Note: If it sounds as if I recorded this in a cave, I did. Literally. I recorded this on vacation in Santorini, Greece, in a room that was carved from the mountains.Recently, NPR posted a story about a man who allegedly sexually abused a one-year-old child who was in his care. This was a horrific story that haunts virtually every parent at some point in parenthood. One of the top comments that received as many angry faces as likes, read "I’m sorry but never let a man watch your child. I don’t ca. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

I don’t consider myself a political person. Of course, I have opinions on issues, but about only those closely related to science, reason, and critical thinking I am passionate. Many of my right-leaning friends and family members seem to have a visceral disgust or even hatred for those with left-leaning views. More recently, perhaps because of the rise of the Republican party led Donald Trump, many of my left-leaning friends have demonstrated that same visceral disgust or even hatred for those w. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Recently, a professor wrote an open letter criticizing a new hiring policy at his university that stated preferential treatment should be given to people of color. The policy was vague. Hence the criticism was also vague. This raised the question, does diversity in hiring result in lower quality staff members? The answer is, it depends on how one interprets "diversity in hiring."Note: This episode does not address the "should" questions associated with hiring policies. There are strong arguments. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Many years ago while out jogging, I ran into a store because I had to pee badly. The person at the counter was a middle-aged woman with a thick southern accent and a smile on her face that would light up any room. I asked if they had a bathroom I could use, and the cheerful woman informed me that the bathroom was for customers only. I explained to her that I did not have my wallet on me, but otherwise I would be happy to buy something. Without dropping her smile, she said “I am sorry about. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Even bad press gives candidates exposure, which can end up being more beneficial than harmful, and bad press won’t cause die-hard Republicans (or Democrats) to abandon their candidate. But assuming we are talking about really bad press and politically-leaning moderates, the sunk cost fallacy can explain why bad press does not have as much of an effect on election outcomes as one would expect. We can see that this phenomenon applies to any candidate, from any political party, in any election.Your. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Social justice is important to me, however, I often get dismissive and sometimes hostile responses to any views I hold that are in contrast to those of marginalized groups. Most of the time I support the goals of these marginalized groups, but they’re not all right 100% of the time. Any voiced dissent results in me being called a "bigot," "misogynist," or some other derogatory term. Is it my "privilege" that is blinding me?In short, I can’t give you a direct answer to your question without knowi. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Disclaimer: I am a social psychologist and a researcher, not a clinical psychologist licensed to diagnose disorders. My expertise in this area is in understanding research, scientific consensus, and how disorders are defined and legitimized within the scientific community, not in diagnosing addiction.As usual, the answer to this question is far more complex than most people like to acknowledge. There exists a socially conservative, scientifically and sexually ignorant segment of the population w. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

When I was a child, my mom would often remind me to say my prayers before going to bed. The prayer was fairly secular as far as prayers go, besides the fact, of course, that I was directing my prayer to a god. The prayer was a list of all the good things in my life for which I was thankful. This exercise reminded me of the good things in my life and helped me to understand the concepts of gratitude and appreciation. Today, as a secular humanist, I no longer hold beliefs in any gods, and, underst. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

It has been estimated by the top researchers in the area of psychopathy that about 1 out of every 100 people are psychopaths (Viding, McCrory, & Seara-Cardoso, 2014). This means that statistically speaking, we all have at least one and maybe two psychopaths in our lives. More often than not, psychopaths function within the rules of society and go unnoticed. In fact, their unique traits often allow them to excel at business, in positions of leadership, in the military, and in many areas of li. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Let me begin by unpacking the question. The question implies that there is a simple relationship between the will and actions, when, in fact the relationship is actually quite complex. The question juxtaposes predictability with acting in one’s best interest when, in fact, much of the human behavior that is predictable is against one’s own best interest. The claim that our will is determined does not require our behavior to be predictable. Conversely, predictable behavior does not require our wi. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow