Hi, I’m Michael. Welcome to my blog.

Empirical studies on the relationship between religiosity and prosocial behavior. — Unable to find work and struggling to support his family, a young Danny Thomas began to pray to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate causes. He promised that if St. Jude helped him, Thomas would build a shrine in his honor. Soon after, he began to find jobs…

Invasive and noninvasive methods of stimulating the brain to treat psychiatric and neurological disorders. — Brain stimulation, also known as neuromodulation, refers to techniques that are used to modify brain activity, which in turn can alter thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Well-articulated by the scientific journal Brain Stimulation, neuromodulation includes the “noninvasive and invasive techniques and technologies that alter brain function using electrical, magnetic, radiowave, sound…

Looking to learn about the mind, brain, and behavior? In this article, I’ve listed some of my favorite psychology podcasts. The Psychology Podcast: Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman’s conversations with researchers and thinkers about how we can use psychology and neuroscience to create a better future. Very Bad Wizards: a psychologist…

And what it tells us about reciprocity. — “As soon as she came, I know I had her. I was working out in the gym, and I winked at her. She smiled, and I thought, ‘I’ve got her.’” This statement is from an imprisoned gang member who had sex with a correctional officer. Despite losing her job and…

Evidence-based study strategies to learn better. — Students aren’t taught how to study and that’s a problem. Here’s the disconnect: students predominantly rely on inefficient study habits like rereading, highlighting, and summarizing, which lie in contrast to research on memory and learning. When you consult the research, you find that the ways students study are not optimized…

3 recidivism-prevention strategies and why they matter. — Whether sex offenders can be reintegrated into society is an empirical question with moral implications. If lawmakers allow sex offenders to re-enter society after serving their punishments, we must do all we can to prevent recidivism — reoffending after a previous conviction. Over the past year, we’ve seen an increase…

What my barbershop meant to me and how barbers impact physical health. — Remembering Abel A few weeks ago I found out that my hometown barbershop had closed and that my favorite barber, Abel, had died. Abel’s father opened the shop in the 1950s, and it was a pillar of the community since. Whenever I went to the barbershop, life slowed down. No matter what…

Master mental toughness for when you’re down a break, up 5–0 in the final set, and everything in between. — Wimbledon 2019. Roger Federer versus Novak Djokovic. After hours of play, Federer’s moment had arrived: the Wimbledon title was 1 point away. Not only that, but victory depended on one of Federer’s deadliest weapons — his serve. Considering that Federer has one of the greatest serves of all time, and…

A deep dive into what schizophrenia is, what it isn’t, and myths about what it’s like to live with schizophrenia. — Maybe you’re like me: I grew up watching crime shows, like Law and Order SVU, that linked mental illness and violence. For most of my life, I believed these shows got it right. I thought that if someone was diagnosed with something like schizophrenia, then violent behavior was a guarantee.