain types. Characterising certain conditions as extremely ‘male’ or ‘female&rs........ Read more »
Bremser JA, & Gallup GG Jr. (2012) From one extreme to the other: negative evaluation anxiety and disordered eating as candidates for the extreme female brain. Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behavior, 10(3), 457-86. PMID: 22947672
- November 12, 2012
- 12:03 AM
- 260 views
Psilocybin could improve quality of life in the terminally ill
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
A recent study of people with advanced-stage cancer found that a single dose of psilocybin led to improvements in anxiety and depression. Psilocybin might enhance mood by shifting attention away from negative and towards positive emotional information. Mystical experiences occurring under the influence of psilocybin could help ease existential anxiety by changing a person’s attitudes towards death and dying. Research studies in this area have not used adequate experimental controls and therefo........ Read more »
Griffiths RR, Johnson MW, Richards WA, Richards BD, McCann U, & Jesse R. (2011) Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology, 218(4), 649-65. PMID: 21674151
Griffiths RR, Richards WA, McCann U, & Jesse R. (2006) Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance. Psychopharmacology, 187(3), 268. PMID: 16826400
Grob CS, Danforth AL, Chopra GS, Hagerty M, McKay CR, Halberstadt AL, & Greer GR. (2011) Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer. Archives of general psychiatry, 68(1), 71-8. PMID: 20819978
Kometer M, Schmidt A, Bachmann R, Studerus E, Seifritz E, & Vollenweider FX. (2012) Psilocybin biases facial recognition, goal-directed behavior, and mood state toward positive relative to negative emotions through different serotonergic subreceptors. Biological psychiatry, 72(11), 898-906. PMID: 22578254
- November 1, 2012
- 04:01 AM
- 271 views
Your brain on psilocybin
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
An fMRI study of the effects of psilocybin made the surprising discovery that brain activity is reduced under the influence of this mind-expanding drug. This has led to speculation about the neural basis of ego-transcendence. These findings could have a more mundane exploration that the authors did not consider. More rigorous research is needed to understand the neural underpinnings of the psychedelic effects of psilocybin and related drugs. ... Read more »
Carhart-Harris RL, Erritzoe D, Williams T, Stone JM, Reed LJ, Colasanti A, Tyacke RJ, Leech R, Malizia AL, Murphy K.... (2012) Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(6), 2138-43. PMID: 22308440
MacLean, K., Johnson, M., & Griffiths, R. (2011) Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 25(11), 1453-1461. DOI: 10.1177/0269881111420188
Wicker, B., Ruby, P., Royet, J., & Fonlupt, P. (2003) A relation between rest and the self in the brain?. Brain Research Reviews, 43(2), 224-230. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2003.08.003
- October 23, 2012
- 02:21 AM
- 497 views
Race, penis size, and pseudoscience
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
A soon to be published study by Richard Lynn claims to have found scientific evidence that there are substantial differences in the average penis length of men from different races. These claims are in line with vulgar racial stereotypes and are part of a larger research agenda based on a belief in ‘race realism’. Lynn’s theories about race rest on shaky foundations and the data sources he uses as evidence for his claims about penis sizes are untrustworthy. For these reasons, his claims sh........ Read more »
Lynn, R. (2012) Rushton’s r–K life history theory of race differences in penis length and circumference examined in 113 populations. Personality and Individual Differences. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2012.02.016
Rushton, J., & Bogaert, A. (1987) Race differences in sexual behavior: Testing an evolutionary hypothesis. Journal of Research in Personality, 21(4), 529-551. DOI: 10.1016/0092-6566(87)90038-9
Weizmann, F., Wiener, N., Wiesenthal, D., & Ziegler, M. (1991) Eggs, eggplants and eggheads: A rejoinder to Rushton. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 32(1), 43-50. DOI: 10.1037/h0078958
- October 11, 2012
- 06:31 AM
- 329 views
DMT, aliens, and reality, part 2
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
The appearance of non-human entities during DMT visions has not yet been explained. Many people can be convinced they have experienced things that cannot be real. Psychological factors, such as personality traits, can influence a person's judgments about reality. Future research on DMT could profit from taking these factors into account.... Read more »
Lange R, Thalbourne MA, Houran J, & Storm L. (2000) The revised transliminality scale: reliability and validity data from a Rasch top-down purification procedure. Consciousness and cognition, 9(4), 591-617. PMID: 11150227
Newman, L. S., . (1996) Toward an explanation of the UFO abduction phenomenon: Hypnotic elaboration, extraterrestrial sadomasochism, and spurious memories. Psychological Inquiry, 7(2), 99-126. DOI: 10.1207/s15327965pli0702_1
Strassman RJ, Qualls CR, Uhlenhuth EH, & Kellner R. (1994) Dose-response study of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in humans. II. Subjective effects and preliminary results of a new rating scale. Archives of general psychiatry, 51(2), 98-108. PMID: 8297217
- October 8, 2012
- 03:23 AM
- 414 views
DMT, aliens, and reality, part 1
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a naturally occurring psychedelic drug found in many plants and animals that is striking for the brevity and intensity of its effects. One of the most remarkable features of the DMT experience is the frequency with which users encounter non-human intelligences, often resembling aliens. Even more remarkably, some users come away from these encounters convinced that these entities are somehow real. The psychological aspects of such experiences have not yet been adequate........ Read more »
Cakic, V., Potkonyak, J., . (2010) Subjective effects and patterns of use among Australian recreational users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 111(1-2), 30-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.03.015
Strassman RJ, Qualls CR, Uhlenhuth EH, & Kellner R. (1994) Dose-response study of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in humans. II. Subjective effects and preliminary results of a new rating scale. Archives of general psychiatry, 51(2), 98-108. PMID: 8297217
- September 29, 2012
- 09:03 AM
- 348 views
The Politics of Dreaming
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
Dreaming and a person’s political orientation are connected. Liberals tend to recall their dreams more frequently than conservatives. Additionally, conservatives tend to report more mundane dream content, whereas liberals have more bizarre dreams. Differences in openness to experience may explain these findings. Liberals may be more imaginative than conservatives. ... Read more »
Bulkeley, K. (2006) Sleep and dream patterns of political liberals and conservatives. Dreaming, 16(3), 223-235. DOI: 10.1037/1053-0797.16.3.223
Bulkeley, K. (2012) Dream Recall and Political Ideology: Results of a Demographic Survey. Dreaming, 22(1), 1-9. DOI: 10.1037/a0026170
Watson, D. (2003) To dream, perchance to remember: individual differences in dream recall. Personality and Individual Differences, 1271-1286. DOI: 10.1016/S0191-8869(02)00114-9
- September 24, 2012
- 09:39 AM
- 361 views
General knowledge and personality
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
Research on the correlations between big five personality traits and general knowledge have produced somewhat inconsistent findings. Pooling the data from 10 studies shows that openness to experience has the strongest relationship to general knowledge, while the other traits are only weakly related. Gender differences in general knowledge are probably not related to Big Five traits but more specific gender typed interests. ... Read more »
Furnham, A., . (2006) Personality, intelligence and general knowledge. Learning and Individual Differences, 79-90. DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2005.07.002
Furnham, A., Swami, V., Arteche, A., . (2008) Cognitive ability, learning approaches and personality correlates of general knowledge. . Educational Psychology, 28(4), 427-431. DOI: 10.1080/01443410701727376
Mussell, Patrick. (2010) Epistemic curiosity and related constructs: Lacking evidence of discriminant validity. Personality and Individual Differences, 506. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2010.05.014
- September 20, 2012
- 03:35 AM
- 332 views
Precognition: Science meets Alice in Wonderland, part 2
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
Part 1 of this article discussed Daryl Bem’s studies on precognition and the failure of subsequent studies to replicate his results. This second part discusses reasons for the incompatibility of parapsychology with modern science and possible reasons why interest in this field persists in spite of its continued failure to establish its validity. Belief in the paranormal is commonly associated with magical thinking and mystical belief. Many parapsychologists seem to be motivated by a desire........ Read more »
Alcock, J. E. (1987) Parapsychology: Science of the anomalous or search for the soul?. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 10(4), 263-291. DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X00054467
MacPherson, J. S., . (2011) Creativity and positive schizotypy influence the conflict between science and religion. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(4), 446. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2010.11.002
- September 19, 2012
- 04:11 AM
- 412 views
Precognition: Science meets Alice in Wonderland, part 1
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
In 2011, Daryl Bem published a remarkable paper describing a series of experiments which he claimed provided evidence that people can be influenced by events before they have happened. This paper naturally provoked an enormous amount of controversy. Multiple attempts to replicate Bem’s findings have failed, suggesting that his results were due to methodological shortcomings rather than a breakthrough discovery about the nature of reality. Individual differences in personality traits associ........ Read more »
Bem DJ. (2011) Feeling the future: experimental evidence for anomalous retroactive influences on cognition and affect. Journal of personality and social psychology, 100(3), 407-25. PMID: 21280961
Galak J, Leboeuf RA, Nelson LD, & Simmons JP. (2012) Correcting the Past: Failures to Replicate Psi. Journal of personality and social psychology. PMID: 22924750
Ritchie SJ, Wiseman R, & French CC. (2012) Failing the future: three unsuccessful attempts to replicate Bem's 'retroactive facilitation of recall' effect. PloS one, 7(3). PMID: 22432019
- September 13, 2012
- 09:07 AM
- 349 views
Extreme beliefs about "extremism": Religious incivility and the Libya riot
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
According to some commentators, the recent riot in Libya in which an embassy was burned and four Americans killed may be viewed as an extreme response to "extremism" embodied in an offensive video. Aggression is not an automatic response to provocation but depends on values that condone violence. Regard for the "sacred" cannot form a universal moral basis. ... Read more »
Anderson, Craig A., & Bushman, Brad J. (2002) Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53(1), 27-51. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135231
Cohen D, Nisbett RE, Bowdle BF, . (1996) Insult, aggression, and the southern culture of honor: an "experimental ethnography". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70(5), 945-959. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.70.5.945
Graham J, & Haidt J. (2010) Beyond beliefs: religions bind individuals into moral communities. Personality and social psychology review : an official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc, 14(1), 140-50. PMID: 20089848
- September 10, 2012
- 04:03 AM
- 327 views
Turning the mind to the future: clockwise movements increase openness to experience
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
Research has found that bodily movements are symbolically associated with movement in time. Clockwise movements are associated with progression into the future, whereas counterclockwise movements are associated with the reversal of time, and hence with regression into the past. Progression in time is associated with novelty, and conversely, regression into the past is associated with returning to the old and familiar. A recent research study found that performing clockwise movements actually inc........ Read more »
Topolinski, S., . (308) Turning the Hands of Time: Clockwise Movements Increase Preference for Novelty. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3(3). DOI: 10.1177/1948550611419266
- September 2, 2012
- 09:34 AM
- 391 views
Think like a man: could gender priming improve female recall of general knowledge?
by Scott McGreal in Eye on Psych
As noted in a previous posting, a number of studies have found that males outperform females on tests of general knowledge. The reasons for this are not yet clear. Women’s poorer test performance could be because they actually have acquired less knowledge than men, or it could be that they are not accessing all the knowledge they have. Studies have found that experimental manipulations can actually improve a person’s performance on general knowledge tests to an extent. Women generall........ Read more »
Dijksterhuis, A., . (1998) The relation between perception and behavior, or how to win a game of trivial pursuit. . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(4), 865-877. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.74.4.865
Ortner, T. M., . (2008) Where are the Gender Differences? Male Priming Boosts Spatial Skills in Women. Sex Roles, 59(3-4), 274-281. DOI: 10.1007/s11199-008-9448-9
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