Speaking of Psychology

Епизоде

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  The Science of Suicide Prevention, with Matthew Nock, PhD 16.09.2026 38мин

  The U.S. suicide rate today is almost identical to what it was a century ago, even as death rates from many other causes have dropped. Matthew Nock, PhD, of Harvard University, discusses why it’s so hard to predict who will act on suicidal thoughts -- and when; how new tools, from electronic health records to smartphone sensors, are helping researchers understand risk in real time; what interventions show the most promise; why stigma and fear keep us from discussing suicide; and why open conversations are key to prevention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why does music move us? With Robert Zatorre, PhD 09.09.2026 49мин

  Why does music give many of us goosebumps, bring back vivid memories and make us want to dance -- but leaves some people cold? Robert Zatorre, author of “From Perception to Pleasure: The Neuroscience of Music and Why We Love It,” discusses how music engages the brain’s reward system; why expectation and surprise are a key part its appeal; what we can learn from musical anhedonia, or the inability to enjoy music; and how scientists are making strides in understanding music therapy and the healing potential of music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How teaching and learning will change in the age of AI, with C. Edward Watson, PhD, and Beth Schwartz, PhD 02.09.2026 48мин

  Over the past several years, generative AI has moved into classrooms at lightning speed. C. Edward Watson, PhD, author of “Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning,” and Beth Schwartz, PhD, senior director of teaching and learning at APA, discuss how students and educators are navigating these changes; how AI can help or hinder learning; how teachers can redesign assignments and assessments; and what schools and universities should be teaching students about using AI responsibly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why people cheat—and can relationships recover, with Galena Rhoades, PhD 26.08.2026 30мин

  Infidelity can shatter trust and leave people questioning their relationships and themselves. Galena Rhoades, PhD, discusses why people cheat; infidelity in the age of dating apps, social media and AI chatbots; what makes some betrayals harder to overcome than others; and how psychologists help individuals and couples begin to heal after an affair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Encore: The psychology of sports fans, with Daniel Wann, PhD 19.08.2026 41мин

  Are you a sports superfan? Or do you wonder what’s driving the superfans in your life? Daniel Wann, PhD, of Murray State University, talks about why being a fan is usually good for people’s mental health, how they choose the teams they root for, why some are fair-weather fans while others love to cheer for the underdog, how fandom is changing among younger people, and whether a crowd of supportive fans can affect the outcome of a game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Encore: Why psychopathy is more common than you think, with Abigail Marsh, PhD 12.08.2026 43мин

  Most of us think we know what a psychopath looks like. The word brings to mind images of horror movies and criminals. But psychopathy is far more common than most people realize, and actually hard to recognize in other people. Abigail Marsh, PhD, of Georgetown University, discusses what researchers have learned about the causes of psychopathy and effective treatments for it, how to recognize psychopathy in those around you, and her work exploring the emotional processes and the brain differences that underlie both psychopathy and its opposite, extraordinary altruism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Encore: How living with secrets can harm you, with Michael Slepian, PhD 05.08.2026 24мин

  We all keep secrets—on average, people have about 13 secrets at any one time, five of which they have never told another person. Psychologist Michael Slepian, PhD, of Columbia Business School, talks about what types of secrets people keep, why keeping a secret bottled up inside can harm us, how keeping secrets—or sharing them—affects people’s relationships with each other, how we decide whom we can trust with our secrets, and whether other people can tell when we’re holding something back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Encore: Why you should aim to be a “good enough” parent, with Tim Cavell, PhD, and Lauren Quetsch, PhD 29.07.2026 43мин

  Being a parent can be tough these days. Dozens of books and articles offer competing answers to questions from how to help siblings get along to how much screen time is too much, and every decision you make feels important. It's no wonder that many parents feel tired, stressed, and unsure of whether they're doing a good job. Tim Cavell, PhD, and Lauren Quetsch, PhD, authors of Good Enough Parenting: A Six-Point Plan for a Stronger Relationship With Your Child, talk about what “good enough parenting” means and why it’s a worthy goal, why nurturing the parent-child relationship is parents’ most important job, why science backs the old adage “choose your battles wisely,” and how to develop loving, supportive relationships with your kids that will stand the test of time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  AI “de-skilling”: What happens when we offload our work to AI? With Brooke Macnamara, PhD 22.07.2026 34мин

  From writing emails to analyzing medical images, AI is becoming a routine part of many people's work. These tools can boost productivity and free us from tedious tasks -- but what happens when we start relying on them for skills that once required years of practice to develop? Brooke Macnamara, PhD, discusses the psychology of cognitive offloading; what early research suggests about AI's effects on learning, memory and expertise; why novices and experts may be affected differently by AI tools; and how workers can use AI in ways that support, rather than undermine, their long-term skill development. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Social media, looksmaxxing, and why men struggle with body image, with Roberto Olivardia, PhD 15.07.2026 45мин

  For years, body image concerns and eating disorders were viewed as problems that primarily affected girls and women. But boys and men also struggle with body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and body dysmorphia -- often in ways that go unnoticed. Roberto Olivardia, PhD, a clinical psychologist at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, discusses muscle dysmorphia; why body image disorders in men are frequently overlooked; how social media, the "manosphere," and trends like looksmaxxing are shaping young men's ideas about appearance and masculinity; and what parents, clinicians, and others can do to help boys and men build a healthier relationship with their bodies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Rethinking sleep and mental health, with Philip Gehrman, PhD 08.07.2026 31мин

  Too often, we treat sleep as something we can sacrifice when life gets busy. But a growing body of research finds that sleep is essential to both mental and physical health -- and that sleep problems can be a cause, not just a consequence, of conditions like depression and anxiety. Philip Gehrman, PhD, discusses what happens in the brain while we sleep; how insomnia and disrupted circadian rhythms affect mental health; why psychologists are paying more attention to sleep; and what all of us can do to get better, more restorative sleep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why listening well is harder -- and more powerful -- than you think, with Guy Itzchakov, PhD 01.07.2026 45мин

  Most people think they’re good listeners. But really listening well is harder than it seems. Guy Itzchakov, PhD, talks about what distinguishes high-quality listening from just staying quiet while someone else talks; how feeling heard affects speakers’ emotions, attitudes and relationships; why high-quality listening can reduce defensiveness during disagreements; and whether AI chatbots will ever be good listeners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  “Sharenting”: What happens when children's lives are shared online? With Keneisha Sinclair-McBride, PhD 24.06.2026 24мин

  From ultrasound photos to graduation pictures, many parents share their children's lives online. For some families, these posts help maintain connections with friends and relatives or build supportive parenting communities. But what does it mean for children to grow up with a digital footprint that begins, in some cases, before they are even born? Keneisha Sinclair-McBride, PhD, discusses the psychology of "sharenting," the privacy and safety risks of sharing in the age of AI, and how families can balance connection and community with children's need for autonomy and control over their own stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Multisensory perception: How sight, sound and touch shape what we taste, with Charles Spence, PhD 17.06.2026 41мин

  Why does seafood taste better at the beach? Why are so many snacks crunchy? Can the color of a room or the music in the background change the way we experience what we eat and drink? Charles Spence, PhD, head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford, discusses the science of multisensory perception and how our senses work together to shape flavor; why food is the ultimate multisensory experience; and how insights from this research can help people eat more mindfully and enjoy eating more fully. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why midlife may be your prime time, with Margie Lachman, PhD 10.06.2026 31мин

  For many adults, midlife is a time of competing responsibilities: raising children, helping parents and managing careers, all while confronting their own aging. Yet psychologists increasingly see these years not as a period of crisis or decline but one of growth and opportunity. Margie Lachman, PhD, author of Primetime: A New Vision for Midlife, discusses the science of midlife, including why people often become more confident and resilient in middle age, how caring for others can be both stressful and rewarding, and why the choices we make in our 40s and 50s can have an outsized impact on our health and cognitive functioning later in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How children learn culture — and create it, with Dorsa Amir, PhD 03.06.2026 42мин

  Which aspects of human cognition are universal and which are shaped by the culture we grow up in? Dorsa Amir, PhD, director of the Mind & Culture Lab at Duke University, talks about how children learn cultural norms around things like sharing, risk-taking and cooperation; what she’s learned from her work with the Shuar people in the Ecuadorian Amazon; why children’s “peer cultures” may play a bigger role in human development than we realize; and why parents can take comfort  from the vast variety of ways children are raised succesfully around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Introducing: Call to Mind 29.05.2026 53мин

  Today, we're sharing an episode of another podcast we think you'll enjoy: Call to Mind, from American Public Media. Call to Mind is American Public Media's initiative to foster new conversations about mental health. This episode, The Strain of Stress, looks at the many pressures Americans are facing today, how chronic stress can affect both mental and physical health, and how to manage the strain. You’ll hear from two familiar voices: Arthur C. Evans Jr., CEO of the American Psychological Association, and Dennis Stolle, APA’s head of applied psychology. Learn more about Call to Mind at  calltomindnow.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How to feel more loved, with Harry Reis, PhD 27.05.2026 29мин

  Even in our closest relationships, we can sometimes feel misunderstood and disconnected. Relationship researcher Harry Reis, PhD, coauthor of How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most, talks about the difference between being loved and feeling loved; the five “mindsets” that help people build stronger relationships; and why listening, vulnerability and curiosity are key to feeling more loved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why being ‘a little more social’ makes us happier than we expect, with Nicholas Epley, PhD 20.05.2026 39мин

  From chatting with a stranger on the train to reaching out to an old friend, everyday social interactions make us happier than we realize. Yet many people avoid these moments because they expect them to feel awkward or uncomfortable. Nicholas Epley, PhD, author of ‘A Little More Social,’ discusses why people consistently underestimate how much they’ll enjoy all kinds of social interactions; the psychology behind small talk and deep conversations; how technology is changing the way we connect; and why even brief moments of connection can improve our happiness, health and well-being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  ‘Bossware’ and burnout: The psychology of workplace surveillance, with Tara Behrend, PhD 13.05.2026 28мин

  From keystroke trackers and webcam monitoring to GPS devices, an increasing number of us -- across a wide range of jobs -- are being monitored while we work. Tara Behrend, PhD, discusses why employers use these tools; how constant monitoring changes workers’ behavior and attention and how it can increase stress and burnout; the growing role of AI in collecting and analyzing employee data; and whether any laws regulate the kinds of data employers can collect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices