The Power of Micro Joys: Building Psychological Resilience through Tiny Pleasures

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the concept of micro joys—small, spontaneous moments of delight that contribute significantly to our mental well-being. Contrary to the cultural emphasis on major achievements and peak experiences, micro joys provide a sustainable foundation for psychological resilience. Backed by research in positive psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science, the episode reveals how these tiny positive experiences can help manage stress, depression, and burnout. Leslie discusses how to identify and savor these moments, emphasizing that they are accessible to everyone, require no special circumstances, and can be especially beneficial during difficult times.

00:00 Introduction to Micro Joys
01:47 The Science Behind Micro Joys
03:48 Characteristics of Micro Joys
05:55 Micro Joys vs. Other Positive Practices
12:05 Micro Joys in Mental Health
21:54 Practical Tips for Noticing Micro Joys
25:17 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

PsyberSpace: Understanding the Psychology of Stochastic Terrorism

In this special episode of PsyberSpace, hosted by Leslie Poston, the focus is on the psychology of stochastic terrorism, particularly in the wake of the shooting of political pundit Charlie Kirk. The episode explores how public figures use mass communication to incite violence indirectly through loaded language and dehumanizing rhetoric. It looks into the mechanisms behind this phenomenon, including moral disengagement and emotional manipulation. The episode also discusses the global impact of American stochastic rhetoric and offers strategies for resistance, such as cognitive inoculation and media literacy. Leslie emphasizes the importance of understanding and responding to this psychological manipulation to prevent further violence.

00:00 Introduction to Stochastic Terrorism
00:29 The Case of Charlie Kirk
01:53 Understanding Stochastic Terrorism
06:24 Mechanisms of Dehumanization
13:41 The Role of Media and Rhetoric
17:44 Global Impact and Historical Context
22:09 Psychological Aftermath of Violence
28:21 Empathy and Moral Boundaries
33:01 Recognizing and Resisting Stochastic Messaging
38:04 Conclusion and Call to Action

Research notes coming soon.

Unseen Grief: Navigating Disenfranchised and Ambiguous Loss

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the often overlooked and invalidated forms of grief that extend beyond traditional mourning. Discussing the concept of 'disenfranchised grief,' the episode delves into how economic systems and societal norms suppress acknowledgment of certain types of loss. From the unexpected death of a first love to ongoing ambiguous losses, Poston examines how these unacknowledged forms of grief affect our mental and physical health. She highlights the limitations of traditional grief models and emphasizes the need for more inclusive and validating support systems. The episode also tackles the political and structural issues surrounding grief, arguing that acknowledging and integrating our losses is crucial for emotional well-being.

00:00 Introduction to Sneaky Grief
01:33 Understanding Disenfranchised Grief
04:00 Personal Story: The Unexpected Call
06:06 The Continuing Bonds Model
08:35 Ambiguous Loss and Its Impact
11:20 The Political Side of Grief
15:27 The Physiology of Grief
17:33 Prolonged Grief Disorder
19:16 Collective and Marginalized Grief
21:11 Conclusion: Validating All Forms of Grief

References

Albuquerque, S., Teixeira, A. M., & Rocha, J. C. (2021). COVID-19 and disenfranchised grief. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 638874.

Boss, P. (2006). Loss, trauma, and resilience: Therapeutic work with ambiguous loss. W. W. Norton.

Cesur-Soysal, G., & Arı, E. (2024). How we disenfranchise grief for self and other: An empirical study. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 88(2), 620-637.

Djelantik, A. A. A. M. J., Smid, G. E., Mroz, A., Kleber, R. J., & Boelen, P. A. (2020). The prevalence of prolonged grief disorder in bereaved individuals following unnatural losses: Systematic review and meta regression analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 265, 146-156.

Doka, K. J. (1989). Disenfranchised grief: Recognizing hidden sorrow. Lexington Books.

Hewson, H., et al. (2023). The impact of continuing bonds following bereavement: A systematic review. Death Studies, 47(7), 762-775.

Hopf, S. M., Riegel, B., Waters, C., Tamres, L., Good, M., Penner, A., & Guo, W. (2020). Neuroendocrine mechanisms of grief and bereavement: A systematic review and implications for future interventions. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 32(8), e12887.

Klass, D., Silverman, P. R., & Nickman, S. L. (Eds.). (2014). Continuing bonds: New understandings of grief. Taylor & Francis.

O'Connor, M. F. (2019). Grief: A brief history of research on how body, mind, and brain adapt. Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine.

Phillip, L. (2024, July 8). Grief accrues faster than sick days: A reflection on pain, place, and productivity. The Philanthropist Journal. Retrieved from https://thephilanthropist.ca/2024/07/grief-accrues-faster-than-sick-days-a-reflection-on-pain-place-and-productivity/

Phillips, C. S., Trainum, K., & Thomas Hebdon, M. C. (2025). Hidden in plain sight: A scoping review of professional grief in healthcare and charting a path for change. Health Services Insights. Sage Journals.

Pitimson, N. (2021). Work after death: An examination of the relationship between grief, emotional labour, and the lived experience of returning to work after a bereavement. Sociological Research Online, 26(3), 590-606

Prigerson, H. G., Boelen, P. A., Xu, J., Smith, K. V., & Maciejewski, P. K. (2021). Validation of the new DSM-5-TR criteria for prolonged grief disorder and the PG-13-Revised (PG-13-R) scale. World Psychiatry, 20(1), 96-106.

Sandberg, S., & Grant, A. (2017). Option B: Facing adversity, building resilience, and finding joy. Knopf

Stroebe, M., Schut, H., & Boerner, K. (2017). Cautioning health-care professionals: Bereaved persons are misguided through the stages of grief. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 74(4), 455-473.

Wilson, D. M., Rodríguez-Prat, A., & Low, G. (2020). The potential impact of bereavement grief on workers, work, careers, and the workplace. Social Work in Health Care, 59(6), 335–350. 

Billionaire Hoarding: A Psychological Exploration

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the provocative idea that billionaire behavior may resemble a form of hoarding disorder, typically seen in people unable to part with physical objects. The discussion gets into the clinical understanding of hoarding, its evolutionary basis, and how similar psychological patterns might drive compulsive accumulation of wealth, power, and resources at a global scale. The episode critically examines society's celebration and protection of billionaire behaviors as opposed to recognizing their potentially pathological impact, drawing parallels between individual and systemic hoarding while proposing cultural and policy interventions. It challenges listeners to rethink how extreme wealth concentration affects democracy and social stability.

00:00 Introduction: Billionaires and Hoarding
02:39 Understanding Hoarding Disorder
05:06 Evolutionary Roots of Hoarding
06:30 Financial Hoarding: Billionaires and Beyond
09:21 Personality Traits and Hoarding
12:13 Cultural and Systemic Implications
16:56 Interventions and Solutions
25:19 Conclusion: The Path Forward

Research

Bouissac, P. (2006). Hoarding behavior: A better evolutionary account of money psychology? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 29, 181 - 182. 

Canale, A., & Klontz, B. (2013). Hoarding Disorder: It’s More Than Just an Obsession - Implications for Financial Therapists and Planners. Journal of Financial Therapy, 4 (2) 4. 

Coupé, T., & Monteiro, P. (2015). The charity of the extremely wealthy. Economic IInquiry, 54(2)

Damecour, C., & Charron, M. (1998). Hoarding: a symptom, not a syndrome. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 59 5, 267-72; quiz 273 . 

Davidson, E.J., Dozier, M.E., Pittman, J.O.E. et al. Recent Advances in Research on Hoarding. Curr Psychiatry Rep 21, 91 (2019) 

Dozier, M.E., & DeShong, H.L. (2022). The association between personality traits and hoarding behaviors. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 35, 53 - 58. 

Frost, R. O., & Steketee, G. (2010). Stuff: Compulsive hoarding and the meaning of things. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Frost, R. O., Steketee, G., & Williams, L. (2000). Hoarding: A community health problem. Health & Social Care in the Community, 8(4), 229–234. 

Frost, R. O., Tolin, D. F., & Maltby, N. (2010). Insight-related challenges in the treatment of hoarding disorder. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 17(4), 404-413. 

Geddes, B., Wright, J., & Frantz, E. (2018). How dictatorships work: Power, personalization, and collapse. Cambridge University Press.

Haugerud, A. (2013). No Billionaire Left Behind: Satirical Activism in America. Stanford University Press.

LaSalle-Ricci, V. H., Arnkoff, D. B., Glass, C. R., Crawley, S. A., Ronquillo, J. G., & Murphy, D. L. (2006). The hoarding dimension of OCD: Psychological comorbidity and the five-factor personality model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(10), 1503–1512.

Mataix-Cols, D., Frost, R. O., Pertusa, A., Clark, L. A., Saxena, S., Leckman, J. F., Stein, D. J., Matsunaga, H., & Wilhelm, S. (2010). Hoarding disorder: A new diagnosis for DSM-5? Depression and Anxiety, 27(6), 556–572. 

Mataix-Cols, D., Pertusa, A. , & Snowdon, J. (2011). Neuropsychological and neural correlates of hoarding: a practice-friendly review. Journal of Clinical Psychology, (5), 467-76. 

Mataix-Cols, D., & de la Cruz, L. F. (2018). Hoarding disorder has finally arrived, but many challenges lie ahead. World Psychiatry. 17(2):224-225

Peebles, G. (2020). Hoarding and saving. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology

Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Harvard University Press.

Raines, A. M., Boffa, J. W., Allan, N. P., Short, N. A., & Schmidt, N. B. (2015). Hoarding and eating pathology: The mediating role of emotion regulation. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 57, 29-35. 

Rose, P. (2007). Mediators of the association between narcissism and compulsive buying: The roles of materialism and impulse control. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 21(4), 576–581. 

Steketee, G., & Frost, R. O. (2003). Compulsive hoarding: Current status of the research. Clinical Psychology Review, 23(7), 905–927. 

Svolik, M. W. (2008). Authoritarian reversals and democratic consolidation. American Political Science Review, 102(2), 153–168. 

Timpano, K. R., & Schmidt, N. B. (2013). The relationship between self-control deficits and hoarding: A multimethod investigation across three studies. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122(1), 13–25. 

Tolin, D. F. (2011). Challenges and advances in treating hoarding. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67(5), 451-5. 

Vickers, B. D., Preston, S. D., Gonzalez, R., & Angott, A. M. (2016). Hoarders Only Discount Consumables and Are More Patient for Money. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 10, Article 30 

West, D. M. (2014). Billionaires: Reflections on the upper crust. Brookings Institution Press

Winsberg, M. E., Cassic, K. S., & Koran, L. M. (1999). Hoarding in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A report of 20 cases. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 60(9), 591–597. 

Zuckman, G. (2025) The Trump-Musk feud exposes America's wealth-hoarding crisis. [OPINION ARTICLE] The Guardian. (Newspaper)  Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/10/the-trump-musk-feud-exposes-americas-wealth-hoarding-crisis

The Psychology Behind Apocalyptic Thinking and Why It’s Dangerous

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the growing phenomenon of apocalyptic thinking, exploring its psychological, sociological, and cultural roots. The episode examines why some people are drawn to the idea of societal collapse and how this mindset is manifesting in modern times through various ideologies and policies. Leslie discusses historical and contemporary examples, the role of trauma, and the disturbing impact of repeated COVID-19 infections on cognitive functions. The episode also highlights the commodification and monetization of despair online and argues for collective action, mutual aid, and hope as antidotes to the lure of apocalyptic thinking. Leslie concludes by emphasizing that positive change does not require collapse, but rather, requires human connection and collective effort.

00:00 Introduction to Apocalyptic Thinking
01:31 Historical Fascination with Endings
02:44 The Psychology Behind Apocalyptic Beliefs
03:34 Accelerationism: Pushing for Collapse
05:59 Christian Nationalism and Apocalyptic Theology
08:55 The Impact of Continuous Conflict
12:16 Neurological Effects of COVID-19
14:01 The Role of Social Media in Amplifying Despair
16:01 Climate Nihilism and the Elite's Response
18:04 The Profitability of Collapse
19:20 A Counter-Narrative: Post-Traumatic Growth
21:28 Conclusion: Choosing Hope Over Despair

Research

Abene, S. (2025) Pandemic brain aging: How Covid-19 affects cognitive health beyond infection. Contagion Live. https://www.contagionlive.com/view/pandemic-brain-aging-how-covid-19-impacts-cognitive-health-beyond-infection

American Psychological Association. (2020). Mental health and our changing climate: Impacts, implications, and guidance. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/02/climate-mental-health

Araújo, N., Silva, I., Campos, P. et al. Cognitive impairment 2 years after mild to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in a population-based study with matched-comparison groups. Sci Rep 15, 24335 (2025). 

Bandura, A. (2000). Exercise of human agency through collective efficacy. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9(3), 75–78.

Lewis, R. (2018). Alternative influence: Broadcasting the reactionary right on YouTube. Data & Society.

Clayton, S. (2020). Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 74, 102263.

Li, Z., Zhang, Z., Zhang, Z., Wang, Z., & Li, H. (2023). Cognitive impairment after long COVID: current evidence and perspectives. Frontiers in Neurology, 14.

Freud, S. (1920). Beyond the pleasure principle (J. Strachey, Trans.). International Psycho-Analytical Press.

Ganesh R, Blitshteyn S, Verduzco-Gutierrez M, Abene S, Ciccone I. A deep dive: understanding the neurological toll of long COVID. Contagion. 2024. https://www.contagionlive.com/roundtables/a-deep-dive-understanding-the-neurological-toll-of-long-covid

Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1986). The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: A terror management theory. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Public self and private self (pp. 189–212). Springer.

Haidt, J. (2012). The righteous mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion. Pantheon Books.

Jost, J. T., Banaji, M. R., & Nosek, B. A. (2004). A decade of system justification theory: Accumulated evidence of conscious and unconscious bolstering of the status quo. Political Psychology, 25(6), 881–919.

Klein, N. (2007). The shock doctrine: The rise of disaster capitalism. Metropolitan Books.

Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness: On depression, development, and death. W.H. Freeman.

Solnit, R. (2009). A paradise built in hell: The extraordinary communities that arise in disaster. Viking.

Sontag, S. (1978). Illness as metaphor. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1–18.

Tufekci, Z. (2018). YouTube, the great radicalizer. The New York Times.

Turner, V. (1969). The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. Aldine.

The Comfort Trap: How Familiarity Hampers Growth and Progress

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the concept of comfort and how it acts as a hidden barrier to personal and societal growth. Despite its allure, comfort can prevent individuals from taking risks, learning, and embracing change. The episode digs into the psychological and neurological reasons behind our preference for comfort, and its impact on behaviors, relationships, and social structures. Poston argues that comfort not only stifles innovation and accountability but also perpetuates systemic issues like racism and inequality. She urges listeners to build their capacity for discomfort as a means to foster resilience, creativity, and meaningful progress.

00:00 Introduction: The Hidden Villain in Your Life
00:35 The Comfort Trap: Why We Stay Stuck
03:07 The Neuroscience of Comfort and Resistance to Change
08:28 Comfort in Social Dynamics and Systemic Issues
11:28 The Cost of Comfort: Personal and Societal Impacts
22:43 Building Discomfort Tolerance for Growth and Progress
24:37 Conclusion: Embrace Discomfort for a Better Future

Research

Banaji, M. R., & Jost, J. T. (1994). The role of stereotyping in system-justification and the production of false consciousness. British Journal of Social Psychology, 33(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8309.1994.tb01008.x

Darley, J. M., & Latané, B. (1968). Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion of responsibility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 8(4), 377-383. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0025589

DiAngelo, R. (2018). White fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism. Beacon Press.

Feagin, J. & Picca, L. (2007) Two-Faced Racism. Routledge.

Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford University Press.

Jost, J. T. (2019). A quarter century of system justification theory: Questions, answers, criticisms, and societal applications. British Journal of Social Psychology, 58(2), 263-314. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12297

Jost, J. T., & Banaji, M. R. (1994). The role of stereotyping in system justification and the production of false consciousness. British Journal of Social Psychology, 33(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8309.1994.tb01008.x

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Klayman, J., & Ha, Y. W. (1987). Confirmation, disconfirmation, and information in hypothesis testing. Psychological Review, 94(2), 211-228. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.94.2.211

Kunda, Z. (1990). The case for motivated reasoning. Psychological Bulletin, 108(3), 480-498. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.108.3.480

Latané, B., & Darley, J. M. (1970). The unresponsive bystander: Why doesn't he help? Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421-428. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x

Oluo, I. (2018) So you want to talk about race. Seal Press.

Tatum, B. D. (1997). Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?: And other conversations about race. Basic Books.

Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1991). Loss aversion in riskless choice: A reference-dependent model. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 106(4), 1039-1061. https://doi.org/10.2307/2937956

Wason, P. C. (1960). On the failure to eliminate hypotheses in a conceptual task. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 12(3), 129-140. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470216008416717

The Secret Life of Your Inner Monologue: Navigating and Harnessing Your Inner Voice

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the concept of the inner monologue, discussing its origins, functions, and variations across individuals and cultures. The episode digs into the impact of internal speech on decision making, emotional regulation, and self-identity. Leslie also addresses how disorders like ADHD and anxiety affect inner voices, offering practical strategies for managing critical self-talk and cultivating a more supportive inner dialogue. Listeners are encouraged to observe and reframe their inner thoughts to enhance mental wellbeing and performance.

00:00 Introduction: The Inner Monologue
00:49 The Role and Impact of Inner Speech
04:05 Development of Inner Speech
07:07 Variations in Inner Speech
09:34 Inner Speech and Mental Health
20:58 Transforming Your Inner Critic
24:18 Conclusion: Embracing Your Inner Voice

Research

Alderson-Day, B., & Fernyhough, C. (2015). Inner speech: Development, cognitive functions, phenomenology, and neurobiology. Psychological Bulletin, 141(5), 931–965. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4538954

Dahò, M., & Monzani, D. (2025). The multifaceted nature of inner speech: Neural and phenomenological perspectives. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 12(3), 145–167. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40611622/

Gregory, D. (2020). Inner speech: New voices. Analysis, Volume 80, Issue 1, January 2020, Pages 164–173, https://doi.org/10.1093/analys/anz096

Gregory, D., & Langland-Hassan, P. (2023). Inner speech. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/inner-speech/

Hurlburt, R. T., Heavey, C. L., & Kelsey, J. M. (2013). Toward a phenomenology of inner speaking. Consciousness and Cognition. 22(4) Pages 1477-1494

McCarthy-Jones, S., & Fernyhough, C. (2011). The varieties of inner speech: Links between quality of inner speech and psychopathological variables in a sample of young adults. Consciousness and Cognition, 20(4), 1586–1593. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21880511/

Morin, A. (2003). Inner speech and conscious experience. Science & Consciousness Review, No 4. https://journalpsyche.org/articles/0xc094.pdf

Nedergaard, J. S. K., & Lupyan, G. (2024). Not everybody has an inner voice: Behavioral consequences of anendophasia. Psychological Science, 35(4), 344–360. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09567976241243004

Alderson-Day, B. & Pearson, A. (2023). What can neurodiversity tell us about inner speech, and vice versa? A theroetical perspectiv. Cortex, 168, Pages 193-202 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001094522300206X

Vicente, A., & Martinez Manrique, F. (2011). Inner Speech: Nature and Functions. Philosophy Compass, 6, 209-219. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-9991.2010.00369.x

The Science Behind Women’s Superior Leadership: Breaking Biases and Embracing Effectiveness

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the compelling evidence showing that women tend to be better leaders than men. The discussion includes statistics indicating that countries led by women have fewer conflicts and better crisis management. It digs into decades of research from organizational psychology, showing women outscore men in key leadership competencies such as empathy, resilience, and emotional intelligence. Neuroscientific studies highlight differences in how male and female brains process stress, favoring collaborative and adaptive behavior in women. Despite this overwhelming evidence, gender biases and cultural stereotypes persist, preventing the recognition of women’s effectiveness in leadership roles. The episode calls for systemic changes in defining leadership, promoting qualified women, and addressing unconscious bias to improve organizational and societal success.

00:00 Introduction: Women in Leadership
00:30 Global Leadership Landscape
01:23 Exploring Leadership Competencies
03:47 Neuroscience of Crisis Management
06:26 Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
09:13 Transformational vs. Transactional Leadership
13:46 Psychological Barriers and Bias
19:22 Intersectionality in Leadership
20:43 Effective Leadership Strategies
23:59 Challenges of Traditional Masculine Norms
27:33 Redefining Leadership Effectiveness
31:24 Conclusion: The Path Forward

Research

Araujo, E. B., Araujo, N. M. M., Moreira, A. A., Herrmann, H. J., & Andrade Jr., J. S. (2016). Gender differences in scientific collaborations: Women are more egalitarian. arXiv preprint arXiv:1610.05937. 

Capraro, V. (2018). Women are slightly more cooperative than men in one-shot prisoner’s dilemma games. arXiv preprint arXiv:1805.08046. 

Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. 

Eagly, A. H., & Karau, S. J. (2002). Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. Psychological Review, 109(3), 573–598. 

Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. Bantam Books.

Hopkins, M. M., O'Neil, D. A., Bilimoria, D., & Broadfoot, A. (2021). Buried treasure: Contradictions in the perception and reality of women's leadership. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 684705. 

Hurlburt, R. T., Koch, M., & Heavey, C. L. (2002). Descriptive experience sampling demonstrates the connection of thinking to externally observable behavior. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 26(1), 117–134.

Kelan, E. K., & Wang, M. (2013). The gender quota and female leadership: Effects of the Norwegian gender quota on board chairs and CEOs. Journal of Business Ethics, 117(3), 449–466. 

Field, E., Krivkovich, A., McConnell, M., Yee, L. & Smith, H. (2024) Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th‑anniversary report. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace#/

Novotney, A. (2024) Women leaders make work better. Here's the science behind how to promote them. American Psychological Association. (Blog) Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/topics/women-girls/female-leaders-make-work-better

Paustian-Underdahl, S.C., Smith Sockbeson, C.E., Hall, A.V. & Saldanha Halliday, C. (2024) Gender and Evaluations of Leadership Behaviors: A Meta-Analytic Review of 50 Years of Research. The Leadership Quarterly. Vol. 35, Iss 6

Pew Research Center. (2008, August 25). Men or women: Who's the better leader?. 

Raval, A. (2024) Too many women excel at their jobs but are ignored for top roles. (Article) The Financial Times. Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/729d1a32-62bf-4d61-b3e3-0763b7fe93ca

Ryan, M. K., & Haslam, S. A. (2005). The glass cliff: Evidence that women are over-represented in precarious leadership positions. British Journal of Management, 16(2), 81–90. 

Xu, H., Strassmann, J. E., & Saar-Tsechansky, M. (2024). How high-status women promote repeated collaboration among women in male-dominated contexts. arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.03474. 

Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2019, June 25). Research: Women score higher than men in most leadership skills. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2019/06/research-women-score-higher-than-men-in-most-leadership-skills

Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2020, December 30). Research: Women are better leaders during a crisis. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/12/research-women-are-better-leaders-during-a-crisis

Navigating Media Consumption for Psychological Well-Being and Resistance

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the critical issue of media consumption in the age of information overload and crisis. With facts being scrubbed from official sources and reality under attack, Poston examines the role of independent journalism and social media as lifelines to truth. The episode digs into the psychology of how we consume media, the distinction between staying informed and drowning in trauma, and the impact of the attention economy and algorithms on our emotional well-being. Drawing from psychological theories, research, and historical examples, Poston provides strategies for conscious and sustainable media engagement that honors truth, supports psychological resilience, and serves as a form of resistance.

00:00 Introduction: The Importance of Conscious Media Consumption
01:49 The Role of Media in Historical and Modern Crises
03:01 The Attention Economy and Emotional Regulation
05:19 Healthy vs. Unhealthy Media Engagement
07:58 The Psychological Impact of Media Consumption
18:06 Parasocial Relationships and Media
21:14 The Responsibility of Media Creators
24:05 Strategies for Conscious Media Consumption
27:05 Conclusion: Transforming Media Consumption into Resistance

Research

Couldry, N., & Mejias, U. A. (2019). The costs of connection. Stanford University Press.

Gross, J. J. (2002). Emotion regulation: Affective, cognitive, and social consequences. Psychophysiology, 39(3), 281–291. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0048577201393198

Holman, E. A., Garfin, D. R., Lubens, P., & Silver, R. C. (2020). Media exposure to collective trauma, mental health, and functioning: Does it matter what you see? Clinical Psychological Science, 8*(1), 111–124

Horton, D., & Wohl, R. R. (1956). Mass communication and parasocial interaction. Psychiatry, 19(3), 215–229.

Li, M., Zhou, Y., Luo, J., Liang, X., Wang, Y., Cai, H., Huang, L., Luo, X., Xiang, Q., & Huang, X. (2025). The influence of childhood trauma on social media-induced secondary traumatic stress among college students: The chain mediating effect of self-compassion and resilience. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 16(1), 2456322. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2025.2456322

McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding media: The extensions of man. McGraw-Hill.

Nabi, R. L. (2015). Emotional flow in persuasive health messages. Health Communication, 24(3), 229–236. 

Oz, B., Vandekerckhove, M., & Cona, G. (2024). Impact of indirect trauma and disaster media exposure on psychological states and temporal processes: The case of 2023 Turkey earthquakes. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 31(6), e70008. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.70008

Reinecke, L., & Oliver, M. B. (2017). Media use and well-being: Status quo and open questions. In L. Reinecke & M. B. Oliver (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of media use and well-being: International perspectives on theory and research on positive media effects (pp. 3–13). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. 

Thompson, R. R., Jones, N. M., Holman, E. A., & Silver, R. C. (2019). Media exposure to mass violence events can fuel a cycle of distress. Science advances, 5(4), eaav3502

Wardle, C., & Derakhshan, H. (2017). Information disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework. Council of Europe.

Zuboff, S. (2019). The age of surveillance capitalism. PublicAffairs.

Unmasking the Dangers of 'Preventing Woke AI': A Critical Analysis

In this midweek special of PsyberSpace, Leslie Poston addresses a significant news event: the Trump administration's signing of a federal AI action plan as well as an executive order called 'Preventing Woke AI.' Focusing on generative AI, LLM AI, and NLP AI, Poston discusses the implications of how AI, optimized for ease, can subtly reprogram societal norms and reinforce biases. The episode underscores the threat of authoritarian control through AI, the illusion of neutral AI, and the psychological effects of passive AI use. Poston also offers guidance on ethical AI usage and emphasizes the importance of staying aware and critical in the face of AI-driven convenience. The episode concludes with a call to action for supporting human rights-centered AI initiatives and pushing for protective legislation.

00:00 Introduction and Context
01:44 The Dangers of AI Comfort
02:31 Psychological Impact of AI
04:09 Bias and Ideological Control in AI
07:59 The Cost of AI Comfort
08:49 How to Resist and Use AI Ethically
10:58 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Myth of Meritocracy: Unpacking Workplace Inequality

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the illusion of meritocracy in the workplace. Despite the comforting narrative that hard work leads to success, systemic biases and structural inequalities often shape career outcomes more than individual effort. The episode digs into psychological concepts like the just world hypothesis and fundamental attribution error, and cultural factors such as the American Dream and survivor bias. Leslie discusses how these beliefs perpetuate inequality and internalized oppression, offering insights into how organizations and individuals can foster a more equitable environment. Tune in to learn why meritocracy is a myth and how recognizing this can lead to positive change.

00:00 Introduction to Meritocracy
01:43 The Just World Hypothesis and Fundamental Attribution Error
03:14 The Illusion of Control and Cognitive Consistency
04:57 Cultural Programming and Survivor Bias
07:36 System Justification and the Matthew Effect
09:37 Internalized Depression and Imposter Syndrome
14:30 Algorithmic Bias and Workplace Gaslighting
21:36 Challenging the Meritocracy Myth
25:18 Conclusion and Call to Action

Research

Understanding Workplace Gaslighting: Causes, Effects, and Solutions

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the psychological concept of gaslighting, with a focus on its manifestation in the workplace. Leslie digs into how workplace gaslighting mirrors interpersonal abuse, creating a toxic environment where employees doubt their reality. Examples include management minimizing concerns, contradicting realities, and fostering toxic positivity. The episode also discusses the impact on mental health, job satisfaction, and organizational effectiveness. Leslie offers strategies for identifying, documenting, and resisting gaslighting, as well as advice for leaders to create a supportive and transparent work environment.

00:00 Introduction to Workplace Gaslighting
01:23 Origins and Mechanisms of Gaslighting
03:07 Gaslighting in Organizational Settings
03:30 Research and Patterns of Workplace Gaslighting
08:47 Psychological Impact on Employees
13:55 Gaslighting in Layoffs and Corporate Communication
18:45 Why Employees Stay in Toxic Workplaces
23:54 Strategies to Combat Workplace Gaslighting
27:05 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Research
(note: more research can be found in our Season 1 episode on Gaslighting in personal relationships, as well)

Collinson, D. (1994). Strategies of resistance: Power, knowledge and subjectivity in the workplace. In J. M. Jermier, D. Knights, & W. R. Nord (Eds.), Resistance and power in organizations (pp. 25–68). Taylor & Frances/Routledge.
D'Cruz, P., & Noronha, E. (2011). The limits of emotional workplace friendship: Managerialist HRM bystander behaviour in the context of workplace bullying. Employee Relations. 33(3):269-288

Dickson, P., Ireland, J. L., & Birch, P. (2023). Gaslighting and its application to interpersonal violence. Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, 9(1), 31-46. 

Dorpat, T. L. (1996). Gaslighting, the double whammy, interrogation, and other methods of covert control in psychotherapy and analysis. Jason Aronson.

Edmondson, A. C., & Lei, Z. (2014). Psychological safety: The history, renaissance, and future of an interpersonal construct. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 23–43. 

El-Sayed, A. A. I., et al. (2025). Navigating toxicity: Investigating the interplay between workplace gaslighting, workaholism, and agility among nurses. Nursing Inquiry. 

Gabriel, Y. (2012). Organizations in a state of darkness: towards a theory of organizational miasma. Organization Studies, 33(9), 1137-1152. 

Graves, C. G., & Samp, J. A. (2021). The power to gaslight. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 38(11), 3378-3386.

Hogh, A., Hoel, H., & Carneiro, I. G. (2011). Bullying and employee turnover among healthcare workers: A three-wave prospective study. Journal of Nursing Management, 19(6), 742–751. 

Kukreja, P., & Pandey, J. (2023). Workplace gaslighting: Conceptualization, development, and validation of a scale. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. 

Leunissen, J. M., Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., & Cohen, T. R. (2016). Organizational nostalgia lowers turnover intentions by increasing work meaning: The moderating role of burnout. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 

Leunissen, J. M., van Dijke, M., Wildschut, T., & Sedikides, C. (2023). Organizational nostalgia: The construct, the scale and its implications for organizational functioning. British Journal of Management. 

Sebring, J. (2021). Towards a sociological understanding of medical gaslighting in Western health care. Sociology of Health & Illness, 43(9), 1951–1964

Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness: On depression, development, and death. Freeman.

Sweet, P. L. (2019). The sociology of gaslighting. American Sociological Review, 84(5), 851–875. 

Coping in an Age of Chaos: Understanding Adaptive Strategies

In this episode, host Leslie Poston digs into the multifaceted science of coping amidst today’s turbulent world. With constant exposure to political violence, environmental disasters, and social instability, many struggle to maintain mental well-being. Leslie explores the psychology behind coping, referencing the work of Richard Lazarus, Susan Folkman, and Bruce McEwen on stress responses. She discusses the roles of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping and addresses the dangers of chronic stress and learned helplessness. The episode examines how relational resilience, communal support, and collective activities can bolster coping mechanisms. Leslie also critiques the misapplication of resilience as an individual trait while highlighting its dependence on supportive environments. Listeners are encouraged to develop self-awareness, engage in mutual aid, and cultivate positive emotions as pivotal strategies for adaptive coping.

00:00 Introduction: Navigating a Chaotic World
01:33 Understanding the Psychology of Coping
04:02 Stress Responses and Allostatic Load
06:33 Coping Strategies: The Good, The Bad, and The Misunderstood
10:28 The Political Implications of Learned Helplessness
12:06 Resilience: Beyond the Buzzword
14:57 The Power of Social Connection and Collective Coping
18:29 Building Sustainable Coping Strategies
23:49 Conclusion: The Radical Act of Self-Care

Research

Abrutyn, S. (2023). The Roots of Social Trauma: Collective, Cultural Pain and Its Consequences. Society and Mental Health, 14(3), 240-256. 

Bonanno, G. A. (2004). Loss, trauma, and human resilience: Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events? American Psychologist, 59(1), 20–28. 

Braveman, P., & Gottlieb, L. (2014). The social determinants of health: it's time to consider the causes of the causes. Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974), 129 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), 19–31.  

Braveman, P., Arkin, E., Orleans, T., Proctor, D., & Plough, A. (2017). What is health equity? And what difference does a definition make? Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Social determinants of health (SDOH).

Eppler, M. J., & Mengis, J. (2004). The concept of information overload: A review of literature from organization science, accounting, marketing, MIS, and related disciplines. The Information Society, 20(5), 325–344. 

Erikson, K. T. (1977). Everything in its path: Destruction of community in the Buffalo Creek flood. Simon & Schuster.

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. 

Heitmayer, M. (2025). The second wave of attention economics: Attention as a universal symbolic currency on social media and beyond. Interacting with Computers, 37(1), 18–29. 

Herman, J. L. (2022). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence--From domestic abuse to political terror. Basic Books.

Hirschberger, G. (2018). Collective trauma and the social construction of meaning. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 1441.

Kaniasty, K., & Norris, F. H. (1995). In search of altruistic community: patterns of social support mobilization following Hurricane Hugo. American journal of community psychology, 23(4), 447–477. 

Lanham, R. A. (2006). The economics of attention: Style and substance in the age of information. University of Chicago Press. 

Folkman, S. (2013). Stress: Appraisal and Coping. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. 

Marmot M. (2005). Social determinants of health inequalities. Lancet (London, England), 365(9464), 1099–1104. 

Menakem, R. (2017) My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies. Central Recovery Press. https://resmaa.com/merch/

McEwen, B. S. (1998). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. New England Journal of Medicine, 338(3), 171–179. 

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2020). Social determinants of health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Porges S. W. (2009). The polyvagal theory: new insights into adaptive reactions of the autonomic nervous system. Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine, 76 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), S86–S90. 

Porges, S. W. (2022). Polyvagal theory: A science of safety. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 16, Article 871227. 

Postman, N. (2005). Amusing ourselves to death: Public discourse in the age of show business. (Postman, A. Introduction). Penguin Books.

Roese, N. J., & Epstude, K. (2017). The functional theory of counterfactual thinking: New evidence, new challenges, new insights. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 56, 1–79. 

Seligman, M. E. P. (1992). Helplessness: On depression, development, and death. W.H. Freeman. Paperback Edition.

Southwick, S. M., Bonanno, G. A., Masten, A. S., Panter-Brick, C., & Yehuda, R. (2014). Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: Interdisciplinary perspectives. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 5(1), Article 25338. 

van der Kolk B. A. (1994). The body keeps the score: memory and the evolving psychobiology of posttraumatic stress. Harvard review of psychiatry, 1(5), 253–265. 

World Health Organization. (2008). Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. WHO Press.

World Health Organization. (2025). World report on social determinants of health equity. World Health Organization.

The Quiet Reality of Everyday Eugenics

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the pervasive issue of everyday eugenics embedded in our society. Unlike historical instances marked by overt brutality, today's eugenics are subtle and ingrained in policies, healthcare, media, and cultural mindset. Leslie explores how the worth of individuals is unjustly tied to their productivity, leading to harmful social and systemic practices that marginalize people unable to meet those expectations. The episode highlights the dangerous ideologies underlying healthcare access, policy decisions, and media representation, urging listeners to name the issues, support disabled communities, challenge ableism, and push for systemic change to ensure the inherent value of every person is recognized and respected.

00:00 Introduction to Everyday Eugenics
01:42 The Productivity Trap
03:48 Healthcare as a Gatekeeping Tool
14:38 Media's Role in Shaping Perceptions
17:01 Internalized Ableism and Its Consequences
20:41 Challenging the System and Taking Action
23:29 Conclusion and Call to Action

Research

Annamma, S. A., Connor, D., & Ferri, B. (2013). Dis/ability critical race studies (DisCrit): Theorizing at the intersections of race and dis/ability. Race Ethnicity and Education, 16(1), 1-31.

Bagenstos, S. R. (2009). Law and the contradictions of the disability rights movement. Yale University Press.

Baynton, D. C. (2001). Disability and the justification of inequality in American history. In P. K. Longmore & L. Umansky (Eds.), The new disability history: American perspectives (pp. 33–57). NYU Press.

Benjamin, R. (2019). Race after technology: Abolitionist tools for the new Jim code. Polity Press.

Blanck, P., Sandler, L. A., Schmeling, J. L., & Schartz, H. A. (2000). The emerging workforce of entrepreneurs with disabilities: Preliminary study of entrepreneurship in Iowa. Iowa Law Review, 85(5), 1583-1668.

Butler, J. (2004). Precarious life: The powers of mourning and violence. Verso.

Calvillo, D. P., Ross, B. J., Garcia, R. J., Smelter, T. J., & Rutchick, A. M. (2020). Political ideology predicts perceptions of the threat of COVID-19 (and susceptibility to fake news about it). Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11(8), 1119-1128.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Racial and ethnic disparities continue in pregnancy-related deaths. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0919-pregnancy-related-deaths.html

Connor, D. J., & Gabel, S. L. (2013). "Cripping" the curriculum through academic activism: Working toward increasing success for students with disabilities. Review of Disability Studies, 9(1), 12-27.

Garland-Thomson, R. (2002). The politics of staring: Visual rhetorics of disability in popular photography. Disability Studies Quarterly, 22(2), 56–75. https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v22i2.369

Gerbner, G., Gross, L., Morgan, M., & Signorielli, N. (2002). Growing up with television: Cultivation processes. In J. Bryant & D. Zillmann (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (2nd ed., pp. 43–67). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Green, J., Edgerton, J., Naftel, D., Shoub, K., & Cranmer, S. J. (2020). Elusive consensus: Polarization in elite communication on the COVID-19 pandemic. Science Advances, 6(28), eabc2717. 

Hart, P. S., Chinn, S., & Soroka, S. (2020). Politicization and polarization in COVID-19 news coverage. Science Communication, 42(5), 679-697.

Jost, J. T., Banaji, M. R., & Nosek, B. A. (2004). A decade of system justification theory: Accumulated evidence of conscious and unconscious bolstering of the status quo. Political Psychology, 25(6), 881–919. 

Michener, J. (2018). Fragmented democracy: Medicaid, federalism, and unequal politics. Cambridge University Press.

Mingus, M. (2011). Access intimacy: The missing link. Leaving Evidence. https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/access-intimacy-the-missing-link/

Mingus, M. (2017). Pod Mapping Practice. Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective.

Obermeyer, Z., Powers, B., Vogeli, C., & Mullainathan, S. (2019). Dissecting racial bias in an algorithm used to manage the health of populations. Science, 366(6464), 447–453. 

Pendo, E. A. (2008). Disability, equipment barriers, and women’s health: Using the ADA to provide meaningful access. Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law & Policy, 2(1), 15–46.

Slovic, P. (2007). If I look at the mass I will never act: Psychic numbing and genocide. Judgment and Decision Making, 2(2), 79–95.

Slovic, P., Västfjäll, D., Erlandsson, A., & Gregory, R. (2017). Iconic photographs and the ebb and flow of empathic response to humanitarian disasters. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(4), 640-644.

Spade, D. (2020). Mutual aid: Building solidarity during this crisis (and the next). Verso Books.

Weber, M. (2002). The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism (Original work published 1905). Routledge.

Wendell, S. (1996). The rejected body: Feminist philosophical reflections on disability. Routledge.

Capitalism Stole Your Support System

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the emotional ramifications of systemic abandonment by protective institutions, especially in response to the US's recent unprovoked attack on Iran. The discussion explores the psychological effects of community collapse, the lack of a communal safety net, and the individualist culture that exacerbates feelings of powerlessness and disconnection. Drawing on political and developmental psychology, this episode examines issues such as civic trauma, emotional gaslighting, and moral injury while proposing ways to rebuild a sense of community and shared grief. It calls for collective action, mutual aid, and solidarity as psychological and practical responses to ongoing societal crises.

00:00 Introduction and Overview
00:30 Unprovoked Attack on Iran
01:43 Emotional Impact of Government Actions
03:37 The Breakdown of Community Support
05:33 Psychological Effects of Isolation
09:47 The Pandemic's Lasting Impact
15:06 The Power of Grief and Community
20:19 Steps Towards Rebuilding Community
22:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Unlocking Creativity: The Science Behind Shower Thoughts and Insight

In this episode of Psyberspace, hosted by Leslie Poston, the discussion revolves around the phenomenon of insight—those unexpected bursts of clarity often experienced during mundane tasks like showering. Leslie explains how these 'shower thoughts' are the result of the brain's default mode network (DMN) becoming active during periods of rest. This network facilitates creative connections by allowing the brain to make novel associations when it's not focused on specific tasks. The episode gets into the science behind how mental rest and activities that raise dopamine levels create the perfect environment for insight. It also addresses the impact of modern life's constant distractions on our capacity for creative thinking and offers practical tips for reclaiming mental downtime to foster more 'aha' moments.

00:00 Introduction: Why Your Shampoo Might Be Smarter Than Your To-Do List
01:51 Understanding Insight: The Science Behind Aha Moments
04:02 The Role of the Default Mode Network in Creativity
06:26 Incubation: The Power of Taking Breaks
08:50 The Neuroscience of Shower Thoughts
13:29 Modern Life's Impact on Creativity
16:00 Strategies to Foster Insight and Creativity
19:47 Conclusion: Embracing Boredom for Brilliance

Research

Andreasen, N. C. (2005). The creating brain: The neuroscience of genius, madness, and creativity. Dana Press. 

Ashby, F. G., Isen, A. M., & Turken, A. U. (1999). A neuropsychological theory of positive affect and its influence on cognition. Psychological Review, 106(3), 529–550. 

Baird, B., Smallwood, J., Mrazek, M. D., Kam, J. W. Y., Franklin, M. S., & Schooler, J. W. (2012). Inspired by distraction: Mind wandering facilitates creative incubation. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1117–1122. 

Beeman, M., & Kounios, J. (2009). The Aha! moment: The cognitive neuroscience of insight. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(4), 210–216. 

Buckner, R. L., Andrews‑Hanna, J. R., & Schacter, D. L. (2008). The brain’s default network: Anatomy, function, and relevance to disease. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1124(1), 1–38. 

Christoff, K., Irving, Z. C., Fox, K. C., Spreng, R. N., & Andrews‑Hanna, J. R. (2016). Mind‑wandering as spontaneous thought: A dynamic framework. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 17(11), 718–731.

Dietrich, A. (2004). The cognitive neuroscience of creativity. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 11(6), 1011–1026.

Duncker, K. (1945). On problem‑solving. Psychological Monographs, 58(5), i–113. 

Isen, A. M., Daubman, K. A., & Nowicki, G. P. (1987). Positive affect facilitates creative problem solving. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(6), 1122–1131. 

Jung, R. E., Mead, B. S., Carrasco, J., & Flores, R. A. (2013). The structure of creative cognition in the human brain. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 330. 

Jung‑Beeman, M., Bowden, E. M., Haberman, J., Frymiare, J. L., Arambel‑Liu, S., Greenblatt, R., … & Kounios, J. (2004). Neural activity when people solve verbal problems with insight. PLoS Biology, 2(4), e97. 

Kounios, J., & Beeman, M. (2009). The Aha! moment: The cognitive neuroscience of insight. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(4), 210–216. (duplicate; same as Beeman & Kounios–2009)

Kounios, J., & Beeman, M. (2014). The cognitive neuroscience of insight. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 71–93.

Kounios, J., Fleck, J. I., Green, D. L., Payne, L., Stevenson, J. L., Bowden, E. M., & Jung‑Beeman, M. (2008). The origins of insight in resting‑state brain activity. Neuropsychologia, 46(1), 281–291. 

Kushlev, K., Proulx, J., & Dunn, E. W. (2016). “Silence your phones”: Smartphone notifications increase inattention and hyperactivity symptoms. In Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp 1011–1020).

Limb, C. J., & Braun, A. R. (2008). Neural substrates of spontaneous musical performance: An fMRI study of jazz improvisation. PLOS ONE, 3(2), e1679.  

Martindale, C. (1999). Biological bases of creativity. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed.), Handbook of creativity (pp. 137–152). Cambridge University Press.

Mason, M. F., Norton, M. I., Van Horn, J. D., Wegner, D. M., Grafton, S. T., & Macrae, C. N. (2007). Wandering minds: The default network and stimulus‑independent thought. Science, 315(5810), 393–395. 

Mednick, S. (1962). The associative basis of the creative process. Psychological Review, 69(3), 220–232.

Mooneyham, B. W., & Schooler, J. W. (2013). The costs and benefits of mind‑wandering: A review. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 67(1), 11–18.

Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. D. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(37), 15583–15587.

Raichle, M. E., MacLeod, A. M., Snyder, A. Z., Powers, W. J., Gusnard, D. A., & Shulman, G. L. (2001). A default mode of brain function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 98(2), 676–682. 

Ritter, S. M., & Dijksterhuis, A. (2014). Creativity—the unconscious foundations of the incubation period. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 215.

Rosen, L. D., Whaling, K., Carrier, L. M., Cheever, N. A., & Rokkum, J. (2013). The Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes Scale: An empirical investigation. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(6), 2501–2511. 

Schooler, J. W., & Melcher, J. (1995). The ineffability of insight. In S. M. Smith, T. B. Ward, & R. A. Finke (Eds.), The Creative Cognition Approach (pp. 97–133). MIT Press.

Sio, U. N., Monaghan, P., & Ormerod, T. (2013). Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult: Effects of sleep on problem solving. Memory & Cognition, 41(2), 159–166. 

Sio, U. N., & Ormerod, T. C. (2009). Does incubation enhance problem solving? A meta‑analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 135(1), 94–120. 

Smallwood, J., & Schooler, J. W. (2006). The restless mind. Psychological Bulletin, 132(6), 946–958. 

Smallwood, J., & Schooler, J. W. (2015). The science of mind wandering: Empirically navigating the stream of consciousness. Annual Review of Psychology, 66, 487–518. 

Wagner, U., Gais, S., Haider, H., Verleger, R., & Born, J. (2004). Sleep inspires insight. Nature, 427(6972), 352–355. 

Wallas, G. (1926). The art of thought. Harcourt, Brace.

Ward, A. F., Duke, K., Gneezy, A., & Bos, M. W. (2017). Brain drain: The mere presence of one's own smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2(2), 140–154. 

Wieth, M. B., & Zacks, R. T. (2011). Time of day effects on problem solving: When the non‑optimal is optimal. Thinking & Reasoning, 17(4), 387–401. 

Unpacking the Misuse of Mental Illness Labels in Society

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the harmful cultural habit of attributing acts of cruelty, violence, and abuse of power to mental illness. Leslie discusses the psychological reasons behind this impulse, the impact it has on our perceptions of justice and morality, and how it reinforces harmful stereotypes and biases. The episode digs into cognitive dissonance, the just world hypothesis, and the fundamental attribution error, examining how these concepts contribute to mislabeling people and behaviors. The discussion also covers the uneven media portrayal of violence committed by different racial groups and the systemic consequences of conflating mental illness with intent. Leslie emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between illness and responsibility, highlighting how current narratives stigmatize those with mental health struggles and misdirect resources away from addressing the real root causes of violence.

00:00 Introduction: The Dangerous Habit of Labeling
01:31 The Psychological Impulse Behind Labeling
04:32 Media Bias and Racial Disparities
07:33 Systemic Harm and Misdiagnosis
13:14 The Impact on Marginalized Communities
19:16 The Weaponization of Disability Language
21:36 Conclusion: The Need for Truth and Responsibility

Resources:

Alvarez, A., & Bachman, R. (2024). Violence: The enduring problem (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Cornell, D., Evans, AC, Guerra, NG, Kinscherff R. (2013) Gun violence: Prediction, prevention, and policy. American Psychological Association.
Bandura, A. (1999). Moral disengagement in the perpetration of inhumanities. Personality and Social Psychology Review
Ben-Zeev, D., Young, M. A., & Corrigan, P. W. (2010). DSM-V and the stigma of mental illness. Journal of Mental Health
Corrigan, P. W., & Watson, A. C. (2002). Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness. World Psychiatry
Dar-Nimrod, I., & Heine, S. J. (2011). Genetic essentialism: On the deceptive determinism of DNA. Psychological Bulletin
Fiske, S. T., Cuddy, A. J. C., Glick, P., & Xu, J. (2002). A model of (often mixed) stereotype content: Competence and warmth respectively follow from perceived status and competition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Haslam, N. (2005). Dimensions of dehumanization: The psychology of being (and not being) human.
Haslam, N. (2022) Dehumanization and the lack of social connection. Current Opinion in Psychology.
Kroska, A. & Harkness, S.K. (2006) Stigma sentiment and self-meanings: Exploring the modified labeling theory of mental illness. Social Psychology Quarterly. Retrieved from JSTOR.
Meng, H., Yancan, C., Yunan L., Yang, Y., Lee, J., Zhang, R. & Less, Y-C. (2025) What is Stigma Attributed to? A Theory‑Grounded, Expert‑Annotated Interview Corpus for Demystifying Mental‑Health Stigma. arXiv:2505.12727. Accepted to ACL 2025 Main Conference.
Monahan, J., Steadman, H. J., Silver, E., Appelbaum, P. S., Robbins, P. C., Mulvey, E. P., Roth, L.H., Grisso, T. & Banks, S. (2001). Rethinking risk assessment: The MacArthur study of mental disorder and violence. Oxford University Press.
Phelan, J. C., Link, B. G., & Dovidio, J. F. (2008). Stigma and prejudice: One animal or two? Social Science & Medicine
Prilleltensky, I. (2003). Understanding, resisting, and overcoming oppression: Toward psychopolitical validity. American Journal of Community Psychology. Wiley Online Library.
Rodriguez, N. & White, D. (2023) An Analysis of Protesting Activity and Trauma Through Mathematical and Statistical Models. Crime Science.
Ross, L. (1977). The intuitive psychologist and his shortcomings: Distortions in the attribution process. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Science Direct.
Sidanius, J., & Pratto, F. (1999). Social dominance: An intergroup theory of social hierarchy and oppression. Cambridge University Press. APA PsychNet.
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (2004). The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior. In J. T. Jost & J. Sidanius (Eds.), Political psychology: Key readings (pp. 276–293). Psychology Press. APA PsychNet.
Tyler, T. R., & Boeckmann, R. J. (1997). Three strikes and you are out, but why? The psychology of public support for punishing rule breakers. Law & Society Review, 31(2), 237–265

Understanding the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Pathways to Healing

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) test, a 10-question survey that uncovers the hidden impacts of childhood trauma on adult health and well-being. Leslie explains how high ACE scores correlate with numerous physical and mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, chronic illnesses, and reduced life expectancy. The episode explores the biological effects of trauma on the brain and body, how trauma manifests in the workplace, relationships, and parenting, and the importance of trauma-informed healthcare. Additionally, Leslie discusses various therapeutic approaches, including somatic therapy and EMDR, that assist in healing from trauma. The episode concludes with actionable advice for those with high ACE scores, emphasizing patience in the healing journey and the potential for post-traumatic growth.

00:00 Introduction to ACE Test
01:47 Origins and Impact of ACE
04:38 Trauma and the Brain
07:23 Trauma in Daily Life
12:18 Medical Implications of Trauma
15:50 Healing and Recovery
18:18 Practical Steps for Healing
21:29 Conclusion and Resources

ACE Test: https://www.acesaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ACE-Questionnaire-for-Adults-Identified-English-rev.7.26.22.pdf

References

Bethell, C. D., Jones, J., Gombojav, N., Linkenbach, J., & Sege, R. (2019). Positive childhood experiences and adult mental and relational health in a statewide sample: Associations across adverse childhood experiences levels. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(11), e193007. 

Burke, S. A. (2024). Exploring the long-term impact of childhood trauma: Unseen consequences and paths to healing. International Journal of Psychiatry Research, 7(4). 

Chen, M. A., LeRoy, A. S., Majd, M., Chen, J. Y., Brown, R. L., Christian, L. M., & Fagundes, C. P. (2021). Immune and epigenetic pathways linking childhood adversity and health across the lifespan. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 788351. 

Copeland, W. E., Shanahan, L., Hinesley, J., Chan, R. F., Aberg, K. A., Fairbank, J. A., van den Oord, E. J. C. G., & Costello, E. J. (2018). Association of childhood trauma exposure with adult psychiatric disorders and functional outcomes. JAMA Network Open, 1(7), e184493.

Dell, P. F., & O’Neil, J. A. (Eds.). (2009). Dissociation and the dissociative disorders: DSM-V and beyond. Routledge. 

Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. 

Greenman, P. S., Renzi, A., Monaco, S., Luciani, F., & Di Trani, M. (2024). How does trauma make you sick? The role of attachment in explaining somatic symptoms of survivors of childhood trauma. Healthcare, 12(2), 203. 

Grummitt, L. R., Kreski, N. T., Kim, S. G., Platt, J., Keyes, K. M., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2021). Association of childhood adversity with morbidity and mortality in US adults. JAMA Pediatrics, 175(12), 1269–1270. 

Herzog, J. I., & Schmahl, C. (2018). Adverse childhood experiences and the consequences on neurobiological, psychosocial, and somatic conditions across the lifespan. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 420. 

Klinger-König, J., Erhardt, A., Streit, F., et al. (2024). Childhood trauma and somatic and mental illness in adulthood—Findings of the NAKO health study. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. 

Liotti, G. (2004). Trauma, dissociation, and disorganized attachment: Three strands of a single braid. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 41(4), 472–486.

Mock, S. E., & Arai, S. M. (2011). Childhood trauma and chronic illness in adulthood: Mental health and socioeconomic status as explanatory factors and buffers. Frontiers in Psychology, 1, 246. 

Monnat, S. M., & Chandler, R. F. (2015). Long-term physical health consequences of adverse childhood experiences. The Sociological Quarterly, 56(4), 723–752. 

Nelson, C. A., Bhutta, Z. A., Burke Harris, N., Danese, A., & Samara, M. (2020). Adversity in childhood is linked to mental and physical health throughout life. BMJ, m3048. 

Sachs‐Ericsson, N. J., Sheffler, J. L., Stanley, I. H., Piazza, J. R., & Preacher, K. J. (2017). When emotional pain becomes physical: Adverse childhood experiences, pain, and the role of mood and anxiety disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73(10), 1403–1422.

Scott, K. M. (2011). Association of childhood adversities and early-onset mental disorders with adult-onset chronic physical conditions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(8), 838–844. 

Shonkoff, J. P., Garner, A. S., Siegel, B. S., Dobbins, M. I., et al. (2012). The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity and toxic stress. Pediatrics, 129(1), e232–e246.

Siegel, D. J. (1999). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are. Guilford Press.

Simeon, D., & Abugel, J. (2006). Feeling unreal: Depersonalization disorder and the loss of the self. Oxford University Press.

Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1–18. 

van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.

Wu, B. (2024). Effects of early childhood trauma on adult mental health. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 39(1), 193–200. 

The Paradox of Progress: Why We Forget What Works

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the 'Paradox of Progress,' a psychological phenomenon explaining why society and individuals often dismantle the systems that made their successes possible. The episode explores this paradox in various realms including public health, civil rights, economics, and climate policy. The discussion reveals how our brains' tendency to forget problems once they are resolved leads to cyclical issues, like the resurgence of diseases or the rollback of civil protections. It emphasizes the importance of active memory and systemic maintenance to prevent the recurrence of past mistakes and underscores the universal challenge of sustaining progress.

00:00 Introduction to the Paradox of Progress
01:18 The Measles Comeback: A Case Study
03:55 Civil Rights and the Illusion of Finality
06:41 Economic Amnesia: The 2008 Financial Crisis
15:43 The Environmental Protection Challenge
18:37 The Psychology Behind Forgetting Success
20:28 Personal Reflection and Conclusion

VOTE FOR PSYBERSPACE THIS MONTH! I'm nominated for a Women in Podcasting award! Voting is open during the month of May - I'd love your support. Note: You don't have to vote for every category, just look for PsyberSpace in Science Podcasts at this link https://www.womenpodcasters.com/awards-voting?sc=27127076032d7fd70ddcab921ce8652fb78353d03

Research

Andersson, O., Campos-Mercade, P., Meier, A., & Wengström, E. (2020). Anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines reduces willingness to socially distance. Journal of Health Economics, 75, 102406.

Bonilla-Silva, E. (2017). Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in America (5th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.

Castel, A. D., & Rhodes, M. G. (2020). The role of memory confidence and overconfidence in cognitive aging. In The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology (pp. 287-294). Wiley.
Kruger, D. J., Fernandes, H. B. F., Cupal, S., & Homish, G. G. (2019). Life history variation and the preparedness paradox. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences.

Lifchits, G., Saucet, M., & Propose, J. (2021). Success narratives and attribution errors in organizational settings. Applied Psychology Review, 43(2), 156-172.

Loužek, M. (2021). Negativity bias and its impact on risk perception in modern society. European Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4), 678-691.

Luz, P. M., Nadanovsky, P., & Leask, J. (2020). Cognitive biases and vaccination decisions: A systematic review. Vaccine, 38(21), 3743-3751.

Meyer, R., & Kunreuther, H. (2017). The Ostrich Paradox: Why We Underprepare for Disasters. Wharton School Press
O'Brien, L. T. (2022). Incremental versus categorical change: Public perception and policy implications. Journal of Social Issues, 78(3), 445-462.

O'Reilly, C. A., & Hall, D. T. (2020). Grandiose narcissism, decision making, and leadership effectiveness. Leadership Quarterly, 31(4), 101-117.

Weber, E. U. (2006). Experience-based and description-based perceptions of long-term risk: Why global warming does not scare us (yet). Climatic Change, 77(1-2), 103-120.

The Cognitive Cost of AI: A Deep Dive into Learning and Development

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping cognition, particularly in education. The discussion focuses on the developmental impact of AI on children and the cognitive trade-offs associated with relying on AI tools. The episode delves into the science behind why traditional methods like handwriting are essential for learning, memory, and cognitive development. It also highlights the risks of cognitive offloading and suggests strategies for integrating AI thoughtfully without compromising critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The takeaway: while AI offers many conveniences, it’s crucial to balance its use to foster resilient, capable minds.

00:00 Introduction to AI and Cognitive Impact
01:01 AI in Education: Potential and Pitfalls
01:40 Cognitive Offloading and Dependency
04:30 The Importance of Handwriting
07:47 Developmental Concerns with Early AI Use
09:38 Critical Thinking and AI Reliance
11:25 Guardrails and Solutions
13:04 The Role of Productive Struggle
16:17 AI Hallucinations and Misinformation
18:43 Strategies for Thoughtful AI Integration
24:19 Conclusion and Call to Action

VOTE FOR PSYBERSPACE THIS MONTH! I'm nominated for a Women in Podcasting award! Voting is open during the month of May - I'd love your support. Note: You don't have to vote for every category, just look for PsyberSpace in Science Podcasts at this link https://www.womenpodcasters.com/awards-voting?sc=27127076032d7fd70ddcab921ce8652fb78353d03

Research

Armitage, K. L., Naulls, S., & Gillett, H. R. (2023). Cognitive offloading of memory for visual pattern learning: Benefits for performance but costs for long-term learning. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 8(1), 60. 

Berninger, V. W., Abbott, R. D., Augsburger, A., & Garcia, N. (2009). Comparison of pen and keyboard transcription modes in children with and without learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 32(3), 123-141. 

Bjork, E. L., & Bjork, R. A. (2011). Making things hard on yourself, but in a good way: Creating desirable difficulties to enhance learning. In M. A. Gernsbacher, R. W. Pew, L. M. Hough, & J. R. Pomerantz (Eds.), Psychology and the real world: Essays illustrating fundamental contributions to society (pp. 56-64). Worth Publishers.

Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical mindsets: Unleashing students' potential through creative math, inspiring messages and innovative teaching. Jossey-Bass.

Craik, F. I. M., & Lockhart, R. S. (1972). Levels of processing: A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11(6), 671-684. 

Dunn, T. L., & Risko, E. F. (2016). Toward a metacognitive account of cognitive offloading. Cognitive Science, 40(5), 1080-1127.

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.

Eskritt, M., & Ma, S. (2014). Intentional forgetting: Note-taking as a naturalistic example. Memory & Cognition, 42(2), 237-246. 

Fiorella, L., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). Eight ways to promote generative learning. Educational Psychology Review, 28(4), 717-741.

Gerlich, M. (2023). AI tools in society: Impacts on cognitive offloading and the future of critical thinking. Societies, 15(1), 6. 

Hatano, A., Ogawa, K., Yamashita, M., & Yamamoto, H. (2021). Active memory processing mediated by hippocampal theta oscillations is important for memory stabilization during wake and sleep. Scientific Reports, 11, 12135. 

Ihara, A. S., Nakajima, K., Kake, A., Ishimaru, K., Osugi, K., & Naruse, Y. (2021). Advantage of handwriting over typing on learning words: Evidence from an N400 event-related potential index. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15, 679191. 

Kapur, M. (2016). Examining productive failure, productive success, unproductive failure, and unproductive success in learning. Educational Psychologist, 51(2), 289-299. 

Kapur, M., & Bielaczyc, K. (2012). Designing for productive failure. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 21(1), 45-83.

Kiefer, M., Schuler, S., Mayer, C., Trumpp, N. M., Hille, K., & Sachse, S. (2015). Handwriting or typewriting? The influence of pen- or keyboard-based writing training on reading and writing performance in preschool children. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 11(4), 136-146. 

Longcamp, M., Boucard, C., Gilhodes, J. C., Anton, J. L., Roth, M., Nazarian, B., & Velay, J. L. (2008). Learning through hand- or typewriting influences visual recognition of new graphic shapes: Behavioral and functional imaging evidence. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20(5), 802-815.

Mangen, A., Anda, L. G., Oxborough, G. H., & Brønnick, K. (2015). Handwriting versus keyboard writing: Effect on word recall. Journal of Writing Research, 7(2), 227-247.

Marsh, E. J., & Rajaram, S. (2019). The digital expansion of the mind: Implications of internet usage for memory and cognition. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 8(1), 1-14. 

Meyerhoff, H. S., Papenmeier, F., & Jahn, G. (2017). Memory for sequences of events is influenced by cognitive load and temporal delays. Open Psychology, 1(1), 58-75. 

Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The pen is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168. 

Risko, E. F., & Gilbert, S. J. (2016). Cognitive offloading. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20(9), 676-688. 

Schwartz, D. L., & Martin, T. (2004). Inventing to prepare for future learning: The hidden efficiency of encouraging original student production in statistics instruction. Cognition and Instruction, 22(2), 129-184. 

Storm, B. C., Stone, S. M., & Benjamin, A. S. (2017). Using the Internet to access information inflates future use of the Internet to access other information. Memory, 25(6), 717-723. 

Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. Educational Psychology Review, 31(2), 261-292. 

van der Meer, A. L. H., & van der Weel, F. R. (2017). Only three fingers write, but the whole brain works: A high-density EEG study showing advantages of drawing over typing for learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 706. 

Vinci-Booher, S., James, T. W., & James, K. H. (2016). Visual-motor functional connectivity in preschool children emerges after handwriting experience. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 5(3), 107-120. 

Waldron, S. M., Patrick, J., Morgan, P. L., & King, S. (2007). Influencing cognitive strategy by manipulating information access. The Computer Journal, 50(6), 694-702.

Perhaps ironically, this episode's transcription was AI generated.