women

How marketers use psychology to influence what we buy

Did you know that the information provided by a salesperson wearing a red sweater seems more accurate than information provided by a shop assistant in blue? Or that women are more likely to be interested in a service they hear advertised by a man with a creaky voice than a woman with a creaky voice? [...]

By |2014-08-22T05:59:19+10:00August 17th, 2014|Categories: Science & Research, Technology|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

Why do we see faces in everyday objects?

It’s not often that you look at your meal to find it staring back at you. But when Diane Duyser picked up her cheese toastie, she was in for a shock. “I went to take a bite out of it, and then I saw this lady looking back at me,” she told the Chicago Tribune. [...]

American Apparel: is this their sleaziest move yet?

American Apparel has painted itself into a corner in terms of brand image. A cornerstone of its marketing strategy was the voyeuristic, sex-drenched tone employed in many of their photo shoots, but now that appears to be failing as the public perception of the company has moved from edgy to sleazy. Their shoots have received [...]

Ibuprofen relieves women’s hurt feelings, not men’s

For years, researchers have known that physical pain relievers such as ibuprofen can also help ease emotional pain, but new research suggests that ibuprofen has contrasting effects on men and women: Men who take the drug report harsher feelings of rejection, and women report feeling better. - Laura Byerley via Ibuprofen relieves women's hurt feelings, not [...]

Women who smoke while pregnant could alter their children’s genes

The largest study of its kind has shown that smoking during pregnancy could cause epigenetic changes in the fetus, resulting in birth defects and health problems later in life. Christina Markunas of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and her colleagues have found that newborn children of mothers who smoked while pregnant are more [...]

Rolf Harris guilty: but what has Operation Yewtree really taught us about sexual abuse?

However we interpret the Yewtree saga, it is undeniable large numbers of people have been abused by celebrities, who one way or another skilfully manipulated those around them to protect themselves. Beyond this, there’s not a great deal more we can learn from the cases themselves. As disturbing as they are, they comprise only a [...]

‘Pornification of culture’ a threat

As a psychotherapist, I specialize in supporting women and men as they recover from working on the streets, in body rub parlours, brothels and as escorts. In the 12 years I’ve been doing this, I’ve found the vast majority grow up in desperation and deprivation, and become ensnared as adolescents within an exploitative machine that [...]

A red carpet special: commodification of women

This time last week, dozens of accomplished women woke with an overwhelming sense of dread. Not good when you also have a killer hangover. Having stepped out on the Logies red carpet the night before, dressed and tressed to the max, these capable women knew that in the media the following day, they would be [...]

What pop culture gets wrong about eating disorders

It’s true that bulimia happens among ballet dancers and beauty queens, and other people whose bodies are their livelihoods. But the reality of bulimia and other eating disorders that involve purging – through vomiting, overexercise, or laxative abuse – is that many people suffering from them don’t look like ballerinas or pageant contestants. Many women [...]

Talking To Fathers And Their Sons

On the weekend I gave a short talk entitled Father & Son – Side by Side at an event ran by Kids Giving Back.   In short, the day involved 30+ fathers with their teenage sons cooking meals and delivering them to people who needed them; women’s shelters, youth refuges, services for homeless people etc. [...]

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