Curiosity, self control, grit and zest— they’re all character strengths. But what is character? And how do we cultivate it? While many of us believe we’re born with character, science shows these strengths can be taught—and that it’s never too late to learn. Angela Duckworth is the CEO and Founder of Character Lab, the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a 2013 MacArthur Fellow. Her first book, Grit: The Power of Passion and...

Research shows that character strengths are as important as I-Q and socioeconomic status to achievement and well-being in life. The character lab in Philadelphia – headed by psychologist Angela Duckworth – studies how we can teach those skills to children. WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss their work in their weekly conversation

The current political atmosphere has many people feeling distressed. What’s the best way to cope with our emotions when we’re outraged? And how can we translate our anger into productive action before burning out? Dr. Dan Gottlieb explores outrage fatigue on this Voices in the Family special with two psychologists from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Ellie Brown facilitates local, national, and international workshops for leaders and activists in social movements and helps us...

About 5% of couples have open relationships – where the partners are committed to staying together, but see other people. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and Dan Gottlieb discuss how this works – and whether it works out.

When couples hold hands, their breathing and heart rates synchronize. If one of the partners is in pain, it diminishes the more the brain waves sync up. That’s according to new research from the University of Colorado. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.

Doctors often have to talk to their patients about different health risks – obesity, smoking, too much alcohol – but WHAT should they say about those behaviors? Scare their patients with what might happen to them? Find ways to motivate them to do better? New research from Penn State University finds that a mixture of fear and hope may lead to better outcomes. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.

We often think of teenagers as obsessed with their phones, selfies, or being popular. Researchers are learning more about what helps teens be more engaged with the broader world around them – and be happier as a result. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.

Millions of American adults experience depression. There are treatments and medications that can help. But in a recent study of more than 240-thousand people diagnosed with depression by a primary care doctor, only a third started going to therapy or taking antidepressant medications within 90 days of their diagnosis. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.

When faced with a degenerative disease or life threatening illness, might hopelessness improve the quality of our lives? On this Voices in the Family special, Dr. Dan Gottlieb explores healing through two channels: hope and hopelessness. Diane Difulvio is a native Philadelphian who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1984, but didn’t let M.S. get the best of her. Dr. John Hansen-Flaschen is a Pulmonologist and Critical Care Physician at the University of Pennsylvania and counsels...

How intelligent a person is can predict many things in terms of their quality of life: success, money, or power. But researchers say we should pay more attention to another cognitive ability: critical thinking. The lack of critical thinking often leads to smart people making bad decisions. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss the importance of critical thinking.

A lot of people dread conversations around the table during the holidays. We try to avoid hot-button topics like politics, and maybe ignore comments or statements we find offensive. But is that the right way to go? In their weekly conversation, psychologist Dan Gottlieb tells Maiken Scott that it’s best to speak up.

One third of American children are overweight or obese, so weight is a topic that comes up in doctors offices a lot. In a new research paper, The American Academy of Pediatrics cautions healthcare providers to be careful with how they talk about weight issues with kids. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.

Mindfulness meditation helps many people deal with stress, and other mental health issues. But when researchers tried mindfulness with prisoners, they had mixed results and some negative impact. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.

Are you checking out all of your friends’ amazing Thanksgiving pictures on social media? And does it look like everybody had a better time, a nicer meal, and a more beautiful home than you? Comparing ourselves to others can really make us feel bad… In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss why we do it anyway.

It’s Thanksgiving week. You’re probably thinking about all of the work you need to get done before Thursday… The shopping that needs to be taken care of, or when you should best get on the road if you’re traveling..And maybe you are wondering how it’s possible that it’s already the end of November! In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss why it so often feels like time is rushing by – and what we can do about it.

Happiness is more than the feeling you get after eating a delicious meal. But what is happiness? On this Voices in the Family special, Dr. Dan Gottlieb explores this question and seeks to understand how one might find more happiness. Dr. June Gruber, a psychology professor at the University of Colorado – Boulder, discusses how too much happiness can lead to adverse mental health, and Dr. Dacher Keltner, a professor at UC Berkeley, describes how feelings of awe and daily practices of...

A Harvard research study spanning 80 years that looked into the life and health trajectories of well over a thousand people offers some interesting lessons on what really matters. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.

There’s a new study on romantic relationships titled “My life has become a major distraction from my cell phone.” And it finds – perhaps not surprisingly – that looking at your phone a lot while in the presence of your partner leads to a serious decline in your romantic relationship. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.

As the population ages, more and more people want to stay in their own home as opposed to transitioning to a nursing home facility. There is a great need for professional home care workers— it’s one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. But there are a few problems. First, home care is very expensive. The second problem is that home aids and nurses are oftentimes undervalued and underpaid. Joining us for this Voices in the Family special are Joan Doyle, Executive...

Research points to a weapon in the fight against depression that may sound counterintuitive: Sleep deprivation.