Radio Talk-Show Psychology: Teaching-Learning and Professional Issues.

This paper, written for mental health professionals, focuses on learning, teaching, and professional issues in radio talk show psychology. The discussion focuses on the educational aspects of media psychology, including learning about others' behaviors and problems and alternative points of view, the role and behavior of professionals, how to handle problems and make better decisions, and the availability of help for problems. Teaching issues of importance to the program host, such as maintaining variety in the show's format, keeping topics and comments concrete and less abstract, maintaining enthusiasm and effective timing, confronting irrational beliefs, and dealing with role conflict, are presented. Professional issues including appropriateness of the radio format for principles of psychology, the seriousness of callers' concerns, the potential dangers in giving advice to anonymous callers, and professional image are individually addressed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of radio talk show psychology for the domain of undergraduate courses, in which students are taught self-help skills. (BL)