5 TED Talks Every Psychology Student Should Watch

TED Talks can always be counted on to provide conventional, unique, and extraordinary insights of all kinds. For the psychology student especially, there are many TED presentations worthy of special attention. Among them, here are five TED Talks every up-and-coming psychology student should consider watching.

How Your Brain Decides What is Beautiful

Anjan Chatterjee

What is beauty, and how do our brains offer such differing opinions on it? This is the fascinating subject of focus of cognitive neuroscientist, Anjan Chatterjee’s presentation. This deep look inside of the brain provides some great clues, and as it tuns out, the brain’s varying ability to recognize symbols, patterns, and aesthetics is very much at play in the end. For students studying these kinds of psychological phenomenon, the term “patternicity” may come to mind here.

How Frustration Can Make Us More Creative

Tim Harford

When you’re in the heat of a frustrating moment, it can be hard to see any potential positive side to it. However, as speaker Tim Harford has discovered, there is plenty to gain from such moments. Harford himself is a scholar of many talents, working in journalism, economics, and broadcasting. In this presentation, you will learn about the ultimate power of adaptability uniquely keen in humans. Follow an anecdotal and entertaining story as you learn to take advantage of even the most frustrating of impasses.

10 Myths About Psychology Debunked

Ben Ambridge

Ben Ambridge is an author and an outspoken and passionate psychologist with a message. His message is that psychology as a field and science is not always exactly what common street knowledge and lore would have us believe. In his entertaining speech, Ambridge reveals 10 prevailing myths about psychology. He then systematically addresses the erroneous nature of each so as to further educate all about the unadulterated truth behind this all-important science.

Advice to a Young Scientist

E.O. Wilson

While this presentation isn’t particularly aimed at any one profession, all budding professionals can certainly take heed to the powerful wisdom contained in it. E.O. Wilson is a celebrated biologist specializing in entomology. He also has a moving array of advice to share with the up-and-coming generation. Like the biological innerworkings of our planet, you have a place, a need here, and an ability to stage great impact when it’s most needed. Sometimes, as Wilson would assert, the best guidance is simply the reminder of our own unique place in the world.

The Pursuit of Ignorance

Stuart Firestein

Finally, consider this upbeat TED Talk by neuroscientist and alternative thinker, Stuart Firestein. In this great, Firestein comically addresses the actuality of science and its sole function to make understandable the mysteries of our world. Learn to see the humorous side of the pursuit and appreciate the often unheralded fact that what we don’t know is actually of some very real value. This presentation really can help one to feel less burdened by their professional pursuits and more accepting of the regular folly likely found therein.

For psychology students, resources such as TED Talks can provide a great way with which to really expand one’s awareness and overall professional aptitude. These particular talks are among some of the most valuable for the up-and-comer in psychology today. Who knows? It’s very possible that one day you too could be the presenter of your own TED Talk for future generations of psychology students to come.

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