Verified by Psychology Today

Hot Thought

Psychology meets philosophy: knowledge, reality, morality, meaning

Philosophy
Does the Universe Have a Purpose? Do You?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on March 21, 2024

The universe has no purpose, but people can form meaningful lives from helping themselves and others pursue vital needs for love, work, and play.

The universe has no purpose, but people can form meaningful lives from helping themselves and others pursue vital needs for love, work, and play.

Emotional Intelligence
How to Give Your Heart a Shake

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on February 22, 2024

Explore the possibility of intentionally changing our emotions without the standard view of a heart-head divide. Here are actionable steps for emotional transformation.

Explore the possibility of intentionally changing our emotions without the standard view of a heart-head divide. Here are actionable steps for emotional transformation.

Cognition
How to Stop Misinformation

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on January 18, 2024

Misinformation can be fought by identifying it, locating sources and motives, and using critical thinking and motivational interviewing.

Misinformation can be fought by identifying it, locating sources and motives, and using critical thinking and motivational interviewing.

Neuroscience
Understanding Timing and Chemistry in Team Sports

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on December 4, 2023

Athletes need timing to have chemistry with their teammates for effective team performance. Time cells in the brain and neural groups called "memory units" make timing work.

Athletes need timing to have chemistry with their teammates for effective team performance. Time cells in the brain and neural groups called "memory units" make timing work.

Therapy
Understanding Chemistry in Psychotherapy

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on November 17, 2023

The alliance between therapist and client is analogous to romantic chemistry. Both are emergent properties of perceptions, emotions, behaviors, and consciousness.

The alliance between therapist and client is analogous to romantic chemistry. Both are emergent properties of perceptions, emotions, behaviors, and consciousness.

Neuroscience
What Is Romantic Chemistry?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on October 16, 2023

Chemistry results from the interaction of perception, emotion, and behavior, with consciousness based on neural representations, binding, coherence, and attentional competition.

Chemistry results from the interaction of perception, emotion, and behavior, with consciousness based on neural representations, binding, coherence, and attentional competition.

Dreaming
Is the Universe Trying to Tell You Something?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on March 20, 2023

Some people take surprises or coincidences as signs that the universe is communicating with them, but other explanations are more plausible.

Some people take surprises or coincidences as signs that the universe is communicating with them, but other explanations are more plausible.

Cognition
Why Is ChatGPT So Smart and So Stupid?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on February 23, 2023

ChatGPT is sometimes stupid because it is purely predictive, lacks accuracy goals and ethical values, and fails to disclose and evaluate its sources.

ChatGPT is sometimes stupid because it is purely predictive, lacks accuracy goals and ethical values, and fails to disclose and evaluate its sources.

Dreaming
Why Do We Dream?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on December 1, 2022

Dreams have been explained as divine communications, wish fulfillments, emotional regulations, or cognitive explorations. But dreams may just be neural byproducts.

Dreams have been explained as divine communications, wish fulfillments, emotional regulations, or cognitive explorations. But dreams may just be neural byproducts.

Trust
8 Principles of Emotional Software Design

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on November 1, 2022

Software applications and other technologies work better if they are tuned to the emotional needs of the people who use them.

Software applications and other technologies work better if they are tuned to the emotional needs of the people who use them.

Creativity
Leonardo’s Analogies and Creativity

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on October 19, 2022

Leonardo da Vinci used analogies to generate new insights in fields from anatomy to architecture to painting. But not all of his favorite analogies were always useful.

Leonardo da Vinci used analogies to generate new insights in fields from anatomy to architecture to painting. But not all of his favorite analogies were always useful.

Resilience
Metabalance: How to Combine Balance with Imbalance

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on June 24, 2022

In art, music, economics, and everyday life, we can enrich experience by combining desirable balance with the excitement of imbalance, requiring metabalance.

In art, music, economics, and everyday life, we can enrich experience by combining desirable balance with the excitement of imbalance, requiring metabalance.

Media
Social Media Promote "Information Incontinence"

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on April 8, 2022

Misinformation and disinformation are spreading indiscriminately because of a lack of constraints on the generation and transmission of fake news.

Misinformation and disinformation are spreading indiscriminately because of a lack of constraints on the generation and transmission of fake news.

Neuroscience
The Real Problem of Consciousness

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on February 14, 2022

Anil Seth provides an excellent characterization of the real problem of consciousness as finding mechanisms, but his solution based on predictive processing is implausible.

Anil Seth provides an excellent characterization of the real problem of consciousness as finding mechanisms, but his solution based on predictive processing is implausible.