In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with behavioral scientist Dr. Coltan Scrivner about morbid curiosity. They discuss the different domains of morbid curiosity, if morbidly curious people are less empathetic, what attracts us to horror & true crime content, and potential benefits of being curious about danger. For more on Coltan, visit www.coltanscrivner.com or subscribe to his Substack, Morbidly Curious Thoughts. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with professor of psychology and co-author of "Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong", Dr. Chris Ferguson, about the relationship between video games and mental health. They discuss whether or not violent video games cause violent behavior, the challenges in measuring the impacts of gaming, why violent video games are so enjoyable, if gaming is any different from other forms of escapism, and the benefits of online...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with play expert, Dr. Peter Gray about his book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students For Life. They discuss the characteristics of an activity that allow it to be considered play, the developmental skills learned during play, why play has declined since the 1950's, and how parents & schools can create environments to foster play. For more on Peter,...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. Kate Sweeny about the psychology of uncertainty. They discuss the upside of worrying, how uncertainty compares to other life stressors, what types of people are better at worrying, and effective vs. ineffective coping strategies. For more on Kate, visit www.katesweeny.com. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of social scientists, psychologists, and...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with professor of psychology Dr. Ellen Langer about mindfulness and her new book, The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health. They discuss the difference between mindfulness and mindlessness, how our thoughts & mindsets can limit our potential, why the mind should not be thought of as separate from the body, and how thinking differently can improve our physical health. For more on Ellen, visit www.ellenlanger.me. Why Do We Do...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with ADHD expert, Dr. Stephen Faraone. They discuss the primary symptoms of ADHD, the difference between normal inattentiveness and ADHD, genetic vs. environmental factors, and effective ADHD treatments. For more on Stephen, visit www.adhdevidence.org. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of social scientists, psychologists, and others that use applied psychology in their...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with behavioral scientist & motivation expert Dr Ayelet Fishbach about motivation and her new book, Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation. They discuss the one trait that all goals should have, how to use framing & incentives to motivate behavior, why the middle of pursuing a goal is the hardest, and how to deal with conflicting goals. For more on Ayelet, visit www.ayeletfishbach.com Why Do We Do That? is a...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with sociolinguist Dr. Valerie Fridland about speech & society and her new book, Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English. They discuss whether or not there is a "right way" to speak English, how social class can drive changes in speech, why um's & likes can be useful, and how vocal fry not is not exclusively a female speech pattern. For more on Valerie, visit www.valeriefridland.com or check out her blog on...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Anna Lembke about addiction and her newest book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. They discuss the importance of dopamine as it relates to the pleasure/pain balance, how technology & our on-demand culture exploit the brain's wiring, why the pursuit of pleasure can be harmful, the mental tricks individuals use to justify addictive behavior, and key principles for overcoming addiction. For more on Anna,...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Susan Goldin-Meadow about gestures and her new book, Thinking with Your Hands: The Surprising Science Behind How Gestures Shape Our Thoughts. They discuss how our gestures help both others and ourselves understand thought, the spontaneous nature of gestures, why gesturing is important in child development, what happens when gestures don't match speech, and how parents & teachers can use gesture to enhance learning. Why Do We...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with clinical psychologist Dr. Stephen Hupp about pseudoscience in mental health. They discuss the difficulties of proving benefits from mental health treatments, why Rorschach tests are bogus, the value of psychoanalysis vs. cognitive behavioral therapy, and how not all treatments "work" the way we think they do. For more on Stephen, visit www.skepticalinquirer.org Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. Cory Clark about politics, science, and belief. They discuss whether or not values & cognition differ based on your political affiliation, how in-group bias can impact belief formation, why public institutions should avoid politicizing issues, and public attitudes about science & censorship. For more on Cory, visit www.coryjclark.com. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with procrastination expert, Dr. Tim Pychyl. They discuss the difference between delay & procrastination, the role emotions play in our guiding our actions, why tomorrow won't be different from today, and the essential tools we need to overcome procrastination. For more on Tim, visit procrastination.ca or check out his audio series on procrastination through Sam Harris's Waking Up app. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist, Dr. Erin Westgate, about boredom. They discuss the features of situations that cause boredom, who is prone to boredom, why difficult tasks can also be boring, the benefits of boredom, and solutions to conquering boredom. For more on Erin, visit www.erinwestgate.com or follow her on Twitter. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of social scientists,...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with researchers Dr. Daniels Simons & Dr. Christopher Chabris about deception and their new book, Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It. They discuss how easy it is to be fooled by online information, why doomsday cult members don't abandon their beliefs when their predictions fail, why being objective may be harder than we think, why Bernie Madoff was so successful at conning his victims, and how you can...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with clinical psychologist & attachment researcher, Dr. Or Dagan. They discuss the importance of healthy parent-child relationships, the necessary elements for developing a secure attachment, consequences of having an insecure attachment style, how parents can balance care & independence, and the extent to which attachment styles influence outcomes in adulthood. For more on Or, visit www.ordagan.com or follow him on Twitter. Why Do...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with exercise scientist and researcher, Dr. Nick Tiller, about health beliefs and his new book, The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science: Confronting Myths of the Health & Fitness Industry. They discuss why misinformation is so pervasive in the health & fitness industry, why we should avoid quick fix solutions, how fuzzy terms and patterns of thinking can negatively influence our health beliefs, and the downside of embracing fringe...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Liesel Sharabi, about online dating. They discuss online vs. traditional dating, tips for crafting a good profile, gender differences in the online experience, why being too picky can be a bad thing, and what factors lead to long term success. For more on Liesel, check out her blog, Dating in the Digital Age, at Psychology Today. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with professor of psychology Dr. Doug Kenrick about human motivation and his newest book, co-authored with his son, David Lundberg-Kenrick, entitled Solving Modern Problems with a Stone-Age Brain. They discuss meaningful differences between the environment of our ancestors vs the modern world, why having too much can be as bad as having too little, the necessity of community, and how we can leverage our ancient instincts to be happier and...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with writer & speaker, Kelly Carlin, about self-expression. They discuss how one's early life can make self-expression challenging, discovering your true passions, ways to develop creativity, and how Kelly's father (George Carlin) struggled to express his true self. For more on Kelly, visit humansontheverge.com or follow @Kelly_Carlin on Twitter Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist, Dr. Regan Gurung about effective learning strategies and his new book co-authored with Dr. John Dunlosky entitled Study Like A Champ: The Psychology Based Guide to “Grade A” Study Habits. They discuss why the feeling of learning may not be the same as actual learning, the most common studying mistakes, how to effectively use notes & flash cards, ways to increase retention when studying, and how to prepare your...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with author and marketing professor, Dr. Zoe Chance about influence and her new book, Influence Is Your Superpower. They discuss how to influence without manipulating, if authenticity is necessary to be persuasive, why feelings must come before facts, and the importance of kindness & persistence when being influential. For more on Zoe, visit her website or follow her on Twitter. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychiatrist & author, Dr. Joe Pierre, about conspiracy theory beliefs. They discuss what distinguishes conspiracy theories from other types of beliefs, the motives & thinking errors that contribute to these beliefs, why convincing people to change their mind might be the wrong goal of conspiracy theory discussions, and ways to encourage more analytical thinking at the cultural & individual level. For more on Joe, visit...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with researcher & marketing professor, Dr. Kaitlin Woolley, about consumer motivation. They discuss the motives & biases underlying consumer decisions, why we avoid certain types of product information, how marketers leverage psychology to build loyalty, and practical ways to improve your decision-making abilities. For more on Kaitlin, visit her website or follow her on Twitter. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that...