Speaking of Psychology

By American Psychological Association

Society & Culture

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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Why People Hoard with Julie...

01.15.2020

While television shows about hoarding are quite popular and the term has now been embedded into our general lexicon, there is still a lot about hoarding disorder that is not well understood. Hoarding disorder is complex, difficult to treat and ...

Speaking of Psychology episodes:

01.15.2020 Why People Hoard with Julie Pike, PhD While television shows about hoarding are quite popular and the term has now been embedded into our general lexicon, there is still a lot about hoarding disorder that is not well understood. Hoarding disorder is complex, difficult to treat and ...
01.01.2020 How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions (SOP97) Lose 20 pounds. Begin a meditation practice. Save $1,000 a month. 2020 is here and many people are fired up about their New Year’s resolutions. No matter how jazzed people are about their resolutions at the start of the new ...
12.24.2019 Bonus Episode: Psychologists Address Climate Change This special episode features a report by APA’s Kim Mills, who attended the first-ever International Summit on Psychology’s Contributions to Global Health in Lisbon, Portugal, in November. The summit – sponsored by APA and the Association of Portuguese Psychologists -- ...
12.18.2019 Transformation After Trauma (SOP96) Experiencing positive transformation after trauma is known as post-traumatic growth. People may develop a new appreciation of life, newfound personal strength, see an improvement in their relationships, see new possibilities in life and undergo spiritual changes. Why do some people ...
12.04.2019 The Decline of Empathy and the Rise of Narcissism with Sara Konrath, PhD Concern and care for others’ feelings are virtues we seek to instill in our children, yet they are sorely lacking in many adult Americans today. There’s scientific research to back up the notion that Americans are caring less for others ...
11.20.2019 Veterans' Mental Health with Terri Tanielan, MA, and Rajeev Ramchand, PhD To mark Veterans Day 2019, we are discussing the mental health challenges that many veterans deal with, some of the latest psychological research into their care and the complexities of modern warfare and its effect on veterans. Our guests are ...
11.13.2019 Bonus Episode: Using Virtual Reality to Train Law Enforcement Officers with Gregory Kratzig, PhD Gregory Kratzig, PhD, is an adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada and a global expert in simulation-based training, particularly in the world of law enforcement. He has used virtual reality to train first responders ...
11.11.2019 Bonus Episode: Your Boss is Watching You. Is that OK? with Dave Tomczak Do you ever get the feeling at work that you're being watched? To a certain degree you are and it's possible that you will soon be tracked even more closely whether that's through video surveillance, GPS location tracking or Internet ...
11.06.2019 Does Nostalgia Have a Psychological Purpose? with Krystine Batcho, PhD What purpose does nostalgia serve? Is it good or bad? Are we more nostalgic today in our hectic, connected world? Is there such a thing as the “good ‘ol days”? Here to help explain is Dr. Krystine Batcho, professor of ...
11.04.2019 Bonus Episode: How Virtual Reality Can Help Detect Racial Bias in Police Shootings with John Tawa, PhD There's been a great deal of media attention focused on police shootings in recent years. Psychology has long performed research to determine whether racial hostility plays a role in such shootings. Our guest for this episode is John Tawa, PhD, ...
10.30.2019 Bonus Episode: How a Virtual Buffet Can Help Kids Learn to Eat Better with Susan Persky, PhD Getting children to eat healthy meals is a challenge many parents face but what if virtual reality could help? Researchers at the National Institute of Health are using new technology to help parents make smarter food choices for their children. ...
10.28.2019 Bonus Episode: The Role of Body and Dash Cams in Policing with Nick Camp, PhD Cameras are playing a greater role in law enforcement. But how effective are cameras in police encounters? What do they tell us about police-citizen interactions, and do cameras ever lie? Our guest for this episode is Dr. Nick Camp, a ...
10.23.2019 The Psychology of Design (SOP92) The spaces we are in every day influence our mood and well-being whether we are aware of it or not. Creating spaces to make us feel our best is a hot topic – in community planning, in the office and ...
10.21.2019 Bonus Episode: Driverless Cars and Body-less Therapy with Arnon Rolnick, PhD Have you ever wondered why drivers don't get carsick? If you've ever been seasick, are you curious to know what causes it and what, if anything, can be done to stave it off? Dr. Arnon Rolnick spent 20 years as ...
10.16.2019 Bonus Episode: The Psychology of Esports with Kaitlyn Roose and Shawn Doherty, PhD Russell Shilling, PhD, guest host for Speaking of Psychology and Chief Scientific Officer for the American Psychological Association, sits down at APA2019 to talk with Kaitlyn Roose and Shawn Doherty, PhD, to discuss the psychology of esports, the benefits of ...
10.09.2019 How Memory Can Be Manipulated (SOP91) Our memories may not be as reliable as we think. There is the potential for memories to be altered or for completely false memories to be planted, according to Elizabeth Loftus, PhD. Loftus, a distinguished professor at the University of ...
10.02.2019 Bonus Episode: Human Trafficking with Kalyani Gopal, PhD, HSPP Human Trafficking occurs when individuals are exploited through force, fraud or sex. It is estimated that almost 25 million people are robbed of their freedom and human dignity through trafficking. Understanding what trafficking is and how to respond is critical. ...
09.25.2019 Future of Work (SOP90) From automation, to artificial intelligence to employee surveillance, technology is rapidly changing the way we work. It’s raising ethical questions and blurring the lines between personal and professional. Tara Behrend, PhD, director of the Workplaces and Virtual Environments lab at ...
09.11.2019 Understanding Racial Inequities in School Discipline (SOP89) Discipline in pre-K - 12 schools is not doled out equally, as black students, boys and students with disabilities are suspended and expelled at much higher rates than other students, according to a report released by the GAO. Guests Amanda ...
09.04.2019 Bonus Episode: Debunking Myths About Fertility with Angela Lawson, PhD About 6% of U.S. women ages 15 to 44 experience infertility, with many of those reporting that infertility is the most upsetting experience of their lives. Dr. Angela Lawson helps us separate fact from fiction when it comes to infertility, ...
08.28.2019 What Guides Our Buying Behaviors (SOP88) Why do some people buy so much, while others shun that lifestyle for simplicity or to save? How do brands reach into our psyches to get us to pull out our wallets? What are some of the motivations behind companies ...
08.21.2019 Bonus Episode: Fake News with Chrysalis Wright, PhD Fake news, 2017’s word of the year and recent edition to the Oxford English Dictionary, has become a widespread problem. This episode of Speaking of Psychology discusses how this phenomenon of intentionally spreading fabricated content and presenting it as factual ...
08.14.2019 Why Popularity Matters (SOP87) Some of us recall high school as being filled with fun parties, football games and flirting while others think back to that time with a shudder and are just glad it’s over. But is it really over? Our guest is ...
07.31.2019 Why We Like the Foods We Like (SOP86) Why do some people scarf down anchovies by the pound while others recoil at the thought of a tuna fish sandwich? Not only is taste a biologically complex experience, it is quite psychological. Our guest is psychologist Linda Bartoshuk, PhD, ...
07.17.2019 On the Front Lines of the Immigration Crisis (SOP85) The crisis at the U.S. southern border shows no signs of stopping. Our guest is Claudette Antuña, PsyD, a volunteer forensic psychological evaluator at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project where she provides pro-bono evaluations that have helped hundreds of immigrants. ...
07.03.2019 Suicide Science (SOP84) Suicide rates in the U.S. climbed from 1999 to 2016, according to the CDC. Samuel Knapp, EdD, discusses the factors that cause people to die from suicide, the effects of past trauma on mental health and how psychologists can successfully ...
06.19.2019 Psychology of Fashion (SOP83) The clothes we put on everyday tell a story about who we are and can have a major impact on our emotions and mood. Carolyn Mair, PhD, who created the psychology of fashion department at the London College of Fashion, ...
06.05.2019 How Psychologists Can Do More to Address the Opioid Crisis (SOP82) Every day in America, 130 people die from opioids and an estimated two million people around the country are grappling with addiction and it is devastating communities. In the face of these grim statistics, APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., ...
05.22.2019 The Dark Side of Screen Time (SOP81) Americans spend nearly half of the day interacting with screens of all kinds -- smartphones, televisions and computers, according to a recent Nielsen report. While these technologies have made our lives better in many ways, it is easier than ever ...
05.08.2019 Anxiety and Teen Girls (SOP80) What factors are behind rising stress and anxiety in girls and what can we do about it? Our guest is Dr. Lisa Damour, a clinical psychologist and author of "Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls." ...
04.24.2019 The Psychology of Climate Change (SOP79) As we grapple with a warming world, our mental health is at risk. Psychologists say that stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD will increase as climate change’s physical impacts accelerate. Is there anything we can do to mitigate the mental health ...
04.10.2019 The Mind-Gut Connection (SOP78) Emerging research is showing that our brains and our gastrointestinal systems may be more connected than we previously thought. Our guests are Faith Dickerson, PhD, a psychologist who researches the role of infectious and immune factors in serious mental illness, ...
03.27.2019 The Psychologically Healthy Workplace (SOP77) Feeling miserable on the job can be detrimental to our mental and physical health and productivity. A work environment that is psychologically healthy is one that focuses on employees’ health and well-being. Our guests are David Ballard, PsyD, who leads ...
03.21.2019 Bonus Episode: After New Zealand - The Spread of Extremism in the Digital Age In the aftermath of the New Zealand mosque attacks, we explore the psychological factors that cause a person to commit heinous acts of mass violence. The guest for this episode is Arie W. Kruglanski, PhD, an APA fellow and distinguished ...
03.15.2019 Bonus Episode: The College Admissions Scandal and the Psychology of Affluence The college admissions bribery scandal has generated a lot of conversations about the role of affluence and privilege in higher education. Our guest for this bonus episode is Suniya S. Luthar, PhD, foundation professor of psychology at Arizona State University, ...
03.13.2019 The Molecule of More: Dopamine (SoP76) It is known as the chemical of love, creativity and addiction. It pushes us to achieve greatness, but it can also lead to our downfall. Dr. Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long discuss their book, "The Molecule of More: How a ...
02.27.2019 How to Find Meaning in Life (SOP75) We all want to find meaning in our lives, our reason to get up in the morning, yet doing so may not be easy. What is meaning in life and how do we find it for ourselves? The guest for ...
02.13.2019 Living in a Lonely World (SOP74) Half of Americans say they are lonely and the average person reports having only one close friend. Loneliness can also make us sick, contributing to heart disease, depression, suicide and cognitive decline. Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience ...
01.30.2019 Stock Market Anxiety (SOP73) 2018 was the worst year the U.S. stock market has seen since 2008 and worries about the economy are continuing in 2019. How do you deal with anxiety in a volatile market? Psychologist Frank Murtha, PhD, co-founder of MarketPsych, a ...
01.16.2019 Giving Away Psychology in the Digital Age (SOP72) Sharing your expertise with the world on YouTube and other social media platforms can be both thrilling and terrifying. If you want to know where to start, look no further than Ali Mattu, PhD. He’s a licensed clinical psychologist and ...
01.02.2019 The Science of Dreaming (SOP71) We all dream yet many of us don’t know what to make of our nocturnal adventures. Dream scholar Deirdre Barrett, PhD, explains why we dream and what our dreams may be trying to tell us. She also offers tips on ...
12.19.2018 How to Cope with Political Discussions and Keep it Civil this Holiday Season (SoP 70) Worried about making it through your next holiday gathering without it devolving into a political screaming match? Get advice from the experts, APA's Dr. Lynn Bufka and Dr. Jeanne Safer, host of the podcast, "I Love You But I Hate ...
12.05.2018 Philip Zimbardo, PhD, on Heroism, Shyness and the Stanford Prison Experiment (SOP69) Philip Zimbardo, PhD, is one of the most recognizable names in the field of psychology. In this episode, Zimbardo discusses recent criticism of his controversial 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment as well as his other work on time, shyness, men and ...
11.21.2018 Stress in America: Generation Z (SOP68) Headline issues are causing significant stress for teens and young adults in Gen Z with mass shootings topping the list of stressful current events and more than two-thirds of adults reported feeling major stress about the nation’s future, according to ...
11.07.2018 Using Psychology for Pain Relief and Opioid Reduction (SOP67) Millions of Americans use opioids to manage chronic pain. But can integrating psychological approaches into pain care offer some patients low-risk pain treatment options? Beth Darnall, PhD, from Stanford University, explains how psychology can reduce dependency on opioids and help ...
10.17.2018 Making Love Last and Dating in the Digital Age (SOP66) Love. We all want it but sustaining that spark can be difficult in our hectic world, especially with life stressors beyond our control. How do we find love and keep the passion alive throughout the years? Relationship expert Benjamin Karney, ...
10.03.2018 Smartphones Are a Problem: Can They Be a Solution? (SOP65) What if smartphones could be used to monitor our mental health and wellbeing? You guessed it. There’s an app for that. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals
10.03.2018 Smartphones Are a Problem: Can They Be a Solution? What if smartphones could be used to monitor our mental health and wellbeing? You guessed it. There’s an app for that.
09.19.2018 Something Happened In Our Town (SOP64) "Something Happened In Our Town" is a children’s book about racial injustice from Magination Press, APA’s children's books imprint. The story follows two families — one white, one black — as they discuss the police shooting of a black man ...
09.19.2018 Something Happened In Our Town "Something Happened In Our Town" is a children’s book about racial injustice from Magination Press, APA’s children's books imprint. The story follows two families — one white, one black — as they discuss the police shooting of a black man ...

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