Why We Do What We Do

Have you ever noticed that you always make the same typo when writing? Or, that you repeatedly misspeak some phrase or mispronounce some word when talking? When you make the same mistake often enough (sometimes, once is enough!), it starts to become a habit in that context. We discuss these "chained in" errors and what you can do about them. What are your chained in errors?

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Links and References: 

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1702402/
2. https://paloaltou.edu/resources/business-of-practice-blog/behavioral-chain-analysis
3. https://linksaba.com/how-to-use-behavior-chain-interruption-strategy-bcis/
4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250169897_The_Behavior_Chain_Interruption_Strategy_A_Review_of_Research_and_Discussion_of_Future_Directions
5. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5708&context=etd

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Nearly a century ago, a groundbreaking philosopher of psychology was way ahead of his time. J.R. Kantor developed a theory of psychology that finally rooted psychology in a natural science perspective. Unfortunately, his ideas did not spread to mainstream psychology or science. But this philosophy persists in the works of brilliant scholars following in the natural science tradition. It may sound complicated, but it is as straightforward as any other natural science, in a sense. We do our best to break down the basic concepts of interbehaviorism. Are you a convert? Let us know!

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Symbols are weird. Actually, there are fairly intuitive in many cases, but many are surprisingly new. We explore the recent history of the arrow symbol and the way that it is able to direct human behavior pretty much regardless of language or culture despite only being a few lines. 

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Links and References: 

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1702402/
2. https://paloaltou.edu/resources/business-of-practice-blog/behavioral-chain-analysis
3. https://linksaba.com/how-to-use-behavior-chain-interruption-strategy-bcis/
4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250169897_The_Behavior_Chain_Interruption_Strategy_A_Review_of_Research_and_Discussion_of_Future_Directions
5. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5708&context=etd

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Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Perhaps this would have made a good Halloween episode? Probably not. Anyway, this episode honors April Fool's day by examining a foolish endeavor: Scared Straight programs. We review the scientific research and philosophy underlying the idea of Scared Straight. Unsurprisingly, this is an idea that is so bad that even the cops don't like it. So, why does it persist...? 

Recommendations

• Abraham: Zootopia 2 
• Shane: A Wilhelm Scream - Cheap Heat (https://open.spotify.com/album/4fcuCuXF4E22R8Imztwbio?si=62c224dddd324aa6)

Holidays (4/1/2026):

• April Fools Day
• Boomer Bonus Day
• Edible Book Day
• Fossil Fools Day
• International Tatting Day
• Library Snap Shot Day
• Lupus Alert Day
• National Atheist Day
• National Fun Day
• National Jump in Muddy Puddles Day
• National One Cent Day
• National Sourdough Bread Day
• Poetry and The Creative Mind Day
• St. Stupid Day
• APAWS International Pooper Scooper Week
• Golden Rule Week
• Laugh at Work Week
• Medication Safety Week
• Testicular Cancer Awareness Week

Links and References: 

1. https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/content.ashx/cops-p288-pub.pdf
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7783688/
3. https://www.wested.org/resource/scared-straight/
4. https://sites.bu.edu/daniellerousseau/2018/12/12/do-all-juvenile-prevention-programs-work/
5. http://users.soc.umn.edu/~uggen/Petrosino_Annals_03.pdf
6. https://methods.cochrane.org/equity/scared-straight
7. https://www.prindleinstitute.org/2021/06/re-examining-scared-straight-programs/
8. https://www.djj.state.fl.us/content/download/23879/file/scared-straight-(july-2018).pdf?version=2
9. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/doing-what-doesnt-work/ 
10. Petrosino, Anthony, Carolyn Turpin-Petrosino, Meghan E. Hollis-Peel, Julia G. Lavenberg, and Alexis Stern. 2014. Scared Straight and Other Juvenile Awareness Programs for Preventing Juvenile Delinquency. No. 12 of Crime Prevention Research Review. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
11. Petrosino A, Turpin-Petrosino C, Hollis-Peel ME, Lavenberg JG. 'Scared Straight' and other juvenile awareness programs for preventing juvenile delinquency. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD002796. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002796.pub2.
12. https://www.college.police.uk/research/crime-reduction-toolkit/scared-straight 

https://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1033/Wsipp_Evidence-Based-Public-Policy-Options-to-Reduce-Crime-and-Criminal-Justice-Costs-Implications-in-Washington-State_Full-Report.pdf



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Manatees are remarkable and gentle creatures. Possibly the source of mermaid stories of old, these strange aquatic mammals live life on the slow side. Some researchers have learned a lot about their behavior and cognition in recent experiments, so we are going to break down what we understand about manatee behavior and the conundrum of their complex cognitive and social repertoires with their proportionally small brains. Have you seen a manatee up close? Send us pictures!

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Links and References: 

1. https://www.discovercrystalriverfl.com/manatee-authority/10-fun-facts-you-didnt-know-about-manatees/
2. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/10/manatees#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20study%20by%20Gordon%20Bauer%2C,150%20hertz%20using%20only%20their%20body%20hairs
3. https://www.research.ufl.edu/publications/explore/v07n2/manatees.html#:~:text=To%20conclude%20from%20the%20manatee's,large%20clusters%20of%20nerve%20cells.
4. https://mote.org/research/program/manatee-research/#:~:text=The%20MCRP's%20research%20includes:%20*%20**Unmanned%20Aerial,levels%20and%20long%2Dterm%20sublethal%20effects%20of%20stressors
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12021893/

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Psychosis is an experience that some people have in which they struggle with the ability to discern their experience from the current ongoing reality. This tends to arise from a variety of possibly traumas. But, the sooner it is treated, the better the prognosis. If you or someone you know is struggling, seek help from a professional.

Recommendations

• Abraham: Project Hail Mary (movie; https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/project-hail-mary/umc.cmc.7jxdlxvz304lj3iwhtrhbe8fv)
• Shane: Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad (https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/michael-azerrad/our-band-could-be-your-life/9780316787536/)

Holidays (25 Mar 2026):

• American Red Cross Giving Day
• Bed in for Peace Day
• Green Independence Day
• International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
• International Waffle Day
• Manatee Appreciation Day
• National Cerebral Palsy Day
• National Michele Chafer Half-Moon Cookie Day
• National Pecan Day
• Old New Year’s Day
• Tolkien Reading Day
• Autism Acceptance Week
• English Tourism Week
• National Cleaning Week
• National Tsunami Awareness Week

Links and References: 

1. https://dbh.ohio.gov/get-help/treatment-services/coordinated-specialty-care-for-first-episode-psychosis/first-episode-pyschosis/what-is-first-episode-psychosis
2. https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/mental-health-substance-use-disorder/first-episode-psychosis
3. https://www.mhealthfairview.org/condition/psychosis-first-episode
4. https://journals.healio.com/doi/10.3928/00485713-20250102-01
5. https://portal.ct.gov/dmhas/initiatives/evidence-based/first-episode-psychosis
6. https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/step/psychosis/ 
7. https://psicosis.som360.org/en/blog/cognitive-symptoms-psychosis 

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Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Does your name mean anything? Many cultures around the world choose names because they have some explicit, intended meaning, while others assign names for familial connections, or just because they like the way certain names sounds. We review a handful of naming conventions around the world. Let us know what your name means.

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Links and References: 

1. https://www.uslanguageservices.com/blog/naming-traditions-across-cultures-and-languages/#:~:text=In%20many%20African%20cultures%2C%20names,and%20the%20Akan%20in%20Ghana.
2. https://blog.duolingo.com/naming-traditions-around-the-world/

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

This is another nostalgia, re-release of a previous episide with a brief update at the end. This is a discussion of the idea to ingest poison to build a tolerance to it? Is the poisonous juice worth the proverbial squeeze? No, probably not. You might just be slowly causing permanent damage to your insides. Enjoy!

Recommendation
Abraham: Avatar: Way of Water (https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-e6ef640e-787e-4477-aba4-9e05925ebac2)

Holidays (03/18/26)

• Sloppy Joe Day
• Small Bussiness Development Centers Day
• Awkward Moments Day
• Transit Driver Appreciation Day
• Forgive Mom and Dad day
• Lacy Oatmeal Cookies Day
• Black Pudding Day

Updated reference: 
https://www.iflscience.com/mithridatism-can-you-really-become-immune-to-poison-by-taking-microdoses-69576

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

AI music is not only here to stay, it is rapidly gaining in mainstream popularity. We briefly discuss the history of computer music, the changes it has made to music and where we think the future of music is headed in the AI zeigeist. Stay for the AI song tribute at the end of the episode (this song is the AI generated content flagged for this episode)

support us on Patreon


Links and References: 

1. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/17/ai-generated-music-is-going-viral-should-the-music-industry-worry.html
2. https://www.loudly.com/blog/ai-in-music-production-key-trends-shaping-the-future-beyond-2025
3. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/13/ai-music-spotify-billboard-charts 
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_music 
5. https://symphony.org/study-music-getting-louder-more-homogenous/ 
6. https://www.economist.com/babbage/2012/07/26/same-old-song?fsrc=scn%2Ftw%2Fte%2Fbl%2Fsameoldsong
7. https://pudding.cool/2018/05/similarity/

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

This episode includes AI-generated content.

This is a re-run (nostalgia) of our fun-spirited discussion about how to ruin your sleep. We play the entire episode, plus some added research from the last five years. Have you taken on the challenge to never sleep again? (Please don't)

Recommendations

• Abraham: Famous by Blake Crouch (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790216/famous-by-blake-crouch/)  
• Shane: Bugonia ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12300742/)

Holidays (11 March 2026):

• 311 Day
• Debunking Day
• Dream Day
• Johnny Appleseed Day
• National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day
• National Immune System Day
• National No-Code Day
• National Sofrito Day
• Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day
• Wash Your Nose Day
• World Day of Muslim Culture, Peace, Dialogue, and Film
• World Plumbing Day
• Girl Scout Week
• National Aardvark Week
• National Bubble Gum Week

Links and References: 

1. https://en.hdbuzz.net/better-sleep-better-function-new-study-links-sleep-quality-to-clinical-outcomes-in-huntingtons-disease/
2. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250905-how-your-microbiome-affects-your-sleep
3. https://news.asu.edu/20260227-health-and-medicine-study-uncovers-another-reason-not-skimp-sleep
4. https://news.asu.edu/20260227-health-and-medicine-study-uncovers-another-reason-not-skimp-sleep
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945725005441 
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6033330/#:~:text=Epidemiologic%20research%20has%20shown%20that,is%20related%20to%20sleep%20disorders 

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