Tag Archives: psychology

Job and the Just World Hypothesis

I asked my wife, a psychologist and college administrator, to help explain climate change denial. She suggested the “just world hypothesis.” I included her proposal in the last chapter of my book, Climate Change: The Fork at the End of … Continue reading

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Children and Climate Change

Children are our future, and this is especially true with regards to climate change. They are the ones that will bear the brunt of its effects. Fortunately, some of them are well aware of this and taking action: our grandchildren … Continue reading

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Collective Irrationality and Individual Biases: Climate Change II

Last week I discussed some issues in terms of psychology of judgement and decision making; I feel that they need some clarification and expansion. I looked at how highly educated Democrats and Republicans diverge sharply in their opinions about the … Continue reading

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Collective Irrationality and Individual Biases: Climate Change

Last week’s blog looked at the connections between the latest effort to rewrite our tax code and the necessary detailed accounting of the resources we will need to compensate for the increasing damage that climate change will inflict on us … Continue reading

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Back to Psychology: Self-Serving Bias

Alan Greenspan has been reflecting on the meaning behind Trump’s win and the Brexit vote: The rise of “economic populism” around the world has come from years of low growth that have “seriously impaired” the global economy, former Fed Chairman … Continue reading

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Back to Psychology: A Vaccine against “Fake News” on Climate Change

I ended my book on climate change (Climate Change: The Fork at the End of Now – Momentum Press, 2011) with the chapter: “The Future, the Past and the Just World Hypothesis.” My wife, an experimental psychologist and now the … Continue reading

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How to Influence Polls and Win Elections

Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber. ~Plato  Clinton is well ahead at the polls. Common opinion two weeks ago (August 9, 2016), was that convention bounces were … Continue reading

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The Election: Trust, Likability & Honesty

I am finishing writing this blog on Sunday, even though I had a draft ready yesterday. As I read the New York Times today, I came across Nicholas Kristof’s Op-Ed,  “Clinton’s Fibs vs. Trump’s Huge Lies.” It coincided almost exactly … Continue reading

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Democracy vs. Oligarchy Part 5: Can Psychology Help with a U-Turn?

A week from the posting of this blog, primaries will take place in NY State. It is the first time I can remember when the presidential primary will have such a large impact on both the Democratic and the Republican … Continue reading

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Democracy vs. Oligarchy Part 4: Money of the Few Can Be Balanced By the Will of the Many

I am back here with the title that started this series (March 15); this time, I’ll attempt to emphasize the second part of the phrase: how to reverse direction from the constant march toward oligarchy back to a constitutional democracy … Continue reading

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