Speaking of Psychology

Latest Episodes:

How to use AI ethically, with Nathanael Fast, PhD Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

Artificial intelligence is already changing how people work, learn, play and live. As these technologies develop, it will be crucial to understand how they interact with human behavior to make sure we use AI safely and ethically. Nathanael Fast, PhD, executive director of the Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making at the USC Marshall School of Business and co-director of the Psychology of Technology Institute, talks about how AI affects people’s decision-making, whether most of us trust AI, and why it’s important to make sure that the potential benefits of AI flow to everyone, not just the most privileged. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

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How to learn from regret, with Robert Leahy, PhD Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

Regret is painful – but it can also be productive, pushing us to make better decisions and needed changes in our lives. Dr. Robert Leahy, author of the book “If Only…Finding Freedom From Regret,” talks about the difference between productive and unproductive regret, why some people seem to ruminate on their regrets more than others, what to do if regret is consuming your thoughts, and whether people have more regrets than they used to. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

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How to fail successfully, with Amy Edmondson, PhD, and Samuel West, PhD Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

Remember New Coke? Colgate frozen lasagna? The Hawaii chair? History is littered with commercial failures. Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, PhD, author of “Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well,” and organizational psychologist Samuel West, PhD, curator of the Museum of Failure, talk about some of commerce’s biggest flops, the difference between simply failing and “failing well;” and how individuals and organizations can get past the fear of failure, recognize its potential upsides and learn from their mistakes. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

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Why diversity matters, with Robert Sellers, PhD Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

The words diversity, equity and inclusion have become political flashpoints -- but the science and evidence on why diversity matters is often ignored. Robert Sellers, PhD, of the University of Michigan, talks about why diverse groups lead to better outcomes and how psychologists’ research has informed our understanding of diversity in our schools, workplaces and other institutions.

For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

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The benefits of being bilingual, with Viorica Marian, PhD Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

More than half the world’s population speaks more than one language. Viorica Marian, PhD, of Northwestern University, talks about why speaking multiple languages may have far-reaching cognitive benefits, how the bilingual brain processes language and how the languages we speak shape the way we think and perceive the world. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

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Encore - How to get unstuck with Adam Alter, PhD Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

Everyone gets stuck sometimes: in a creative pursuit that stalls, in a job or a relationship that isn’t working out, or even just at an exercise plateau. NYU psychologist Adam Alter, PhD, author of “Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most,” talks about why getting stuck is such a universal experience, what you can do to get stuck less often, how you know when it’s time to quit versus push ahead, and the practical steps you can take to get past the mental or emotional hurdles that are keeping you stuck. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

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Encore - Living a happy single life, with Geoff MacDonald, PhD Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

More Americans than ever before are single -- about half of American adults are unmarried and close to three in 10 are not in a committed relationship. Geoff MacDonald, PhD, of the University of Toronto, talks about how relationship status is related to well-being, whether there is a societal stigma against singles, and why there is so much more research on being in a happy relationship than there is on being happily single.

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Why we learn best through play, with Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

Playtime isn’t just for fun -- psychologists who study children’s learning have found that kids learn best through play. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, of Temple University, talks about why kids need playtime, what playful learning looks like in a classroom, how technology is changing children’s play, why adults need recess, too, and what parents can do to encourage more play in their kids’ lives.

For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

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Why we need hope, with Chan Hellman, PhD, and Jacqueline Mattis, PhD Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

When the news is filled with war and climate change and other disasters, remaining hopeful about the future can feel impossible. But psychologists’ research has found that hope is not an unrealistic luxury, but a necessity. Jacqueline Mattis, PhD, of Rutgers University, and Chan Hellman, PhD, of the University of Oklahoma, discuss the difference between hope and optimism, why cultivating hope can help people facing adversity and trauma, and what all of us can do to find hope in trying and uncertain times.

For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

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Stopping the spread of misinformation, with Sander van der Linden, PhD Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

Misleading news stories. Propaganda. Conspiracy theories. Misinformation has always been with us, but with the rise of social media it can spread farther and faster than ever. Sander van der Linden, PhD, of Cambridge University, talks about why we’re so vulnerable to misinformation, how much we’re really all exposed to, why misinformation spreads like a virus and how we can “inoculate” people against it, and how AI is changing the landscape of misinformation.

For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

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