Simply Put Psych

Our mission is to transform complex psychological theories into insightful, thought-provoking articles that provide a nuanced perspective.

Inform. Inspire. Illuminate.

Whether exploring the psychology behind gaming, climate change, or contemporary societal issues, we aim to illuminate the fascinating ways in which psychology shapes our understanding and actions.

Digital illustration of a woman dressed as a superhero with pink and black hair, glasses, fishnet stockings, a blue outfit with yellow Greek letter Psi on the chest, a red cape, and a confident pose with a raised fist.
The Simply Put Psych Logo depicting a stylised brain emphasizing logic and creativity

Supercharge Your Psychology Research

Unlock full access to our Simply Put Psych Premium Tools — the complete research assistant built for psychology students and researchers.

  • APA 7th Edition-compliant results, tables & references
  • Methods section generators and sampling advisors
  • Ethics checklist & informed consent form builder
  • Power calculations, regression checkers & statistical advisors
  • Step-by-step writing support for assignments & dissertations
Bonus included: APA Template Pack (10 fully formatted Word templates, worth £29.99) — free with Premium membership.
Explore Premium Tools

Unlock Your Mind: Psychology Facts!

Ready to explore fascinating insights into the human mind and behavior? Let's dive in!

Did You Know?
Psychology Edition

Learn more
Psych 101 - Definitions - Critiques - Concepts
Criticisms of the Zone of Proximal Development: Conceptual, Practical and Cultural Limits
Criticisms of the Zone of Proximal Development: Conceptual, Practical and Cultural Limits

The ZPD's shortcomings: Why Vygotsky's theory is criticized for conceptual vagueness, measurement issues, and cultural limits in real classroom practice.

the Zone of Proximal Development: Theory, Evidence and Contemporary Application
the Zone of Proximal Development: Theory, Evidence and Contemporary Application
Reassessing the “Shaky Bridge” Study: A 2025 Critical Review of Dutton and Aron (1974)
Reassessing the “Shaky Bridge” Study: A 2025 Critical Review of Dutton and Aron (1974)

Revisit Dutton and Aron's iconic 1974 "shaky bridge" experiment through a 2025 lens. This critical review explores how fear became mistaken for attraction, where the study’s methods fall short, and what modern psychological research reveals about arousal and emotion today.

What Are Developmental Learning Theories? An Exploratory Journey Through How We Grow, Think, and Learn
What Are Developmental Learning Theories? An Exploratory Journey Through How We Grow, Think, and Learn

Discover key developmental learning theories and real-world examples that reveal how humans develop knowledge, skills, and growth across every life stage.

A Student’s Guide to Developmental Psychology
A Student’s Guide to Developmental Psychology

Unlock the science of growing up. This guide covers developmental psychology, from Piaget's schemas to Erikson's life stages and the powerful influence of early attachment.

Help support us by checking out our new e-book:

The Basics of Psychology for Video Game Developers

Gaming Psych - Development - Characters - Gameplay
The Evolution of Princess Zelda: From Damsel to Architect
The Evolution of Princess Zelda: From Damsel to Architect

Has Zelda escaped the damsel trope? Trace her 40-year evolution across Ocarina, BotW, and Tears of the Kingdom to see how Nintendo handles female agency.

Wanted: Dead, Already Dead: A Batsh*t Psychoanalytic Reading Of A Plot That Barely Exists
Wanted: Dead, Already Dead: A Batsh*t Psychoanalytic Reading Of A Plot That Barely Exists

The unhinged theory behind Wanted: Dead. Is the messy plot about corporate sedation and a glitching reality? A deep-dive into gaming's broken brilliance.

Broken Brilliance and the Auteur Game: Expectation, Authenticity, and Cult Fandom
Broken Brilliance and the Auteur Game: Expectation, Authenticity, and Cult Fandom

Learn how Wanted: Dead turns rough design into cult appeal through auteur style, authenticity, and expectation breaking that fuels devoted fandom.

Tonal Whiplash and Absurdist Play: How Chaos in Wanted: Dead Engages and Exhausts Players
Tonal Whiplash and Absurdist Play: How Chaos in Wanted: Dead Engages and Exhausts Players

Discover how Wanted: Dead uses tonal whiplash and absurdist design to engage some players and exhaust others, revealing the psychology of chaotic play.

So Bad It’s Good: Cognitive Dissonance and the Enjoyment of Broken Games
So Bad It’s Good: Cognitive Dissonance and the Enjoyment of Broken Games

Explore why players love flawed games like Wanted: Dead through cognitive dissonance, nostalgic framing, and the psychology behind so bad it is good appeal.

Featured
APA 7th Edition Sentence Builder (Pro)
APA 7th Edition Sentence Builder (Pro)

This tool helps psychology students write clear, concise, and properly formatted sentences for the Method and Results sections of APA 7th Edition papers. With 27 interactive, APA-compliant sentence templates, you can simply plug in your data and instantly generate text that’s ready to use in your paper.

Chi-Squared Calculator
Chi-Squared Calculator

Easily perform Chi-Squared tests for independence and goodness-of-fit with this interactive calculator. Generate APA-style reports, explore results with tooltips, and visualize observed vs. expected frequencies — perfect for students, researchers, and educators.

BayesLens: Binomial Interpreter
BayesLens: Binomial Interpreter

An interactive educational tool for Bayesian Binomial Tests. Supports both single-sample and two-sample proportion analysis using Bayesian hypothesis testing with Beta priors. Includes Bayes Factor calculation, credible intervals, posterior plots, and APA-style write-up generation.

BayesLens: T-Test Interpreter
BayesLens: T-Test Interpreter

An interactive tool for performing Bayesian Independent Samples T-Tests with full APA reporting and evidence interpretation.

Bonus: APA Template Pack
Bonus: APA Template Pack

Get 10 free APA 7th Edition Word templates for psychology papers. Title page, abstract, references, methods & more. Included with Premium membership.

APA Method Section Guided Helper (Pro)
APA Method Section Guided Helper (Pro)

Save time writing your APA Method section. This advanced guided tool helps psychology students generate a complete, APA 7-compliant Method write-up with ethical details, measures, and analysis plans; ready to edit or export.

Monday Musings - Observations- Insights - Ramblings
The Vampire Hypothesis: An Inquiry Into the Biology of the Undead
The Vampire Hypothesis: An Inquiry Into the Biology of the Undead

Are vampires malnourished super-predators? This inquiry links vampire lore (pale skin, sun aversion, senses) to real biology, revealing the ultimate nutritional truth of the undead.

How to Treat Reality as a Narrative Fandom: A Guide to Science as Canon, Retcons, and Cosmic Lore
How to Treat Reality as a Narrative Fandom: A Guide to Science as Canon, Retcons, and Cosmic Lore

Explore how treating reality like a narrative fandom—complete with canon, retcons, patch notes, and fan theories—reveals the storytelling nature of science and human understanding.

Apocalyptic Panspermia: Humanity as the Seed of Its Own Undoing
Apocalyptic Panspermia: Humanity as the Seed of Its Own Undoing

This philosophical essay explores apocalyptic panspermia—the idea that humanity’s drive for creation and destruction may serve as life’s cosmic dispersal, turning our end into the universe’s new beginning.

The Age of Affirmation: From Knowing to Believing
The Age of Affirmation: From Knowing to Believing

In an era of endless information, truth has become secondary to belief. The Age of Affirmation explores how society has shifted from seeking knowledge to seeking comfort, where “fake news” and algorithmic echo chambers replace inquiry with identity.

The Dogs and the Primal Allure of Cheese: A Comparative Psychological Exploration
The Dogs and the Primal Allure of Cheese: A Comparative Psychological Exploration

Explore the deep psychological bond between dogs and cheese through the lens of comparative psychology. Discover why cheese triggers such primal joy in canines and what this reveals about evolution, emotion, and the shared pursuit of pleasure between species.

Global Psychology - Culture - Politics - Sustainability
Power, Parallels, and Projection: Understanding How Trump May Respond to the Epstein Files Through Behavioral Analysis
Power, Parallels, and Projection: Understanding How Trump May Respond to the Epstein Files Through Behavioral Analysis

An in-depth analysis of Epstein’s elite power dynamics and Trump’s behavioral patterns, exploring how psychological factors shape his response to the Epstein files.

From Coventry to New York: How Progressive Muslim Leaders Are Reframing Faith and Socialism
From Coventry to New York: How Progressive Muslim Leaders Are Reframing Faith and Socialism

Zarah Sultana (MP) and Zohran Mamdani (NYC Mayor-elect): two young Muslim leaders combining Islamic ethics and socialist principles. Discover how they're fighting inequality, confronting Islamophobia, and redefining the politics of care on a global scale.

The Cost of Courage: The Psychological Toll of Hate in Modern British Politics
The Cost of Courage: The Psychological Toll of Hate in Modern British Politics

Explore the relentless Islamophobic and misogynistic abuse targeting young Muslim MP Zarah Sultana. This analysis details the psychological cost of constant threats, the normalisation of hate in public life, and how resilience acts as resistance for minority women challenging the status quo in UK politics.

The Double Bind of Diversity: When Representation Meets Misogyny and Islamophobia
The Double Bind of Diversity: When Representation Meets Misogyny and Islamophobia

Explore the double bind facing Zarah Sultana, Britain's youngest Muslim MP. Her visibility brings both celebration and intense misogynistic and Islamophobic abuse.

You Won’t Break My Soul: Resilience, Identity, and Political Survival
You Won’t Break My Soul: Resilience, Identity, and Political Survival

A deep dive into MP Zarah Sultana's resilience, identity, and moral purpose as she navigates hostility, racism, and political survival in Westminster.

Health & Wellbeing - Mental - Physical - Spiritual
Tetris and Trauma: How a Simple Game Became a Surprising Tool for Reducing Intrusive Memories
Tetris and Trauma: How a Simple Game Became a Surprising Tool for Reducing Intrusive Memories

Discover how playing Tetris after trauma may reduce intrusive memories, based on emerging research into memory, cognition, and recovery.

Second Screening: Should We Be Concerned?
Second Screening: Should We Be Concerned?

An in-depth look at the rise of second-screening and how it’s reshaping attention, media, and creator wellbeing. Explore the psychological, cognitive, and cultural costs of multitasked media—and why this growing trend should concern both audiences and creators.

Ditch Online Dating: Build Your Offline Domain
Ditch Online Dating: Build Your Offline Domain

Build real connections without dating apps. This comprehensive guide explains how to create an offline social domain that highlights your strengths and leads to genuine attraction, backed by psychology.

What Parents Need to Know About Cognitive Development in Children
What Parents Need to Know About Cognitive Development in Children

Discover what parents need to know about cognitive development in children, with examples and tips based on developmental learning theories.

What Developmental Learning Theories Parents Should Know About
What Developmental Learning Theories Parents Should Know About

Learn the key developmental learning theories every parent should know, with practical examples to support your child’s growth, confidence, and curiosity.

Featured
RoboCop: Phantom Soul Syndrome
RoboCop: Phantom Soul Syndrome

Explore "Phantom Soul Syndrome" in RoboCop: An analysis of how Murphy’s humanity becomes a glitch, transforming the sci-fi film into a terrifying existential horror about a consciousness trapped and haunting its own machine.

How RoboCop Predicted the Weaponization of Masculinity
How RoboCop Predicted the Weaponization of Masculinity

How is modern gun marketing a fulfillment of RoboCop's satire? This article analyzes the branding of firearms as ultimate masculinity and security, linking the commodification of power to the tragic rise of mass violence.

Light, Darkness, and Desire: A Psychological Reading of the Rey–Kylo Ren Kiss
Light, Darkness, and Desire: A Psychological Reading of the Rey–Kylo Ren Kiss

Explore the psychology behind Rey and Kylo Ren’s controversial kiss in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. This essay examines attraction, morality, trauma bonding, and the enduring myth that love can reconcile light and dark.

Faith, Death, and Redemption in Hazbin Hotel
Faith, Death, and Redemption in Hazbin Hotel

An interpretive look at how Vivienne Medrano’s infernal musical becomes a mirror for faith, belief, and the longing to be saved.

The Accidental Messiah of ESO: Sleeps-On-Bridges and the Life of Brian Effect
The Accidental Messiah of ESO: Sleeps-On-Bridges and the Life of Brian Effect

From Life of Brian to Elder Scrolls Online, explore how accidental leaders inspire devotion and ritual through silence, humor, and human psychology.

Featured
The Psychology of Investing: How Biases Shape Risk, Fear, and Confidence
The Psychology of Investing: How Biases Shape Risk, Fear, and Confidence

Explore the psychology of investing. Learn how cognitive biases like loss aversion and overconfidence shape risk, fear, and confidence — and discover strategies for smarter investing.

The Dopamine Effect: Why Shopping Feels So Good (and How to Break the Cycle)
The Dopamine Effect: Why Shopping Feels So Good (and How to Break the Cycle)

Discover why shopping feels so good by exploring the dopamine effect. Learn how the brain’s reward system drives spending and practical strategies to break the cycle.

How to Overcome Financial Avoidance: Facing Debt, Bills, and Budgets Without Fear
How to Overcome Financial Avoidance: Facing Debt, Bills, and Budgets Without Fear
The Psychology of Lifestyle Creep: Why Earning More Doesn’t Always Mean Feeling Richer
The Psychology of Lifestyle Creep: Why Earning More Doesn’t Always Mean Feeling Richer

Explore the psychology of lifestyle creep and why earning more money doesn’t always make you feel richer. Learn strategies to stop income growth from fueling spending growth.

Why Being Broke Makes You Want to Spend More
Why Being Broke Makes You Want to Spend More

Discover the surprising psychology behind why being broke can trigger the urge to spend. Learn how scarcity mindset, stress, and emotional coping drive impulsive spending—and how to break the cycle.

Featured
Add a AI Usage Carbon Calculator to Your Website
Add a AI Usage Carbon Calculator to Your Website

Estimate the carbon emissions of your AI usage with our free calculator. Learn how many prompts = CO₂, kettles boiled, plastic bottles, and more.

Add a Tabletop Gaming Dice Roller to Your Website
Add a Tabletop Gaming Dice Roller to Your Website

Level up your website with this html fast, sleek, and accurate Tabletop Gaming Dice Roller.

Add a RNG Random Number Generator to Your Website
Add a RNG Random Number Generator to Your Website

Add a Random Number Generator to your site to instantly generate a number between any two values. Great for tabletop gaming, raffles or educational purposes.

Add a Percentage Finder Calculator to Your Website
Add a Percentage Finder Calculator to Your Website

Easily add code to your website that creates a sleek Percentage Calculator that solve all percentage calculations instantly to your website.

Add an Age Calculator to Your Website
Add an Age Calculator to Your Website

Easily add code to your website that creates a sleek Age Calculator that instantly calculates your exact age in years, months & days.

Featured
The Five Stages of Grief: Great for Narratives, Bad for Therapy
The Five Stages of Grief: Great for Narratives, Bad for Therapy

The five stages of grief (DABDA) offer narrative comfort, but lack empirical support. Learn why this model can pathologize normal grief and see the modern alternatives.

Resilience Skills That Counteract Trauma Narratives
Resilience Skills That Counteract Trauma Narratives

Discover five resilience skills that counteract trauma narratives. Learn how reframing, emotional regulation, meaning-making, connection, and agency foster healing and growth.

Am I Traumatized, or Just Human? Five Questions to Ask Yourself
Am I Traumatized, or Just Human? Five Questions to Ask Yourself

Not every painful experience is trauma. Learn five reflective questions to help you distinguish between trauma and ordinary human struggle, and discover when to seek support.

Resilience vs. Fragility: Which Story Do We Tell Ourselves?
Resilience vs. Fragility: Which Story Do We Tell Ourselves?

Do we see ourselves as fragile or resilient? Explore how the stories we tell about suffering shape identity, coping, and growth, and learn how to choose resilience without denying pain.

The Trauma Industry: How Culture Profits from Pathologizing Distress
The Trauma Industry: How Culture Profits from Pathologizing Distress

Explore how trauma has become a cultural and commercial industry. Learn why the commodification of suffering risks pathologizing everyday life and how we can protect the true meaning of trauma.