Tag Archives: cognitive framing

Mindset and “genius” – life lessons from the Schumanns

Posted on 8 March 2022 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

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 →

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All the “porns”

Posted on 12 February 2022 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

The last time I was in our neighborhood supermarket, I narrowly avoided buying the latest special issue of Good Housekeeping, full of recipes for the Mediterranean diet. Although I was tempted, $13.99 was non-trivial, and I reminded myself that if … Continue reading →

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Empirical and conceptual science: a vital partnership

Posted on 11 August 2021 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

It’s great fun to be an interdisciplinary thinker. It’s exciting to make connections that shed new light on old problems. I love the world “outside the box.” Or rather, here’s the graphic on my ironic Halloween t-shirt: Even though it’s … Continue reading →

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The secret to social change

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

We all have a lot of ideas about what people should be doing differently. What am I talking about? Well, pretty much everything – every topic of laws and norms and morality that affect other people’s decisions. It could be … Continue reading →

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Stories-About-Us: How They Work

Posted on 10 July 2020 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

In my last few blog posts, I’ve been focusing on our “stories about us” (“metanarratives”) – the topic of the book I’m writing. I hope the book will reach a broad audience, because it’s vital information we all need to … 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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The paradox: Evoking progress to avert disaster

Posted on 10 January 2013 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

As responsible citizens who keep up on current events, we are all familiar with problems that need our attention and action. Whether each of us is a liberal or conservative, mainstream or following topics few others seem to care about, … Continue reading →

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“And just how do we go about changing the world, anyway?”: World Beliefs Survey, part three

Posted on 9 January 2013 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

Which types of beliefs about our world will motivate us to act? This question was at the heart of my dissertation research, and the answers are very important for those of us who care about the “big picture” and wonder … Continue reading →

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Is every story a journey?

Posted on 25 November 2012 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

On a refreshingly cloudy afternoon last July, I faced the last big hurdle in earning my Ph.D. in psychology: “defending” my dissertation. People in other departments, at other universities, tell me this can be a grueling event, but my department … Continue reading →

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