Brains vs. Beliefs: Debunking Psychological Misconceptions

Date: April 23, 2026 Brains vs. Beliefs: Debunking Psychological Misconceptions Episode 6: Venting Anger In this episode of Brains vs. Beliefs , Emily and Karla discuss the misconception that actively venting anger- such as through screaming, hitting a punching bag, or going to a rage room, helps to reduce anger. They describe research that shows that this type of venting can actually increase our...

Date: March 19, 2026 Brains vs. Beliefs: Debunking Psychological Misconceptions Episode 5: 10% Brain In this episode, psychologists Karla Lassonde and Emily Stark discuss the misconception that we only use 10% of our brains. We describe the origins of this mistaken belief, how this is promoted in the media, and share how research has tested this assumption and shown it to be false. We explain how...

Date: February 19, 2026 Brains vs. Beliefs: Debunking Psychological Misconceptions Episode 4: The Mozart Effect In this episode, psychologists Karla Lassonde and Emily Stark discuss the misconception that listening to classical music can positively influence intelligence. The wide-spread idea that classical music makes you smarter is the result of a study that had very interesting results – studen...

Date: Jan 22, 2026 Brains vs. Beliefs: Debunking Psychological Misconceptions Episode 3: Opposites Attract In this episode of Brains vs. Beliefs , Emily and Karla dive into the long-standing idea that successful relationships thrive on difference. From Hallmark movies to Paula Abdul’s famous song, the relationship advice “opposites attract” seems everywhere. What does the science actually say? Dra...

Date: December 19, 2025 Brains vs. Beliefs: Debunking Psychological Misconceptions Episode 2: Full Moon In this episode, psychologists Emily Stark and Karla Lassonde discuss the misconception that the full moon influences our behavior. We describe some cultural and folklore connections to the full moon, and how widespread the belief is that people act wilder during a full moon. We share how resear...

Date: November 21, 2025 Brains vs. Beliefs: Debunking Psychological Misconceptions Episode 1: Learning Styles In this episode, psychologists Karla Lassonde and Emily Stark discuss the misconception that we learn best when teaching styles are paired with learning styles. We describe the origins of this mistaken belief, how this is promoted in the media, and share how research has tested this assump...

This is a trailer announcing the launch of a new podcast from psychology professors Dr. Emily Stark and Dr. Karla Lassonde. The podcast, called  Brains vs. Beliefs: Debunking Psychological Misconceptions,  highlights research into myths about human brains and behavior.