Independent researcher Aella joins Yoel and Alexa to talk about her experiences doing freelance social science. Their discussion touches on some far-ranging topics, from the upsides of Twitter microfame to the humbling experience of questioning one's faith. At one point, they consider the compromises - good and bad - that come from catering to one's critics. Aella also discusses a recent funded research project where she asks people about their sexual fetishes.  Special Guest: Aella. Links:Two Psychologists F. on UntappdKnowingless – In pursuit of an internally consistent annihilationerodynamicsAll The Twitter Polls (@aella_girl) - Google Sheets


Episode 90: Freelance Kinkology (with Aella)

Two psychologists endeavor to drink four beers while discussing news and controversies in science, academia, and beyond.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Social Sciences

Science & Medicine

Science

Life Sciences

Andrew Devendorf joins Alexa and Yoel to discuss his work on "me-search" (or self-relevant research) within clinical psychology. He talks about the prevalence of mental health difficulties within the field, and the harmful taboos against speaking openly about them. And, he shares his own reasons for studying depression and suicide, and how he has been discouraged from citing personal experience as a motivation for his work. Their conversation also explores common misconceptions about mental illness, strengths of self-relevant research, and ways to be more supportive to those facing mental health challenges. In the end, Yoel and Alexa fail to resolve their debate about the existence of the "unbiased researcher."  Special Guest: Andrew Devendorf. Links:Andrew Devendorf, M.A.PsyArXiv Preprints | Stigmatizing our own: Self-relevant research (Me-search) is common but frowned upon in clinical psychological sciencePsyArXiv Preprints | Is "me-search" a Kiss of Death in mental health researchOnly Human: Mental-Health Difficulties Among Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology Faculty and Trainees - Sarah E. Victor, Andrew R. Devendorf, Stephen P. Lewis, Jonathan Rottenberg, Jennifer J. Muehlenkamp, Dese’Rae L. Stage, Rose H. Miller, 2022My Brother Went Missing, And The Search For Him Turned My World Upside Down | HuffPost HuffPost PersonalNADA SURF - where is my mind? (Official Video) - YouTube

Episode 110: RE-RELEASE: Destigmatizing Mental Health (with Andrew Devendorf)

Playing devil's advocate, Yoel and Mickey mount a criticism against the scientific study of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can we measure it? Is mindfulness-based therapy effective? Can mindfulness improve the quality of attention beyond the meditation cushion? Are effects of mindfulness mostly placebo effects produced by motivated practitioners and adherents? Should we be impressed by mindfulness meditation’s supposed effects on conceptions of the self? Is mindfulness, in all its complexity, amenable to scientific study?

Bonus: Is the value of diversity and inclusivity a core part of open science?

This is a re-release of an episode first released on August 7, 2019. Links:Burdock BreweryLunch Money | Collective Arts BrewingPsyArXiv Preprints | Will this time be different?Opinion | Can We End the Meditation Madness? - The New York TimesThe benefits of being present: mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being - PubMedMind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation - PubMedArgentine tango dance compared to mindfulness meditation and a waiting-list control: a randomised trial for treating depression - PubMedMeditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | Complementary and Alternative Medicine | JAMA Internal Medicine | JAMA NetworkMindfulness training affects attention--or is it attentional effort? - PubMedMeditation, mindfulness and executive control: the importance of emotional acceptance and brain-based performance monitoring - PubMedCognitive effects of MBSR/MBCT: A systematic review of neuropsychological outcomes - PubMedMindfulness training as cognitive training in high-demand cohorts: An initial study in elite military servicemembers - PubMedA randomised active-controlled trial to examine the effects of an online mindfulness intervention on executive control, critical thinking and key thinking dispositions in a university student sample | BMC Psychology | Full Text

Episode 109: RE-RELEASE: Against Mindfulness

Yoel and Alexa are joined by Joe Simmons to talk about fraud. We go in-depth on a recent high-profile fraud case, but we also talk about scientific fraud more generally: how common is it, how do you detect it, and what can we do to prevent it? 

This is a re-release of Episode 73, originally released on September 29, 2021. Special Guest: Joe Simmons. Links:Beers - DravMilkshake IPA - Microbrasserie Vox Populi - UntappdA-OK IPA - Avondale Brewing Co. - UntappdL'Espace Public – Brasseurs de quartier » L’attaque galactiqueFalse-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant - Joseph P. Simmons, Leif D. Nelson, Uri Simonsohn, 2011[98] Evidence of Fraud in an Influential Field Experiment About Dishonesty - Data ColadaDan Ariely Retracts Honesty Study Based On Fake Data[85] Data Replicada #4: The Problem of Hidden Confounds - Data Colada[40] Reducing Fraud in Science - Data ColadaThe Clash - Police & Thieves (Official Audio) - YouTube

Episode 108: RE-RELEASE: We Need to Talk About Fraud

Jennifer Gutsell joins Alexa to discuss the  controversy surrounding Yoel's experience interviewing at UCLA. They focus on a post, written by Alexa, in which she pushes back against defenses of "viewpoint diversity" and argues that the graduate petition advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was a brave effort that should be taken seriously. Jennifer elaborates on these ideas, suggesting that there are some views that are not up for debate, and emphasizing the care that is required when having theoretical discussions without a personal stake in the matter. Alexa and Jennifer  go on to connect these ideas to a paper written by Kevin Durrheim in which he proposes that psychology's emphasis on our progressive accomplishments silences the deeper reality of racism within our field.  Special Guest: Jennifer Gutsell. Links:Two Psychologists Four Beers on UntappdAgainst Anti-DEI Rhetoric (Alexa's Post)Conversational Silencing of Racism in Psychological Science: Toward Decolonization in Practice - Kevin Durrheim, 2023Episode 263: Free Yoel | Very Bad Wizards podcastA Political 'Dress' and Test - by Matthew LiebermanA review of White‐centering practices in multiracial research in social psychology - Garay - 2021 - Social and Personality Psychology Compass - Wiley Online Library

Episode 107: Against Anti-DEI Rhetoric

Harkening back to episode 73, Alexa and Yoel discuss recent evidence of fraud documented in the Data Colada blog post "Clusterfake." The post is the first in a series of four, which will collectively detail evidence of fraud in four papers co-authored by Harvard Business School Professor Francesca Gino. First, the co-hosts dive into the details, with Alexa soberly (in both senses of the word) explaining the revelations of calcChain. They go on to discuss the potential impact of these findings for collaborators, some of whom have begun conducting audits of work co-authored with Gino. In addition, they speculate about ways to reduce fraud that could relieve some of the burden from those who currently do this time-consuming and often thankless work. Finally, they consider what this means for a field still struggling to build a more trustworthy foundation. Links:Two Psychologists Four Beers on Untappd[109] Data Falsificada (Part 1): "Clusterfake" - Data ColadaSci-Hub | Signing at the beginning makes ethics salient and decreases dishonest self-reports in comparison to signing at the end. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(38), 15197–15200 | 10.1073/pnas.1209746109Two Psychologists Four Beers Episode 73: We Need to Talk About Fraud (with Joe Simmons)Juliana Schroeder on Twitter: "I am waiting to learn more about this case. It is extremely concerning. My coauthors and I are auditing our papers with Francesca, and identifying the raw data files. I think (hope) other co-authors are doing likewise. We will announce the results of the audit when they are ready" / TwitterFleetwood Mac - Little Lies (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Episode 90: Freelance Kinkology (with Aella)

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