Why Do We Do 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 enc...

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,...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychiatry instructor & psychotherapist, Dr. Mark Ruffalo, about psychotic disorders. They discussed the nature of psychotic disorders, changes in classification & treatment over time, how talk therapy can be used to reduce symptoms, and ways to address psychotic disorders in homeless populations. For more on Mark, visit his websit...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychologist Dr. Jill Rathus about self-harm & trauma. They discussed motives behind self-harm, the role trauma plays in creating negative patterns of behavior, the downside of using distraction to deal with emotional pain, and how dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can help people develop better coping strategies. For more on Jill, vi...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with behavioral scientist Dr. Stuart Vyse about his new book The Uses of Delusion: Why It's Not Always Rational to Be Rational. They discussed why being rational is not always the optimal way of thinking, the competing systems of human cognition, when it makes sense to be unhealthy, and why being overconfident may be a good thing. For more on S...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with journalist & author, Monica Guzman about her new book I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. They discussed barriers that get in the way of effective communication, how judgment is the opposite of curiosity, how social media poisons political discourse, why it's harmfu...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with clinical psychologist, Dr. Camilo Ortiz about effective parenting. They discussed the keys to effective discipline, how to have less arguments with your children, the danger in being too helpful, and some techniques for fostering emotional intelligence. For more on Camilo, visit his website or follow him on Twitter . Why Do We Do That? is...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with author & well-being researcher, Dr. Todd Kashdan. They discussed why most dissent efforts fail, what makes insubordination principled vs unprincipled, how to overcome barriers to fostering new ideas, and strategies for rebels to be more effective at changing minds. For more on Todd, visit his website or check out his newest book "The A...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with clinical psychologist, Dr. Kevin Chapman. They discussed how social anxiety is a normal human emotion, the lies we tell ourselves about our ability to socialize, the role of culture and race in the experience of social anxiety, and how to retrain our brains to overcome negative thinking. For more on Kevin, visit his personal website or T h...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychologist & school shooting expert, Dr. Peter Langman. They discussed whether or not profiles of school shooters are accurate, how shooters make their intentions known, why these warnings are often overlooked, and how to effectively prevent these tragedies from happening. For more on Peter, visit his website or check out his latest...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Leidy Klotz about why subtraction is often overlooked, how evolution & culture has impacted our ability to appreciate subtraction, how inventors & emergency rooms applied subtraction to solve problems, why "just enough" is often better than "the best", and how to improve your life with less instead of more. For more on Leidy, v...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with magician Brian Brushwood about the importance of story-telling when performing tricks, the lengths magicians will go to create effects, what magic teaches you about reading people, and how magic can change your perception of the real world and prevent you from being taken advantage of. For more on Brian, visit his website or check out his...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. John Petrocelli about the difference between BS and lying, the various kinds of BS and why people engage in them, the danger in valuing personal experience over objective truth, and what tools you should have in your BS detection kit. For more on John, check out his website , purchase a copy of his book , or watch h...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. William Swann about the battle between viewing yourself positively vs. accurately, why some people might not prefer positive feedback, the trick to maintaining your sense of self worth, and why affirmations may not be as useful as once thought. For more on Bill, visit his University of Texas at Austin faculty page ....

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with aggression expert, Dr. Brad Bushman about which types of people are prone to aggression, how violent media and the presence of guns can influence aggressive behavior, why purging your anger is a bad idea, and some helpful ways to manage your anger. For more on Brad, visit his OSU faculty page or follow him on Twitter . Why Do We Do That? i...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist, Dr. Richard Nisbett about how poorly people are at explaining their own thoughts, how thinking has changed over the past century, what statistical principles can make you a better thinker, and cost-benefit analysis in the age of Covid-19. For more on Richard, visit his website , where you can purchase his latest book "...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with mentalist Mark Edward about the techniques he uses to create the illusion of psychic ability. We discussed how listening plays a role in producing a convincing reading, what methods psychics use to get inside information about you, whether or not all psychics are con artists, and how much of a role the victims play in being taken advantage...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist, Dr. Benjamin Karney about success in long-term relationships. They discuss the one trait that predicts marriage success over time, how life circumstances & socioeconomic status can influence relationships, what behaviors within a relationship can lead to more positive outcomes, and what factors to consider when cho...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. David Pizarro about moral judgment. They discussed how emotions can influence moral judgments, if too much empathy can be a bad thing, how disgust can impact your political attitudes, and how to balance emotion & reason when forming moral judgments. For more on David, follow him on Twitter or check out his podca...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. Kennon Sheldon about goal pursuit and motivation. They discussed the biggest mistake people make when choosing goals, the importance of doing things you don't want to do, the keys to effective goal planning, how to stay motivated while pursuing long-term goals, and how goal pursuit can lead to a happier life. For mo...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. James Kaufman about how there's not just one way to be creative, how to maximize creativity in a group setting, what mental processes and traits contribute to someone being creative, whether or not mental illness increases creativity, and how to increase YOUR ability to be more creative. For more on James, follow him on Twitter or chec...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Gregory Gorelik about sexual selection and how it influences gender differences in humans, why dominance is an important trait within males, how today's environment differs from that of our ancestors, and the evolutionary origins of BDSM. For more on Greg, visit his website or his author page at Quillette . Why Do We Do That? is a psyc...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Casey Casperson about how the principles of improv can be applied to real life, including how to be more accepting of others, the freeing nature of expressing emotions effectively, and the importance of listening & being open to new ideas. For more on Casey, visit his website or Sick Puppies Comedy .  Why Do We Do That? is a psychology...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Justin Puder about the top mental health issues encountered in college students, the challenges of dealing with new life transitions and how to overcome them, how social media can impact mental health, and how mindfulness can help you combat stress and live a happier life. For more on Justin, follow him on Instagram or @amoderntherapis...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Ryne Sherman about why individuals typically chosen for leadership positions may not be the best fit for the job, what traits make for an effective leader, whether or not leaders need to be nice in order to be effective, and what behaviors are sure to undermine trust in leadership. For more on Ryne, visit https://www.thescienceofperson...