Wise-you -- Psychology Seminars for Lifelong learners
Past WISE-yoU Seminars
Wisdom and other good news stories about aging
(1.5 hours per week) The part of Psychology that looks at human individual differences (Intelligence, cognitive functioning etc.) can rightly be accused of taking a rather negative view of the aging process. As we age, according to research in those areas we slow down physically and cognitively and so may not seem as “with it” when compared to younger folks. We will start by looking at what Psychology has had to say in this area and, do not despair, we will talk about more recent work that indicates that in fact when we control for illness and related issues we actually continue to learn, grow and develop (and get smarter!) throughout our entire lives. We will look at concepts like Wisdom which are understood as positive qualities or capacities that ONLY develop with LOTS of life experience (and so are possessed by old people and NOT by young people).
Week 1: Intelligence and Wisdom
Week 2: What is Wisdom, Who Has It and How Did They Get It
Week 3: Ageing and the Big Developmental Picture
Week 4: Aging Strategies – Cognitive Work Outs – What does Data say?
Psychology and Everyday Life: Psychology in the News
(1.5 Hours per week) Unlike many academic disciplines or research areas that focus upon (wonderfully) unique and remote things (like the surface of Mars, the components of atoms, or distant ocean currents) Psychology studies human beings – our biology, brain neurology, our social and personal behaviours and our inner psychological functioning or malfunctioning. We wonder daily why people behave the way they do, what we can do to encourage positive development and social interaction and discourage or reduce negative personal and social situations and outcomes. In other words we ALL do some sort of Psychology all the time. In this seminar we take a look at a number of recent media articles that talk about human behaviour from a Psychological perspective and which also draw upon or directly focus upon current psychological research findings. We will get started with several articles that I (Mike Boyes) have found and written about in a weekly blog I maintain on Psychology in the media and in which I suggest a number of questions we should be asking or considering to both better understand the research being discussed and also to better understand how that research might apply to our day-to-day lives. Once we get going I will be asking class participants to suggest additional topics for us to discuss based on things they have encountered in the paper or other media or based on questions of a Psychological nature that have occurred to them but about which they have not found any research or media coverage (in which case I will try and find some and we can talk about that).
Topics Discussed Included: Donald Trump, Psychology and Mass Shootings, Road Rage, Brain Training, Alzheimer's, Early Development and Later Life
Personality: the key to figuring out other people
(1.5 Hours per week) If you have spent more than 5 minutes in a corporate setting over the years you probably know what your Myers Briggs personality profile looks like. However there is very much more to personality within Psychology, and in fact, Personality psychologists do not think very highly of the Myers Briggs Inventory. In this seminar we will start by looking at the nature and structure of human personality (what it is and where it comes from) and then go on and look at how we can use current approaches to personality to better understand our own social likes and dislikes and to better understand how personality psychology can help us better understand our own and others social interaction styles. In addition to looking at the positive aspects of personality functioning we will have a look at recent work investigating the “Dark Triad” of personality patterns including Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and non-clinical Psychopathy (yes there is a dark side to personality functioning!).
Week 1: Personality, The Big Questions: What
Week 2: Your Personality Profile: What it Tells You and What it DOES NOT Tell you (Why and How)
Week 3: Personality Details and Alternative Perspectives
Week 4: The Dark Side: Machiavellians, Narcisists, and Psychopaths and other Personality Disorders.
Going Beyond the Topics
In all seminars we follow a discussion format. I can and do talk a lot but mainly try and provide overviews of the relevant areas of Psychological therories and research that relate to whatever we are discussing. Having taught Introductory and Developmental psycholgy for 30 years I can provide information and explanations for behaviour and phenomenon, from a psychological perspectie, in virtually any area that seminar particppants are intersted in. Our discussions asre never boring and often VERY informative.
Upcoming Seminars
WISE-yoU and Mike Boyes will run seminars on any Psychological topic whenever and where ever there are sufficent numbers of people interested in taking part. Some future seminars are listed below (and will run subject to a minimum enrollment). Or if you have a topic area and can help put together a group to attend just let us know and we will help set it up. One time seminars or series of 4 or more seminars of related and divergent topics are also possible. You can sign up below (under the upcoming semnar listings) for email updates so you wil always know what is coming up or use the "contact us" form to make your suggestions and requests or just email Mike directly at Mike.Boyes@Psychforlife.com .
Upcoming Wise-you Events
Possible Topic (If Interest is Sufficient): 50 Myths of Popular Psychology
One of the most amazing and frustrating things about Psychology is that we are all Psychologists at some level. That is, we are all trying, all the time, to figure out what is going on with the people around us. It is important and valuable to us if we can predict how people are going to behave and how understand why they are acting the way they are.
In the field of Psychology we are committed to trying to base our theories and our predictions on solid scientific data gathered under, at least partially, controlled conditions.
50 Myths of Popular Psychology focusses on areas where we all think we know how things are but where Psychological research suggests things are different than we "know" them to be. Participants in this seminar can decide which of the 50 myths we will talk about in the course and can suggest other myths, beliefs, or claims about how things are we can look at from the point of view of well designed Psychological research results. Let Mike know by email if you are interested in this course and he will set it up as soon as there are enough people interested to make it work.
Lunch and Learns or Keynote Talks
If you have a group that meet regualarly and you would like a talk on a topic of your choosing related to Psychology or if you would like to have a number of talk suggestions to consider send Mike an email using the form below or directly (mike-boyes@shaw.ca) or call him at 405 560 9171.
Comments on Previous Seminars
- The Wisdom seminars were facinating. Mike presents very well and the Psychology is very interesting.
- Talking about the Psychology behind events in the news was very intersting. I would certainly come again.
- Mike clearly very much enjoys talking with people about Psychology and his knowledge base is impressive and he comunicates about it very clearly.
- I learned a LOT about not just my personality profile but about how to see things in my interactions with others that I never noticed before.