Blog | Dr Clare Jonas — That Thinking Feeling

Why we sometimes see ourselves from outside in memories

Sometimes we see memories as though we’re observing them from outside our own bodies. Ever wonder why this happens? Psychology has the answer!

cognitive psychology, mental health and illness, but whyClare Jonas14 February 2020self-perception, memory, childhood, timeComment

The IKEA effect: why we like the things we make and own

Ever wondered why you’re so fond of the wonky bookcase you put together yourself? Come find out!

cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, but whyClare Jonas14 January 2020possessions, food, health, bloody capitalism, economicsComment

Why we get left and right confused

How do we develop our sense of left and right? How it can go wrong? And why can sudden left-right confusion tell us that someone is having a stroke?

but why, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, individual differencesClare Jonas21 November 2019directions, language, strokeComment

Why do out of body experiences happen?

Find out what’s happening in the brain when you have an out of body experience, and how to trick yourself into having one!

What makes a word funny?

What makes gurgle, tit and bassoon such funny words? Psychology has the answer!

cognitive psychologyClare Jonas1 October 2019humour, culture, words, swearingComment

What is humour for?

A response to incongruity, to help regulate emotion, to live a fulfilling life… or all of the above?

social psychology, mental health and illness, what is...?Clare Jonas13 September 2019humour, jokes, emotion, learning, bloody capitalismComment

What is misophonia?

Some people can’t bear noises like crunching, pen tapping and slurping. Why is that and how can research help them?

brain biology, mental health and illness, what is...?Clare Jonas20 August 2019noises, braaaaaaiiins, emotionComment

Clare explains: What's up with this optical illusion?

This picture looks like it’s in full colour but it’s really black-and-white with an overlaid grid of colour. How does it work?

perceptionClare Jonas30 July 2019optical illusions, vision, colourComment

How the weather affects our moods

Decreasing daylight can trigger seasonal affective disorder, but what about subtler changes in mood?

mental health and illness, brain biologyClare Jonas14 July 2019weather, mood, culture, votingComment

How false memories happen

It's probably not that we've glitched into an alternate reality, just that we're not very good at remembering…

cognitive psychology, social psychologyClare Jonas12 June 2019memory, braaaaaaiiins, belief, emotion, self-perceptionComment

Why we have food preferences

You like potato and I like potahto, so let's do some science and find out why.

individual differences, perception, evolutionary psychology, but whyClare Jonas29 April 2019food, childhood, culture, tasteComment

Why we see faces in inanimate objects

It’s called pareidolia and it’s amazing! But why do our brains do it?

Why time speeds up as we get older

Summer seemed to last forever when we were young but is now only five minutes long. What gives?

developmental psychology, perception, but whyClare Jonas3 February 2019ageing, emotion, timeComment

What is ASMR?

Ever had a strange but nice tingly sensation in your scalp while watching a video? That’s ASMR - but why does it happen?

mental health and illness, individual differences, perception, what is...?Clare Jonas3 January 2019autism, music, emotion, mindfulnessComment

Why we believe in ghosts

Maybe they’re real; maybe it’s just magnets.

brain biology, perception, personality, hallowe'en, but whyClare Jonas29 October 2018suggestion, ghosts, magnetsComment

Why do we get déjà vu?

Déjà vu expert Courtney Aitken explains why it sometimes feels like time has gone in circles.

guest blog, cognitive psychology, brain biology, hallowe'en, but whyClare Jonas25 October 2018memory, braaaaaaiiins, travelComment

Why are people superstitious?

An 🦇extremely spooky🦇 Hallowe’en blog, featuring lucky charms, pigeons behaving weirdly, and bananas conspiring against fishers.

Why do we catch yawns?

Started yawning already? Find out why you can catch yawns from other humans and even other animals…

developmental psychology, social psychology, but whyClare Jonas13 September 2018yawning, social interactions, empathy, childhoodComment

Why do people swear?

Need some debating points to challenge someone who thinks profanity is a sign of poor vocabulary? I can help.

developmental psychology, social psychologyClare Jonas18 August 2018swearing, language, culture, pain, childhood, genderComment

Is red a winning colour?

Did England do well in the 2018 Men’s World Cup because they were wearing red?

perception, sport psychologyClare Jonas15 July 2018football, gender, boxing, emotionComment

Psychology's answers to everyday questions, in blog form!