Psychology Articles

Here you’ll find a curated selection of psychology articles I’ve written for people who love understanding what makes us tick. These pieces blend scientific research with everyday life, offering a clear and engaging way into some of the most interesting questions in psychology.

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Schadenfreude: The Psychology of Enjoying Other People’s Missteps

Schadenfreude is the uncomfortable pleasure we sometimes feel when others stumble. This article explores why that reaction arises, how fairness, comparison, and group identity shape it, what happens in the brain when it appears, and why social media makes it more visible. It also examines the moral tension behind the emotion and what it reveals about empathy, self-esteem, and human social behaviour.

What Is Antifragility? How Stress Helps Us Grow Stronger

Antifragility is the idea that some systems grow stronger from stress instead of breaking under it. This article explores where the concept comes from, how it connects with psychological research on growth through challenge, and practical ways to design a life that benefits from uncertainty rather than being worn down by it.

Why Rage Bait Works

Rage bait works because it hijacks the brain’s threat and reward systems, pulling us into a cycle of outrage that feels impossible to scroll past. This article shows how engineered provocation spreads, why it affects us so strongly, and what we can do to break its grip.

Why Certain Coincidences Feel So Meaningful

Synchronicity fascinates us because certain coincidences feel too personal or well-timed to dismiss as random chance. This article explores why our minds search for patterns, how meaning is constructed, and why these moments stay with us long after they happen.

Why We Love Mysteries: The Psychology Behind Curiosity

Why do unsolved puzzles, cold cases, and twisty whodunnits feel so irresistible? This article explores how curiosity, the brain’s reward circuits, our need for closure, and the “safe” thrill of suspense combine to make mysteries one of the most psychologically gripping forms of storytelling.

Psychology of Smiling

Smiling is far more complex than a sign of happiness — it’s a social signal, an emotional regulator, and sometimes a mask that hides how we really feel. This article explores the science behind genuine and forced smiles, why we smile when alone, and how a simple facial movement can shape our emotions, relationships, and sense of connection.

Psychology of Art

Art doesn’t just appeal to our senses — it changes the way we think, feel, and interpret the world. This article explores how our minds respond to colour, shape, pattern, and metaphor to give art its power and meaning in human experience.

Counterfactual Thinking: Why We Ask “What If?”

Counterfactual thinking lets us mentally “rewind” the past — imagining what might have been — helping us learn from mistakes, but also sometimes trapping us in regret. This article explores why “what if” thoughts feel natural, when they help us grow, and when they hold us back.

Why Work Burnout Happens — Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Burnout arises when chronic stress overwhelms our mental and emotional resources, leaving us exhausted, detached and ineffective. This article explores what triggers job burnout, how to recognise its signs, and practical strategies to prevent and recover from it.

What ASMR Really Does: The Psychology Behind Tingles and Calm

ASMR is more than a quirky internet trend — for many, gentle sounds and soft stimuli trigger a deeply relaxing response tied to brain areas that regulate calm and reward. This article reviews the research on why ASMR can produce tingles, reduce stress, and offer a surprising shortcut to psychological rest.

The Psychology of Small Talk — Why It Matters and How to Get Better

Small talk often feels trivial — but research shows it’s a social lubricant that builds connection, reduces social friction, and lays the groundwork for deeper relationships. This article unpacks why light, casual chatter matters psychologically, how it affects mood and belonging, and how to use it effectively in everyday life.

The Zeigarnik Effect — Why Unfinished Tasks Stay On Your Mind

Our brains tend to fixate on tasks we leave incomplete — a mental tension that makes unfinished business stick in our memory far more than completed tasks. This article explains how the Zeigarnik Effect works and why the unsettled “what-if” of an unfinished task can dominate our thoughts.

Why I Beat Myself Up Over Mistakes — Understanding Self-Criticism

Self-criticism and regret often linger much longer than the mistake itself — our minds replay what went wrong like a broken record. This article explores why we dwell on errors, the unconscious mechanisms behind self-blame, and psychological strategies to stop destructive rumination and move forward.

The Psychology of the Traitors — Understanding Betrayal, Deception and Trust

This article delves into how betrayal, deception, and shifting loyalties affect trust, group dynamics, and human behavior — exploring why some people become “traitors,” how trust breaks down, and what psychological factors make betrayal possible.

Recreational Fear — Why We Love Being Scared

Recreational fear lets us enjoy fear for fun — in horror films, haunted houses or roller-coasters — by offering a safe “sweet spot” where our brain’s arousal and relief systems combine into excitement and psychological reward. This article explores why our minds willingly flirt with danger, how “safe scares” work, and how they may help build emotional resilience and stress regulation.

The Psychology of Revenge — Why Wrongs Haunt Us

The urge for revenge can stem from deep emotional pain, perceived injustice, and a powerful drive to restore control — but satisfying that urge often leaves lasting psychological consequences. This article examines why revenge feels so compelling, how it impacts both victims and perpetrators, and what real psychological research says about healing after betrayal.

The Psychology of Dance — Why Moving to Music Feels So Good

Dance links brain, body, and emotion in a way few activities can — syncing us to rhythm, other people, and our own sense of self. This article explores why moving to music can boost mood, strengthen social bonds, support mental health, and help us express what words can’t quite reach.

The Psychology of Nostalgia

Nostalgia weaves longing and comfort together — reconnecting us with the past in a way that can boost mood, strengthen identity, and ease stress. This article examines why we feel nostalgic, how memories reshape emotions over time, and what psychological mechanisms underlie the warm glow of remembering.

The Psychology of Poetry — Why Certain Lines Stay With Us

Poetry can feel like it reaches straight into our inner life, compressing emotion, memory, and meaning into a few carefully chosen lines. This article explores how rhythm, imagery, and metaphor work on the brain, and why some verses linger in our minds long after we’ve read them.

What Is Echoism? The Quiet Opposite of Narcissism

Echoism describes a pattern of downplaying your own needs, avoiding praise, and centering other people so completely that your own voice almost disappears. This article explains where the idea comes from, how echoism differs from healthy humility, and why understanding it can help people break out of self-erasing habits.

The Psychology of Love Island — Why the Show Is So Addictive

Love Island taps into deep human needs for belonging, social connection and shared emotional experiences — transforming passive viewing into collective participation, drama and identity-play. This article analyses how the show leverages social media, perceived status and group psychology to create obsession, communal discussion, and powerful emotional reactions in fans and contestants alike.

Chasing Rainbows — The Psychological Meaning Behind Hope and Fantasy

Hope and fantasy drive us to chase better possibilities, often motivating creativity, resilience, and emotional growth — but they can also set us up for disappointment when reality fails to match the dream. This article explores why we cling to “rainbows,” how hope shapes our psychology, and when fantasy becomes a pitfall rather than a light.

The Gen Z Stare — What This Viral Expression Reveals About Emotion and Connection

The so-called “Gen Z stare” — that flat, unsmiling, camera-ready expression — has become a cultural talking point about how young people show emotion, protect themselves and relate to others. This article looks at what the stare might really mean psychologically, how context matters, and why our assumptions about it say as much about us as they do about Gen Z.

Why “Cool” People Seem So Cool — The Psychology Behind Social Charisma

Being “cool” often feels like a mysterious social skill — but psychology reveals it involves social confidence, emotional control, and subtle signalling of competence and values. This article explores what traits and behaviours tend to make people seem cool, why those traits attract admiration, and how social context shapes perceived charisma.

Why We Are The Way We Are

This book brings together many of the most popular and meaningful articles from my psychology writing. If you’re curious about why we think, feel, and behave the way we do, I hope you’ll find it an engaging and insightful read.

Reviews make a real difference. If you do pick up a copy, a short rating or review on Amazon would be much appreciated.

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