In this episode, Tolu and Kristina take the conversation all the way to the UK to discuss the negative symptoms of schizophrenia with Isabelle Butcher, a Ph.D. student at the University of Manchester. What are negative symptoms? How can one feel...but also not feel? How do these symptoms differ from person to person? How do patients with schizophrenia think their symptoms came to be? All of this is discussed in this short but sweet episode. Tolu's movie/book suggestion is 'A Beautiful Mind'...

In this episode, Tolu and Kristina talk with Christine Knox, a professional in the field of both social work and psychotherapy at the Toronto Neurofeedback and Psychotherapy Centre. They talk about about how therapy has been impacted by the pandemic, what the future of therapeutic treatments may look like and what a holistic approach looks like in therapy. What is neurofeedback therapy? Why can you control objects on a screen with your brainwaves? How can neurofeedback help with anxiety,...

Tolu and Kristina take a deeper dive into the topic of memory with Dr. Myra Fernandes and her PhD student, Ryan C. Yeung from the University of Waterloo. How many different kinds of memory are there? What are Proustian memories? Are there better ways to analyze qualitative data? Does a specific form of memory give insight into mental health...say recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs)? Recurrent IAMs are the term of the episode or TOTE! This was a fun and enlightening...

As the U.S. election results pile in, Tolu and Kristina take a break from the news to have a chat with York College of Pennsylvania psychology professor, Dr. Samantha Deffler. They have decided to dedicate November to Cognitive Psychology! Have you ever been misnamed by someone familiar to you? Have you ever been the misnamer? Why is it more likely to mix up the dog's name with other family members than the cat's name? The term of the episode (TOTE) is semantic memory. Dr. Samantha Deffler’s...

Tolu and Kristina, joined by the knowledgeable Dr. Sawa Senzaki from the University of Wisconsin, Green-Bay, delve into the discussion of WEIRD cultures. Why is it so important for psychological research to expand beyond WEIRD populations? What tips can help further the research in new communities? Tolu, Kristina, and Sawa also provide insight into their respective Nigerian, Greek and Japanese cultures in this very enlightening episode. The term of the episode (TOTE) is the acronym...

Tolu and Kristina discuss the case of the Romanian orphanages. Is it possible that childhood deprivation can impact brain volume? Further, can enrichment and movement to another environment improve delayed development? They talk siblings, growing up and how one's tendency to emulate others decreases as time goes on. The term of the episode (TOTE) is neuroplasticity.  Journal Article Discussed: Mackes, N. K., Golm, D., Sarkar, S., Kumsta, R., Rutter, M., Fairchild, G., ... &...

Tolu and Kristina are joined by Dr. Carissa Cascio who teaches at Vanderbilt University to discuss the importance of social touch on human development. What is social touch? How does it influence our daily activities? How has the pandemic impacted our ability to engage in social touch? Two, chilling experiments are also described at the start of the episode to complement the month of October. The Term of the Episode (TOTE) is social touch.  Dr. Cascio's Article: Cascio, C. J., Moore, D.,...

Tolu and Kristina discuss the possible ironic effects of anti-prejudice interventions with Dr. Michael Inzlicht, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Is it possible these interventions may actually end up increasing prejudice? They also talk briefly about the Implicit Association Test. Does the test actually produce reliable and valid results? The terms of the Episode (TOTEs) are Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation.  Dr. Inzlicht's Journal Article:  Legault, L.,...

In this episode, Tolu and Kristina discuss the interplay between the perception of others through clothing and racism. Why do certain outfits on others instil a feeling of warmth or danger in us? How can we become aware of our own internal biases? What should we all be wary of in shows like the Money Heist? All of this is discussed with special guest and professor of Psychological Science at Oregon State University, Dr. Regan Gurung. Term of the Episode (TOTE): Implicit Bias  Dr. Gurung's...

Tolu and Kristina talk about who they are, why BrainCore exists, and what they hope to achieve with this new platform. Why is research a little hard to get into? How can BrainCore make things a little easier to understand? The term of the episode (TOTE) is Heuristics - referring to mental shortcuts or rules of thumb.   Email - [email protected]  Instagram - @thebraincorepodcast   Twitter - @thebraincorepod