EPISODE 1: The Role of Psychology in Human Performance Optimization

This week, Martin & Jonpaul talk to eminent psychologist Professor Michael Matthews. Mike shares insights from his extensive career across a wide-range of topics including the importance of non-cognitive factors such as grit, developing character traits and the role of organisational culture. 

Guest, Cast & Crew

Michael Matthews is professor of engineering psychology in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has authored over 250 scientific papers and is the co-editor of several leading texts. 

Hosted by Martin Jones & Jonpaul Nevin https://www.ophp.co.uk

Edited by Bess Manley

Produced by Wavell Room https://wavellroom.com/

Resources

·      Mike’s email Mike.matthews@westpoint.edu

·      Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb

·      Human Performance Optimization: The Science and Ethics of Enhancing Human Capabilitieshttps://academic.oup.com/book/1587

·      Headstrong: How Psychology is Revolutionizing War https://academic.oup.com/book/36963

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Chapters

00:42 Introducing Professor Michael Matthews

03:29 Prof Matthews' Journey: From Police Officer to leading Psychologist

07:33 Exploring Non-Cognitive Factors 

10:32 The Grit Factor

17:45 Character Development and Organizational Culture

22:38 The Crucial Role of Character in Leadership

25:24 The Pitfalls of Short-Term Wins Over Long-Term Success

27:20 The Multidisciplinary Nature of Human Performance Optimization

28:09 The 'Shiny Object Syndrome'

31:38 The Psychological Warfare of Modern Conflicts

35:43 The Weaponization of Social Media in Warfare

39:33 Improving Situational Awareness and Counteracting Misinformation

43:23 Closing Thoughts

Up Next

Our next episode will be released on 20th May, when our guest is social psychologist Dr Jutta Tobias Mortlock. We discuss the role that mindfulness training can play in high-performance settings.

Thanks for reading this week's show notes

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