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Author Archives: Laura Akers, Ph.D.
Overcoming the temptations of conservatism, with the good people of Cranford
Even for progressives, being “conservative” is not necessarily a bad thing. A great many of us are conservative in at least some ways. Maybe we don’t like to try new foods, or we have some routines we really don’t want … Continue reading
Beyond love/hate binaries
Quick! What do e-cigarettes, fossil fuels, and Downton Abbey all have in common? E-cigarettes are great – if you used to be a heavy smoker and managed to switch your nicotine addiction entirely to e-cigarettes, which are much less likely … Continue reading
When Principles meet Loyalty, who wins?
I was probably right there on the Berkeley campus when the package arrived. I’d finally resumed work on my bachelor’s degree, and I also had a university office job, so I spent much of my time there. Thankfully, the package … Continue reading
From clickbait to transcendent meaning
This evening the weather was perfect for reading outside, and that’s what we were doing, enjoying the rustling leaves overhead, the trickle of water from our little fountain, and the antics of four of our cats, when my phone gave … Continue reading
Posted in history, salience markers
Tagged attention, cognitive framing, history, interest, meaning, salience
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Growing up “meta”
Our young friend Maddie recently celebrated her first birthday. Maddie loves berries and books! We do too! And thus, my partner and I gave her three books about berries. One is a book about colors of fruit. One is a … Continue reading
In love with the land – the real clash of civilizations
What does it mean to love the land? Two very different things, apparently. Today I was reading Ezra Klein’s column in the New York Times, where he was talking about anti-liberalism. Remember, we have multiple meanings for “liberal,” and this … Continue reading
Mindset and “genius” – life lessons from the Schumanns
One of the most popular – and practically useful – concepts to emerge in psychology in recent decades has been Carol Dweck’s concept of “fixed” versus “growth” mindsets. Dweck, a Stanford researcher, found that in any given context, people tend … Continue reading