How Psychology Stats Lie To You
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the problems with using statistics in psychology, including the fact that many psychologists do not know how to use statistics properly, the vast majority of psychological studies are comprised of a tiny sample, and the issue of normative validation. He also identifies biases that limit a specific set of statistics and the issue of graphical presentation, which can be misleading. Vaknin emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing the validity of the source and questioning the figures presented.
False Hope of Hot and Cold: Intermittent Reinforcement, Trauma Bonding, Approach-Avoidance
Intermittent reinforcement is a pervasive phenomenon that involves two or more people, and it is not always abusive or dysfunctional. It involves regular signals, messages, and treatment that are cruel, abusive, and disempathic, interspersed with displays of extreme affection. Intermittent reinforcement can be attributed to four types of schedules: fixed interval, variable interval, fixed ratio, and variable ratio. These behaviors wear down the victim and make them more amenable to manipulation, which is the idea behind intermittent reinforcement.
Trump Warning: My Moral and Professional Obligation
Psychologist Sam Vaknin warns that Donald Trump is a narcissist and a menace to society. He argues that people with personality disorders should be subjected to psychological assessments before being eligible to run for public office. Vaknin believes that the Goldwater Rule, which prohibits diagnosing public figures remotely without their consent, is antiquated and wrong. He argues that there is enough information available about Trump to diagnose him with absolute certainty and safety.
Engulfment Anxiety Tips Bad Vs. Good Voices In Borderlines, Codependents, People Pleasers
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is commonly associated with abandonment anxiety, but there is another type of anxiety that is less reported in literature, which is engulfment or enmeshment anxiety. This anxiety is triggered when a Borderline gets too intimate with someone, and it creates a feeling of being controlled from the outside, leading to a fear of being assimilated or digested. This anxiety is caused by the Borderline’s bad object, which is a collection of internal voices that inform them of their unworthiness and inadequacy. To cope with this anxiety, Borderlines should establish a people-free time and zone, introduce structure into their lives, and stop being emotionally invested in the past or future.
Regretting Your Promiscuity? Do This!
In this video, Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the differences in social sexuality and how it relates to mental illness. People with unrestricted social sexuality, who can have sex with strangers without any problem, are typically subclinical psychopaths. However, there are people who sleep with strangers habitually but hold conservative values, leading to cognitive dissonance and egodystonic behavior. These people may spiral down into a state of alcoholism and self-trashing, but there are effective treatments available, such as dialectical behavior therapy and behavior modification techniques. Vaknin encourages people to seek help and not give up on life.
Reverse Psychology CPTSD, Intermittent Reinforcement, Reactance, Strategic Self Anticonformity
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses reverse psychology, a technique that involves asserting the opposite of the desired outcome to encourage the subject to do what is actually desired. He explains that reverse psychology relies on a psychological phenomenon called reactance, which is a negative emotional reaction to being persuaded. Vaknin also discusses various techniques of reverse psychology, such as mirroring, tough love, challenging, pseudo-humility, inconsistency, nagging, and denigrating. These techniques can be used to manipulate and modify behavior in various situations, including therapy, interpersonal relationships, and marketing.
WARNING: Your Best Friend Will Poach Your Partner!
Mate poaching, or attempting to romantically attract someone who is already in a relationship, is a common seduction technique and mating strategy. Studies show that friendship is the best predictor of cheating, as it is the most common relationship invasion tactic. Friends with benefits can evolve into long-term romantic relationships, as friendship leads to investment and commitment. However, relationships formed from poaching tend to be of lower quality than non-poached counterparts, and individuals with a history of mate poaching often report poorer quality relationships.
Why Won’t They Change? Insight and Personal Transformation
Insight is a crucial concept in psychology, but it is not always easy to obtain. Introspection is a blunt tool, and people often go to therapists to secure insights. However, narcissists and psychopaths are not amenable to insights because they are emotionally invested in their disorders and do not see any reason to change. Insights require the involvement of four factors: cognitions, emotions, motivations, and actions. Insights are useful mostly with healthy people, as they are more likely to manage it, assimilate it, react to it emotionally without fear, and then change themselves, their behaviors, and actions.
Monetizing Suffering: Victimhood Capitalism (Atlantico Interview)
Narcissism is on the rise, particularly among young people, and technology both reflects and enhances it. Society is becoming more narcissistic, and it is a positive adaptation as it can lead to success. However, the confluence of victimhood and narcissism is dangerous, as it can lead to a lack of empathy, entitlement, and exploitativeness. To combat this, it is important to redirect public discourse away from compensating for victimhood and towards overcoming it, emphasizing triumph and resilience.
Narcissist’s Hypnosis And Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is a phenomenon that remains largely unexplained, with various theories suggesting it is either a special state of mind or a people-pleasing behavior. Professor Sam Vaknin proposes that hypnosis is an extreme form of empathy, where the subject and hypnotist synchronize their minds and become one. Hypnotherapy has shown some medical value, but its efficacy in treating mental health conditions is limited. Despite the mystery surrounding hypnosis, it should be treated with respect and investigated further as a potential treatment for mental illness.