I started training in martial arts when I was in the eighth grade because I wanted to learn how to fight. By that time in my life, I had many encounters with people who were physically stronger and certainly more intimidating than I was, and thought that I needed Jackie Chan-style skills to minimize my chances of personal bodily harm. With the help of Miyagi-like instructors, I realized that fighting was only a small part of personal safety—the defensive part. It was the strategies for avo. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Recently, yet another woman came forward accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault, or more specifically, "forcefully" kissing her. In the interview, the woman was clearly emotionally disturbed recounting this event... that happened almost 50 years ago. What is it about an unwelcome forceful kiss that can cause so much emotional damage to a person over the course of a half century? As we will see, it is not the kiss but what is referred to in psychology as the appraisal of the event or situation. In. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Is it reasonable to be skeptical of scientific claims? Of course it is reasonable but to what extent? According to a recent review published by Princeton, financial interest is a common reason for distrust in scientists. Anecdotally, in my discussions with people about science, money seems to be the top reason for their distrust in science. But there is a line between healthy skepticism and irrational distrust when parties have financial interests in scientific outcomes. The question is, where d. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

The term victim-blaming implies injustice, or victims being either fully or partially blamed for something they don’t deserve. There are several common reasons why people do this, but there is also an accurate assessment of responsibility that is often labeled "victim-blaming" by people often with good intentions. This last point is important to focus on because by ignoring contributing factors and shared responsibility, we as a society cannot address these problems in the most effective way. We. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

First, you have to accept that any answer you come up with will be a probabilistic one. All experiences are filtered through our minds, and our minds are far from perfect reality detectors that can be in any sense of the word "certain," aside from some arguably self-evident philosophical certainties such as "I exist". While the word "personal" implies subjectivity, many people often confuse a personal experience with their interpretation of a personal experience that often includes objective cla. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

The problem of political polarization is characterized by a large number of people holding extreme political views (also know as hyper-partisanship) with fewer political moderates, to the point where healthy political disagreement becomes destructive. Here in the US, this problem exists both on a systemic and personal level. Some have suggested this is one of the most serious problems our country faces since the signs only point to the problem getting worse, whereas others are less pessimistic, . . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

This is what is called a loaded question, or a question that contains an unjustified assumption. The unjustified assumption is that there is a secret to success. The question also incorrectly implies that "success" is unidimensional, that is, its definition is simple enough that such a secret could exist that if known, would allow people to achieve success. Since there is no standard measurement of success, it is best to focus on something more measurable that is often synonymous with success: a. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

The word "placebo," Latin for "I shall please," is generally understood in modern terminology as an inert (inactive) substance or procedure that affects the outcome of a treatment. The placebo effect (or placebo effects) is generally understood as the improvement in a person’s condition due to the presence of the placebo. However, this concept is far more complex than most people realize, but it is within this complexity we find understanding. There has been an enormous amount of research over t. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

With the measles outbreak at DisneyLand beginning in December of 2014, the debate on the need and safety of vaccines has been reignited. While I am not going to get into the science of vaccine safety and effectiveness, I am going to cover the psychology of the anti-vaccine movement, and some potential factors that lead to people denying scientific facts.Out of Sight, Out of MindWe tend not to think much about what we don’t experience. For example, most of us (in the United States) take for grant. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

The "non-sexist" answer would be "of course not, you sexist moron," but I am not here to offer politically correct answers; I am here to offer scientifically correct ones. The actual answer is more complex than a yes or no answer, and not at all sexist since it considers both genders equally. So before you get offended with the idea that sticking to traditional and even stereotypical gender roles can possibly result in a more satisfying marriage, domestic partnership, or intimate relationship, r. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow