Maya Shankar
Who is Maya Shankar?
She is a cognitive scientist
What is decision-making?
The process of choosing an action after gathering information and assessing the potential outcomes
What is adaptation?
The process of adjusting one’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviors in response to new experiences or challenges.
What can be technique on how to be resilient can be defined as forcing yourself to look at a situation logically and not emotionally
Cognitive reframing
True or false - Maya Shankar worked at the white house
True - She was a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House
The name of her podcast is...
A slight change of plans
What part of the brain does decision-making take place?
the prefrontal cortex and amygdala
Which guest’s story in her podcast best represents emotional adaptation after heartbreak?
Florence Willaims
What is considered to be a powerful tool of growth and resilience, but may cause extreme discomfort?
Uncertainty
This quote was in the presentation “When an unexpected change happens to us.. It can also inspire lasting change within us.”Who said it?
Maya Shankar
Name where and what Maya Shankar studied
She studied cognitive psychology from Oxford and has a Bachelor's degree from Yale.
What is a bias?
a predisposition for or against a particular idea, person or group
True or False: Adaptation only happens after negative events.
False — adaptation happens in response to any change, positive or negative.
What can be defined as the desire to have a clear, definite answer during an uncomfortable situation?
cognitive closure
Define Resilience
how one is able to mentally andemotionally adapt to stress, trauma, or unexpected change
The main focus of her podcast is...
about what happens when life doesn't go as planned. Drawing from science and personal storytelling.
Explain foreclosure bias
When people commit to a specific identity too early, before exploring other options.
How does Maya Shankar’s podcast redefine the meaning of “adaptation”?
Adaptation is not just survival; it’s transformation — the process of redefining identity, values, and capabilities through change.
What mechanism relates to the idea of switching perspectives to move forward quickly in a time of duress?
Cognitive flexibility
What are the two main levels of adaptation?
Evolutionary adaptation and Individual or psychological adaptation
What was Maya's original life plan?
To become a professional musician
Explain the basic process of how the brain makes a decision
The brain identifies a problem or decision -> it then gathers the information -> next it evaluates and interprets all the choices -> it then selects the best option -> next it executes the selected action -> lastly the brain receives feedback and makes the proper adjustments
What three reflection questions does Maya ask people to consider in times of change?
“How might this change what I’m capable of?”
“How might this change what I value?”
“How might this change define me?
What is defined as to how people mentally or emotionally recover from stress, trauma, or unexpected change
resilience
True or false- adaptation is both a psychological learning process and a behavioral change.
True