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Link feast

Our pick of the best psychology and neuroscience links from the past week.

09 August 2014

By Christian Jarrett

Our pick of the best psychology and neuroscience links from the past week.

Is It Bad To Bottle Up Your Anger?
Claudia Hammond examines the myth that suppressing anger is always bad for your health.

When It’s Bad To Have Good Choices
Difficult choices cause us anxiety whether they’re trivial or heart-wrenching, explains Maria Konnikova.

Heal Thyself: A History of Self-Help
Robin Ince presents the first in a three-part Radio 4 Series (you can listen again on iPlayer).

Video Games “Beneficial” For Children
The NHS Choices website critiques a recent study that triggered overly simplistic media headlines.

Brains At Play
Delightful short video explains research into the evolutionary function of play.

Reports Of Psychology’s Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Tania Lombrozo defends the scientific credentials of psychology.

The 12-step Dogma
Rebecca Ruiz asks important questions about the dominance of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step programme, but in so doing does she also betray a naive overconfidence in the progress of neuroscience?

Your Two Kinds Of Memory: Electronic And Organic
Annie Murphy Paul explores the pros and cons of the memory in your head, and the digital one in your phone or computer.

What’s Different About the Brains of Heroes?
A new study uncovered differences in the brain functioning of people who behaved altruistically in a virtual reality fire, but is the brain really the place to look to understand heroism?

In Fatal Flash, Gaza Psychologist Switches Roles, Turning Into a Trauma Victim
Is it even ethical to treat trauma victims in a world where the danger never lifts? Hassan al-Zeyada describes his family’s own terrible tragedy as he questions the use of therapy in war.