PsychCrunch

In this episode of PsychCrunch, we're at the Leverhulme Centre for Space and Humanity, based at Space Park in Leicester. Join Dr Jon Sutton and Dr Zoe Swann Baillie as they discuss resilience, the physical challenges of microgravity, working as a crew, and how the humanity in these topics can inform those of us on terra firma. We also hear from researchers who have an association with the Centre: Dr Valerie van Mulukom (Oxford Brookes University) and Professor John Maltby (University of Leicester) on integrating morality research into spaceflight, and hopes for future links between our discipline and the stars. The British Psychological Society is pleased to announce that it will be a Project Partner for the Leverhulme Centre for Space and Humanity. Credits Host: Dr Jon SuttonEditor: Emma BarrattAudio wizardry: Jeff Knowler Hungry for more? Check out NASA's Human Research Roadmap and see where your research might fit into the future of spaceflight. Or read more about how we misconceptualise resilience, and how we should think of it, with this piece from Dr Warren Donnellan (University of Liverpool). If you're looking for more on space psychology, be sure to check out our up-to-date space collection over on the Psychologist's website. PsychCrunch is brought to you by Zanda, the all-in-one practice management software designed for psychologists. With telehealth, easy mobile access, and automated tools, including online scheduling and reminders, Zanda helps you run your practice, your way. Find out more at ZandaHealth.com

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 nightmares, and the innovative research revealing how treating them can improve our mental health. Episode Credits: Written and hosted by Ella Rhodes. Mixed and edited by Jeff Knowler. Edited by Emma Barratt. Missed previous episodes? Get up to date via our PsychCrunch collection page. Not done dreaming? Check out The Psychologist's most recent interview with Mark Blagrove for much more on the function of dreams. Or explore some of Bryony's latest research on nightmares in this Research Digest piece by Emily Reynolds. PsychCrunch is sponsored by Routledge Psychology Routledge Psychology is part of the Taylor & Francis Group, and publishing partner for the BPS Core Textbooks Series. Browse over 5 million articles, and related books. BPS members are entitled to a 25% discount on all books published by Routledge – find your discount code here and visit the dedicated BPS Member page at Routledge here.

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 friends as adults? To get to the bottom of this problem, Ginny speaks with our expert guests Dr. Marissa G. Franco (Professor, speaker, and the New York Times bestselling author of Platonic) and Dr Gillian Sandstrom (Senior Lecturer in the psychology of kindness at the University of Sussex). Together, they give their insights on why so many of us run into problems expanding our social circle, and share some practical advice on how to make more connections. Episode Credits:Written and hosted by Ginny Smith.Mixing and audio editing by Jeff Knowler.Edited by Emma Barratt. Want to know more about the psychology of friendship?Discover plenty more on the topic over on our website. PsychCrunch is sponsored by Routledge PsychologyRoutledge Psychology is part of the Taylor & Francis Group, and publishing partner for the BPS Core Textbooks Series. Browse over 5 million articles at www.tandfonline.com, and related books at www.routledge.com.

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 those who are grieving. Our guests are Dr Mary-Frances O'Connor, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Arizona and author of The Grieving Brain, and Jane Harris, psychotherapist and co-founder of The Good Grief Project. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ella Rhodes. Script edits by Matthew Warren. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music by Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Artwork by Tim Grimshaw. Further resources More information about The Good Grief Project can be found at the project's website Check out Dr Mary-Frances O'Connor's website for more on her book The Grieving Brain, as well as a list of publications including those discussed in this episode. Last year, Jon Sutton interviewed Dr Mary-Frances O'Connor for The Psychologist Also in The Psychologist: Elaine Kasket talks to Bjørn Johnson about his film Memory Box: Echoes of 9/11, and discusses the themes of the film with Jane Harris. PsychCrunch is sponsored by Routledge Psychology.

From carefully avoiding cracks in the pavement to saluting every magpie that you meet, superstitious behaviour is really common. But why do we have superstitions? Where do they come from? And are they helpful or harmful? To find out, our presenter Ginny Smith talks to Stuart Vyse, former professor of psychology at Connecticut College and author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition. Ginny also chats to Laramie Taylor, professor of communication at the University of California Davis, who explains how superstition and magical thinking is linked to being a fan of both fiction and sports. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ginny Smith. Script edits by Matthew Warren. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music by Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work by Tim Grimshaw. Relevant research and writing from our guests includes: Magical thinking and fans of fictional texts and Sports Fans and Magical Thinking: How Supernatural Thinking Connects Fans to Teams, both by Laramie Taylor and discussed in the podcast. Do Superstitious Rituals Work?, an article at Skeptical Inquirer in which Stuart Vyse discusses some of the work mentioned in this episode. How Superstition Works, an extract from Vyse's book Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition, published at The Atlantic.

Why do some songs get stuck in our heads? In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith explores the psychology of earworms. Ginny hears about the possible evolutionary reasons for why we experience the phenomenon, learns what earworms can teach us about memory — and finds out how to get rid of them. Our guests, in order of appearance, are Kelly Jakubowski, assistant professor of music psychology at Durham University; Petr Janata, professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis; and Michael K. Scullin, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ginny Smith. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music by Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work by Tim Grimshaw. Research from our guests includes: Dissecting an Earworm: Melodic Features and Song Popularity Predict Involuntary Musical Imagery Spontaneous mental replay of music improves memory for incidentally associated event knowledge. Bedtime Music, Involuntary Musical Imagery, and Sleep

This is Episode 26 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. What impact has the pandemic had on people's mental health? In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith talks to researchers who have been conducting work throughout the pandemic to understand the toll that it has taken on our wellbeing. Ginny learns about the different factors that can make us more or less vulnerable to these effects, finds out how pregnant women have fared during this stressful time, and also hears about emerging data that finds links between the virus itself and mental health conditions. Our guests, in order of appearance, are Dr Susanne Schweizer, Sir Henry Wellcome Fellow at the University of Cambridge, and Professor Paul Harrison from the University of Oxford. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ginny Smith. Script edits by Matthew Warren. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music by Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work by Tim Grimshaw. Background reading for this episode More information about the CORAL study is available on their website Paul Harrison's paper describing the link between Covid-19 infection and mental health conditions is available open access here. There is also a university press release about the work, and another related paper by the team

This is Episode 24 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. What role does play have in child development? In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith talks to some top play researchers to find out how children learn new skills and concepts through play, and explores what teachers and parents can do to encourage this kind of learning. Ginny also discovers how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way kids play and learn. Our guests, in order of appearance, are Professor Marilyn Fleer and Dr Prabhat Rai from Monash University, and Dr Suzanne Egan from the University of Limerick. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ginny Smith. Script edits by Matthew Warren. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music by Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work by Tim Grimshaw. Background reading for this episode The website for Fleer's Conceptual PlayWorld contains more information about the model discussed by Marilyn Fleer and Prabhat Rai Publications and working papers from the Conceptual PlayLab are available here Here are some of the key findings from the PLEY survey discussed by Suzanne Egan