How stressed out do you get by TV quiz shows? And would that change if you were a contestant yourself? Cognitive researchers at the University of Arizona have studied back-episodes of Mastermind to find out how people react in high-stress situations - particularly how much they blink. Their findings offer insight into how blinking changes in stressful and mentally challenging situations – but also what it can tell us about cognitive processes. Claudia Hammond hears from BBC presenter and Celebrity Mastermind "Champion of Champions" 2019, Samira Ahmed, and speaks to Bob Wilson, associate professor in cognitive science and psychology at the University of Arizona, about the research.
Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten what you came in for? Studies show that changing your physical location can "bookend" thoughts and shape how our memories compartmentalise information. Now a new study has been looking at whether shifts in our moods can do the same. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, used music to elicit specific emotions in subjects, so they could assess how changes in emotional states might affect how memories are formed. Claudia hears from assistant professor of psychology, David Clewett, one of the paper’s authors.
And this week's studio guest Catherine Loveday, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Westminster, explains why anger can on occasion be a rather useful emotion.
Organisations offering information and support relating to some of the issues covered in this series of All In The Mind can be found at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lucy Taylor Studio Manager: Tim Heffer Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire Editor: Holly Squire
Entitlement and bad luck; Awards finalist; intermittent fasting and memory
Voices & personality; Awards; canine jealousy; misophonia - noises that cause anger & anxiety, pink drinks make you run faster
Psychology of soap operas like the Archers; Awards Finalist
Pen or keyboard - what's best for notetaking; All in the Mind Awards; USA racist killings and mental health of black Americans
Memory under lockdown; Awards finalist StrongMen; Lockdown resilience
Rapport; Brain health in later life; Changing optimism through lifespan
Racism, awards and hypermobility
Wellcome Trust Mental health initiative; teenage sleep; choices children make
Ambiguous Loss; All in the Mind Awards; Pandemic impact on memory; Corpus Callosum
Claudia Hammond launches the 2021 All in the Mind Awards
Recovery stories, personality change, Covid
Spotting Fake News; Humour Seriously; Green Prescriptions a Joy or Chore?
What's happened to our mental health in 2020; tools to get through the winter
Anatomy of Touch: Digital Touch
Anatomy of Touch: Health and Touch
Anatomy of Touch: Culture
Anatomy of Touch: Don't Touch
Anatomy of Touch: Hunger
Blue Health; Talking to the dying; Diet or exercise to halt memory decline
23/06/2020
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