A Little History of Psychology | Author Interview with Nicky Hayes

50 min • 22 november 2024

🎙 A Little History of Psychology with Dr. Nikki Hayes

Ready to dive into the fascinating world of psychology? In this episode, we chat with Dr. Nikki Hayes, a rockstar in the field of psychology and the author of the brilliant book A Little History of Psychology. She's written 25+ books, and she's here to share her knowledge with us on the wild, weird, and wonderful journey of psychology through the ages.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

Why psychology didn’t start with Freud (sorry, Sigmund).
The crazy story of Phineas Gage—a guy who survived a rod going through his brain and lived to tell the tale.
How ancient Greek ideas still mislead us today (spoiler: you have more than 5 senses).
The secret power of Japanese psychology and what Western psych got wrong about "achievement."
Women in psychology: the unsung heroines behind groundbreaking experiments.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

Psychology is a team sport—no single “founding father” here! Freud, William James, Wilhelm Wundt, and others all played their part.
Phineas Gage taught us that personality and brain function are deeply linked, despite all the myths about his post-accident life.
Global psychology is the future: From Japan to Africa, diverse perspectives are shaking up Western-centric ideas.

📚 About Dr. Nikki Hayes:

Dr. Hayes is not just an author; she’s a truth-teller. Her work highlights forgotten pioneers and busts myths about psychology’s history. And she doesn’t shy away from tough topics like colonialism, sexism, and ethics (we see you, shady CIA experiments!).

✨ Fun Facts:

Did you know Japanese industry is a powerhouse of psychological principles? Mind-blowing, right?

🎧 Why Listen?

If you love history and psychology—and want to impress your friends with cool facts about why you have 40+ senses—this episode is for you. Plus, Dr. Hayes' playful anecdotes will leave you pondering the quirks of the human mind.

🔗 Links & Resources: