Speaking of Psychology

Latest Episodes:

How noise pollution harms our health, with Arline Bronzaft, PhD Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

From roaring leaf blowers to screeching trains, the world is full of unwelcome noise – and researchers have found that noisy environments can take a real toll on people’s mental and physical health. Arline Bronzaft, PhD, talks about how noise affects health and well-being, how it can harm kids’ learning, why it’s not just a problem in big cities, and the most unusual noise complaints she’s heard in her five decades of advocacy combating noise pollution.

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Mental health in a warming world, with Kim Meidenbauer, PhD, and Amruta Nori-Sarma, PhD Jun 19, 2024

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Last year -- 2023 -- was the world’s warmest on record, and 2024 could bring another record-shattering summer. Psychologist Kim Meidenbauer, PhD, and public health researcher Amruta Nori-Sarma, PhD, discuss how heat affects people’s mental health, emotions and even cognitive abilities; the link between heat, violence and aggression; who is most vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat; and what policy makers could be doing to mitigate its effects.

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How to motivate yourself and others, with Wendy Grolnick, PhD, and Frank Worrell, PhD Jun 12, 2024

Show notes

Why can’t I get myself to run that 5K? Why isn’t my child getting better grades? We all have things that we struggle to accomplish – or that we struggle to get someone else to accomplish. Frank Worrell, PhD, and Wendy Grolnick, PhD, co-authors of “Motivation Myth Busters: Science-based Strategies to Boost Motivation in Yourself and Others,” discuss how our misconceptions about motivation get in the way of reaching our goals, why there’s no such thing as an “unmotivated” person, and the merits and drawbacks of strategies like rewards, competition and praise.

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The benefits of solitude, with Thuy-vy Nguyen, PhD, and Netta Weinstein, PhD Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

The average American adult spends up to one-third of their waking hours alone. Psychologists are exploring how those hours spent on our own affect us – including the potential benefits, as well as the challenges, of solitude. Thuy-vy Nguyen, PhD, and Netta Weinstein, PhD, discuss the difference between solitude and loneliness, how solitude affects our emotions and stress levels, why some people crave solitude more than others, and why the stigma against solitude can make us uncomfortable with being alone.

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Which countries are happiest and why? With Lara Aknin, PhD May 29, 2024

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The 2024 World Happiness Report, which ranks the happiness levels of countries around the world, found that young Americans are less happy than their peers in many other countries. Psychology professor Lara Aknin, PhD, an editor of the report, talks about how the report defines happiness, why young people’s happiness levels may have dropped in the U.S, what drives happiness, and why being generous makes people happy – even when they don’t have much to spare.

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Choosing to be child free, with Jennifer Watling Neal, PhD May 22, 2024

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A growing number of adults in the U.S. are choosing not to have children. Jenna Watling Neal, PhD, of Michigan State University, talks about her research that’s found 1 in 5 adults are child free, why people are choosing not to have kids, the stigma child-free adults face, whether people who decide not to have kids early in life usually stick with that choice, and how the prevalence of child-free adults in the U.S. compares with other countries.

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How to cope with political stress this election season, with Brett Q. Ford, PhD, and Kevin Smith, PhD May 15, 2024

Show notes

If the thought of the upcoming election sends your stress level through the roof, you’re not alone. Psychologist Brett Q. Ford, PhD, and political scientist Kevin Smith, PhD, talk about how political stress affects people’s well-being; what high levels of political stress mean for people’s lives, for the U.S. and for democracy; and how to stay politically engaged while still maintaining your mental health.

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

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How Sesame Street teaches kids about emotional well-being, with Rosemarie Truglio, PhD May 08, 2024

Show notes

Sesame Street has entertained and educated generations of children. Developmental psychologist Rosemarie Truglio, PhD, Sesame Workshop’s senior vice president of curriculum and content, talks about why the show has a new focus on young children’s emotional well-being; how Sesame Street translates complicated concepts into stories that young kids can connect with; the research that underpins all of the content on Sesame Street; and why the Sesame Street characters still resonate with so many adults.

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

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What déjà vu can teach us about memory, with Chris Moulin, PhD May 01, 2024

Show notes

The eerie sensation of “déjà vu” -- feeling a strong sense of familiarity in a new place or situation -- is one of memory’s strangest tricks. Researcher Chris Moulin, PhD, of Grenoble Alpes University, talks about why déjà vu happens; why both déjà vu and its lesser-known opposite, jamais vu, may actually be signs of a healthy memory at work; why young people are more prone to déjà vu; how he and others study déjà vu and jamais vu in the lab; and what these experiences can teach us about memory more broadly.

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

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The psychology of sports fans, with Daniel Wann, PhD Apr 24, 2024

Show notes

Are you a sports “superfan”? Or do you wonder what’s driving the superfans in your life? Daniel Wann, PhD, of Murray State University, talks about why being a fan is usually good for people’s mental health, how they choose the teams they root for, why some are fair-weather fans while others love to cheer for the underdog, how fandom is changing among younger people, and whether a crowd of supportive fans can affect the outcome of a game. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

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