Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

LOVE An Advent Reflection      I saw the writing on the wall. I was listed as a target person to talk about one of the virtues of advent. As a grandfather with a two-year old and a 6-month old granddaughter, it’s pretty easy to see the Christmas story as a love story. Babies come to us so vulnerable. We want to gather round and offer presents, hold them, and make them feel wanted, safe, and happy. Above all, we want them to feel loved. Their parents are delighted to share stories and pictures. Their grandparents cannot get enough face-time. It doesn’t take long to get attached to children. As children mature, the affectionate attachment grows. There are many delightful moments. Times to be proud they share the same name. They are part of us. But there are those moments that strain the relationship. Families fuss about rules, fairness, loyalty, authority, respect, freedom, the usual stuff. And the family of faith is no exception; because all the faithful ...

Religion & Health  Religion & Biopsychology Laura attends church but her sister Ashley does not. Who is likely to live longer? Jo announced her husband has been cancer free for two years! And she thanks God for healing in answer to prayer. Research suggests people who attend church live longer. And many offer testimonies of healing in response to prayer. Not surprisingly, the stories are enough to peak the interest of medical and psychological scientists. Is there more to faith than superstition? Are there measurable effects linked to religious or spiritual practices? I take a look at some of the evidence. And follow up on a previous post about prayer . We know there are some studies showing a relationship between biopsychology and spirituality. I like to use questions to carve out issues. 1. What biopsychological changes, if any, occur when people practice their faith? 2. What is the evidence for a link between spirituality and general health...

Forgive? Yes. Reconcile? Maybe. A TODAY story by Rebecca Ruiz has a headline that reads, “How do you forgive a killer? A mother moves past tragedy?” A powerful photo shows Mary Johnson hugging Oshea Israel—the man who murdered her son.  The story includes other examples of people who suffered major hurts but found their way to forgiveness. Last week I referred to the CNNblog about the Piers Morgan interview with Rick and Kay Warren . I wrote about attributions and coping with loss. But there’s more. There’s a story about forgiveness. But not reconciliation. Rick “One of the hard things was forgiving the person who sold him the gun... Because I didn't want to forgive him.” Kay  “I don't want to be tied to that person emotionally for the rest of my life” FORGIVENESS AND RELIGION Most religions include guidance about relationships and a part of that guidance includes the repair of damaged relationships. In the Christian tradition, forgiveness comes from Go...

LOVE IS…  one of those feel good words that gets tossed around so much. Use the word love and people perk up. Love brings a smile. Add it to a song and it sounds romantic.  Love is a replacement for like and sex. A love is a person. Red valentine-style hearts pop into western minds. Love is people holding hands and soft furry creatures like puppies and kittens in children’s’ arms. Love is a many splendored thing. To psychologists, love is more than a feeling. Sometimes I think we should invent a new word so we can be more precise about love but that won’t do. We can’t communicate about love if we ignore the word everyone uses. We just have to be clear. Whatever love is, it has many dimensions. And love is more than a feeling. I have worked on a university campus for years. On a sunny day you can see loving couples sprawled across green spaces. They are the ones where you don’t see two distinct forms. They merge—all over each other. I am not ...

Why do people do what they do? Why do some recover from loss whilst others are devastated? Why do some turn to God and others turn away from God when bad things happen? Why did she say that?  What were you thinking?  People want answers.  2007 Greensburg KS tornado destroyed my brother-in-law's house And that desire for answers to why questions has fueled incredible progress for both the well-being and destruction of humanity and our planet. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl illustrates the human quest for answers . I suspect that search is why psychology is such a hot college major. And why I love psychological science. This post is an introduction to thinking broadly about human nature. It would be nice to have one answer to each why question. But people are complex. Some short and simple answers might satisfy as answers to simple questions. But if you take a careful look, simple answers might not lead to any useful conclusi...