Speaking of Psychology

By American Psychological Association

What's Speaking of Psychology about?

"Speaking of Psychology" is an audio podcast series highlighting some of the latest, most important and relevant psychological research being conducted today. Produced by the American Psychological Association, these podcasts will help listeners apply the science of psychology to their everyday lives.

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Crowds, obedience and the p...

05.31.2023

What happens when people gather in crowds – whether for political rallies, protests, football games or religious pilgrimages? Stephen Reicher, PhD, of St. Andrew’s University in Scotland, discusses why “mob mentality” is a myth; other misconceptions about crowd behavior; the ...

Speaking of Psychology episodes:

05.31.2023 Crowds, obedience and the psychology of group behavior, with Stephen Reicher, PhD What happens when people gather in crowds – whether for political rallies, protests, football games or religious pilgrimages? Stephen Reicher, PhD, of St. Andrew’s University in Scotland, discusses why “mob mentality” is a myth; other misconceptions about crowd behavior; the ...
05.24.2023 Medical Deception: Understanding Munchausen Syndrome/Factitious Disorder, with Marc Feldman, MD, and Janet Cahill, PhD Factitious disorder, more commonly known as Munchausen syndrome, is a mental health disorder in which people fake serious illness to gain sympathy, attention and support. A related disorder, Munchausen by proxy, or factitious disorder imposed on another, is a form ...
05.17.2023 How parents and their adult children can build strong relationships, with Laurence Steinberg, PhD The lives of young adults look far different than they did a generation ago: The average age at which people marry and have children is higher than ever, and rising housing costs mean more young adults are living with parents. ...
05.10.2023 How social media affects teens’ mental health, with Jacqueline Nesi, PhD Congress and state legislators are considering laws to restrict teen social media use, and school districts are suing social media companies for harming kids’ mental health. Are parents and policy makers right to be so concerned? Jacqueline Nesi, PhD, of ...
05.03.2023 The ‘silent epidemic’ of eating disorders, with Cheri Levinson, PhD Researchers who study eating disorders sometimes call them the silent epidemic. Despite the stereotype that these disorders afflict only young white women, the truth is that they occur among people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, races, shapes and sizes. Cheri ...
04.26.2023 The promise of brain stimulation treatments for depression, with Sarah Lisanby, MD, and Diana Daniele Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been a treatment option for people with major depression since it was approved by the FDA in 2008. Today, it is also used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety and for smoking cessation. Sarah ...
04.19.2023 How do you build a successful team? With Eduardo Salas, PhD Very few people do their jobs entirely on their own. For most of us, doing our job well means being part of a well-functioning team. Eduardo Salas, PhD, of Rice University, talks about the key ingredients of highly effective teams, ...
04.12.2023 What you know about aging is probably wrong, with Manfred Diehl, PhD While ageism may be one of the last socially acceptable biases, research shows that aging often comes with positive changes. And by believing in and propagating negative myths about aging, we can do ourselves real harm. Dr. Manfred Diehl, a ...
04.05.2023 How early detection could change autism diagnosis and intervention, with Geraldine Dawson, PhD About one in 36 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Geraldine Dawson, PhD, of Duke University, discusses why the number of diagnoses has risen so steeply in recent years, why it’s more common in boys ...
03.29.2023 What does modern retirement look like? With Mo Wang, PhD Forget the stereotype of a good-bye party in the break room followed by endless days on the golf course. Today, workers are staying on the job longer and taking on more “bridge employment,” or post-retirement jobs. Mo Wang, PhD, of ...
03.22.2023 What’s behind the crisis in teen mental health? With Kathleen Ethier, PhD Recently released CDC data found that teen girls are experiencing startling levels of sadness and violence -- nearly 1 in 3 had seriously considered suicide and 57 percent felt persistently sad or hopeless. The report also found high levels of ...
03.15.2023 Psychedelic therapy: Will it be a game changer for mental health treatment? with Albert Garcia-Romeu, PhD In just a few years, psychedelics have gone from being a symbol of the 1960s counterculture to being touted as highly promising mental health treatments. Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University, talks about whether the research backs up ...
03.08.2023 Hypnosis in therapy - pain management for the body and mind, with David Patterson, PhD Hypnosis is more than just a stage trick. Psychologists and other researchers have found that it can be useful in treating pain, anxiety, and a range of other physical and mental health problems. David Patterson, PhD, of the University of ...
03.01.2023 The secret to living a happy life, with Marc Schulz, PhD What makes for a good life? What makes for a happy life? Marc Schulz, PhD, associate director of the 85-year-old Harvard Study of Adult Development, talks about what researchers have learned from the world’s longest scientific study of happiness about ...
02.22.2023 Why clutter stresses us out, with Dn. Joseph Ferrari, PhD Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by all your stuff? If so, you're not alone. In recent years, a thriving decluttering industry has sprung up to help us deal with our ever-accumulating piles of things. Dn. Joseph Ferrari, PhD, of DePaul ...
02.15.2023 Why you should aim to be a “good enough” parent, with Tim Cavell, PhD, and Lauren Quetsch, PhD 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. ...
02.08.2023 Why our attention spans are shrinking, with Gloria Mark, PhD These days, most of us live our lives tethered to our computers and smartphones, which are unending sources of distraction. Research has shown that over the past couple of decades people’s attention spans have shrunk in measurable ways. Gloria Mark, ...
02.01.2023 How to live with bipolar disorder, with David Miklowitz, PhD, and Terri Cheney Up to 4% of people in the U.S. have bipolar disorder, but as common as this mood disorder is, it is also often misunderstood. Psychologist and researcher David Miklowitz, PhD, and writer and mental health advocate Terri Cheney talk about ...
01.25.2023 How psychology can help people make better decisions, with Lace Padilla, PhD, and Hannah Perfecto, PhD All day, every day, we have to make decisions, from what to have for breakfast to how to spend our money to whether to evacuate ahead of a hurricane. Psychologists’ research is helping us understand why people make the decisions ...
01.18.2023 Can a pathological liar be cured? with Drew Curtis, PhD, and Christian L. Hart, PhD Almost everyone lies occasionally, but for a small percentage of people, lying isn't something that they do every once in a while -- it's a way of life. Drew Curtis, PhD, of Angelo State University, and Christian L. Hart, PhD, ...
01.11.2023 Understanding and overcoming phobias, with Martin Antony, PhD Specific phobias – such as fear of heights, needles, flying or spiders – affect up to 13 percent of people at some point in their lives. Clinical psychologist Dr. Martin Antony, PhD, of Toronto Metropolitan University, talks about the difference ...
01.04.2023 What our possessions mean to us, with Russell Belk, PhD The things that we own can be central to our identity, part of how we see ourselves and how other people see us. Russell Belk, PhD, of York University, talks about the role our possessions play in our lives; what ...
12.28.2022 Encore - The people who never forget a face, with Josh Davis, PhD, and Kelly Desborough Super-recognizers have an extraordinary ability to recognize faces—they can pick faces they’ve seen only briefly out of a crowd and can recognize childhood acquaintances they haven’t seen in decades. Josh Davis, PhD, a professor of applied psychology at the University ...
12.21.2022 Encore - Psychology takes toys seriously, with Barry Kudrowitz, PhD, and Doris Bergen, PhD Just in time for toy-buying season, Barry Kudrowitz, PhD, a toy designer and professor of product design at the University of Minnesota, and Doris Bergen, PhD, a professor emerita of educational psychology at Miami University in Ohio, discuss the psychology ...
12.14.2022 The challenge of long COVID, with Tracy Vannorsdall, PhD, and Rowena Ng, PhD Nearly three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, millions of Americans are still living with the effects of the virus. Neuropsychologists Tracy Vannorsdall, PhD, and Rowena Ng, PhD, talk about the cognitive and mental health symptoms of long COVID, what ...
12.07.2022 How our brain makes sense of a noisy world, with Nina Kraus, PhD Our life experiences shape the way that our brain processes sound, and sound is deeply intertwined with everything from our ability to read to our cognitive health as we age. Dr. Nina Kraus, of Northwestern University, talks about why we ...
11.30.2022 How to learn better using psychology, with Regan Gurung, PhD, and John Dunlosky, PhD From kindergarten through college, very few students are taught a crucial skill set – how, exactly, to study effectively. Regan Gurung, PhD, and John Dunlosky, PhD, authors of “Study like a Champ: The Psychology-based Guide to “Grade A Study Habits,” ...
11.23.2022 How to cope with news overload, with Markus Brauer, PhD, and Don Grant, PhD Are you suffering from news overload? Do you find yourself doomscrolling when you should be sleeping, eating, playing with your kids or doing your job? Do you feel hounded by algorithms that keep sending you more bad news? Media psychologist ...
11.16.2022 Living a happy single life, with Geoff MacDonald, PhD More Americans than ever before are single -- about half of American adults are unmarried and close to three in 10 are not in a committed relationship. Geoff MacDonald, PhD, of the University of Toronto, talks about how relationship status ...
11.09.2022 Why humans and other primates care so much about fairness, with Sarah Brosnan, PhD Questions of fairness, justice and morality might seem unique to humans. But research suggests that non-human animals notice inequality as well. Dr. Sarah Brosnan, of Georgia State University, talks about how non-human primates and other animals react to unfair situations, ...
11.02.2022 Why you should apologize even when it’s hard to, with Karina Schumann, PhD Apologies have the potential to heal relationships, soothe hurt feelings and even begin to address historical wrongs. But they’re not always easy to offer. Karina Schumann, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, discusses why apologies matter, what makes for a ...
10.26.2022 Understanding medical marijuana, CBD and more, with Ziva Cooper, PhD Over the past few years, the number and variety of cannabis products legally available to American consumers has soared. Ziva Cooper, PhD, of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, talks about how researchers are exploring both the potential health ...
10.19.2022 Relationship advice from a couple psychologist, with Anthony Chambers, PhD When relationship issues arise -- around money, fidelity, kids or even just coping with the stress of everyday life -- couple therapists can help partners work through them together. Couple and family psychologist Anthony Chambers, PhD, talks about how couple ...
10.12.2022 Why we procrastinate and what to do about it, with Fuschia Sirois, PhD We all know the feeling of scrambling at the last minute to finish a task that we could have and should have tackled much sooner. Fuschia Sirois, PhD, of Durham University, talks about why procrastination is an emotion regulation problem, ...
10.05.2022 How to stop mass shootings, with Jillian Peterson, PhD Americans have become accustomed to tragic headlines of mass shootings in schools, grocery stores and other public places – these shootings still shock, but they no longer surprise. Jillian Peterson, PhD, of Hamline University, talks about research on what drives ...
09.28.2022 The psychology of political messaging, with Drew Westen, PhD Psychologists’ research has found that it’s not the nuances of policy debates that drive voter behavior but instead how voters feel about candidates and political parties -- and whom they trust to share their values. Drew Westen, PhD, of Emory ...
09.21.2022 Reading minds using brain scans, with Kenneth Norman, PhD The idea of a machine that can read your thoughts sounds more like science fiction than actual science. But in recent years, it’s come closer to reality. Kenneth Norman, PhD, of Princeton University, talks about how scientists decode thoughts from ...
09.14.2022 How the need to belong drives human behavior, with Geoffrey L. Cohen, PhD The desire to belong is a fundamental part of human nature. Geoffrey Cohen, PhD, of Stanford University, talks about how feeling like an outsider can harm us; why threats to belonging drive problems as varied as achievement gaps and political ...
09.07.2022 How to spend your time more wisely, with Cassie Holmes, PhD When you feel time-poor, endless hours of free time might sound like the ultimate luxury. But psychologists’ research suggests that it’s not simply the amount of time that you have, but how you spend it, that determines your happiness. Cassie ...
08.31.2022 How job loss and economic stress affect workers and their families, with Anna Gassman-Pines, PhD For many Americans, the past two-and-a-half years have been a time of economic turmoil. Anna Gassman-Pines, PhD, of Duke University, talks about how job loss, unstable work schedules and other hardships affect workers, their families and even entire communities, and ...
08.24.2022 Understanding the teenage brain, with Eva Telzer, PhD There’s a common stereotype is that teenagers’ brains are immature and underdeveloped, and that teens are “hard-wired” to take unwise risks and cave to peer pressure. But psychologists’ research suggests these negative stereotypes are unfounded and that the teen years ...
08.17.2022 Can you be addicted to food? With Ashley Gearhardt, PhD We live in a nation awash with cheap, easy-to-get calories, mostly from highly processed convenience foods. Now, some researchers argue that these foods may actually be addictive – just like cigarettes or alcohol. Ashley Gearhardt, PhD, of the University of ...
08.10.2022 Encore - How to overcome feeling like an imposter, with Lisa Orbé-Austin, PhD, and Kevin Cokley, PhD Do you ever feel like a phony? Like you’re not really qualified for the job you’re doing, despite your achievements? Those are signs of the impostor phenomenon, also called impostor syndrome. Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin, a counseling psychologist and career coach ...
08.03.2022 Encore - Tasty words, colorful sounds - How people with synesthesia experience the world, with Julia Simner, PhD More than 4% of people have some form of synesthesia, a neurological condition that causes senses to link and merge. People with synesthesia may taste words, hear colors, or see calendar dates arrayed in physical space. Dr. Julia Simner, a ...
07.27.2022 What is borderline personality disorder? With Carla Sharp, PhD Borderline personality disorder is one of the most frequently diagnosed personality disorders, and one of the most misunderstood. Carla Sharp, PhD, of the University of Houston, discusses how BPD is diagnosed, defined and treated, how family members can help children ...
07.20.2022 The truth about why kids lie, with Victoria Talwar, PhD Most parents want to raise their children to be honest adults, so the first time that they catch their child in a lie it may come as an unpleasant surprise. But psychologists’ research has found that lying is a normal ...
07.13.2022 Can we unlearn implicit biases? With Mahzarin Banaji, PhD The idea that people have biases that operate below the level of conscious thought is uncomfortable. But decades of research have found that many people who would never consciously agree with prejudiced statements against Black people, LGBTQ people or women ...
07.06.2022 Perfectionism: When good is never good enough, with Gordon Flett, PhD, and Bonnie Zucker, PsyD Perfectionism might seem like a minor hurdle to overcome – or even a welcome personality trait. But perfectionism is different from simply striving for excellence and perfectionistic people are at higher risk for anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders. ...
06.29.2022 Revealing the Hidden Brain, with Shankar Vedantam How much insight do people have into why they behave the way they do? Science journalist Shankar Vedantam, host of the Hidden Brain podcast and author of “Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain,” talks about why ...
06.22.2022 Why can some people speak dozens of languages? with Ev Fedorenko, PhD For those of us who speak only one language, the idea of learning twenty or thirty sounds impossible. But there are “hyperpolyglots” who have managed this remarkable feat. Evelina Fedorenko, PhD, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, discusses what sets ...

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