Squeezing the Orange

Dan and Akin take on the age-old debate of talent vs. hard work, but from the perspective of how each is perceived, and therefore appreciated. When armed with insights uncovered by science, can individual better sell their skills to the world?

Ever tried to improve your life? We would hope so! Dan and Akin offer a little motivation as the duo talk the science of habits and what's going on psychologically when we try to form new ones.

Looking to buy someone the perfect gift? Science backs the well-aged saying, "It's the thought that counts." However, the problem is that we it comes to buying gifts, the thought is that the more we spend, the more it counts. Akin and Dan break down a study that finds givers and receivers are just as happy when less money is spent.

Is it exploitation if you love it? Dan and Akin sit down to discuss research that scientifically exposes the dark side of believing your work is your calling.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect exposes a common yet surprising flaw of the human mind: the less we know about something, the less capable we are of knowing how little we know, which causes us to think we know more than we do. Confused? That's a good thing! Dan and Akin explain.

The Spotlight Effect is the psychological phenomenon that finds people overestimate the extent to which their actions and appearance are noted by others. Everything is illuminated in the episode.

How much are you worth per hour? If you need a calculator to figure that out, then stop, you might be one of fortunate ones, and not for reasons you might think. Dan and Akin squeeze the orange of a social science paper that finds people who know their hourly wage are less likely to engage in volunteer work. Tune in, it's all about to make sense.

Socioemotional selectivity theory? Don't worry, we'll explain! We take a different approach this week by looking at an article by Laura Carstensen titled, 'The Influence of a Sense of Time on Human Development'. Goals, preferences and even cognitive processes change as our perception of time remaining shrinks or grows.

Want to come across as more likeable? Social science has an answer for you, and it's simpler than you might think: ask more questions. This week, Dan and Akin discuss a study that finds we humans underestimate the value of asking questions.

Akin and Dan are joined by a guest in this episode to discuss the IKEA effect - the phenomena that causes individuals to overvalue self-made products. Their guest is Bruce Daisley, author of 'The Joy of Work: And 25 Ways to Find It' and host of 'Eat Sleep Work Repeat', a Apple #1 Business Podcast on happiness and work culture. We hope you enjoy!