What I Learnt In My Psychology BSc: Nine Extremely Non-Useful-But-Kinda-Interesting Facts

Okay so you will be devastated to know that three weeks before completing my Psychology degree, I cannot read minds. Trust me, I'm disappointed too.

But in between all the statistics, essays and neurological names, the thing I personally love about psychology is that every now and again you get a little gem of a fact, which, if you can shoehorn into conversation, makes you sound like a fountain of interesting knowledge (ish).

There will have been so many over the years, but here's some that come to mind..

1. Prosopagnosia 
...is a disorder where people genuinely can't recognise faces.
2. Mindfulness
...is a mediatation-like process which has been found to effectively treat loads of psychological disorders - not through placebo effect, but through actually changing the structure of neurons in your brain.
3. Post natal depression
..  has a fairly commonly reported symptom of mothers uncontrollably having thoughts about putting their baby in the microwave. Okay, I don't LIKE this fact but it's pretty interesting. Plus, they don't actually do it.
4. Animals don't get mirrors.
... If i remember correctly, only humans, some monkeys and dolphins can recognise themselves in a mirror. All others think it's just another animal.
5. I can point to where in  your brain you are thinking and feeling.
...If I can remember back to the second year module that is! For example, just above your ear in the middle of the brain is for memory and emotion, and the front of your brain is for complex problem solving.
6. Controlled electrocution (EEG)
...Is a last resort treatment for some psychological disorders, such as depression. Its basically controlled electrocution, sending electric waves through the brain. No one knows why it works, but it does.
7. When you're dreaming, your eyes roll back and flutter rapidly.
... Sleep isn't one solid state, there's stages. REM stage, when you dream, stands for Rapid Eye Movement. I've never seen anyone do it until my dog the other week and it's wieeerd.
8. David Canter
... Is a forensic psychologist who police appealed to as a last resort in a serial murder/rapist case in the early 1990s called the Railways Rapist. Canter suggested where the man lived, his height, his social status, his occupation and details such as a martial arts interest and marital difficulties and he was right. His correct profile lead to the arrest of John Duffy. Google it!
9. Gay parents who raise children together
... Have no adverse effects on the children.


What we can also do is critically evaluate the hell out of anything you say. SO much critical evaluation.


I may do another one of these posts, but for now, enjoy! :)