Hidden Brain

It’s easy to spot bias in other people, especially those with whom we disagree.  But it’s not so easy to recognize our own biases.  In the latest in our "Mind Reading 2.0" series, we revisit a favorite conversation with psychologist Emily Pronin . We'll look at one of the most bewildering aspects of how we read minds — in this case, our own.  If you like this show, please check out our new podcast...

It's not easy to know how we come across to others, especially when we're meeting people for the first time. Psychologist Erica Boothby says many of us underestimate how much other people actually like us. In the second installment of our Mind Reading 2.0 series, we look at how certain social illusions give us a distorted picture of ourselves.  If you like this show, please check out our new podca...

As we go through life, we’re constantly trying to figure out what other people are thinking and feeling. Psychologist Liane Young says this ability to assess other people's thoughts ​is an extraordinary feat of cognition. But this mental superpower can sometimes lead us astray. This week, we kick off a new series exploring how we understand — or fail to understand — the minds of other people. If y...

Sanaa is on her train ride home when an angry man begins threatening her. Before he gets too close, a stranger intervenes.  Please share the story of your unsung hero with us! To do so, record a voice memo on your phone and email us at myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advert...

Life is often filled with hardships and tragedies. For thousands of years, philosophers have come up with strategies to help us cope with such hardship. This week, we revisit a 2020 conversation with philosopher William Irvine about ancient ideas — backed by modern psychology — that can help us manage disappointment and misfortune. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung...

Everyone wants to be loved and appreciated. But psychologist Harry Reis says there’s another ingredient to successful relationships that’s every bit as important as love. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informat...

It's 1979, and Wendy is eight years old, crying alone in an airport. Then she sees a woman in white walking towards her. In a few weeks we'll be running these episodes exclusively on the My Unsung Hero feed . Please don’t miss any of these wonderful stories —  subscribe now on Apple , Spotify , or wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for in...

The rift between police and Black Americans can feel impossible to bridge. But in his work with police departments across the U.S., Yale psychologist Phillip Atiba Goff has found novel ways to address the problem. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWi...

All of us make choices all the time, and we may think we're making those choices freely. But psychologist Eric Johnson says there's an architecture behind the way choices are presented to us, and this invisible architecture can influence decisions both large and small.  If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at...

At the beginning of the year, many of us make resolutions for the months to come. We resolve to work out more, to procrastinate less, or to save more money. Though some people stick with these aspirations, many of us fall short. This week, we revisit our 2019 conversation with psychologist Wendy Wood , who shares what researchers have found about how to build good habits — and break bad ones. If y...

Justin is  sitting on the side of the freeway, hoping someone will help him fix his busted wheel. Right around the time he’s about to give up, a van pulls over. Would you like to share the story of an unsung hero who helped you in a moment of need? If so, please record a voice memo and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for infor...

Bababa, dadada, ahgaga. Got that? Babies are speaking to us all the time, but most of us have no clue what they're saying. To us non-babies, it all sounds like charming, mysterious gobbledegook. To researchers, though, babbling conveys important information about a baby's readiness to learn. This week, we'll revisit a favorite episode exploring the language and behavior of the newest members of th...

We all have times when we feel like a fraud. Psychologist Kevin Cokley studies the corrosive effects of self-doubt, and how we can turn that negative voice in our heads into an ally.   If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.c...

It's 1994, and two men corner Leah on a dark street as she's walking home. Then she sees a car, and a glimmer of hope. To hear more stories like this, subscribe to our new podcast, My Unsung Hero . And we'd love to hear your own story: send a voice memo to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of per...

It’s psychologically simpler to see the world in black and white. But reality often comes in shades of gray. This week, how our minds grapple with contradictions, especially those we see in other people.  If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compan...

If you’re working from home, you might be reveling in your daily commute to the dining room table. Or you might be saying, “Get me out of here.” In the final episode of our Work 2.0 series, economist Nicholas Bloom joins us from his spare bedroom to ponder whether working from home is actually working.  If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to...

Tony is angry at his English teacher, Mrs. Holman, for making him stay after class. But on the last day of school, she takes his hand, and tells him something he'll never forget. To hear more stories like this, subscribe, and enjoy! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Editor's note, December 6, 2024: Since we first published this episode with Francesca Gino in 2018, other researchers have raised concerns about the integrity of her work. In 2023, a group of scientists publicly alleged that she had fabricated data in some of her studies. You can find more information about their analysis at Data Colada.org .  Gino has denied these allegations. A number of Frances...

Many of us spend our workdays responding to a never-ending stream of emails and texts. We feel stressed out and perpetually behind on our to-do list. But what if there was a better way to work? This week, we revisit a favorite conversation about "deep work" with computer scientist Cal Newport . And we'll visit a lab that's studying whether brain stimulation can improve our ability to handle multit...

Today we're sharing another episode of our new podcast, My Unsung Hero. To hear more stories like this, subscribe, and enjoy! It's a few days after her mother's death, and Terri Powers is at the checkout line in a grocery store. As she turns to leave, the bagger stops her, and asks a question. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...

The world of play and the world of work are often seen as opposites. But they may have more in common than we think. In the second installment of our new Work 2.0 series, Ethan Mollick makes the case that we can make our jobs more engaging by incorporating elements of games. If you like our work, please consider supporting it! See how you can help at support.hiddenbrain.org . And to learn more abo...

Introducing new ideas is hard. Most of us think the best way to win people over is to push harder. But organizational psychologist Loran Nordgren says a more effective approach is to focus on the invisible obstacles to new ideas. If you like our work, please consider supporting it! See how you can help at support.hiddenbrain.org . And to learn more about human behavior and ideas that can improve y...

We’ve grown accustomed to viewing climate change as an enemy we must urgently defeat. But is that the right metaphor for the greatest existential problem of our time? This week, we consider how to reframe the way we think about life on a changing planet. If you like our work, please consider supporting it! See how you can help at support.hiddenbrain.org . And to learn more about human behavior and...

Today we're sharing another episode of our new podcast, My Unsung Hero. Subscribe, and enjoy! In 2008, while driving to work, Rick Mangnall crashes into a slab of granite rock. He's hanging upside down in his seatbelt when he sees an old Ford truck pull over across the road. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

In 1978, Judy, Lyn and Donna Ulrich were driving to a volleyball game when their Ford Pinto was hit from behind by a van. The Pinto caught fire, and the three teenagers died. This week, we revisit a 2020 episode with a former Ford insider who played a key role in weighing the risks associated with the Pinto. And we consider what his story tells us about a question we all face: is it possible to fa...