The Elephant in the Room
The Problem The study of wisdom in psychology has long suffered from a curious irony: the field itself has lacked the very
Lived experience perspectives of factors that influence mental health recovery in Singapore
A recent study in Singapore has looked at how people recover from mental health setbacks (Kuek, Raeburn, Chow, & Wand, 2022). There is much research in the country on understanding mental health and information on the ability to diagnose mental health issues. However, the road back to recovery is far less understood.
What is optimisation?
At Spartans, we define optimisation as follows: when the external reality matches the individual's internal subjective experience and goals. The graph has two axes. Subjective well-being is how a person feels about themselves and their emotional, mental and physical well-being. The other axis is their external reality—their alignment between their hoped-for and experienced life. Optimisation, the goal Spartans has for its members, is when a positive emotional state matches a positive external reality. When the subjective experience and external reality are both positive, a person is on the road to optimisation
Trauma and boxing – An interesting pairing
Trauma can deeply impact a person’s mental well-being, often leading to anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal. While therapy and medical support remain central to recovery, growing research shows that exercise can play a powerful complementary role. Boxing, as a high-intensity and skill-based activity, helps redirect focus, release built-up stress, and rebuild a sense of control. In a supportive community environment, it can become a meaningful pathway toward healing and resilience.
Progression and Avoiding the Choke
References Beilock, S. (2010). Choke: What the secrets of the brain reveal about getting it right when you have to. Simon and Schuster. Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Csikzentmihaly, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience (Vol. 1990). New York: Harper & Row.
Studies you should know: Machine-based personnel selection promises a lot but without a solid foundation
A study by D. Goretzko and L. Finja Israel on the pitfalls of machine learning-based personnel selection, published in the Journal of Personnel Psychology.
Studies you should know: A balanced approach to mindfulness
A study by E. Choi, J. A. Gruman, and C. M. Leonard explores a balanced view of mindfulness at work, published in Organizational Psychology Review.
Studies you should know: Like most things in psychology, free time follows a similar idea
A study by M. Sharif, C. Mogilner, and H. Hershfield on time and subjective wellbeing, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Studies you should know: The benefits of a psychologically rich life
A study by S. Oishi and E. Westgate on happiness, meaning, and a psychologically rich life, published in Psychological Review.
Studies You Should Know: Implicit Association Test
Meissner, F., Grigutsch, L.A., Koranyi, N., Müller, F., & Rothermund, K. (2019). Predicting behavior with implicit measures: Disillusioning findings, reasonable explanations, and