Episode #27 of Consciousness & The Brain features Dr. Roy Baumeister, one of the world’s most prolific and influential psychologists, known for his work on the self, social rejection, belonging, sexuality and sex differences, self-control, self-esteem, self-defeating behaviors, motivation, aggression, consciousness, and free will.
Roy received his PhD in social psychology from Princeton in 1978 and did a postdoctoral fellowship in sociology at the University of California at Berkeley. He has received research grants from the National Institutes of Health and from the Templeton Foundation.
Roy has published some 700 scientific works, including 40 books. In 2013, Roy received the highest award given by the Association for Psychological Science, the William James Fellow Award, in recognition of his lifetime achievements.
In his 2011 New York Times bestselling book Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength (with John Tierney), Roy writes:
“When you pick your battles, look beyond the immediate challenges and put your life in perspective. Are you where you want to be? What could be better? The unconscious is asking the conscious mind to make a plan.”
The episode discusses:
Is mental effort (willpower) like a muscle?
The proposed role of glucose in restoring mental energy.
“Ego Depletion” is another useful analogy.
Practice can make mental effort easier.
Is Free Will an illusion? A scientific view.
Self-esteem without achievement is a trap.
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