The Science Behind Dive Deep Dialogues
Everything DDD builds is grounded in research — from Emory University storytelling studies to neuroscience on self-talk. Here's the evidence base behind our three essential elements.
Meaningful Storytelling
Decades of research from Emory University shows that children who know their family stories demonstrate significantly higher emotional resilience, self-esteem, and coping ability. The oscillating family narrative — acknowledging both triumphs and struggles — is the most powerful pattern for building resilience.
Key researchers: Dr Marshall Duke, Dr Robyn Fivush, Bruce Feiler
Read the evidencePsychological Insight
Research on self-talk, self-compassion, and neuroplasticity shows that how you talk to yourself physically changes your brain. Distanced self-talk reduces emotional distress, while self-compassion increases motivation after failure.
Key researchers: Dr Ethan Kross, Dr Kristin Neff, Dr Dan Siegel, Dr Carol Dweck
Read the evidenceDeeper Dialogue
Research shows that conversation quality matters more than quantity. The happiest people have twice as many substantive conversations and one-third as much small talk as the unhappiest. How you talk about experiences matters more than what you talk about.
Key researchers: Matthias Mehl, Dr Robyn Fivush, Amy Edmondson
Read the evidenceMeaningful Storytelling
The research behind family storytelling and resilience is one of the most robust findings in developmental psychology. It started with a simple question at Emory University: does knowing your family story matter?
The "Do You Know?" Scale
A simple 20-question scale asking children things like: Do you know where your grandparents grew up? Do you know how your parents met? Do you know about a family member who overcame hardship?
Children who scored higher showed greater self-esteem, lower anxiety, better family functioning, fewer behavioural problems, and greater social competence. Knowledge of family history became the single strongest predictor of children's emotional health — stronger than any other factor the researchers studied.
The scale was validated by an unexpected natural experiment: data was collected in summer 2001, just two months before September 11. When the researchers followed up, children who knew more about their family stories proved more resilient in moderating the effects of collective trauma.
Three Narrative Patterns
Duke and Fivush identified three types of family narrative. Only one consistently builds strong resilience in children.
ascending Narrative
"We Made It" — emphasises achievement and progress. Less effective for building resilience.
descending Narrative
"We Lost Everything" — a story of decline. Correlates with lower resilience outcomes.
oscillating Narrative
"We've Weathered Storms Together" — acknowledges both triumphs and difficulties. Teaches setbacks are recoverable.
Most resilience-buildingDr Marshall Duke
Emory University — Psychology
Co-creator of the "Do You Know?" scale — a 20-question assessment measuring children's knowledge of family history. His research, conducted through the Family Narratives Project, discovered that children who know their family stories are more resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy.
Children who scored higher on the "Do You Know?" scale showed greater self-esteem, lower anxiety, and better ability to cope with challenges. Duke coined the concept of the "intergenerational self" — a psychological anchor built through family narrative knowledge.
"Children who have the most self-confidence have what we call a strong "intergenerational self." They know they belong to something bigger than themselves."
Dr Robyn Fivush
Emory University — Psychology
Leading researcher on autobiographical memory and family narratives. Pioneered research showing that the act of storytelling — not just knowing facts — builds resilience. Identified three narrative patterns: ascending, descending, and oscillating.
Her research found that knowledge of family history is the single strongest predictor of children's emotional health and happiness — stronger than any other factor studied. The oscillating narrative (acknowledging both triumphs and difficulties) is the most powerful pattern for building resilience.
"The definition of who they are is not just something independent and autonomous, spun from nowhere. It's embedded in a long, intergenerational family story."
Bruce Feiler
Author & Journalist — Cultural Commentary
Popularised the Duke and Fivush research through his 2013 New York Times article "The Stories That Bind Us" — one of Feiler's most popular and widely shared articles. Author of "The Secrets of Happy Families".
Feiler translated academic research into accessible public understanding, helping millions of families recognise the importance of sharing family narratives.
"The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative."
Dr Dan McAdams
Northwestern University — Psychology
Pioneer of narrative identity research — the study of how people construct their life stories and how those stories shape psychological wellbeing. His work on "redemptive narratives" shows that stories moving from difficulty to growth are strongly linked to greater wellbeing and generativity.
McAdams found that individuals who construct redemption sequences — stories where negative events lead to positive outcomes or personal growth — report higher life satisfaction, stronger identity coherence, and greater concern for future generations.
Dr Paul Zak
Claremont Graduate University — Neuroeconomics
Founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies. His research demonstrates that character-driven, emotionally complex stories trigger oxytocin release — the neurochemical associated with bonding, empathy, and trust.
Zak's peer-reviewed studies show that stories with strong emotional arcs cause listeners to produce oxytocin, which in turn affects attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours — creating bonding and memory formation that flat recounting does not achieve.
Dr Uri Hasson
Princeton University — Neuroscience
Brain-imaging researcher who discovered neural coupling — the phenomenon where listeners' brain activity begins to synchronise with the storyteller's during effective storytelling.
Hasson's fMRI studies show that during compelling storytelling, the listener's neural patterns mirror the speaker's with a slight delay, suggesting that stories create genuine shared experience at a neurological level.
Dr James Pennebaker
University of Texas at Austin — Psychology
Pioneered research on expressive writing and narrative construction. His studies demonstrate that constructing coherent narratives about difficult experiences leads to measurable improvements in physical and psychological health.
Pennebaker's research shows that the act of turning fragmented emotional experiences into structured stories — what he calls "narrative construction" — improves immune function, cardiovascular health, and psychological wellbeing.
Michael White
Dulwich Centre, Adelaide — Narrative Therapy
Co-founder of narrative therapy with David Epston. Developed the concept of "externalising" problems — separating a person's identity from the problem they experience — and "re-authoring" life stories through identifying unique outcomes.
White's narrative therapy approach treats personal stories as the primary structure through which people make meaning of their lives. By identifying alternative storylines and "sparkling moments" that contradict problem-saturated narratives, people can reconstruct their identity and agency.
Psychological Insight
The quality of your inner voice affects your physical health, decision-making, relationships, and resilience. Research shows these patterns can be consciously changed.
The Third-Person Effect
Dr Ethan Kross asked people to reflect on negative experiences using either first-person pronouns ("Why do I feel this way?") or their own name ("Why does [Name] feel this way?").
The results were striking: people who used distanced self-talk showed significantly less emotional distress, better problem-solving, less rumination, and improved performance under stress. This simple linguistic shift activates different neural pathways, accessing compassionate advice-giving circuitry.
Self-Compassion & Motivation
Dr Kristin Neff's research demonstrates a counterintuitive finding: self-compassion increases motivation after failure, rather than reducing it. People who treat themselves with kindness show greater emotional resilience, lower anxiety, and better relationships.
Growth Mindset & Neural Patterns
Dr Carol Dweck's research, including EEG studies by Moser et al. (2011), shows that growth mindset individuals have a stronger neural error-processing response when encountering mistakes. Fixed mindset shows decreased activity in learning regions. Self-talk interventions can shift these patterns.
Neuroplasticity in Practice
Dr Richie Davidson's brain imaging shows changes from consistent practice visible in scans within two weeks. London taxi driver studies proved adult brains physically remodel — the longer they drove, the larger their hippocampi became.
The Upward Spiral
Dr Barbara Fredrickson's Broaden-and-Build Theory, supported by extensive research, shows that positive emotions expand awareness and build lasting psychological resources. People who use supportive self-talk during stress show measurably faster physiological recovery, creating an upward spiral of wellbeing that compounds over time.
Dr Ethan Kross
University of Michigan — Psychology
Spent decades studying "chatter" — the negative self-talk that loops in our minds. His research reveals that the quality of our inner voice affects physical health, decision-making, relationships, performance, and resilience.
Discovered that people who use distanced self-talk — referring to themselves by name or using "you" — show significantly less emotional distress, better problem-solving, less rumination, and improved performance under stress.
"People with chronically negative inner dialogue show elevated levels of stress hormones, increased inflammation, weakened immune function, and higher rates of cardiovascular disease."
Dr Kristin Neff
Self-Compassion Research — Psychology
Research on self-compassion demonstrates that people who treat themselves with the same kindness they'd offer a struggling friend show greater emotional resilience, lower anxiety and depression, more motivation to improve after failure, and better relationships.
Counterintuitive finding: self-compassion increases motivation after failure, rather than reducing it. This challenges the common belief that being hard on yourself drives improvement.
Dr Dan Siegel
UCLA — Neuropsychiatry
Explains inner voice development through attachment theory. Children who grow up with secure attachment develop what he calls an "earned secure attachment" to themselves — their inner voice becomes a source of comfort and guidance.
Research shows that simply naming an emotion reduces its intensity. The act of labelling activates the prefrontal cortex (rational processing) and dampens the amygdala (emotional reactivity). His concept of "flipping your lid" describes how stress redirects brain resources away from rational thought.
Dr Carol Dweck
Stanford University — Psychology
Discovered that what you believe about your ability to change actually changes how your brain functions. People with growth mindsets have fundamentally different neural responses to mistakes and challenges.
EEG studies (Moser et al., 2011) show growth mindset individuals have stronger neural error-processing responses when encountering mistakes. Fixed mindset individuals show decreased brain activity in learning regions when encountering errors. Mindset interventions, including specific changes in self-talk, can shift these neural patterns.
Deeper Dialogue
The evidence for dialogue quality and wellbeing is more distributed across research fields and still developing, but the core finding is consistent: how you talk matters more than what you talk about.
From Matthias Mehl's voice-recorder studies to Fivush's work on elaborative reminiscing, the research converges on a single insight: deeper conversations build stronger wellbeing.
Conversation Quality & Happiness
Matthias Mehl followed people for days with voice-activated recorders, categorising every interaction as "small talk" or "substantive conversation" — where real, meaningful information was exchanged at more than a trivial level of depth.
The happiest participants had twice as many substantive conversations and one-third as much small talk as the unhappiest participants. A follow-up study with 486 participants confirmed the finding.
Elaborative Reminiscing
Fivush's research shows that how you talk about experiences matters more than what you talk about. Elaborative reminiscing — asking open-ended questions, adding emotional context, building on details — creates deeper understanding and stronger relationships.
Psychological Safety
Amy Edmondson's research, validated by Google's Project Aristotle (180 teams), found psychological safety was "by far the most important" factor in team performance. People need to feel safe speaking openly for dialogue to build genuine resilience.
The Neuroscience of Being Heard
When we experience active listening — when someone truly pays attention to what we're saying — neuroscience research reveals it activates the brain's reward system, the same neural circuitry that responds to other positive, rewarding experiences. Your brain literally rewards you for being heard and for hearing others.
Dr Robyn Fivush
Emory University — Psychology
Leading researcher on autobiographical memory and family narratives. Pioneered research showing that the act of storytelling — not just knowing facts — builds resilience. Identified three narrative patterns: ascending, descending, and oscillating.
Her research found that knowledge of family history is the single strongest predictor of children's emotional health and happiness — stronger than any other factor studied. The oscillating narrative (acknowledging both triumphs and difficulties) is the most powerful pattern for building resilience.
"The definition of who they are is not just something independent and autonomous, spun from nowhere. It's embedded in a long, intergenerational family story."
Matthias Mehl
University of Arizona — Psychology
Used voice-activated recorders to capture real conversations over days, categorising interactions as "small talk" or "substantive conversations" — where real, meaningful information was exchanged.
Key finding: the happiest participants had twice as many substantive conversations and one-third as much small talk as the unhappiest participants. A follow-up study with 486 participants confirmed: quality conversations are linked to greater happiness.
Amy Edmondson
Harvard Business School — Organisational Psychology
Discovered psychological safety whilst studying medical errors in hospitals. Expected the best-performing teams to report fewer mistakes — instead found the opposite: higher-performing teams reported more errors because they felt safe admitting them.
Google's Project Aristotle study, analysing 180 teams, confirmed psychological safety was "by far the most important" factor in team performance. Innovation, problem-solving, learning, quality, and collaboration all require psychological safety.
"You no longer have the option of leading through fear or managing through fear. In an uncertain, interdependent world, it doesn't work — either as a motivator or as an enabler of high performance."
Dr Arthur Aron
Stony Brook University — Social Psychology
Developed the "36 Questions" study demonstrating that structured, escalating reciprocal self-disclosure can create interpersonal closeness between strangers. The study showed that mutual vulnerability, when carefully structured, builds genuine connection.
Aron's 1997 study at Stony Brook University is one of the most replicated findings in relationship psychology. The 36 questions, organised in three escalating sets, were designed to create closeness through progressive self-disclosure — not to make people "fall in love," though two participants from the study later married.
Dr John Gottman
Gottman Institute — Relationship Psychology
Identified the Four Horsemen of relationship breakdown — criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling — through 40+ years of longitudinal studies on couples and relationships.
Gottman found that stable relationships maintain a 5:1 ratio of positive to negative interactions, and that 69% of relationship conflicts are perpetual. His work has been adapted across DDD apps from romantic to friendship and workplace contexts.
Robin Dunbar
University of Oxford — Evolutionary Psychology
Proposed Dunbar's Number — cognitive limits on meaningful relationships based on neocortex size: 5 intimate bonds, 15 close friends, 50 affiliates, 150 stable relationships.
Dunbar's social brain hypothesis explains why friend groups naturally subdivide and why maintaining unlimited relationships creates cognitive strain. The layered model has been validated across cultures.
Dr Murray Bowen
Georgetown University — Family Systems Theory
Founder of family systems theory — understanding families as emotional units where each member's behaviour affects all others. Developed the concept of differentiation of self: the ability to maintain individuality while staying emotionally connected to family.
Bowen identified eight interlocking concepts including triangulation (how two-person tensions recruit a third party), multigenerational transmission of patterns, and emotional cutoff. His framework explains how family dynamics repeat across generations until consciously addressed.
Virginia Satir
Mental Research Institute — Family Therapy
Pioneer of family therapy who identified four dysfunctional communication stances that emerge under stress: Placating (appeasing), Blaming (criticising), Computing (intellectualising), and Distracting (deflecting). Advocated a fifth stance — Congruent — as the healthy alternative.
Satir's communication stances are presented as clinical observations from decades of therapeutic practice rather than controlled experimental research. Her work remains influential in family therapy and communication skills training. The percentage breakdowns sometimes cited (e.g., "50% placating") are clinical estimates, not experimental findings.
Dr Sue Johnson
University of Ottawa — Clinical Psychology
Creator of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) — the most empirically validated couples therapy approach. EFT is based on attachment theory, helping partners identify and reshape the negative interaction cycles that create disconnection.
Johnson's research demonstrates that relationship distress stems from unmet attachment needs. EFT helps couples move from pursue-withdraw or attack-defend cycles to secure emotional bonding. Over 30 years of outcome studies show 70-75% of couples recover from distress through EFT.
Australian & Indigenous Research
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have understood the relationship between story, place, and resilience for over 65,000 years. Western research is beginning to catch up.
DDD acknowledges that the relationship between storytelling, place, and resilience was understood by Indigenous Australians long before Western research began documenting it. Our apps draw on both Western research and Indigenous perspectives, always with respect for the depth and primacy of Indigenous knowledge.
"The ability to have a connection and belonging to one's land, family and culture, therefore an identity. Allowing pain and suffering caused from adversities to heal. Having a dreaming, where the past is brought to the present and the present and the past are taken into the future."
— Marion Kickett, Aboriginal Researcher
Footprints in Time
The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, following over 1,700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children since 2008.
Cultural connections to Country proved just as important as preschool and playgroups in shaping wellbeing through adolescence.
Indigenous Resilience Scoping Review
Frontiers in Public Health (2021)
Drew on Aboriginal scholars and community advisory groups to understand resilience from an Indigenous perspective.
Identified five domains of resilience: Cultural Pride, Cultural Learning, Cultural Elders, Cultural Family, and Connection to Country.
Connection to Country is not separate from family story — it IS family story. Place is central to identity, belonging, and resilience in a way that Western family narrative research is only beginning to recognise.
The Science We Curate
Each DDD app is built on specific research. Here's what we've verified so far — and what's next.
Apps marked "Research Audited" have had their research claims verified against original sources. Apps marked "Audit Planned" draw on the same research traditions but haven't been formally audited yet.
MyStories FOREVER Vault
Research AuditedThe "Do You Know?" scale — children who know family history show greater self-esteem, lower anxiety, and better coping ability.
Dr Marshall Duke & Dr Robyn Fivush — Emory University
The oscillating narrative pattern — acknowledging ups and downs — builds the strongest resilience in children.
Duke & Fivush — Emory University
The "intergenerational self" concept — children who know they belong to something bigger than themselves show the most self-confidence.
Duke — Emory University
Inner Voice Mastery
Research AuditedDistanced self-talk — using your own name instead of "I" — significantly reduces emotional distress and improves problem-solving under stress.
Dr Ethan Kross — University of Michigan
Growth mindset individuals show stronger neural learning responses to mistakes. EEG studies (Moser et al., 2011) demonstrate that mindset interventions can shift these neural patterns.
Dr Carol Dweck — Stanford University
Self-compassion increases motivation after failure rather than reducing it — a counterintuitive finding supported by over 15 years of research across multiple populations.
Dr Kristin Neff — University of Texas at Austin
Story Threads
Research AuditedThe "Do You Know?" scale and oscillating narrative research — children who know family stories that include both struggle and recovery show significantly higher resilience, self-esteem, and emotional regulation.
Dr Marshall Duke & Dr Robyn Fivush — Emory University
Narrative identity research — people who construct "redemptive narratives" (stories that move from difficulty to growth) show higher psychological wellbeing, life satisfaction, and generativity.
Dr Dan McAdams — Northwestern University
Emotionally complex stories trigger oxytocin release and neural coupling — listeners' brains synchronise with storytellers', building shared experience at a neurological level.
Dr Paul Zak & Dr Uri Hasson — Claremont Graduate University / Princeton University
MindEase
Research AuditedMapped the brain's two-track fear processing system: a rapid subcortical pathway from thalamus to amygdala for immediate threat response, and a slower cortical pathway for conscious evaluation and contextual processing.
Dr Joseph LeDoux — New York University
Developed the inhibitory learning model for exposure therapy — replacing the older habituation model with evidence that new, non-threat associations are formed alongside (not replacing) existing fear memories.
Dr Michelle Craske — UCLA
Created the cognitive triad and systematic cognitive distortion frameworks underpinning CBT — the most extensively studied psychological treatment for anxiety disorders, supported by multiple meta-analyses.
Dr Aaron Beck — University of Pennsylvania
Deeper Dialogues
Research AuditedPeople who engage in more substantive conversations report significantly higher life satisfaction. The happiest participants had twice as many meaningful conversations and one-third as much small talk as the unhappiest.
Matthias Mehl — University of Arizona
Psychological safety — the freedom to speak openly without fear — is the single most important factor in team performance. Teams where members feel safe admitting mistakes show the highest productivity and innovation.
Dr Amy Edmondson — Harvard Business School
Elaborative reminiscing — discussing shared experiences in depth — strengthens emotional bonds and builds stronger autobiographical memory. The quality of dialogue about experiences matters more than the experiences themselves.
Dr Robyn Fivush — Emory University
Dive Deep Dating
Research AuditedStructured, escalating reciprocal self-disclosure can create interpersonal closeness between strangers — validated through the "36 Questions" study (1997) and subsequent replications.
Dr Arthur Aron — Stony Brook University
Three robust disclosure-liking effects: people who disclose intimately are liked more, people disclose more to those they like, and people like others more after disclosing to them.
Collins & Miller — UCSB / Meta-analysis
Understanding attachment patterns — secure, anxious, avoidant — enables healthier relationship formation. Self-awareness of attachment style improves communication and compatibility assessment.
Attachment Theory (Bowlby, Ainsworth, Hazan & Shaver) — Multi-institutional
Friendships Vibe
Research AuditedSocial rejection activates the same brain regions as physical pain — specifically the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula. The Cyberball study demonstrated that exclusion triggers neurological pain responses.
Dr Naomi Eisenberger — UCLA
The brain has cognitive limits on meaningful relationships based on neocortex size: 5 intimate bonds, 15 close friends, 50 affiliates, 150 stable relationships. These limits explain why friend groups naturally subdivide.
Robin Dunbar — University of Oxford
Four destructive communication patterns — criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling — predict relationship failure. Adapted from couples research, these patterns apply equally to friendships.
Dr John Gottman — Gottman Institute
Finding Your Voice
Research AuditedSocial rejection activates the same brain regions as physical pain — specifically the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula. The fear of judgement whilst speaking is neurologically real, not imagined.
Dr Naomi Eisenberger — UCLA
The spotlight effect — people dramatically overestimate how much others notice about them. Audiences are far more generous and less attentive to our flaws than we believe.
Thomas Gilovich — Cornell University
Identified the impostor phenomenon (1978) — a persistent internal experience of believing you are less competent than others perceive you to be, despite evidence to the contrary. Common among high achievers.
Dr Pauline Rose Clance & Dr Suzanne Imes — Georgia State University
Dive Deep Intimacy
Research AuditedUnderstanding attachment patterns — secure, anxious, avoidant, fearful-avoidant — enables healthier relationship formation. Self-awareness of attachment style improves communication and compatibility.
Attachment Theory (Bowlby, Ainsworth, Hazan & Shaver) — Multi-institutional
The neurochemistry of love involves distinct phases: dopamine and norepinephrine in initial attraction, oxytocin and vasopressin in long-term bonding. Understanding these phases helps couples navigate relationship development.
Dr Helen Fisher — Rutgers University
The "sweaty T-shirt" MHC study (1995) demonstrated that women prefer the scent of men with different immune system genes — one of the most replicated findings in evolutionary mate selection.
Claus Wedekind — University of Bern
Dive Deep Workplace
Research AuditedPsychological safety research demonstrating that high-performing teams report more errors because they feel safe admitting them. Google's Project Aristotle confirmed psychological safety as the most important factor in team performance.
Dr Amy Edmondson — Harvard Business School
Mapped the brain's dual-pathway fear system: rapid subcortical threat detection (thalamus to amygdala in 12 milliseconds) and slower cortical pathways enabling rational evaluation. Explains why conflict avoidance feels automatic.
Dr Joseph LeDoux — New York University
Process model of emotion regulation shows that reappraisal is more effective for long-term wellbeing than suppression. Suppression depletes executive function and impairs memory formation.
Dr James Gross — Stanford University
Family Dynamics
Research AuditedFamily systems theory — understanding families as emotional units where each member's behaviour affects all others. Key concepts include differentiation of self, triangulation, and multigenerational transmission of patterns.
Dr Murray Bowen — Georgetown University
Identified four dysfunctional communication stances under stress (Placating, Blaming, Computing, Distracting) and advocated Congruent communication as the healthy alternative. Presented as clinical observations, not experimental findings.
Virginia Satir — Mental Research Institute
Birth order research exploring how position in the family shapes personality and behaviour patterns. Sulloway's "Born to Rebel" (1996) provides evolutionary framework for sibling differentiation.
Alfred Adler & Frank Sulloway — Individual Psychology / UC Berkeley
Relationship Compass
Research AuditedSound Relationship House theory, the concept of "bids for connection" (turning towards, turning away, turning against), Four Horsemen, and the finding that 69% of relationship conflicts are perpetual and must be managed rather than solved.
Dr John Gottman — Gottman Institute
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) — the most empirically validated couples therapy approach. Based on attachment theory, helping partners identify pursue-withdraw cycles and build secure emotional bonding.
Dr Sue Johnson — University of Ottawa
Understanding attachment patterns — secure, anxious, avoidant, fearful-avoidant — enables healthier relationship formation. Attachment styles in adults were validated by Hazan and Shaver (1987).
Attachment Theory (Bowlby, Ainsworth, Hazan & Shaver) — Multi-institutional
Art of Story
Research AuditedNarrative identity theory — people construct life stories that shape psychological wellbeing. Redemptive narratives (difficulty leading to growth) are linked to higher life satisfaction and generativity.
Dr Dan McAdams — Northwestern University
Neural coupling — during effective storytelling, listeners' brain activity synchronises with the storyteller's, creating shared experience at a neurological level.
Dr Uri Hasson — Princeton University
Character-driven, emotionally complex stories trigger oxytocin release — the neurochemical associated with bonding, empathy, and trust. Stories with strong emotional arcs create measurable neurochemical responses.
Dr Paul Zak — Claremont Graduate University
Art of Conversation
Research AuditedThe "Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two" (1956) — demonstrating the limits of short-term memory capacity, foundational to understanding conversational information processing.
George Miller — Princeton University
The 55-38-7 communication rule (55% body language, 38% tone, 7% words) — the app properly disclaims that this finding applies only to communicating feelings and attitudes about single words, not to all communication.
Albert Mehrabian — UCLA
The RASA listening framework (Receive, Appreciate, Summarise, Ask) and HAIL speaking principles (Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity, Love). Practical communication frameworks from a TED speaker and sound consultant.
Julian Treasure — The Sound Agency
MindEase Vibe
Research AuditedDual-pathway fear processing — rapid subcortical route for immediate threat detection and slower cortical pathway for conscious evaluation. Applied to understanding teen anxiety responses.
Dr Joseph LeDoux — New York University
Cognitive distortion frameworks underpinning CBT — catastrophising, all-or-nothing thinking, mind reading — adapted for young people learning to identify and challenge anxious thought patterns.
Dr Aaron Beck — University of Pennsylvania
Three emotional regulation systems (threat, drive, soothing) from Compassion-Focused Therapy. The evolutionary framework helps young people understand anxiety as a natural survival mechanism rather than a personal failing.
Dr Paul Gilbert — University of Derby
Story Threads Vibe
Research AuditedThe "Do You Know?" scale and oscillating narrative research — children who know family stories that include both struggle and recovery show significantly higher resilience, self-esteem, and emotional regulation.
Dr Marshall Duke & Dr Robyn Fivush — Emory University
Narrative identity research — constructing redemptive narratives (stories that move from difficulty to growth) is strongly linked to greater wellbeing and life satisfaction.
Dr Dan McAdams — Northwestern University
Inner Voice Vibe
Research AuditedDistanced self-talk — using your own name instead of "I" — significantly reduces emotional distress. Adapted for young people navigating social pressure, exam stress, and identity formation.
Dr Ethan Kross — University of Michigan
Self-compassion increases motivation after failure rather than reducing it. Particularly relevant for young people who face intense academic and social comparison pressures.
Dr Kristin Neff — University of Texas at Austin
Growth mindset — believing abilities can be developed through effort — changes neural responses to mistakes. EEG studies show growth mindset individuals have stronger error-processing responses.
Dr Carol Dweck — Stanford University
Our Approach to Evidence
Where Evidence Is Strong
- Family stories and resilience — extensively replicated across multiple studies and validated by a natural experiment
- Self-talk quality and emotional regulation — well-documented across neuroscience and psychology
- Attachment patterns and their capacity for change — decades of developmental psychology research
- Cultural connection and Indigenous wellbeing — long-running longitudinal study with 1,700+ participants
- Growth mindset and neural plasticity — validated with EEG and brain imaging
- Neuroplasticity itself — well-established across multiple domains and methodologies
Where Evidence Is Promising
- Digital storytelling mechanisms — evidence is promising but long-term studies of app-based interventions are still developing
- Cross-cultural dialogue translation — how conversation quality research applies across different cultural contexts
- Long-term app-based intervention impact — the underlying research is strong, but the specific delivery via apps needs more study
- Workplace psychological safety interventions via digital tools — the concept is proven, the delivery method is newer
We design based on the strongest available evidence and evolve as research develops. Where evidence is still emerging, we say so. We believe being honest about what we know — and what we don't yet know — builds more trust than overclaiming.
References
Family Narratives & Resilience
- Duke, M.P., Lazarus, A., & Fivush, R. (2008). Knowledge of family history as a clinically useful index of psychological well-being and prognosis. Psychotherapy Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 45, 268-272.
- Fivush, R. (2019). Family Narratives and the Development of an Autobiographical Self. Routledge.
- McAdams, D.P. (2006). The Redemptive Self: Stories Americans Live By. Oxford University Press.
- Pennebaker, J.W. (1997). Writing About Emotional Experiences as a Therapeutic Process. Psychological Science, 8(3), 162-166.
- Feiler, B. (2013, March 15). The Stories That Bind Us. The New York Times.
Self-Talk & Inner Voice
- Kross, E. (2021). Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It. Crown.
- Neff, K. (2011). Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. William Morrow.
- Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
Neuroscience & Neuroplasticity
- Siegel, D. (2012). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. Viking.
- Fredrickson, B. (2009). Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions. Crown.
- Zak, P.J. (2015). Why Inspiring Stories Make Us React: The Neuroscience of Narrative. Cerebrum, 2.
- Hasson, U., Ghazanfar, A.A., Galantucci, B., Garrod, S., & Keysers, C. (2012). Brain-to-brain coupling: a mechanism for creating and sharing a social world. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(2), 114-121.
Australian & Indigenous Research
- Usher, K., Jackson, D., Walker, R., et al. (2021). Indigenous Resilience in Australia: A Scoping Review Using a Reflective Decolonizing Collective Dialogue. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 630601.
- Dockery, A.M. (2020). Inter-generational transmission of Indigenous culture and children's wellbeing: Evidence from Australia. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 74, 80-93.
- Footprints in Time: The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children — Early Childhood Report (2025). Queensland University of Technology.
Anxiety & CBT Research
- LeDoux, J.E. (2015). Anxious: Using the Brain to Understand and Treat Fear and Anxiety. Viking.
- Hofmann, S.G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I.J.J., Sawyer, A.T., & Fang, A. (2012). The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36, 427-440.
- Craske, M.G., Treanor, M., Conway, C.C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing Exposure Therapy: An Inhibitory Learning Approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10-23.
- Beck, A.T. (1976). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders. International Universities Press.
- Balban, M.Y., et al. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine, 4(1), 100895.
- Barrett, L.F. (2017). How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
- Gilbert, P. (2009). The Compassionate Mind: A New Approach to Life's Challenges. Constable & Robinson.
Dialogue & Conversation Quality
- Mehl, M.R., Vazire, S., Holleran, S.E., & Clark, C.S. (2010). Eavesdropping on Happiness: Well-Being Is Related to Having Less Small Talk and More Substantive Conversations. Psychological Science, 21(4), 539-541.
- Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383.
Self-Disclosure & Relationship Formation
- Aron, A., Melinat, E., Aron, E.N., Vallone, R.D., & Bator, R.J. (1997). The experimental generation of interpersonal closeness: A procedure and some preliminary findings. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(4), 363-377.
- Collins, N.L., & Miller, L.C. (1994). Self-disclosure and liking: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 116(3), 457-475.
- Reis, H.T., & Shaver, P. (1988). Intimacy as an interpersonal process. In S. Duck (Ed.), Handbook of Personal Relationships (pp. 367-389).
- Sprecher, S., Treger, S., Wondra, J.D., Hilaire, N., & Wallpe, K. (2013). Taking turns: Reciprocal self-disclosure promotes liking in initial interactions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(5), 860-866.
Conversation Science & Communication
- Rosenberg, M.B. (2003). Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life (2nd ed.). PuddleDancer Press.
- Gottman, J.M., & Silver, N. (1999). The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Crown.
- Gottman, J.M. (1994). What Predicts Divorce? The Relationship Between Marital Processes and Marital Outcomes. Psychology Press.
- Rogers, C.R. (1961). On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy. Houghton Mifflin.
- Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam.
Social Pain & Friendship Research
- Eisenberger, N.I., Lieberman, M.D., & Williams, K.D. (2003). Does Rejection Hurt? An fMRI Study of Social Exclusion. Science, 302(5643), 290-292.
- Gilovich, T., Medvec, V.H., & Savitsky, K. (2000). The Spotlight Effect in Social Judgment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(2), 211-222.
- Dunbar, R.I.M. (2010). How Many Friends Does One Person Need? Dunbar's Number and Other Evolutionary Quirks. Faber & Faber.
- Mollenhorst, G. (2008). Networks in Contexts: How Meeting Opportunities Affect Personal Relationships. Doctoral dissertation, Utrecht University.
- Hall, J.A. (2018). How many hours does it take to make a friend? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(4), 1278-1296.
- Clance, P.R., & Imes, S.A. (1978). The Impostor Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241-247.
- Gross, J.J. (1998). The Emerging Field of Emotion Regulation: An Integrative Review. Review of General Psychology, 2(3), 271-299.
Workplace & Decision-Making Research
- Amabile, T.M., & Kramer, S.J. (2011). The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work. Harvard Business Review Press.
- Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
- Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., Muraven, M., & Tice, D.M. (1998). Ego Depletion: Is the Active Self a Limited Resource? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(5), 1252-1265.
- Danziger, S., Levav, J., & Avnaim-Pesso, L. (2011). Extraneous factors in judicial decisions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(17), 6889-6892.
- Iyengar, S.S., & Lepper, M.R. (2000). When Choice is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 995-1006.
Family Systems & Dynamics
- Bowen, M. (1978). Family Therapy in Clinical Practice. Jason Aronson.
- Satir, V. (1972). Peoplemaking. Science and Behavior Books.
- Carter, B., & McGoldrick, M. (1999). The Expanded Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives (3rd ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
- Sulloway, F.J. (1996). Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives. Pantheon.
- Black, C. (1981). It Will Never Happen to Me: Growing Up with Addiction as Youngsters, Adolescents, Adults. Ballantine.
Relationship Research
- Johnson, S.M. (2008). Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love. Little, Brown.
- Rusbult, C.E. (1983). A Longitudinal Test of the Investment Model: The Development (and Deterioration) of Satisfaction and Commitment in Heterosexual Involvements. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(1), 101-117.
- Basson, R. (2000). The Female Sexual Response: A Different Model. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 26(1), 51-65.
- Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic Love Conceptualized as an Attachment Process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511-524.
Narrative Therapy & Story Craft
- White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. W.W. Norton.
- Bohm, D. (1996). On Dialogue. Routledge.
- Miller, G.A. (1956). The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information. Psychological Review, 63(2), 81-97.
- Tedeschi, R.G., & Calhoun, L.G. (2004). Posttraumatic Growth: Conceptual Foundations and Empirical Evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1-18.
Perpetrator & Colonial Histories
- Bar-On, D. (1989). Legacy of Silence: Encounters with Children of the Third Reich. Harvard University Press.
- DeGruy, J. (2005). Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. Uptone Press.
- Denham, A.R. (2008). Rethinking historical trauma: Narratives of resilience. Transcultural Psychiatry, 45(3), 391-414.
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