Behavioral Breakdown with Dr Abbie

Can you genuinely fall in love with artificial intelligence? And can an AI companion trigger some of the same romantic feelings we experience toward another person?

A fascinating study published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications investigated whether people could develop romantic attraction toward AI virtual characters, and whether physical attractiveness and responsiveness influenced those feelings.

Researchers created AI characters designed to interact romantically with participants, then examined how attraction developed. They also measured brain activity while women in relationships thought about their real partners and the AI characters they had interacted with.

The findings raise some fascinating questions about human attraction, emotional attachment, and how easily artificial intelligence can reproduce the social cues we associate with romantic relationships.

In this episode of Behavioral Breakdown, Dr. Abbie Maroño examines what the researchers actually discovered, whether the evidence supports claims that our brains respond to AI like a real romantic partner, and why developing emotional relationships with artificial intelligence raises concerns, particularly when it comes to children and vulnerable users.

But did the participants really fall in love with AI, or were they simply experiencing short-term attraction to a highly responsive virtual character?

Research discussed:
A study published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications examining parasocial romantic relationships with AI virtual agents, physical attractiveness, interactivity, and neural responses.

Subscribe to Behavioral Breakdown for fascinating research on human behavior, attraction, relationships, narcissism, psychopathy, trust, and decision-making, explained through behavioral science.

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What happens when several highly narcissistic people start a business together? Does having more narcissists on a founding team make a company more likely to fail?

A fascinating study published in the Journal of Business Venturing followed 911 American technology startups for almost a decade, examining how narcissistic personality traits among founders were associated with co-founder turnover and company growth.

The researchers discovered something unexpected. Higher levels of narcissism across a founding team were associated with more founders leaving, but the way narcissism was distributed among team members also appeared to matter. Teams with very different levels of narcissism showed a different pattern from teams where founders had similarly high levels of the trait.

In this episode of Behavioral Breakdown, Dr. Abbie Maroño explores what the researchers discovered, why the combination of personalities within a team may be just as important as individual traits, and what this research can, and cannot, tell us about narcissism, leadership and business success.

Research discussed:
A study published in the Journal of Business Venturing examining founder narcissism, co-founder turnover and startup growth across 911 U.S. technology companies.

Subscribe to Behavioral Breakdown for fascinating research on narcissism, psychopathy, deception, trust, influence and human behavior, explained through behavioral science.

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Can scientists actually see psychopathy in the brain? And if so, why have decades of brain scans produced such inconsistent findings?

A fascinating new study published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews in August 2026 examined brain-imaging research on psychopathic traits and uncovered something unexpected. Rather than identifying one specific brain region associated with psychopathy, researchers found evidence of a much broader structural brain network.

Even more interestingly, they investigated whether similar brain patterns were associated with personality traits in both humans and chimpanzees.

In this episode of Behavioral Breakdown, Dr. Abbie Maroño examines what the researchers discovered, what the findings suggest about the biology and evolution of psychopathic traits, and why this research does not mean scientists can identify a psychopath from a brain scan.

Research discussed:
Mapping the structural brain network of psychopathy: Convergent evidence from humans and chimpanzees (2026), Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

Subscribe to Behavioral Breakdown for fascinating research on human behavior, psychopathy, deception, trust, influence, and decision-making, explained through behavioral science.

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In this episode of The Doctor Abbie Show, behavioral scientist Dr Abbie Maroño explores how relationship stress can follow us into work, affect our decision making, and quietly interfere with our performance.

Why do we sometimes mistake emotional intensity for compatibility? How does uncertainty consume our attention even when we are trying to concentrate elsewhere? And what changes when we have a supportive partner and a stable home life?

This episode explores:

• How relationship stress creates background mental exhaustion
• Why unpredictability can become psychologically consuming
• The difference between emotional intensity and genuine compatibility
• How a healthy relationship supports ambition and professional performance
• What couples need to communicate as their lives become more demanding

Subscribe to The Doctor Abbie Show for honest conversations about psychology, relationships, human behavior, and building a stronger life.

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Procrastination is costing you more than time.

Every time you miss a deadline, delay a decision, or make somebody chase you for something you promised, you are teaching them what they can expect from you. Eventually, the question stops being whether you are capable and becomes whether you are reliable.

And that can quietly damage your reputation, career, leadership, and opportunities.

In this episode of The Doctor Abbie Show, I break down the psychology behind why we procrastinate and why the usual advice about better calendars, stricter deadlines, and productivity systems often fails.

You will also learn why that cycle develops, how procrastination changes the way other people perceive you, and how to break the pattern without waiting to suddenly feel motivated.

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Everyone loves the idea of hard work until they have to live through the part where nobody believes in them, progress feels painfully slow, and success still seems a long way away.

In this episode of The Doctor Abbie Show, I break down three of the biggest lies we are told about hard work and success, including why being on the right path does not always feel good, why balance is not always realistic when you are building something significant, and why the people around you can either accelerate your growth or quietly hold you back.

I also talk about the uncomfortable truth that sometimes the biggest thing standing between you and the life you want is you: your hesitation, your attachment to comfort, and the stories you tell yourself about why you are not ready yet.

If you are building a business, chasing an ambitious career goal, or working toward a life that currently feels a long way away, this episode is for you.

Subscribe to The Doctor Abbie Show for behavioral science, psychology, success, influence, trust and the uncomfortable truths behind why we do what we do.

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Why does betrayal hurt so much?

Most people assume it's because of what the other person did. But psychology suggests the deepest pain comes from something much more profound.

In this episode, I explore why betrayal feels like losing your reality, how it changes the way we see our past, why we begin questioning our own judgment, and what it actually takes to rebuild trust once it's been broken.

In this episode:

• Why betrayal feels like grief
 • How trust shapes our understanding of reality
 • The psychology behind symbolic loss
 • Why betrayal changes how we remember the past
 • Why we often stop trusting ourselves after betrayal
 • What genuine accountability looks like
 • How trust is rebuilt through consistent behavior, not words

Whether you've experienced betrayal yourself or you're trying to rebuild trust after breaking it, this episode offers a deeper understanding of one of the most painful human experiences.

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Most of us spend years believing that success, money, recognition, or the perfect lifestyle will finally make us feel fulfilled.

But what happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted... and still feel like something is missing?

In this episode, I explore why the pursuit of the "high life" often leaves people feeling emptier than they expected, what psychology tells us about happiness and fulfilment, and how chasing external validation can quietly reshape our relationships, identity, and wellbeing.

In this episode:

• Why success often feels less satisfying than we expect
 • The psychology behind dopamine and the endless pursuit of "more"
 • Why social media sells an illusion of the good life
 • The hidden emotional cost of status, wealth, and validation
 • How success can unintentionally create loneliness
 • What decades of psychological research say actually leads to happiness and fulfilment

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You've built a successful career or business. You know you're capable of more. Yet despite working harder, it feels as though you've hit a ceiling.

Most people assume they need another strategy, another opportunity, or more knowledge. But what if the real obstacle isn't external at all?

In this episode, I explore why the very behaviours that helped you become successful can eventually limit your growth, how your brain resists uncertainty, and what it really takes to reach the next level.

In this episode:

• Why high achievers hit a "success ceiling"
• How your brain mistakes familiarity for safety
• Why working harder isn't always the answer
• The hidden psychology behind procrastination and overthinking
• Why thinking becomes more valuable than doing at higher levels
• How identity influences long-term success
• Practical ways to break through your next level of growth

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Most people have been told that liars avoid eye contact, fidget, touch their face, or reveal the truth through a fleeting expression. The problem is that the science does not support the idea that any single body-language cue can reliably prove deception.

In this episode I discuss:
Why there is no single "tell" for deception
The science behind body language and lying
Why emotion is not the same as deception
The biggest mistake people make when interpreting nonverbal behaviour
How body language can actually improve communication, leadership, trust, and relationships
The approach I teach to federal agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and leaders around the world

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