Everything's Psychology

In a world of screens, social media, climate anxiety, and mental health awareness, what does the future of childhood and education look like? With me to discuss the psychology of childhood are Sue Roffey, founder of Growing Great Schools Worldwide and one of the UK's foremost voices on student, school, and community wellbeing, and Charlie Lewis, Professor of Psychology at Lancaster University...

What kind of person is James Bond? What do audiences want from a Bond actor? What traits make someone convincing as the world's most famous spy? And how realistic is James Bond when compared to the psychological make-up of real-life spies? With me to discuss the psychology of James Bond are Calvin Dyson, one of the world's leading Bond commentators and the creator of one of YouTube'...

In season two, I'll be chatting with some fascinating guests about topics such as the psychology of childhood, the psychology of Harry Potter, the psychology of weight loss, and, by popular demand after last season’s episode on cats, the psychology of dogs. And this time, I need your help. If you have a question you’d like to ask a psychologist about any of the topics I’ve just mentioned, you...

Every year, on the first Monday of May, something extraordinary happens. 450 of the world's most powerful, most beautiful, most photographed people climb a set of steps in Manhattan — and the internet collectively loses it’s mind. The Met Gala is billed as an exclusive charity fundraiser where tickets cost seventy-five thousand dollars. And yet somehow, it reaches billions of people sat at ho...

The most popular episode of 2025 was about the psychology of cats 😻 Dr Claude Béata, animal behaviouralist and author of The Interpretation of Cats, emphasises cats dual role as both predator and prey and how this distinction can help us understand these most wonderful creatures.  Go order a copy of Dr Béata's book, The Interpretation of Cats and Their Owners . It's a fascinating, enjoy...

How do your behavioural biases impact investment decisions? Are financial advisers affected by these psychological biases? What practical steps are there for individuals looking to improve their investing strategies or just get started? More about Daniel Crosby: https://orion.com/thought-leader/daniel-crosby The Behavioral Investor (Amazon): https://amzn.eu/d/b4ginLa The Soul of Wealth (Amazon): h...

Do habits really take 66 days to form?  Should you rely on willpower?  How does a psychologist approach overcoming their own bad habits and starting good ones? Professor Ben Gardner leads me through the intricate world of habits, exploring their definitions, the distinction between habits and routines, and the psychological mechanisms behind habitual behaviour.  Find out more about Ben's work...

Going back to the very first episode of Everything's Psychology, where I talk with Professor Robert Epstein about the psychological techniques Google employs in its search engine.  Are you being manipulated by search engines? What is Google's policy on human manipulation? What can you do to protect yourself? Send us Fan Mail To leave a voicenote, just visit speakpipe.com/everythingspsych...

My final short story on behavioural biases. This week, the story focuses on the power of today over tomorrow by looking at present bias. Present bias describes our tendency to give greater weight to rewards available now, while undervaluing the costs those choices impose on our future. And, in this story, I try to take this idea to its extreme. I hope these little psychological stories have been e...

Another short story involving a behavioural bias. This week, the bias is revenge. Maybe not considered by behavioural scientists as one of the core cohort of behavioural biases, revenge certainly fits the bill. It makes people act irrationally and often behave against their own self-interest. While I did write this week's story, it is a retelling of Roald Dahl's short story "William...

Happy New Year! Have you set yourself a resolution? If so, in this episode, I share how a behaviourist psychologist would approach sticking to them and sailing past Quitters Day on January 17th. The principles are taken from a book called Self-Help Without The Hype by Professor Robert Epstein. I was honoured to have written the foreword to the new edition last year, in which I reflect on how the w...

Something different for Christmas. I share a short story based on a behavioural bias. This week, the story is called Spaghetti Sauce and is about choice overload. Choice is a paradox. We convince ourselves that we want it, and certainly rebel when it’s taken away from us, but when we get too much of it, we regularly struggle to make a choice. This story follows a young girl in Atlanta as she strug...

In this episode of Everything’s Psychology, I sit down with Richard D. Gross, author of The Psychology of Time , to unpack how our minds construct the very thing we live inside of: time. From internal body clocks and ‘mind time’ to cultural attitudes and our awareness of mortality, we explore why time can race, crawl, or seem to stand still. You’ll learn why your brain is always half a second late...

Was the moon landing mankind’s giant leap, or was it Hollywood's greatest special effect? Was the global vaccine rollout an elaborate scheme by Bill Gates to implant microchips in all of us? And do the condensation trails you see behind aeroplanes in the sky contain chemicals to keep the population docile? Let's be honest, a small part of us loves a good conspiracy theory. They’re exciti...

What makes a great athlete? Why do some sports professionals rise to the occasion, while others crumble under pressure? Do the lessons from sports transfer to other areas of our lives, such as business or parenting? With me to discuss the psychology of sport, is Dr Jim Taylor. Jim holds a PhD in Psychology, has written 18 books including The Complete Guide to Cycling Psychology and Train Your Mind...

Why do people start a podcast? I chat with host of the Growth Mindset Psychology podcast, Sam Webster Harris, about his motivations for launching a podcast and why, after 500+ episodes, he's still doing it. We chat about the psychology of motivation, self-determination, signalling theory, and whether there's a hierarchy of influencers. Listen to the Growth Mindset Psychology website on S...

What psychology have we seen in the first four episodes of the Celebrity Traitors? Were we right in our predictions? Now that we've seen how the celebs are playing the game, who do I think will make it to the end? Don't forget to listen to last week's episode where I chat with three psychologists from the University of Chester about the psychology in the show. And check out their ow...

With the celebrity version of The Traitors UK starting on October 8th, I talk with three psychologists from Chester University about the psychology used in the show as a whole, how contestants have played the show previously, and how the gameplay will change with celebrities in the Traitor house. Listen to Lisa, Clea, and Kevin breakdown each new episode of the Celebrity Traitors on their own podc...

In this episode, I expand on last week's interview with the details of a 2025 research paper that examined the influence of erotic content platforms, such as OnlyFans, on teenagers. You can read the full paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12119-025-10389-2 .   Send us Fan Mail To leave a voicenote, just visit speakpipe.com/everythingspsychology

Valued this year at $8 billion, OnlyFans is the video hosting site generating significant media interest, with celebrities using it to support their other work. I chat with Dr Anna Kelberg about why people put themselves on cams, and whether it's just for the money. Also, is paying for a subscription to an OnlyFans provider considered cheating on your partner? And, is OnlyFans something which...

I share my framework to help companies struggling to persuade their customers to make decisions that will make them better off. I share how mapping customer communications to a psychological model helps promote action. For more on the Behaviour Relay, email paul@behaviour.co.uk Get updates and freebies from my upcoming book at behavebook.com Send us Fan Mail To leave a voicenote, just visit speakp...

In this episode, I explore the intricate relationship between psychology and investing with Dr. Daniel Crosby.  We discuss how behavioural biases impact investment decisions, the importance of understanding these biases, and the role of financial advisors in guiding investors. We end by recommending practical steps for individuals looking to improve their investing strategies – or just get started...

In this shorter episode, I share a few more ideas from psychology that relate to last week's topic of sexual violence. I also give an update on which episodes have proven to be the most popular to date. If you have an idea for an episode, please let me know at paul@everythingspsychology.com or DM me on any of the social channels. 📺  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everythingspsychology 📷 ...

In this episode, we dip our psychological toes into the world of sociology and gender studies by chatting with Professor Alison Phipps (Newcastle University) about sexual violence. It's certainly a serious topic, but we try to tackle it with humour as Alison and I are old school friends who can be open and honest with each other. I ask Alison to summarise her last book, ‘Me Not You: The Troub...

In this shorter episode, I discuss my interview with David Cohen on the psychology of vampires and delve a little deeper into the groups of people who identify themselves as real-life vampires or drink blood. – – – The Psychology of Vampires by David Cohen (Routledge Publishing) Psychologists on Psychology by David Cohen Laycock, J. (2010) Real Vampires as an Identity Group: Analyzing Causes and E...