Psychologists talk about imagination and pretending, along with the importance of play to child development.

Development, Podcast, The ShowDr. Brian MacDonald C. Psych.November 10, 2009Development, imagination, play, pretending, psychology, research-basedComment

The importance of play

Despite the importance of play, it appears to be disappearing from kindergarten classes.

The impact of rejection: What if kids don't fit in?

Researchers have identified some behaviours that make it more likely that a child will be rejected by his or her classmates.

DevelopmentDr. Brian MacDonald C. Psych.November 5, 2009behavior, fitting-in, humor, psychology, rejection, research-basedComment

"People Always Follow the Crowd. But Not Me!": The Introspection Illusion

Research shows that we tend to see others as "sheep" and ourselves as "lone wolves".

BehaviourDr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych.November 4, 2009belonging, conformity, psychology, research-basedComment

Anatomy of Fitting In (Episode 84)

Psychologists talk about fitting in, belonging, rejection, and cliques.

How The Need to Fit In Changes Our Behaviour

Belonging is a fundamental need for social creatures. Researchers have shown that peoples' behaviour can be changed by manipulating their perception of fitting-in.

Do the victims of bullying remain victims?

Researchers report that girls are more likely to remain victims of bullying than boys.

How Important are the Early Years to Later Psychological Wellbeing?

What is the state of knowledge regarding the benefits of early childhood interventions?

DevelopmentDr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych.October 27, 2009abuse, childhood, early intervention, preventionComment

Anatomy of Three Things (Episode 83)

Psychologists talk about recent research, including: individual sports and self-esteem, maternal stress and children with disabilities, and the parental role in boys' body image concerns.

Podcast, The ShowDr. Brian MacDonald C. Psych.October 27, 2009body image, self-esteem, sports, stress Comments

Is Media Use Helping or Hurting Kids' Psychological Functioning?

How media use affects the psychological adjustment of teens.

Mental HealthDr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych.October 26, 2009anxiety, depression, kids, media, Mental HealthComment

Autism, Part 5: Autistic kids at school

Autistic kids are increasingly being placed in general education classes. What do parents need to know about school programs?

AcademicsDr. Brian MacDonald C. Psych.October 22, 2009Academics, autism, education, inclusion, school programs, segregationComment

Autism, Part 4: What about treatment?

The difficulties of autistic kids vary widely - some clinicians have adopted a broad approach to address their needs.

Autism, Part 3: Reading Faces

Researchers have been trying to determine the processes that lead to the social deficits of kids with autism and related disorders.

BehaviourDr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych.October 21, 2009ASD, autism, boypost, emotions, social skillsComment

Anatomy of Autism (Episode 82)

Psychologists speak with Dr. Gillian Graham Bevan, a psychologist whose son has autism.

Development, Podcast, The ShowDr. Brian MacDonald C. Psych.October 20, 2009autism, autism spectrum disorder, Parenting Ideas, psychologyComment

Autism, Part 1: What You Need to Know

Although the characteristics of kids with autism vary, there are some difficulties that are commonly seen.

DevelopmentDr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych.October 19, 2009aspergers, autism, pdd-nos, realityComment

Memory, Part 5: What works?

High school students have to memorize a lot of information. What memory strategies are most effective?

AcademicsDr. Brian MacDonald C. Psych.October 16, 2009high school, keyword, memory, mnemonics, pegword, reconstructive elaboration, teenagersComment

Memory, Part 4: Learning how to remember

There are lots of things we want our kids to remember, but there's no "one size fits all" trick for memory. Here are some tools for parents to help them find the strategies that work best.

Memory, Part 3: The Reminiscence Bump: Remembering the "Good Old Days"

Research shows that, regardless of age, people have a greater number of memories between the ages of 10 and 30 than at any other time in their lives.

DevelopmentDr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych.October 14, 2009lifespan, memory, Parents, reminiscentbump, TeensComment

Anatomy of Memory (Episode 81)

Psychologists interview Dr. Elizabeth Loftus, author of Eyewitness Testimony, about the reliability of memory.

Memory, Part 1: Recalling Childhood

As adults, when we look back to our childhood, there is typically no memory of early events. Psychologists have termed this "childhood amnesia".

DevelopmentDr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych.October 12, 2009childhood, memories, memory, recallingComment