The Top Ten Myths of Behaviour Change

- A Communications Specialist with Metro Vancouver talks about what drives behaviour change, in the context of increasing recycling, at the Recycling Council of British Columbia’s 2011 annual conference. He lists ten myths and breaks them down into anecdotes and references to studies on things like financial incentives.

For example, a daycare instituted fines for parents who picked up their kids late, but lateness increased because people felt like they’d bought a service.

After discussing myths, he talks about how we can change behaviours and develop new habits, drawing on knowledge from psychology, behavioural economics, marketing, neuroscience, sociology, social media, and more.

As an avid recycler who wants to help the environment however I can, new ways to promote recycling using social proof and other smart tactics sound very promising.

Perspective is Everything

- Perspective is essential to happiness, says Rory Sutherland. He gives examples of applied perspective and argues that the element of choice is what makes a situation more tolerable. Psychological factors should be added to mechanistic ideas in cost-benefit analyses. Things like train arrival clocks and traffic light timers have improved lives because they address human anxieties.

People believe that a company that only sells one type of product is better than a company that sells a wide array of products, which means “Google is as much a psychological success as it is a financial one.” Economics and advertising often fail to understand that what something is, has value, he asserts. An interesting intellectual TEDxAthens Talk.

May My Words Be Your Wings

- A young poet performs a poem written for people undergoing emotional turmoil. “You are stronger than your sorrow,” he urges YouTube viewers. Earnest and authentic encouragement for people with mental health issues.

Laughter: Love, Joy, and Language

- What happens during laughter? It has to do with breathing, as neuroscientist Sophie Scott explains, as well as emotions, and the voice. Studying the mechanisms of laughter, she discovered it’s a social, universal expression not just in humans but even chimpanzees and rats. Brain scans revealed the areas of the brain active during laughter (interestingly, similar to yawning, another socially contagious expression). Her lab also examined polite, posed laughter vs. uncontrollable mirth, and revealed how we tell the difference.

“It Gets Better? Ingrid and Desiree”

- From The Slope, a comedy web series about “superficial, homophobic lesbians” living in Park Slope, Brooklyn, this episode spoofs the It Gets Better video campaign against bullying and suicide. Serious subjects, It Gets Better has been a massive success with tens of thousands of videos made by people encouraging gay youth to hold on past high school. I’d never seen a spoof video – surely too sensitive a subject? – but this one is right on target. Potentially offensive if you take yourself too seriously, but watch it in the light hearted spirit in which it was intended and enjoy lots of laughter.

The Fantasy Bond

- A presentation about the “fantasy bond,” defined as an illusion of a close relationship with a parent that is replayed later in life with romantic partners. Idealizing partners reinforces negative self-image formed early on. Firestone lists ways it manifests in a relationship, such as withholding emotions, polarizing, denigrating, and/or idealizing partners, and having form instead of substance, not really relating to each other. She describes three states of fantasy involvement, discusses personal differentiation, and looks at types of healthy and unhealthy interactions. Finally, she explores separation theory.

Means Matter: How Bridge Barriers Help Prevent Suicide

- Physical barriers to suicide produce results; this slide presentation video explains why we need them. Explodes common myths about suicide barriers, including the idea that if you put a net on a bridge people will just go somewhere else to do it. Research has shown that removal of barriers has led to an immediate increase of deaths. Watch to learn about this common sense approach to suicide prevention. Read more, including references, click here.

Sh*t People Say About OCD

- Although the Sh*t People Say meme is past its prime, this overlooked homemade video still rings true by parodying common things that uneducated people say to people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Example: “Could you clean my room?” Warning: coarse language (an obvious four letter word). Interactive transcript available. To learn real facts about OCD, visit her blog, and search PsychCentral’s vast archives for lots more information.

We Didn’t Start the Scanner

- Exactly as described: “A History of Cognitive Neuroscience…in Three Minutes.” Set to the melody of Billy Joel’s classic song “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” new lyrics highlight significant scientists and advances in the field over the years, interspersed with comedy bits reminiscent of silent films. A lively and fun history lesson, this student video won the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience Brains on Film Competition 2012 at University College London. Full lyrics are available here in the video’s description. Hat tip: contest organizer Sophie Scott.

Catwoman Therapy! Episode 13

- Comedy skit about villainess Catwoman in session with a frustrated psychotherapist, delving into her obsession with Batman, and her many annoying cat mannerisms. Well-acted and edited, this is a hilarious concept that’s been nicely executed. Watch the whole Super Therapy series featuring assorted superheroes in therapy. Great stuff.