Speaking of Psychology

Discover how music, memory, and emotion are intricately connected as Elizabeth Margulis, PhD, explores the reasons behind our strong attachment to music from our teen years, the universality of music perception, the intrigue of repetition in music, the mystery of earworms, and the therapeutic power of music.

Explore new research on cats' cognitive and social abilities, debunking the myth of cats as standoffish pets. Learn about the emotional bonds between cats and humans, ways to enrich your cat's life, and how to prevent them from scratching your furniture. Discover the surprising social cognitive skills of cats compared to dogs and the different methods of cat training and behavior insights.

Jenny Roe, PhD, from the University of Virginia discusses designing cities for better mental health by incorporating nature, community spaces, and equity in urban planning. Topics include restorative cities, impact of city design on social interactions, environmental influences on mental health, creating restorative cities in lower socioeconomic countries, and research focus on cities for mental health improvement.

Liesel Sharabi, an expert in the effects of technology on relationships, discusses how dating apps have changed the way people meet and form relationships. She explores the success rates of relationships that start online, dating app burnout, and how developing technologies like AI and virtual reality could shape the future of dating.

Dr. Susan Rivers, chief scientist at iThrive Games, discusses how video games can be a valuable educational tool for kids. Topics covered include designing games for both entertainment and education, the skills kids can learn through gaming, and how parents can balance screen time concerns with recognizing the important role games play in their kids’ lives.

Nathanael Fast, PhD discusses AI's impact on decision-making and the need for ethical use. Examining how AI shapes behavior, he explores unethical decisions made through AI agents, trust in AI, and the importance of equal access to its benefits. The podcast also covers the effects of AI on human behavior and relationships, the need for cautious AI development, and the efforts to democratize AI and shift towards purpose-driven technology.

Dr. Robert Leahy, author of 'If Only…Finding Freedom From Regret,' discusses productive and unproductive regret, rumination, and coping strategies. They explore the power of regret as a tool for change, the complexity of regret and ambivalence, the negative impact of social media, the sunk cost effect, and regrets at different stages of life.

Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, PhD, and organizational psychologist Samuel West, PhD, talk about commerce's biggest flops, the difference between failing and "failing well," and how to overcome the fear of failure. They discuss the Museum of Failure, the downfall of Kodak, the importance of psychological safety, and the nuanced understanding of success and failure.

Robert Sellers, University of Michigan psychologist, discusses the importance and positive impact of diversity in schools and workplaces. Topics include the significance of diversity, evolving understanding of racial and ethnic identity, the need to categorize people in groups, the psychological experience of blackness, addressing criticisms of DEI efforts, the value of diversity in business and education, and the importance of diversity in psychology research.

Psychologist and researcher Viorica Marian discusses the cognitive benefits of being bilingual, including improved executive function, delayed onset of Alzheimer's, and altered perception. They challenge the notion of languages being switched off and on in the brain, explore the definition and power of language, debunk the myth of a critical age for language learning, and discuss the impact of AI on language diversity.