7 Psychology TED Talks You Must Watch
Want to gain valuable insights into psychology from the leading experts? Explore our selection of the best psychology TED talks to expand your knowledge.
If you find yourself gravitating towards learning about the inner workings of the human mind and behaviour, no subject like psychology will satisfy your curiosity. You are sure to find plenty of resources that can get you started to deep dive into the subject. But if you were to ask me, there is one that stands out from the crowd, TED Talks.
In these informative presentations, researchers and practitioners share their insights and latest discoveries with a global audience. So if you are wondering where to begin, look no further; this article brings you our curated list of 7 Psychology TED Talks. These talks will help you expand your knowledge and understanding of the subject while keeping you entertained and engaged. By the end, you will undoubtedly gain a fresh perspective on the field.
Shortcuts For The Busy Reader
Best Psychology TED Talks
1. The Psychology of Your Future Self - Dan Gilbert
How much do you think you have changed in the last 10 years, and how much do you think you will change in the next 10? In this thought-provoking TED talk, Dan Gilbert, a social psychology professor at Harvard University, helps us understand how we tend to evaluate change over time.
He suggests that we all experience the “end of history illusion”, whereby we believe that the values, beliefs, and likes we hold today will stay constant till the end of time. In reality, however, we are always in a state of change throughout our lives, and naturally, these factors, along with our interests, personalities, and passions, evolve too.
This talk is definitely going to get you thinking about our perception of change over time and its potential implications for our decision-making as well. You might even come out of this with a new way of viewing your life as well.
2. Are you a giver or a taker?- Adam Grant
On the lookout for organisational psychology TED talks?
You wouldn’t want to miss out on this one, then.
Drawing from years of hands-on experience, extensive observations, and empirical research, Dr. Adam Grant, a distinguished professor at the University of Pennsylvania, presents an interesting take on workplace personalities.
Dr Grant presents the idea that employees in the workplace can be classified into “givers,” takers,” or “matchers” based on their interactions within the workplace. This will raise a compelling question on why is it important for us to understand our workplace personalities.
Well, according to Dr. Grant, these personalities can have a significant impact on our job performance, irrespective of our profession. Besides personal development, organisations can reap significant benefits from recognising these personalities, such as improved retention rates and heightened customer satisfaction.
I recommend you watch this talk to discover your personality type. With a better idea of whether you are a “giver,” taker,” or “matcher” you can not only enhance your performance but also benefit your organisation.
3. The Surprising Psychology Behind Your Urge To Break Rules - Paul Bloom
On the lookout for organisational psychology TED talks?
You wouldn’t want to miss out on this one, then.
Drawing from years of hands-on experience, extensive observations, and empirical research, Dr. Adam Grant, a distinguished professor at the University of Pennsylvania, presents an interesting take on workplace personalities.
Dr Grant presents the idea that employees in the workplace can be classified into “givers,” takers,” or “matchers” based on their interactions within the workplace. This will raise a compelling question on why is it important for us to understand our workplace personalities.
Well, according to Dr. Grant, these personalities can have a significant impact on our job performance, irrespective of our profession. Besides personal development, organisations can reap significant benefits from recognising these personalities, such as improved retention rates and heightened customer satisfaction.
I recommend you watch this talk to discover your personality type. With a better idea of whether you are a “giver,” taker,” or “matcher” you can not only enhance your performance but also benefit your organisation.
4. The Linguistic Genius of Babies - Patricia Kuhl
We each undergo a critical period in our language development, which extends until we turn 7. After this period, there is a significant decline in language acquisition, to the point that this process ceases altogether between the ages of 11 and 15.
In her captivating TED talk, Dr. Patricia Kuhl, an expert in early language and brain development, helps us understand how we acquire languages during our formative years.
Dr. Kuhl’s research suggests that infants can distinguish between the sounds of all languages until they are 8 months old, however, by the time they turn 12 months old, this capacity begins to wane and they can only identify the sounds of their native language. She uses her intriguing research findings involving infants from Japan, America, and Taiwan to explain the underlying mechanisms for this transition in language development. This talk is sure to keep you hooked!
5. Sports Psychology: Inside the Mind of Champion Athletes- Martin Hagger
What makes Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, and Roger Federer, different from one another? And it's not their championship status in their respective sports.
If you pay close attention to each of these players prior to their game, you will notice that they all have a different psychological approach to tackling their game. But how does their approach contribute to their success?
Dr. Martin Hagger, a professor at the University of California, Merced, explores the inner workings of the minds of champions using sports psychology.
Dr. Hagger draws examples from real-life athletes, shedding light on the mindset that propels underdogs to triumph over favourites or even the unbreakable spirit of champions who persevere through their most challenging failures.
Through this talk, you are sure to gain a comprehensive understanding of the world of sports psychology and its immense contribution to an athlete's performance. Furthermore, you will also discover the strategies that champions use to maximise their performance. This talk is a must-watch if you're an athlete looking to improve your game or simply intrigued by the psychology behind peak performance.
6. How your "working memory" makes sense of the world- Peter Doolittle
In this fascinating 9-minute TED Talk, Dr. Peter Doolittle, a professor of educational psychology at Virginia Tech, takes a deep dive into working memory- the part of our consciousness that we are aware of at any point in time.
Doolittle suggests that our working memory is the key to experiencing benefits such as increased test performance, sharper reasoning, and improved writing skills. This tool, however, comes with a severe limitation: it can hold only about four pieces of information for a mere 10 to 20 seconds unless that information is put to immediate use.
But don't worry, Doolittle doesn't stop at highlighting our working memory's limitations. He provides us with useful ways to boost its capacity and make the most of this mental resource. By the end of this talk, you will have learned a great deal about harnessing the power of your working memory and how you can use it to unlock new opportunities.
7. The Psychology of Inequality and Political Division- Keith Payne
We are witnessing a historic rise in economic inequality globally. If we look at recent statistics, the poorest half of the global population only owns 2% of the wealth, while the top 10% own around 76%.
To top this off, economic inequality is associated with a long list of detrimental outcomes for those who experience it.
But why is it that despite all of the above, we do not find any political measures being taken to change the status quo and bring about pay parity?
This is one of the central questions that Dr. Keith Payne, a social psychology professor from the University of North Carolina, addresses in his TED talk. As someone whose research interests explore how inequality shapes our minds and behaviour, Payne is able to give us a glimpse into the connectivity between income inequality and political polarisation.
In this 12-minute talk, Dr. Payne skillfully explains this relationship by providing examples and evidence from the scientific research he has carried out. I am certain that, at the end of this video, you will have a much different take on inequality than you did before.
There you have it, our curated list of 7 Psychology TED Talks that are sure to broaden your perspective on the mind and human behaviour. If you know of any other impactful talks that we may have missed, please share your recommendations in the comments section below.
Looking for more psychology insights? Dive into our recommendations:
Коментарі