Author Archives: Laura Akers, Ph.D.

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About Laura Akers, Ph.D.

I'm a research psychologist at Oregon Research Institute, and I'm writing a book about meta-narratives, the powerful collective stories we share about who we are and where we're headed. My interests include beliefs and worldviews, ethics, motivation, and relationships, both among humans and between humans and the natural world.

More Slogan Science: Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

Posted on 23 June 2020 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

In my last blog post, I took a close look at Trump’s campaign messaging, both for 2016 and 2020. Now it’s Joe Biden’s turn. What stories-about-us is he using to support his campaign and energize the voting public? Before we … Continue reading →

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The Science of Slogans, with Donald J. Trump

Posted on 3 June 2020 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

In 2016, Donald Trump masterfully wielded campaign slogans from at least four different emotional “genres,” each telling or implying a different story about who we are and where we’re headed. Can he repeat this performance in 2020? Will a sizeable … Continue reading →

Posted in US politics | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

The Warren Paradox

Posted on 22 April 2020 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

Elizabeth Warren’s March 5 announcement that she was suspending her presidential campaign was certainly sensible, however disappointing it may have been to many in my own demographic, “highly educated middle-aged white women.” Throughout her campaign, she was usually labeled a … Continue reading →

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“The only thing we have to fear…”

Posted on 29 November 2015 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

International terrorists are trying to ratchet up our fear. They’re devoting their lives to getting us to invest a lot of energy into making ourselves far more secure (in one specific dimension or another) than rationally called for. They’re working … Continue reading →

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Mindfulness IV: Making Choices – Ethics and Mindfulness

Posted on 3 July 2014 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

Ideally, mindfulness would make us more conscious of the world around us and more sensitive to the way our actions affect others. But is that necessarily so? Caveat Four: Mindfulness doesn’t always lead to “goodness.” Here are some possible ways … Continue reading →

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Mindfulness III: When Mindfulness Sets Us Adrift

Posted on 2 July 2014 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

One benefit often mentioned for mindfulness is the value of shaking up one’s complacent perspective on life. Jon Kabat-Zinn explained that “we lock ourselves into a personal fiction that we already know who we are, that we already know where … Continue reading →

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Mindfulness Caveats II: “Always Be Mindful” – Good Idea?

Posted on 1 July 2014 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

“Chopping wood is meditation. Carrying water is meditation. Be mindful 24 hours a day, not just during the one hour you may allot for formal meditation… Each act must be carried out in mindfulness.” – Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle … Continue reading →

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Mindfulness – Four Caveats / Part One: Why Mindfulness?

Posted on 30 June 2014 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

In the world of health behavior research, mindfulness is definitely hot. New benefits are being discovered all the time. Mindfulness helps people cope with stress, by reducing their cortisol (stress hormones) and blood pressure and increasing their resilience, and in … Continue reading →

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Mini-update II

Posted on 7 May 2014 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

This is just a quick post to say I’m still working on those mindfulness posts.  They’re getting rather, shall we say, “thorough,” in fact.  Soon!  

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Mini-update

Posted on 28 March 2014 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

It’s been nearly six months since I’ve posted here – I’ve been caught up in work and haven’t had time to develop the ideas I want to share here. Within the next week or two, though, I’m planning to write … Continue reading →

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