The Matt Townsend Show

Matt Townsend specializes in energizing and involving audiences with his unique approach to building and maintaining successful relationships. Known as one of America’s top presenters in the field of Human Relations and Development, Matt blends humor and story telling with interactive, real-life solutions that motivate and inspire his listeners.

Latest Episodes:

Passwords Privacy, Outsmart Your Instincts, Worst Couples Apr 05, 2017

Show notes

Why We Should Not Know Our Own Passwords (16:26) Dr. Megan Squire, a professor of computing science at Elon University in North Carolina. Since 2009, U.S. Customs and Borders Protection agents have been able to search electronic devices carried by citizens and non-citizens are they enter the country. It has been suggested that this vetting should also include harvesting social media password. This violates the first rule of online security: Don’t share your passwords. This has caused major problems for private citizens and government employees alike. Dr. Megan Squire discusses the importance and challenges around password protection. Makena Bauss - Lonely People Report More Severe Cold Symptoms (41:35) A study published Thursday in Health Psychology found that among people who fell ill after being exposed to a cold virus, those who were lonely were more likely to report a severe runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and other symptoms. That adds to the evidence linking loneliness to more serious health problems including heart disease and early death. Producer Makena Bauss with the info. Outsmart Your Instincts (1:05:12) Ed Harrington is CEO at Ideas To Go and has spent a lifetime helping business leaders come up with new and innovative ideas. Ed Harrington is the co-author of Outsmart Your Instincts: How the Behavioral Innovation Approach Drives Your Company Forward. When you encounter a dangerous situation or difficult decision you’ll often hear advice to “trust your instincts”. Our primal instincts kept our ancestors alive but our next guest Ed Harrington argues that trusting our instincts at work might be hurting instead of helping us. Liana Tan - Birthdays (1:32:52) WE are going to hear another tangent from one of our producers, Liana Tan. It was her birthday this week so she is going to tell us some of her greatest life events these past 24 years. Three Worst Couples (1:54:17) Dr. Brian Willoughby is an Associate Professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University. Dr. Willoughby is

Trump Immigration Policy, Feeling Like a Fraud, Teen Brain Apr 04, 2017

Show notes

Immigration Policies (18:05) Kevin Johnson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at US Davis Law School and a Professor of Public Interest Law and of Chicana Studies at UC Davis. He has taught a wide array of classes, including immigration law, civil procedure, complex litigation, Latinos and Latinas and the law, and Critical Race Theory. Dean Johnson blogs at ImmigrationProf, and is a regular contributor on immigration on SCOTUSblog. President Trump’s immigration policies have been a huge part of his presidential administration. Although his efforts have focused on the Middle East, his current policies concerning Latin America is very similar to the Obama Administration. His main focus has been deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal histories. Dean Johnson explains Feeling Like a Fraud (1:05:14) Dr. Jaime Kurtz is an associate Professor of Psychology at James Madison University in Virginia. Her research focuses on enjoying well-being and she presents seminars on mental health to continuing education health care professionals nationwide. Dr. Jamie Kurtz discusses the “imposter syndrome” and where this feeling of inadequacy comes from. Caitlin Thomas - Promposal (1:25:40) We all know that for the past few years it has become wildly popular to plan a really elaborate wedding proposal and film it, then post it to Youtube afterward. But, what is this new craze with “promposals” that everyone keeps talking about? Well, Caitlin Thomas is here this morning to help us navigate through this new and very VERY big idea. Moral Development and the Teen Brain (1:52:42) Julie Nelson (the "Child Whisperer") has a master's degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development. She teaches classes such as Applied Parenting and Marriage and Relationship Skills at Utah Valley University. Julie has written two books about parenting including Keep it Real and Grab a Plunger. Julie talks about the developmental process and how judgment and morality are formed in teens.

Nuclear Option, Comedians and Mental Health, Eye Contact Apr 03, 2017

Show notes

Nuclear Option (15:37) Joe Cannon is our Washington Insider. Joe served as an assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1983-1985. He was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992 and served as the Chairman of the Utah Republican Party from 2002 to 2006. He was named editor of the Deseret Morning News on December 8, 2006. Joe currently is the CEO of Fuel Freedom Foundation. Joe and Jeff Simpsons discuss the new baseball season and explain what the "Nuclear Option" is as the Senate begins the voting process on Justice Neil Gorsuch. Comedians and Mental Health (1:04:33) Dr. Gordon Claridge is Emeritus Professor of Abnormal Psychology at Oxford University and Emeritus Fellow of Magdalen College. Claridge is best known for his work in developing the theoretical construct of schizotypy. Schizotypy is the putative dimension, normally distributed throughout the population, whose defining characteristic is that of proneness to develop schizophrenia in particular and psychosis in general. Mental health is no laughing matter, but many comedians suffer from mental health challenges. Dr. Claridge studies the benefits that come from psychotic traits. Makena Bauss - Earth Not a Planet? (1:30:46) In August of 2006 Pluto was demoted from planet status because an international body of scientists decided that the small planet did not meet the standards the qualify as a planet. Now the same criteria are being shown to indicate that the Earth does not meet those same standards. Producer Makena Bauss explains. How Important Is Eye Contact? (1:55:17) Dr. Ilan Shrira, a social psychologist at Arkansas Tech University. Have you ever passed by someone and just felt their eyes on you from behind? How did you know they were staring at you if you can’t even see them? Is it a sixth sense? Is it paranoia? Or is it something we biologically come equipped with as humans? Ilan Shrira tells us more about the science behind the feeling when you know someone is watching you and what it means for your relationshi

Losing a Dog, Increased Surveillance, Phantom Phone Ringing Apr 01, 2017

Show notes

Why losing a dog can be harder than losing a relative or friend (16:26) Dr. Frank McAndrew is the Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology at Knox College and an elected Fellow of several professional organizations, including the Association for Psychological Science (APS). He is an evolutionary social psychologist whose research is guided by the simple desire to make sense of everyday life, and he is currently studying gossip, aggression, and creepiness. When someone we love deeply passes away, we have services and reflect on our memories of the deceased’s while others offer sincere condolences. But in our culture, the same courtesies are not often afforded when a pet passes away. Frank McAndrew explains. Increased Surveillance (1:04:03) Dr. Sanjay Goel is an Associate Professor at the School of Business at the University of Albany, SUNY. Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley Manning was a U.S. Soldier who was disgruntled with how the American military was handling themselves overseas. Manning copied and posted hundreds and thousands of classified documents. Although the release of information has had relatively little lasting damage to American diplomacy, the documents talking about prisoner torture and assassination squads enraged Americans across the country. What has the U.S. done since then to protect themselves? Dr. Sanjay Goel explains. Phantom Cellphone Ringing (1:50:29) Dr. Daniel Kruger is a Research Assistant Professor of Health Behavior & Health Education at the University of Michigan. He is interested in community-based prevention research aimed at improving health status and reducing morbidity and mortality among populations experiencing a disproportionate share of poor health outcomes. Have you ever experienced a phantom phone call or text? You’re convinced that you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket, or that you heard your ring tone. But when you check your phone, no one actually tried to get in touch with you. You then might plausibly wonder: “Is my phone acting up, or is it me?” Well

Solving Health Care, Mental Strength Tips, Parent Previews Mar 31, 2017

Show notes

How Republicans and Democrats can both keep their promises on health care (16:29) Dr. Anup Malani is the Lee and Brena Freeman Professor at the University of Chicago Law School and a Professor at the Pritzker School of Medicine. Malani has a Ph.D. in economics and a JD, both from the University of Chicago. Dr. Malani conducts research in law and economics, as well as health economics and development economics. Dr. Anup Malani discusses his a four-step market-based proposal on how both Republicans and Democrats can keep their promises on health care. Liana Tan - Creativity (1:13:22) How much of your life is spent coming up with ideas? Whether it’s making a work project deadline or turning in an assignment, or just figuring out what to have for dinner. Sometimes it can be draining to come up with new ideas all the time. So one of our producers, Liana Tan, is going to teach us how to be more creative. 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do (1:18:36) Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, college psychology instructor and the author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do. She’s a regular contributor to Forbes, Inc., Psychology Today, and Huffington Post. She’s been featured by numerous media outlets including Fast Company, Success, Fox News, Cosmopolitan, and Oprah.com. When hard times come along and people feel stretched by the challenges they face many feel like they’ll crack under pressure. Our next guest Amy Morin explains how we can face difficulties with mental strength. Makena Bauss - Thinking Like a Toddler (1:34:14) To solve problems adults could stand to take a cue from the toddlers in their lives: Asking “why?” on loop, as it turns out, is a pretty handy problem-solving tool. Producer Makena Bauss explains. Parent Previews - Ghost in the Shell and The Boss Baby (2:04:13) Rod Gustafson from Parent Previews joins the show to review the new movies Ghost in the Shell and The Boss Baby

Morality Polarization, Redshirting Kindergarteners, Comfort Zone Mar 30, 2017

Show notes

How Our Morals Might Politically Polarize Just About Anything (16:38) Dr. Randy Stein is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He holds a Ph. D. in Social Psychology from Yale University. He likes to research why people like or believe things that are wrong, unhelpful, and/or strange. Dr. Stein's recent research shows that people don’t always make decisions based on how they feel. For example, if you go into an ice cream shop and discover that other customers, who support a political candidate you oppose, ordered your favorite flavor, then you are less likely to order that flavor. You may opt for your second choice simply because you don’t want to agree with those who are on the “other side.” Dr. Randy Stein explains how we sometimes make decisions based on our bias. Memphis funeral home offers drive-through viewings (56:40) A funeral home in Memphis, Tennessee is offering drive-through service. We talk about some of the complications that could come up with this convenience. Redshirting Your Kindergarteners (1:04:01) Lori Day is an educational psychologist and consultant with Lori Day Consulting. She has worked in education for over 25 years. She has blogged on the topics of parenting, education, gender, media, and culture. Some parents have been “redshirting” or holding their kids back so they don’t start school until they are 6 possibly giving them an advantage. Lori Day joins the show to explain the pros and cons of redshirting you kindergartener. Caitlin Thomas - Major Medical Discoveries (1:31:58) When we get sick what is the first thing we do? Well, we may try some at-home remedies or over the counter meds to help out, but a lot of us will end up in the doctor’s office. Do we even think twice about how much access we have to medical care and technology? Caitlin Thomas is here with us this morning to take us back in time to remember some of the greatest medical discoveries and help us have a little more appreciation for our doctors. Reach: A New

Fake News, Don't Trust Your Gut, Mediterranean Diet Mar 29, 2017

Show notes

How Fake News Spreads (16:20) Dr. Giovanni Luca Ciampaglia is an assistant research scientist at the Indiana University Network Science Institute. His research interests are in the emerging disciplines of network science and computational social science, with a particular focus on information diffusion on the Internet and social media. In a world of fake news and alternative facts, it is hard to get the information straight. Dr. Giovanni Luca Ciampaglia helped create the website Hoaxy in hopes of debunking fake news. Makena Bauss - Watch Your Own Surgery (43:16) The New York Times recently reported a growing number of people are choosing to forego general anesthesia, opting instead for a local anesthetic that lets them observe their own medical procedures. Producer Makena Bauss discuss the pros and cons of watching your own surgery. When To Trust Your Gut (1:06:24) Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is a professor at Ohio State in the Decision Sciences Collaborative and the History Department. He is passionate about promoting science-based decision-making and emotional and social intelligence. He runs a nonprofit that helps people use science-based strategies to make effective decisions and reach their goals. When you encounter a dangerous situation or difficult decision you’ll often hear advice to “trust your instincts”. Our primal instincts kept our ancestors alive but our next guest Dr. Gleb Tsiprusky argues that trusting our instincts at work might be hurting instead of helping us. Mediterranean Diet (1:51:29) Karen Mangum is a licensed, registered dietitian, seasoned recipe developer, food blogger, and nutrition consultant. She is the author and producer of Inside Karen’s Kitchen, a healthy food blog, where she shares recipes that nourish and heal along with insightful nutrition musings which attempt to sort fact from fiction. Karen Mangum explains the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.

Surveillance, Phantom Phone Ring, Cardio vs. Weights Mar 28, 2017

Show notes

Increased Surveillance (15:38) Dr. Sanjay Goel is an Associate Professor at the School of Business at the University of Albany, SUNY. Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley Manning was a U.S. Soldier who was disgruntled with how the American military was handling themselves overseas. Manning copied and posted hundreds and thousands of classified documents. Although the release of information has had relatively little lasting damage to American diplomacy, the documents talking about prisoner torture and assassination squads enraged Americans across the country. What has the U.S. done since then to protect themselves? Dr. Sanjay Goel explains. Phantom Cellphone Ringing (1:02:04) Dr. Daniel Kruger is a Research Assistant Professor of Health Behavior & Health Education at the University of Michigan. He is interested in community-based prevention research aimed at improving health status and reducing morbidity and mortality among populations experiencing a disproportionate share of poor health outcomes. Have you ever experienced a phantom phone call or text? You’re convinced that you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket, or that you heard your ringtone. But when you check your phone, no one actually tried to get in touch with you. You then might plausibly wonder: “Is my phone acting up, or is it me?” Well, it’s probably you, and it could be a sign of just how attached you’ve become to your phone. But, the good news is, you aren’t alone. Dr. Daniel Kruger explains phantom buzzing, what it means, and what we need to do about. Caitlin Thomas - Sports Memorabilia ... Why? (1:27:44) Have you ever noticed just how much money it costs to take a family to an NBA game? Have you ever stopped to wonder why we don’t really bat an eyelash at the price of our favorite college football team’s season tickets? Well, Caitlin Thomas is here with us this morning to talk about why we spend endless amounts of money on sports and the memorabilia, and what it means about our culture. Cardio vs. Weights (1:49:29) Dr. Ron Hager is an

Trump Care, Losing a Pet, Spouse Priority Mar 27, 2017

Show notes

Trump Care (17:34) Joe Cannon is our Washington Insider. Joe served as an assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1983-1985. He was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992 and served as the Chairman of the Utah Republican Party from 2002 to 2006. He was named editor of the Deseret Morning News on December 8, 2006. Joe currently is the CEO of Fuel Freedom Foundation. Joe and Dr. Matt discuss what happened to the Republican health care bill and where President Trump goes from here. Makena Bausse - Helping Homeless (43:16) Many people want to help the homeless or less fortunate. It is hard at times where you can donate money so it goes to where it would best be used to help someone in need. Producer Makena Bausse shares a new smartphone app that could be the answer. Losing a Pet (1:04:29) Dr. Frank McAndrew is the Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology at Knox College and an elected Fellow of several professional organizations, including the Association for Psychological Science (APS). He is an evolutionary social psychologist whose research is guided by the simple desire to make sense of everyday life, and he is currently studying gossip, aggression, and creepiness. When someone we love deeply passes away, we have services and reflect on our memories of the deceased’s while others offer sincere condolences. But in our culture, the same courtesies are not often afforded when a pet passes away. Frank McAndrew explains. Spouse Priority (1:54:05) Kim Giles, President, and founder of Clarity Point Life Coaching was named one of the top 20 advice gurus in the country by Good Morning America in 2010. She writes a regular column on KSL.com every Monday in the Happy Living Section and authored the book Choosing Clarity: A Path to Fearlessness. Kim Giles shares her article on How to get your spouse to make you a priority.

Leading Brain, Future of Drones, White-Collar Criminals Mar 25, 2017

Show notes

Leading Brain (16:17) Friederike Fabritius is the leading Neuroleadership expert at the Munich Leadership Group. As an executive coach and leadership specialist, she has extensive expertise working with top executives from multinational corporations such as Bayer, Audi, Montblanc, and EY. A neuropsychologist by education, Friederike focuses on developing new methods and practices for leadership development based on solid scientific findings. Leadership has long been treated as an art, a fuzzy philosophy based more on fads than on facts. That accounts for the endless stream of “game-changing” management books that seem to come and go almost as rapidly as Paris fashions. It also explains why today’s leadership guru is often tomorrow’s forgotten footnote. But effective leadership isn’t an art. It’s a science. Friederike Fabritius discusses the ideas in her book The Leading Brain, which will help us learn how to become better leaders and reach our full potential. Future of Drones (1:05:56) Dr. Michael Braasch is a professor of electrical engineering at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He has been conducting navigation system research for the past 30 years and for the past 15 years, his research has included drones. We have heard news stories regarding people shooting drones that they see their property or organizations asking that drones not be used on their property. Although drones were once used only by the military, they are taking on a new role in society such as dropping off packages at your front door. Are drones the future? Michael Braasch explains. Psychology of White-Collar Criminals (1:50:22) Dr. Eugene F. Soltes is a Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His research focuses on how individuals and organizations confront and overcome challenging situations. White-collar criminals are categorized as businessmen or government officials who commit a financially motivated but nonviolent crime. Eugene F. Soltes interviewed 50 former executives about their crimes to learn how 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:16:17 - Leading Brain 01:65:56 - Future of Drones 01:110:22 - Psychology of White-Collar Criminals

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