Ep 40: Kink, community, and transformation
PsychCrunch
The massive variety of human sexual interests is a little mind-boggling. As what we consider to be sexually typical continues to be expanded and shaped by the internet and popular culture, psychologists are making efforts to research kinks and members of the kink community like never before. Join Ella Rhodes in conversation with Liam Wignall (Senior Lecturer at Brighton University and committee member of the BPS’s Sexualities Section) about his work exploring community in these underground spaces, links with neurodivergence, and the ways modern technology is transforming the scene — as...
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Ep 39: Why it's worth embracing uncertainty
PsychCrunch
There’s no question that we find ourselves in uncertain times. Looking at current events and wondering about what the future may hold can leave us feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed, to say the least. But uncertain times aren’t always the ominous force we make them out to be. In fact, research suggests that they can create unique opportunities for growth and transformation that we wouldn’t otherwise encounter. This episode, Ella Rhodes chats with Maggie Jackson — author of Uncertain and expert on uncertainty — unpacking how uncertainty shapes our lives. Together, they...
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Ep 38: Nothing about us without us
PsychCrunch
In years gone by, the norm for psychological research was to design studies from the outside looking in. Acting as observers of particular populations, there was generally an expected separation between the researcher and the researched. More recently, however, there’s been a shift. For decades, the rallying cry “nothing about us without us” has been used by the disability rights movement to communicate the idea that no policy should come to pass without their full and direct participation. This important approach has made its way to psychological research, and as it gathers momentum,...
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Ep 37: Talking with patients about sad, bad and difficult things
PsychCrunch
This is Episode 37 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. [Content warning: This episode centres around cancer. As such, it makes references to medical events and themes that some listeners may find disturbing. Listener discretion is advised.] In the face of significant medical challenges, we would all hope for compassionate, informative communication from medical professionals and those close to us. Sometimes, though, the reality falls short of that expectation. This episode, Editor of The Psychologist, Dr Jon...
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Ep 36: The secrets of dreams and nightmares
PsychCrunch
This is Episode 36 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Why do we dream? And what business does a good dream have turning into a nightmare? In this episode, Ella Rhodes embarks on an exploration of our non-waking life. In it, she speaks with Director of the Swansea University Sleep Laboratory, Professor Mark Blagrove, about his research and latest theories about the origins of dreams. Research Clinical Psychologist Dr Bryony Sheaves of Oxford University also shares her expert insights into why we have...
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Ep 35: Why do we enjoy playing with fear?
PsychCrunch
This is Episode 35 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. From haunted houses to scary movies, many of us find a thrill in a good scare. But… isn’t that a bit counter-intuitive? In this episode, we ask why so many of us are drawn to things that should make us run a mile, and whether we can use fear to help us better cope with day-to-day anxiety. Host Ella Rhodes speaks with Director of The Recreational Fear Lab, Dr Mathias Clasen, and Cambridge University PhD student Lucie Daniel-Watanabe to discover why fear...
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Ep 34: How do you make friends as an adult?
PsychCrunch
This is Episode 34 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Despite it being easier than ever to communicate, so many of us find it challenging to make new friends – especially as we get older. Opening up conversations with strangers can leave us feeling like a bother, and fizzle into nothing more than a one-off interaction. The loneliness this can create isn’t just a passing sting, it can have ongoing impacts to both our mental and physical health. So, in this episode, Ginny Smith asks: just how do we make...
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Ep 33: Have you experienced the unseen other?
PsychCrunch
Have you ever had the feeling that there was someone – or something – nearby? Perhaps you were in bed falling asleep when you suddenly became convinced that a person was standing next to you, even though you couldn’t actually ‘see’ or ‘hear’ anyone at all. Or maybe you were out in the wilderness, with no-one for miles around, and couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following you. In this episode, Dr Jon Sutton, editor of The Psychologist magazine, talks to , Associate Professor at Durham University, about the phenomenon of the 'felt presence' – that often eerie...
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Ep 32: How to face grief
PsychCrunch
Grief is a universal experience, but one which affects every individual differently. A grieving person might feel guilty, listless, frightened, or angry. And at a time when they most need support, the bereaved may find other people turning away from them, not really knowing how to talk to them about their feelings and the person they’ve lost. So how can we learn to better cope with grief in ourselves and in others? In this episode, Ella Rhodes, journalist for The Psychologist, speaks to two experts who are working to help us understand how people process grief and what can be done to support...
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Ep 31: How to better understand your cat
PsychCrunch
We’ve lived side-by-side with domestic cats for thousands of years, yet they maintain an aura of mystery and a reputation for aloofness and even outright disdain for humans. But are cats really so enigmatic – or are we only just beginning to understand them? In this episode, Ella Rhodes, journalist for The Psychologist, speaks to two experts who are working to help us to understand cats. They discuss research on cat cognition and intelligence, chat about what we can do how to make our cats’ lives happier, and even share some tips on how to train them. Our guests are , assistant professor...
info_outlineThis is Episode 15 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology.
Mindfulness is everywhere these days, but is it really as beneficial as it's often made out to be? Our presenter Ginny Smith hears from clinical psychologist Dr Catherine Wikholm(co-author of The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You?); she visits the Cambridge Buddha Centre to meet people who have taken up mindfulness meditation; and she discusses some of the latest mindfulness research trials with Professor Barney Dunn, a clinical psychologist at Exeter University. Some of the evidence is indeed promising, and mindfulness meditation could offer a cost-effective way to help many people with mental health problems. However, Ginny also discovers that many trials are ongoing, mindfulness is not risk free, and it may not suit everyone.
Some of the studies mentioned in this episode:
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in Real-World Healthcare Services
Unwanted effects: Is there a negative side of meditation? A multicentre survey
The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You?
Relevant studies and articles from our own archive:
The Psychology of Mindfulness, Digested
Brainwave evidence hints at benefits from a school mindfulness programme
Brief mindfulness training does not foster empathy, and can even make narcissists worse
Experienced meditators have enhanced control over their eye movements
This is what eight weeks of mindfulness training does to your brain
Mindfulness meditation increases people’s susceptibility to false memories
Just fifteen minutes of mindfulness meditation can improve your decision making
How meditation alters the brain
Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ginny Smith. Mixing Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work Tim Grimshaw.