Author: Steve Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Leeds Beckett University

Orawan Pattarawimonchai/Shutterstock The Beatles’ song Yesterday was written in what psychologists refer to as the “hypnagogic state”. This is the twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness, when we drowsily linger in a semi-conscious state, experiencing vivid mental images and sounds. Waking up one morning in early 1965, Paul McCartney became aware of a long complex […]

Sadly, there are signs that racism is increasing across the world. Research from Europe and Australia in recent years has found a rise in the number of people experiencing racism. Reports from the US and UK have indicated that most ethnic minority participants felt racism was getting worse. And a global study has found rising […]

Jay Hirano/Shutterstock With the new Formula 1 season is about to begin, it’s worth pondering what makes a great racing driver. There are no doubt several important qualities, such as calmness under pressure, the courage to take risks, quick reflexes and excellent coordination. But there is a more obscure ability that may separate the best […]

Many of us have witnessed unusual and even anti-social behaviour at an airport or on a flight. These may range from benign acts such as sleeping on the floor or doing yoga in front of the flight information display system to serious incidents like early morning drunken arguments or even trying to open the aeroplane […]

Lightspring/Shutterstock We all know that time seems to pass at different speeds in different situations. For example, time appears to go slowly when we travel to unfamiliar places. A week in a foreign country seems much longer than week at home. Time also seems to pass slowly when we are bored, or in pain. It […]

Amid the aggression and destruction of the recent riots across England and Northern Ireland, there have been many heartening incidents. In many cases, the rioters have been met with counter-protesters, who risked violence and injury to voice their opposition to racism and their support for asylum seekers. Why are some people capable of cruelty and […]