Why We Do What We Do

Conversion "therapy" is predicated on the wrongheaded idea that (a) there is something wrong with people of non-traditional binary sexual identity or orientation, and (b) it can be fixed with religious (Christian) tradition. Moreover, this does not even meet a loose definition of a "therapy." This intervention is eerily similar to the torture and practices of the witch trials. PSA that this contains some graphic descriptions of mistreatment of people and maybe uncomfortable for sensitive or young listeners.

Links Today:

1. https://www.history.com/news/gay-conversion-therapy-origins-19th-century
2. https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-lies-and-dangers-of-reparative-therapy
3. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/24/opinion/gay-conversion-therapy-torture.html
4. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/SexualOrientationGender/Pages/ReportOnConversiontherapy.aspx
5. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/trevor-advocacy/50-bills-50-states/about-conversion-therapy/

Recommendations

- Shane: Thrash metal. All of it. Start with At the Gates. Or Power Trip.

- Abraham: The Trevor Project (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/trevor-advocacy/50-bills-50-states/about-conversion-therapy/)

You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at [email protected], through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

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Placebos emerged as a standard pharmaceutical research practice as a way of testing out the efficacy of novel treatments with various illnesses. This made it possible to determine if positive effects could be directly related to the intervention. However, a phenomenon began occurring in which those who were given no direct treatment, but believed they had, began experiencing similar symptoms. Could the body be capable of regulating its own experience with symptoms like pain and discomfort? This led to more recent research into the “placebo effect” in which the positive effects of a drug occur even when a benign alternative that doesn’t contain the active treatment is administered. This has resulted in a variety effects including pain relief, withdrawal, or immediate/delayed effects. While it may seem like smoke and mirrors, the effect has been studied extensively and leading theories relate to changes in the brain occurring in response to the placebo that affect neurotransmitter activity. While measurement of results relies on subjective patient reporting on factors such as pain relief, substantial research has indicated that such treatments have a notable impact. If a placebo could have a similar or even better effect on treating symptoms (but not the underlying medical ailment), it may have a significant economic and experimental impact on the entire medical community.

Links for Today:

https://health.ucdavis.edu/ctsc/area/clinicaltrials/documents/What-is-a-Placebo.pdf

https://www.healthline.com/health/nocebo-effect#how-it-works (nocebo effect)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3035442.stm

https://www.yekize.org/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-placebo-effect/

Beedle (2007). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3778695/

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/6/1/15711814/open-label-placebo-kaptchuk (Placebos work even when you know they are placebos)

https://gizmodo.com/why-do-placebos-work-1837983414

We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo

Recommendations

Abraham: The Mandolorian (https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/the-mandalorian)

Shane: The Mandalorian (https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/the-mandalorian)

You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at [email protected], through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

People have been manipulating one another for most of human history. But the term for this kind of manipulation and abuse is fairly new. Coined in a play, people use gaslighting because they can successfully control other people. It works because it undermines pretty much every aspect of our psychology. We cover signs of gaslighting and strategies for escaping it.

Links for Today:

Abramson, K. (2014), TURNING UP THE LIGHTS ON GASLIGHTING. Philosophical Perspectives, 28: 1-30. doi:10.1111/phpe.12046

Linder, C., Quaye, S. J., Lange, A. C., Roberts, R. E., Lacy, M. C., & Wilson, K. O. (2019). "A student should have the privilege of just being a student": Student activism as labor. Review of Higher Education, 42, 37-62. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2019.0044

Sweet, P. L. (2019). The sociology of gaslighting. American Sociological Review, 84(5), 851-875. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0003122419874843

Fordon, K. (2020). Gaslighting. Women's Studies Quarterly, 47(3), 307. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/2315538890?accountid=166077

Matias, C. E., & Newlove, P. M. (2017). The illusion of freedom: Tyranny, whiteness, and the state of US society. Equity & Excellence in Education, 50(3), 316-330. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2017.1336951

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImBEhNku_YA&ab_channel=SciShowPsych (Crash Course video on what gaslighting is)

https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-10-14/heres-where-gaslighting-got-its-name (Etymology of gaslighting)

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jan/21/gaslighting-westworld-archers-jessica-jones-homeland (Gaslighting in popular culture and politics)

https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/gaslighting#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20common,their%20own%20memories%20and%20thoughts. (Hypothesis on why gaslighting happens)

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201701/11-warning-signs-gaslighting#:~:text=And%20it%20works%20too%20well.&text=Gaslighting%20is%20a%20tactic%20in,better%20than%20you%20may%20think.&text=For%20example%2C%20in%20the%20movie,she%20is%20losing%20her%20mind. (Warning signs of gaslighting)

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201701/are-gaslighters-aware-what-they-do (Psychology today on whether gaslighters know that they are manipulative)

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/what-gaslighting-how-do-you-know-if-it-s-happening-ncna890866 (What gaslighting is, how to tell, and what to do about it)

https://www.thehotline.org/ (National Domestic Violence Hotline)

We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo

Recommendations

Abraham: Blind Spots by Dr. Kimberly Berens (https://www.drkimberlyberens.com/blindspots)

Shane: House of X/Powers of X by Jonathan Hickman (https://www.marvel.com/comic-events/house-of-x-powers-of-x)

You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at [email protected], through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Interpretation comes in several forms such as translating between languages, interpreting behavioral phenomena, and analyzing data. While we may believe we’re approaching any novel situation with a fresh set of eyes, our behavior in any situation is influenced by an endless history of similar circumstances. Looking at a set of data, be it COVID cases, the stock market, or a functional analysis, there are always contingencies in place that push us to see it in a particular way. Membership of a party, community, firm, etc can have a substantial influence on how we look at anything.

Links for Today:

https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.lib.uconn.edu/doi/pdfdirect/10.1901/jaba.2004.37-539

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/thoughts-and-feelings/201912/how-do-we-interpret-ambiguous-social-events

https://www.factcheck.org/2020/10/trump-baselessly-suggests-covid-19-deaths-inflated-for-profit/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-brain-and-value/202008/psychology-the-left-hemisphere-the-brains-interpreter

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10520609/

https://bsci21.org/how-to-talk-aba-to-the-rest-of-the-world/

https://www.marketplace.org/2019/09/30/the-stock-market-is-not-the-economy/

We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo

Recommendations:

Abraham: Monk TV show (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312172/)

Shane: runforsomething.com and https://314action.org/

You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at [email protected], through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Many believe you can manipulate colors to influence thoughts and emotions. This is kind of a little bit true. Mostly because clever PR people can leverage existing color associations to prime you to react or feel a certain way. However, this is cultural and learned and subject to change with different associations. Seeing orange won't make you hungry. Unless it's an orange maybe. And assuming you like oranges I guess... It's complicated

Links for Today:

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Nb1f9MpgO8IC&oi=fnd&pg=PA13&dq=resist+crying&ots=P1VLr5-UEB&sig=yFajNjKAUUf049e5UJIeU7lPwzU#v=onepage&q=resist%20crying&f=false (book on the cultural relevance and history of crying)

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-23505-001 (Study on football players and their perception of crying)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-6494.694156 (Study evaluating motivation for seeking or avoiding emotional situations)

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40604147?seq=1 (Study on managing emotions in the workplace)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886920303639 (Study exploring a measure for evaluating motives in emotional expression)

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/02/cry (Cultural and biological reasons for crying. As well as people who can’t cry)

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/he-speaks-she-speaks/201101/the-crying-game (A somewhat overly gendered article with some valid points on the differences in crying across genders)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.361 (Peer-reviewed study indicating that distraction can increase tolerance for crying)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.4 (Peer-reviewed article on a Functional Assessment of crying)

https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/it-bad-your-health-try-not-cry (Blog on why it might be bad to avoid crying)

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-crying#how-to-stop-crying (Strategies to avoid crying)

We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo

Recommendations:

Abraham: Palm Springs (https://www.hulu.com/movie/palm-springs-f70dfd4d-dbfb-46b8-abb3-136c841bba11)

Shane: Park Ave CDs in Orlando (https://parkavecds.com/)

You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at [email protected], through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Although surveys show that men do tend to cry more than women, that disparity disappears when you examine cultures in which crying is not considered taboo. Humans are unique in that we cry and have intense emotional reactions to symbolic events and not just mechanically as a response to an irritant. We discuss how the lacrimal system excretes (fun word) tears and how and why we cry. Although we don't recommend you try to resist crying unless your safety depends on it, we do review some strategies to hold back those tears. But let's all agree that people should feel safe to experience and express their emotions. Power to the criers!

Links for Today:

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Nb1f9MpgO8IC&oi=fnd&pg=PA13&dq=resist+crying&ots=P1VLr5-UEB&sig=yFajNjKAUUf049e5UJIeU7lPwzU#v=onepage&q=resist%20crying&f=false (book on the cultural relevance and history of crying)

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-23505-001 (Study on football players and their perception of crying)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-6494.694156 (Study evaluating motivation for seeking or avoiding emotional situations)

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40604147?seq=1 (Study on managing emotions in the workplace)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886920303639 (Study exploring a measure for evaluating motives in emotional expression)

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/02/cry (Cultural and biological reasons for crying. As well as people who can’t cry)

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/he-speaks-she-speaks/201101/the-crying-game (A somewhat overly gendered article with some valid points on the differences in crying across genders)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.361 (Peer-reviewed study indicating that distraction can increase tolerance for crying)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.4 (Peer-reviewed article on a Functional Assessment of crying)

https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/it-bad-your-health-try-not-cry (Blog on why it might be bad to avoid crying)

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-crying#how-to-stop-crying (Strategies to avoid crying)

We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo

Recommendations:

Abraham: Palm Springs (https://www.hulu.com/movie/palm-springs-f70dfd4d-dbfb-46b8-abb3-136c841bba11)

Shane: Park Ave CDs in Orlando (https://parkavecds.com/)

You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at [email protected], through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Handedness is both genetic and environmentally determined. Consider that left-handedness was demonized by many cultures, and subsequently, many tools and infrastructure were designed to be most easily used by right-handed people. Although there may be some correlations with personality and gender and other things, what hand-dominance may say about you is probably pretty limited.

Links for Today:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3168892/pdf/jeab-96-02-283.pdf

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-myths/201303/three-myths-and-three-facts-about-left-handers

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/201908/8-new-scientific-findings-about-left-

https://bsci21.org/jeab-behavior-insensitive-to-consequences-in-major-league-baseball/

https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/science/bioscience/the-left-handed-brain-between-science-and-myth/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/202005/7-surprising-facts-about-left-handedness-in-animals

https://www.sciencealert.com/there-are-many-myths-about-being-left-handed-but-here-s-what-we-actually-know

https://www.thehealthy.com/aging/mind-memory/left-handed-people-myths/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/201907/do-i-kiss-you-right-exploring-side-preferences-in-kissing

We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo

Recommendations:

Abraham: Psych 2 Movie (https://www.peacocktv.com/psych-2-lassie-come-home)

Shane: Steven King shared universe leading to the Dark Tower (https://stephenking.com/darktower/connections/)

You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at [email protected], through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Protests have been a human practice for probably as long as we have had civilized groups. This practice is when a group of people unite to actively force change in their government, community, or world stage. We discuss the history of protesting and provide some helpful suggestions for how to protest safely.

Links for Today:

https://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/SafeyDuringProtest_F.pdf

https://www.self.com/story/protest-safety

https://gizmodo.com/how-to-cop-proof-your-phone-before-heading-to-a-protest-1843828887

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-954X.12111

We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo

Recommendations:

Abraham: How to Write A Lot by Paul Silvia (https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4441010)

Shane: John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11318624/)

You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at [email protected], through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

The practice of mummifying the dead was a process that was prevalent in ancient Egypt and practiced in various forms in several areas of the world for thousands of years. Although the procedures differed across cultures subtly, the most popular type was the Egyptian method that took as long as 70 days to complete, and involved a careful process of dehydration, organ removal, and utilization of oils, lotions, and wrapping. The body was preserved in a decorous fashion that enhanced its survival while entombed. The intention was that if the physical body remained intact, that the soul would as well, thus maximizing its potential in the afterlife. A subsequent judgment by the gods was assumed to take place following death, accentuated by the precision of the mummification process. The practice has since died out in Egypt and around the world given shifts in religious beliefs, but there are some modern iterations that exist today, albeit rarely.

Links for Today:
We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-excess/201705/sexual-mummification

https://mylearning.org/stories/a-step-by-step-guide-to-egyptian-mummification/220?

https://www.haikudeck.com/the-7-steps-of-mummification--uncategorized-presentation-NYOs6EpLxt (How to mummy)

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/ancient-egypt/mummies

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/mummies-101/ (Mummies for dummies)

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2561280/Forget-coffins-MUMMIFIED-U-S-firm-offers-21st-century-version-ancient-Egyptian-burial-rites.html

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/2400-year-old-myths-of-myths/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/603939/mummy-myths (Mystical mummy myths)

Recommendations:

Abraham: The Boys Season 2 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/The-Boys-Season-2/dp/B08C8NJQSH)

Shane: Stephen King books (https://stephenking.com/)

You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at [email protected], through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Exorcisms are a dangerous practice that have killed people. We explore the history of exorcisms, how they work, what to expect, and why we should avoid them. Only one left after this in our Halloween series.

Links for Today:
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist257/stephwhit/final/exorcism_pro.html

Recommendations:

Abraham: Listen charitably to people trying to talk to you.

Shane: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092076/)

You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at [email protected], through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast