One theory of addiction (and one that has popular appeal outside of psychology) is that of the addictive personality. This theory states that some people have a personality type that predisposes them towards addictive behaviour. This personality is caused by differences in the biological make up of individuals. It has been argued that people with this personality type are prone towards addictive behaviour, and are more likely than people with other personality types to become addicted to a substance or behaviour. In this podcast, I aim to give an overview of the theory of addictive personality, explaining the three parts of personality as identified by Eysenck, including their biological basis. I provide research evidence that both supports and contradicts this theory,  with an evaluation of whether it can account for addictive behaviour. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)

In order to understand forgetting, we must have an understanding of memory. According to the Oxford English Dictionary memory is “the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information.” Forgetting therefore is our inability to retrieve information from our memory. Some argue that when emotions impact on memory, then forgetting is an unwillingness to remember information rather than an inability to do so. The main consideration in exploring the impact of emotion on forgetting is whether we forget for a reason. It has been suggested that when we forget, the information is not lost forever; it is simply inaccessible to us for a number of reasons. One suggestion is that forgetting serves a purpose, to protect us emotionally. In this podcast, I explore this fascinating concept. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)

The view that we are born with a certain level of fixed intelligence is outdated. The environment plays a role in the way children are nurtured and it contributes to their development of intelligence. Children develop on their existing intelligence through numerous factors in their environment namely the positive relationship with their primary caregiver, opportunities to explore, play, learn and rehearse. Perhaps the way to look at it is that our intelligence is like a seed that is implanted in us and how that seed of intelligence is fed, watered and nurtured determines how well the intelligence grows. Who we are as adults is shaped by our childhood experiences and attachments; this has to include our intelligence too! (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)

Many would argue that until we can develop ways of empirically demonstrating how alleged telepathic communication occurs, research into telepathy will always rely on disputable methods, almost entirely reliant on controversial ways of judging probability and significance. It is perhaps for this reason that mainstream science regards the field of parapsychology as a pseudoscience and the subject almost never appears in mainstream science journals. In this podcast, I explore the techniques and procedures researchers have employed to prove the existence of telepathic communication - extrasensory perception taking place outside of the known sensory realm. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)

An adult organism is not a static being but continues to change and develop, until the developmental processes are brought to an end by death. The word ‘ageing’ describes the developmental changes that lead, over time, to the deterioration of the mature organism. Ageing is a complex process which involves interactions between a number of biochemical mechanisms. The effects of these act at the molecular, cell, tissue and whole   organism levels. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)

The concept of androgyny, it has been suggested, offers a means of transcending the duality of gender differences imposed by culture. Once gender polarities are reduced, traditional sex and gender differences can be broken down. In this podcast, I explore the concepts of sex, gender and androgyny, and aim to provide psychological evidence to support those concepts. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)

For a long time, biologists believed that our DNA resided only in the nucleus, the large organelle acting as the control centre in our cells. It wasn't until 1963, when scientists Margrit and Sylvan Nass at Stockholm University discovered DNA fibres in mitochondria using electron microscopy. Our mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) accounts for a small portion of our total DNA. In fact, it contains just 40 of the 20,000 to 25,000 protein-coding genes in our body, however, it is notably distinct from nuclear DNA. Unlike nuclear DNA, which comes from both parents, mitochondrial DNA comes only from the mother. In this podcast, I explain the significance of this key biological difference, and explore what other roles this fascinating molecule plays in our bodies. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)

A human liver is estimated to carry out over 500 different functions, including metabolism, detoxification and the synthesis of key proteins and other biological molecules. If the liver is damaged, it can regrow parts given its' regenerative capabilities, however, if the damage is too extensive, the cells will not regenerate and this can have a major impact on one's health. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)