One of the unfortunate legacies that my generation, gen X, has passed on to the millennials and gen Z, is the idea that therapy has no side effects. However, just like many other medical treatments, there can be negative effects. For example, in some cases psychotherapy can be linked with a worsening of psychiatric symptoms, increased anxiety and false memories. My team’s recent paper investigated the […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Psychotherapy may change memories of childhood – here’s why practitioners should warn clients
‘Do I have to get it in writing?’ Even with compulsory lessons, some teens are confused about how consent works
Consent education has been mandatory in Australian schools since 2023. Amid growing public understanding we need to reduce sexual violence and teach young people about healthy relationships, consent is now part of the national curriculum until Year 10. But is this education working? Our research with teens suggest some young people are not coming away with an adequate understanding of consent […] … learn more→
Optimizing your revision: four tips from psychology research
Whether you are a student or a parent, at school or university, a child or an adult, you have probably already experienced this frustrating situation: hours of intense revision followed by an inexplicable blackout on the day of the exam. This (discouraging) experience is not inevitable. Your brain is not failing, it may just be […] … learn more→
Brilliant, moving, thought-provoking! Simon & Schuster is dispensing with book blurbs – will it make any difference?
It is rare to see a newly published book that doesn’t come with a ringing endorsement from at least one or two familiar names. Well known authors will laud a new title as “brilliant”, “moving” or “thought-provoking” and testify that they were “unable to put it down” – or something to that effect. These “blurbs” […] … learn more→
Getting good feedback during the academic apocalypse
Lately I’ve been hearing from pissed off PhD students – both people enrolled at my university and others. The cost of living is high, higher education in Australia is in crisis and people, understandably, want Out. Heaps of later stage students are landing nearly finished manuscripts on their supervisors’ desks. Sadly, their supervisors don’t seem […] … learn more→
AI-powered emotional chatbots: between emotional remedies and affective mirages
CES 2025 highlighted AI-powered virtual companions, marking a major shift in human-machine interactions. These digital entities, capable of fluid conversations and simulating emotional relationships, are redefining the boundaries between the real and the virtual. These innovations offer promising prospects, particularly in the fight against loneliness and social isolation. However, the rise of these technologies raises […] … learn more→
Why should humanities education persist in an AI age? Self-development, to start
Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots has become rampant among students in higher education. While some might be ambivalent about the impact of generative AI on higher education, many instructors in the humanities scramble to adapt their classes to the new reality and have declared a crisis of their teaching model. Professors and students alike […] … learn more→
Do big tech companies have a ‘duty of care’ for users? A new report says they do – but leaves out key details
Large social media companies should have to proactively remove harmful content from their platforms, undergo regular “risk assessments” and face hefty fines if they don’t comply, according to an independent review of online safety laws in Australia. The federal government has today released the final report of the review conducted by experienced public servant Delia Rickard, more than […] … learn more→
Scottish teachers to strike over pupil behaviour – my research shows what they’re dealing with
Teachers at a school in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, are planning industrial action – not over pay but the behaviour of their pupils. It’s not the first time school staff in Scotland have taken this step. Teachers at a school in Glasgow took strike action in 2022 over “violent and abusive” pupil behaviour. A 2024 survey of staff in Aberdeen found that […] … learn more→
Is there life out there? The existence of other technological species is highly likely
We live in a golden age for space exploration. Scientists are gathering massive amounts of new information and scientific evidence at a record pace. Yet the age-old question remains unanswered: are we alone? New telescope technologies, including space-based tools such as the James Webb Telescope, have enabled us to discover thousands of potentially habitable exoplanets that […] … learn more→
