When the news is filled with war and climate change and other disasters, remaining hopeful about the future can feel impossible. But psychologists’ research has found that hope is not an unrealistic luxury, but a necessity. Jacqueline Mattis, PhD, of Rutgers University, and Chan Hellman, PhD, of the University of Oklahoma, discuss the difference between hope and optimism, why cultivating hope can help people facing adversity and trauma, and what all of us can do to find hope in trying and uncertain times.
For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.
Psychology takes toys seriously, with Barry Kudrowitz, PhD, and Doris Bergen, PhD
The secret to being a “SuperAger,” with Emily Rogalski, PhD
Tightwads and spendthrifts: How emotions drive our shopping behavior, with Scott Rick, PhD
Exploring the human-animal bond, with Maggie O’Haire, PhD
What can science teach us about the benefits of religion? With David DeSteno, PhD
Keeping teens safe on social media, with Linda Charmaraman, PhD
How close relationships keep us healthy and happy, with Richard Slatcher, PhD
Ghosts, Ouija boards and ESP: psychology and the paranormal, with Chris French, PhD
Waiting, worrying and dealing with uncertainty, with Kate Sweeny, PhD
Men, masculinity and mental health, with Ronald F. Levant, EdD
ADHD among children and adults, with Margaret Sibley, PhD
The psychology of science denial, doubt and disbelief, with Gale Sinatra, PhD, and Barbara Hofer, PhD
How science can help you change your behavior for the better with Katy Milkman, PhD
The seven sins of memory, with Daniel Schacter, PhD
Twenty years after 9/11, what have we learned about collective trauma? With Roxane Cohen Silver, PhD
Power: How you get it, how it can change you, with Dacher Keltner, PhD
Sport psychology, peak performance and athletes’ mental health, with Jamie Shapiro, PhD
Creativity, insight and “eureka moments,” with John Kounios, PhD
The psychology of superstition, with Stuart Vyse, PhD
Encore: How children’s amazing brains shaped humanity, with Alison Gopnik, PhD
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