Dreams are puzzling and cause us to question their root cause — especially when they’re violent and they keep us up at night. As it turns out, there are several common causes of violent dreams, one being the fear of violence. Another common source of violent dreams is your thinking…
Psychologists can play a critical role in the justice system, from determining whether someone is mentally fit to stand trial, to making behavior composites of suspects based on crime scenes. These behavior composites are called criminal profiles, and they’ve been instrumental in numerous arrests and convictions over the years. Critics…
In the midst of tragedy—dreadful, fatal events—parents have the difficult task of talking with their children about the tragic events. While the topic should often be avoided with young kids (specifically those under 8 years of age), who are much too young to hear about or understand said tragedy,…
New research suggests that handgun purchasers with a previous DUI conviction are more likely to commit violence crimes than handgun purchasers without a DUI record. Researchers identified every individual between 21 and 49 years old who legally purchased a handgun in California in 2001; researchers then identified any violent crime…
Some people become more aggressive or violent when they drink alcohol; they pick fights with others, shout, and say inappropriate things. The reason certain individuals display this aggressive behavior after alcohol consumption is that alcohol lowers inhibitions and relaxes. When we drink excessively, these inhibitions decrease and our tendencies to…
A coworker or superior’s display of aggression in the workplace can feel threatening and uncomfortable; fortunately, you can follow a few steps to handle this situation properly. First, consider whether you feel unsafe—if you do feel unsafe, you should talk with human resources about the event and how it made…
People debate about whether watching violence makes us more likely to engage in violence ourselves—of which was precisely explored in the Bobo doll experiment. In this experiment, Albert Bandura and his team of researchers studied 72 kids who experienced either an aggressive or non-aggressive model. In the aggressive model, the…
Violent relationships are never okay, but is it possible for them to get better? That depends on if it’s characterological violence or situational violence. Characterological violence is rooted in controlling and dominating behavior; this form of abuse is often innate and unchangeable, which means the relationship is likely unsalvageable. Situational…
A new study shows that the violence we see in soccer super-fans isn’t characteristic of their personality or every day. This aggression is instead rooted in a psychological construct called identity fusion, which refers to the sense of oneness and belonging one feels in a group of individuals. These findings…
Sports fans escape from their everyday lives through their beloved game, whether it be football, basketball, or soccer. They narrow in on what’s going down on the field or the court and they forget about their own positions or roles in life for the time being. More importantly, these individuals…
The New Reality for School I love the beginning of fall. School has just begun, with all of the excitement and anticipation it brings. It is like the children’s version of New Year’s Eve, but with all of their promises and resolutions for the new school year. While many of…