Tonight, 7-8pm Pacific, 10-11pm Eastern, Advice Goddess Radio: Dr. Roy Baumeister On Willpower
Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in psychology and research -- all with really compelling things to say about how to be smarter in being human.
Tonight's guest, social psychologist Dr. Roy Baumeister.
One of the most practical and helpful self-help books I've read recently is Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, by Dr. Roy Baumeister and John Tierney, on an issue we all have issues with: self-control -- how to have more of it and how to have less of what we do have depleted.
Many of the studies in the book are from Baumeister's own lab, and he promises to be a fascinating guest. I've already improved my life with insights from the book, like by understanding how willpower gets depleted so I can conserve mine for important things (like writing). I can't imagine that anyone who listens to this show will come away without tips for how they can improve their life -- and be a little more relaxed about the stuff they anguish over related to self-control.
Listen live at this link or download after the show (click "Play in your default player"). And do call in with questions when the show is live -- 347-326-9761:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon/2012/03/26/advice-goddess-radio-amy-alkon
Don't forget to listen to last week's show with Loyola evolutionary psychology professor Dr. Michael Mills, who explained a lot about the ways we're biologically and psychologically different, and the ways that should guide or mating and dating behavior.
Listen at the link or download (click "Play in your default player"):
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon/2012/03/19/advice-goddess-radio-amy-alkon
Join me and all my fascinating guests live every week from 7-8pm Pacific, 10-11pm Eastern, and listen to all my previous shows and listen live at this link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon
I purchased this book through your link when you recommended it awhile back. "If only" it had been written (and I had read it) 30 years ago ...... Amy your batting average is sky high - I am getting the chance to do so much better. I am glad you exist.
Dave B at March 25, 2012 12:20 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/03/25/tonight_7-8pm_p.html#comment-3098737">comment from Dave BThanks so much, Dave. That is such a sweet thing to say -- made my day. I worked really hard planning the show out yesterday -- spent much of yesterday afternoon rereading Baumeister's book. Still have a few more questions to plot out...makes me feel great to feel appreciated for the work I put into this.
Amy Alkon at March 25, 2012 12:57 PM
Pretty good show.
You were both enjoyable. He seemed sort of "laser focused" on the subject. While you, Amy, are muti-disciplinary.
It definitely had its moments when you threw outside concepts at him.
Very enjoyable.
Jim P. at March 25, 2012 9:54 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/03/25/tonight_7-8pm_p.html#comment-3099336">comment from Jim P.Thank you. It is his subject while I love being able to bring subjects together. I've actually started encouraging various researchers in different disciplines to get together -- introducing them, letting them know they would benefit from seeing each other's work and working together. I'm also trying to get some of the dietary science people to attend this summer's ev psych conference.
Amy Alkon at March 25, 2012 11:31 PM
Several of the examples he used didn't describe controls against other influences, like peer pressure, or distinguishing between physiological and psychological food cravings. I hope this apparent lack of rigor was just left out of the description due to time.
And it has not been news to me that decisions require mental work. You, yourself, Amy, have posted here how "too much choice" can be paralyzing. I can show you how process equipment operators avoid it even when it is in their best interest.
A major human weakness is the desire to be told what to do, to avoid that work.
Most of the things discussed in the segment I heard were old news to the "free will" debate. So there was no "A-ha!" for me.
Radwaste at March 26, 2012 1:04 AM
I had a really interesting session with a dietician last week.
She began by talking about schemas people fall into... like someone wants a piece of chocolate, so they eat an apple, but that's not what they wanted so it doesn't satisfy them, so they eat a piece of cheese, but that's not what they wanted, so they eat a yoghurt... and eventually they crack and pig out on chocolate, after having eaten all those other things.
She talked about diet cycles where someone is overweight, and filled with self-loathing, so they go on some super restrictive diet, lose weight, but eventually they crack, gain it all back and then some (apparently 95% of dieters eventually gain back more weight than they lost), are filled with self-loathing, go on some super restrictive diet... etc.
She asked me if I wanted to lose weight for the short term or long term. She also said bluntly, "You live in Switzerland, how many people around here do you think DON'T eat chocolate" which I thought was kind of funny.
Anyhow, previous dieticians have been full of calorie charts and advice like "Carry around a bag of carrots". She gave me 2 small changes to work in until the next session... drink more water (apparently we need to consume 2.5 liters per day, ideally 1.5 from drinks and 1 from food, so if you don't drink 1.5 liters, you need to up your food intake to get more water, so you might be going to the fridge not because you're really hungry but because you're thirsty), and eat lunch sitting down (I have a tendency to run around and be unstructured during lunch).
I don't know if these subtle changes will do anything (I assume there are more to come, as I don't believe these 2 changes by themselves will be enough). But it's not an approach I've ever tried before. I'll let you know how it goes.
NicoleK at March 26, 2012 1:30 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/03/25/tonight_7-8pm_p.html#comment-3099815">comment from RadwasteSeveral of the examples he used didn't describe controls against other influences, like peer pressure, or distinguishing between physiological and psychological food cravings.
That would seem a huge waste of time. People know when they're physically hungry -- ie, starving to death -- and when they're just hungry for ice cream.
The stuff discussed was anything but "old news" -- which is why I did the show.
Amy Alkon at March 26, 2012 6:22 AM
I try to drink closer to 2 galons aday which is almost 8 liters I think
lujlp at March 27, 2012 8:34 AM
"That would seem a huge waste of time."
Either you use the scientific method, or you do not. Pick one!
"People know when they're physically hungry -- ie, starving to death -- and when they're just hungry for ice cream."
Juuust missed it. If you have a mineral deficiency, you can go through the motions of eating, but until the body is satisfied, that hunger doesn't go away. Think, "Salty or sweet?"
You've made that point yourself here about "low fat" foods not fooling the body at all. This will influence browsing, where a person isn't truly hungry but "has room".
I know you haven't presented this before; it's just that the "free will" arguments have brought out all sorts of things, including observations by everyone from yours truly to Richard Dawkins. In other work, rationing attention has been the focus of Keith Code in teaching riders to race motorcycles - where (it's not obvious) concentration and decisionmaking has to be continuous for the duration of a race. So there's a lot more left. I'm sorry I had to go before the end of your show, so I'll capture the podcast to see what I missed.
Radwaste at March 27, 2012 7:31 PM
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