The Trolley Problem is one of the most famous moral experiments that explores how people make ethical decisions in a dilemma. Imagine the following scenario: a trolley is moving down the tracks, threatening the lives of five people on its current path. You are standing next to a lever that can redirect the trolley onto […]
Associative Thinking in Psychology: the Magic of Neural Connections
Associative thinking is a cognitive process that enables the establishment of connections between various ideas, concepts, memories, or sensations. It is based on the brain’s ability to create neural links that associate one concept with another. For example, the word “summer” might evoke an image of the sea, the smell of flowers, or memories of […]
Who is a Neurologist and What does He Treat: How to Distinguish Neurology from Psychiatry
Neurology and psychiatry are two closely related medical specialties that study the brain, the nervous system, and their impact on a person’s overall condition. However, these disciplines have significant differences, which often remain unclear to patients.
Game Theory: Why We Act This Way and Not That Way
Game Theory is a mathematical discipline that studies strategic interactions between rational players, examining how participants make decisions considering the possible actions of others and striving to maximize their own benefits. Despite its mathematical nature, it is increasingly used to understand how people make decisions in various real-life situations. Its concepts have become essential not […]
The Availability Heuristic: the Enemy of Rational Thinking or its Ally?
The Availability Heuristic is a cognitive strategy people use to assess the likelihood of events based on how easily examples of those events come to mind. This term was first described by psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in the 1970s.
Series «Severance»: Detailed Psychological Analysis of the First Season
“Severance” is an American science fiction drama with thriller elements, released by the Apple TV+ streaming service in 2022. Created by Dan Erickson, the series has garnered critical and audience acclaim for its unique storytelling approach, unconventional concept, and deep philosophical themes.
The Müller-Lyer Illusion: Can You Trust Your Own Eyes?
The Müller-Lyer Illusion is one of the most well-known examples of optical illusions, demonstrating how our perception of shape and size can be distorted. It involves two lines of equal length that appear different due to the specific design of their ends. When arrow-like “tails” are added to the ends of the lines, pointing either […]
Social Engineering as a Tool of Manipulation: Truth and Fiction
Social engineering is a set of methods and techniques aimed at influencing people to obtain specific information, manipulate their behavior, or prompt actions beneficial to the manipulator. The foundation of social engineering lies in exploiting human factors: trust, emotions, ignorance, or weaknesses.
Active Listening: How to Hear, not Just Listen
Active listening is not just the ability to perceive words but also a deep understanding of their meaning, emotions, and the subtext behind them. In today’s world, where communication often boils down to exchanging phrases, this skill becomes a key to genuine understanding, building trust, and resolving conflicts.
Social Intelligence as the Art of Understanding People
Social Intelligence is the ability of an individual to understand others, recognize their emotions, needs, motivations, and behaviors. This skill includes the ability to read non-verbal cues, respond appropriately to social situations, and adapt one’s behavior to the context. Unlike emotional intelligence, which is more focused on internal emotional states, social intelligence is directed towards […]
Instrumental Research Methods in Psychology: How Technology Is Changing Science
Technological progress in recent decades has significantly influenced all aspects of human life, including science. In psychology, as in other fields, the integration of modern technologies has allowed for a deeper understanding of the nature of the psyche, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. Instrumental research methods, in particular, have opened new horizons for analyzing human consciousness […]
Verbal Intelligence: How to Learn to Speak Persuasively
Verbal intelligence is the ability to clearly and effectively express thoughts through words. It encompasses a wide range of speech-related skills, from constructing grammatically correct sentences to selecting persuasive arguments tailored to a specific audience. This type of intelligence is essential not only for professional activities but also for interpersonal communication, as language serves as […]
Role-playing as a way to a deeper understanding of your partner
Role-playing in relationships is a way of interaction between partners that involves transforming into different personas or following specific scenarios. It can include the use of costumes, props, or even creating entire stories, allowing partners to go beyond their usual behavior.
The Prisoner’s Dilemma and Moral Choice: Is it Always Beneficial to Be Honest?
The Prisoner’s Dilemma is one of the most well-known models in game theory, demonstrating how personal interests can conflict with the common good. In the classic example of the dilemma, two suspects of a crime are detained separately and offered the following conditions: if one confesses while the other remains silent, the one who speaks […]
Modern Identity Theories: Finding Yourself in the Digital Age
Identity is a multifaceted concept encompassing a person’s self-perception, values, beliefs, social roles, and group affiliations. In psychology, this definition is often tied to the awareness of one’s uniqueness, which develops through interactions with others and the surrounding world.