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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How psychology can help peo...

01.25.2023

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 ...

Speaking of Psychology episodes:

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 ...
06.15.2022 Abortion and mental health, with Antonia Biggs, PhD Dozens of states are poised to outlaw or dramatically restrict abortion if the Supreme Court overturns its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Antonia Biggs, PhD, a social psychologist at the University of California San Francisco, talks about the results of ...
06.08.2022 How living with secrets can harm you, with Michael Slepian, PhD 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 ...
06.01.2022 Can an app improve your health? With Gary Bennett, PhD Digital interventions that promise to help you achieve your health and fitness goals are everywhere. But do these apps work and are they a useful public health tool? Gary Bennett, PhD, director of the Duke University Global Digital Health Science ...
05.25.2022 Racism, racial discrimination and mental health, with Riana Elyse Anderson, PhD The past two years have taken a heavy toll on the health, mental health and well-being of people of color, who have suffered disproportionately from the COVID-19 pandemic while also facing what some call a second pandemic of racism. Riana ...
05.18.2022 What is dissociative identity disorder? With Bethany Brand, PhD Dissociative identity disorder – which many people recognize by its former name, multiple personality disorder – is one of Hollywood’s favorite psychology-related topics, with a decades-long history of movie and TV portrayals, most recently in this spring’s “Moon Knight.” But ...
05.11.2022 Are we in a ‘loneliness pandemic’? With Louise Hawkley, PhD Even before the COVID-19 pandemic scrambled our social connections, Americans were worried about an epidemic of loneliness. Louise Hawkley, PhD, principal research scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago, talks about the difference between being alone and being lonely, ...
05.04.2022 Is technology killing empathy? With Sherry Turkle, PhD Over the past couple of decades, our devices have become our constant companions. More and more, we live in a digital, virtual world. Dr. Sherry Turkle, MIT professor and founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, discusses ...
04.27.2022 What psychology has to say about art, with Ellen Winner, PhD Art is universal – there has never been a human society without it. But we don’t always agree on what makes for good art, or even what makes something art at all. Ellen Winner, PhD, of Boston College, talks about ...
04.20.2022 How exercise benefits the brain, with Jenny Etnier, PhD Most people realize that being sedentary is bad for your physical health. But exercise – or the lack of it – can affect our cognitive health as well. Jenny Etnier, PhD, of the University of North Carolina Greensboro, discusses how ...
04.13.2022 Surviving the trauma of war in Ukraine, with Laura Murray, PhD Since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, more than 4 million Ukrainians have had to flee the country as refugees, more than 6 million others have been internally displaced, and tens of millions more have lived through shelling and other ...
04.06.2022 How to keep stress from harming your health, with George Slavich, PhD The American Psychological Association’s most recent Stress in America survey found record high levels of stress among Americans of all ages. Dr. George Slavich, director of the UCLA Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research, discusses how stress affects our brain, ...
03.30.2022 How grieving changes the brain, with Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD Few of us will make it through life without losing someone we love. Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD, of the University of Arizona, discusses howneuroscience can help us to better understand grief and resilience after loss, why grief is different from depression, ...
03.23.2022 How to Keep Anger from Getting the Best of You with Howard Kassinove, PhD, and Raymond “Chip” Tafrate, PhD Anger is a normal human emotion, a natural reaction when you feel that something or someone has done you wrong. But anger can also turn violent and dangerous, can ruin relationships and can interfere with our health and happiness. Howard ...
03.16.2022 Why psychopathy is more common than you think, with Abigail Marsh, PhD 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. ...
03.09.2022 Ambiguous loss and the “myth of closure,” with Pauline Boss, PhD March 11 marks two years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. With another variant waning, many people are hoping, yet again, to close the book on COVID and move on. But what if there’s a different way ...
03.02.2022 How our siblings influence our lives, with Laurie Kramer, PhD, and Megan Gilligan, PhD Our brothers and sisters are our first friends and first rivals, and the relationships that we have with our siblings are often the longest lasting relationships of our lives. Laurie Kramer, PhD, of Northeastern University, and Megan Gilligan, PhD, of ...
02.23.2022 Poker, con artists and the psychology of risk and deception, with Maria Konnikova, PhD Why do intelligent people give money to self-proclaimed psychics or get sucked into Ponzi schemes? Why are most of us so bad at judging risk? Journalist, psychologist and professional poker player Maria Konnikova, PhD, author of the “The Biggest Bluff” ...
02.16.2022 Fighting the stigma of mental illness, with Patrick Corrigan, PsyD Despite how common mental illness is, people with mental illness often keep their diagnosis a closely guarded secret in the face of widespread stigma and discrimination. Patrick Corrigan, PhD, editor of APA’s journal Stigma and Health, discusses where this stigma ...

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