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Read articles on how the latest insights from the world of neuroscience and behavioural science can make a difference to your organisation.

Neuroscience in Action
Get Motivated!

Get Motivated!

I don't even think about the prospect of not winning – it never occurs to me. I really am that confident. – Daley Thompson, Olympic gold medallist Now, get motivated! If only it were that easy. Daley Thompson is perhaps one of my most admired sportspeople, but even he...

Wanted! Neuropsychology: dead or alive

Wanted! Neuropsychology: dead or alive

A man once mistook his wife for a hat. Really. This story, outlined in neurologist Oliver Sacks’ book of similar title, sparked my fascination with the mind. Sacks’ description of ‘P’ trying to lift his wife’s head off her shoulders is absurdly comical. Yet he also...

Habitual Offenders

Habitual Offenders

In this series of articles I have been exploring how the neuropsychological theory of dual processing may belie some our most fundamental ways of being in the world. The way in which we process information has implications for all sorts of psychological functions, including memory, learning, attention, problem solving and social cognition…..

Getting into the habit

Getting into the habit

The hell to be endured hereafter, of which theology tells, is no worse than the hell we make for ourselves in this world by habitually fashioning our characters in the wrong way. – William James, Psychology: Briefer Course Think...

Rhyme and Reason

Rhyme and Reason

• Ever feel like your willpower lets you down? • Wonder if your mind is playing tricks on you when act in the heat of the moment? • Perhaps you have goals but your actions are not always in alignment with these • Your brain...

Actions and habits: Part II

Actions and habits: Part II

Last time I described differences between ACTIONS and HABITS. Actions are intentional which means we consciously identify a goal and then decide how we’re going to get it. These goals may change as our motivation changes (we shift from chips to cake part way through a three-course meal; we put a jumper on and then take it off as the temperature changes; we stop phoning a colleague when we’re told they are in a….

Actions and habits: We Need You Both!

Actions and habits: We Need You Both!

We’re making a neuroscientific foray into hard-core science of the brain – delving into the world of rat brains and minds. Specifically, I am going to focus on a series of studies that have great relevance to understanding human behaviour. And you might even give little ratty a bit more respect afterwards too.

We often talk about habits. We say we’ve developed a bad habit. Or a good one. But what is a habit? And before we have got into the habit, how would we….

Beware Your Own Strong Beliefs

Beware Your Own Strong Beliefs

I’ve described in the past that our conscious minds – the thing you are using right now to read and consider this – is limited in its capacity. It can fill up. Thinking can become hard work and it can hurt. When this happens we tend to stop thinking and jump to conclusions instead. We all do it, and in some ways it is very adaptive – don’t overload the system, just go with what you think is right.

Along these lines, Clint Eastwood has a nice quote relating to political views….

Is That a Thought in Your Pocket Or Are You Just Pleased To See Me?

Is That a Thought in Your Pocket Or Are You Just Pleased To See Me?

There’s a treatment for phobias called ‘systematic desensitization’. If you had arachnophobia and I placed a spider on your arm, you would react ‘badly’. Perhaps your heart rate would go up a little… you might have a tendency to move out of the way – away from the spider. The immediate and close proximity of a real spider is way too much to cope with. It is too real and too in your face. So, with systematic desentization you would start by thinking about a spider on….

Communication For Inspiration

Communication For Inspiration

The purpose of today’s column is to demonstrate how informal conversations that go on during a coffee break can be a critical determinant of whether your business succeeds or fails. Essentially, if you want to ride the financial storm and respond to a changing economic and commercial environment, then don’t cancel the coffee breaks!

Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind

Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind

Last time, I reported research into resilience – what it is and what resilient people do in order to bounce back from adversity. On the one hand, it is about being able to accept failures, learn from them and try again. On the other it is about having a particular attitude that will allow perseverance even in the face of daunting challenges. Two specific examples from last time were that resilient individuals dealt with feedback in a certain way, and also that they interpret situations differently. Put together, resilience is a mind-set that shapes the way you see the world – it is full of achievable challenges that may take several attempts to overcome. (But they *will* be overcome…)

Climb Onto The Bandwagon! But Does It Have Wheels?

Climb Onto The Bandwagon! But Does It Have Wheels?

Resilience is a term that is used more and more these days. In these times of recession, stress and adversity we are told that we must develop resilience and that we must ‘future-proof’ our businesses to weather the storm.

Today and next time, I talk about future-proofing ourselves. But am I just peddling more snake-oil or is there truth (or *evidence*) that we can indeed develop resilience and be better able to deal with the slings and arrows that the world throws at us?

Learning To Take Control

Learning To Take Control

In the last article, I described “self-control” and ended by noting that it can be learnt. I also made a case for ‘control’ being a valuable ability to have. Sometimes of course we want to let go and our creativity would benefit...

Fit to work

Fit to work

Different people are good at different things. Part of being productive and fulfilled is about finding the kinds of work and jobs that you are good at or enjoy doing. Finding a best fit between an individuals abilities and a particular job process or skill is...

Give me strength!

Which would help you improve the most – working on your weaknesses, or working on your strengths? A worldwide Gallop poll found that the majority of people (59% USA, 62% UK, 76% China) felt that focusing on weaknesses was the best way to improve (Hodges and Clifton,...

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