Two Psychologists Four Beers

Yoel and Mickey discuss sacred values. How are sacred valued different from other values? What are the hallmarks of values that have become sacrilized? Why does it seem crass, or even offensive, to suggest trading off a sacred value (such as diversity value) against other, more mundane considerations? What does it mean that sacred values are dose insensitive and evidence insensitive? Bonus: Do scientists who attended conferences sponsored by the late Jeffrey Epstein need to morally cleanse?Links:St. Mary Axe | INDIA PAGAN ALE — A robust pale ale - hazy, juicy and aggressively hopped.Divercity Helles Lager – Lost Craft — Divercity is our beer, from Toronto, for everyone. What it was like to be a scientist in Jeffrey Epstein’s circle. — The “Girls” Were Always AroundOpinion | Don’t Mess With My ‘Sacred Values’ - The New York TimesThinking The Unthinkable: Sacred Values and Taboo Cognitions — "Many people insist that their commitments to certain values (e.g. love, honor, justice) are absolute and inviolable – in effect, sacred. They treat the mere thought of trading off sacred values against secular ones (such as money) as transparently outrageous – in effect, taboo."The psychology of the unthinkable: taboo trade-offs, forbidden base rates, and heretical counterfactuals. - PubMed - NCBIProtected Values - ScienceDirectSpecks of Dirt and Tons of Pain: Dosage Distinguishes Impurity From Harm - Joshua Rottman, Liane Young, 2019 — Levels of moral condemnation often vary with outcome severity (e.g., extreme destruction is morally worse than moderate damage), but this is not always true. We investigated whether judgments of purity transgressions are more or less sensitive to variation in dosage than judgments of harm transgressions.I hate open science – [citation needed] — Now that I’ve got your attention: what I hate—and maybe dislike is a better term than hate—isn’t the open science community, or open science initiatives, or open science practices, or open scientists… it’s the term. I fundamentally dislike the term open science.

Yoel and Mickey welcome Associate Professor of Psychology, Alexa Tullett from the University of Alabama to the podcast. Co-host of The Black Goat podcast and board member of the Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science (SIPS), Alexa talks about being a Canadian early career researcher working in the US. What research is Alexa most excited about these days? How did she become interested in meta science? What advice would she give to non-Americans thinking of working in academia in the US? How did the Black Goat podcast come about? Bonus: Follow-up on the effect of parenting on happiness.Special Guest: Alexa Tullett.Links:HoegaardenBoaty McBoatface wins poll to name polar research vessel | Environment | The GuardianBreak Music: Psapp - MarshratThe Black Goat podcastThe Compleat Academic: A career GuideThe Pains and Pleasures of Parenting: When, Why, and How Is Parenthood Associated With More or Less Well-Being?A Reassessment of the Defense of Parenthood - Saurabh Bhargava, Karim S. Kassam, George Loewenstein, 2014Parents Are Slightly Happier Than Nonparents, but Causality Still Cannot Be Inferred: A Reply to Bhargava, Kassam, and Loewenstein (2014) - S. Katherine Nelson, Kostadin Kushlev, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2014

Playing devil's advocate, Yoel and Mickey mount a criticism against the scientific study of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can we measure it? Is mindfulness-based therapy effective? Can mindfulness improve the quality of attention beyond the meditation cushion? Are effects of mindfulness mostly placebo effects produced by motivated practitioners and adherents? Should we be impressed by mindfulness meditation’s supposed effects on conceptions of the self? Is mindfulness, in all its complexity, amenable to scientific study? Bonus: Is the value of diversity and inclusivity a core part of open science?Links:Burdock Bottle ShopCollective Arts Brewing (Art + Brewing) — Lunch Money is a straight-up, easy drinking, ale brewed exclusively with German Magnum and Centennial hops to fuel your creativity. Will this time be different? — Prepared remarks delivered by Sanjay Srivastava to the Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science (SIPS) on July 9, 2019 in Rotterdam.Can We End the Meditation Madness? — I AM being stalked by meditation evangelists. ... Before we're all swept into this fad, we ought to ask why meditation is useful.The benefits of being present: mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. - PubMed - NCBI — Mindfulness is an attribute of consciousness long believed to promote well-being. This research provides a theoretical and empirical examination of the role of mindfulness in psychological well-being. The development and psychometric properties of the dispositional Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) are described. Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation. - PubMed - NCBI — During the past two decades, mindfulness meditation has gone from being a fringe topic of scientific investigation to being an occasional replacement for psychotherapy, tool of corporate well-being, widely implemented educational practice, and "key to building more resilient soldiers." Yet the mindfulness movement and empirical evidence supporting it have not gone without criticism. Misinformation and poor methodology associated with past studies of mindfulness may lead public consumers to be harmed, misled, and disappointed. Argentine tango dance compared to mindfulness meditation and a waiting-list control: a randomised trial for treating depression. - PubMed - NCBI — OBJECTIVES: To determine whether tango dancing is as effective as mindfulness meditation in reducing symptoms of psychological stress, anxiety and depression, and in promoting well-being.Spirituality, mindfulness and substance abuse. - PsycNET — ...A positive relationship between mindfulness and smoking/frequent binge drinking behavior was uncoveredMeditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | Complementary and Alternative Medicine | JAMA Internal Medicine | JAMA Network — Mindfulness meditation programs had moderate evidence of improved anxiety, depression, and pain and low evidence of improved stress/distress and mental health–related quality of life. We found low evidence of no effect or insufficient evidence of any effect of meditation programs on positive mood, attention, substance use, eating habits, sleep, and weight. We found no evidence that meditation programs were better than any active treatment (ie, drugs, exercise, and other behavioral therapies).Mindfulness training affects attention--or is it attentional effort? - PubMed - NCBI — Our data demonstrate that previously observed improvements of attention after MBSR may be seriously confounded by test effort and nonmindfulness stress reductionMeditation, mindfulness and executive control: the importance of emotional acceptance and brain-based performance monitoring. - PubMed - NCBICognitive effects of MBSR/MBCT: A systematic review of neuropsychological outcomes. - PubMed - NCBI — Overall studies did not support attention or executive function improvements. We found preliminary evidence for improvements in working memory and autobiographical memory as well as cognitive flexibility and meta-awareness. Mindfulness training as cognitive training in high-demand cohorts: An initial study in elite military servicemembers. - PubMed - NCBIA randomised active-controlled trial to examine the effects of an online mindfulness intervention on executive control, critical thinking and key thinking dispositions in a university student sample | BMC Psychology | Full Text — No evidence was found to suggest that engaging in guided mindfulness practice for 6 weeks using the online intervention method applied in this study improves critical thinking performance.

Yoel and Mickey welcome Paul Bloom to the podcast, who is not only a returning guest but also the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology at Yale University. We first give terrible advice on parenting. Does parenting affect happiness, relationship satisfaction, and meaning? Does parenting screw with prospective decision making because it leaves the decision maker utterly transformed? We next discuss perversity. Why do we enjoy doing transgressive things? Who is likely to be perverted? Is perversion ever a good strategy? Bonus: How would Paul rate Yoel on a scale of 1 to 5?Special Guest: Paul Bloom.Links:Parenthood and Marital Satisfaction: A Meta‐Analytic Review - Twenge - 2003 - Journal of Marriage and Family - Wiley Online Library — This meta‐analysis finds that parents report lower marital satisfaction compared with nonparentsLong-term effects of pregnancy and childbirth on sleep satisfaction and duration of first-time and experienced mothers and fathers. - PubMed - NCBI — Following the sharp decline in sleep satisfaction and duration in the first months postpartum, neither mothers' nor fathers' sleep fully recovers to prepregnancy levels up to 6 years after the birth of their first child.In Defense of Parenthood: Children Are Associated With More Joy Than Misery - S. Katherine Nelson, Kostadin Kushlev, Tammy English, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2013 — The results indicate that, contrary to previous reports, parents (and especially fathers) report relatively higher levels of happiness, positive emotion, and meaning in life than do nonparents.A Reassessment of the Defense of Parenthood — In this Commentary, we report a reanalysis of the data, which suggests that it is premature to abandon the idea that children reduce happinessWHAT YOU CAN’T EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING — It seems natural to choose whether to have a child by reflecting on what it would be like to have one. I argue that choosing on this basis is not rational, raising general questions about our ordinary conception of how to make this life-changing decision.Idealizing Parenthood to Rationalize Parental Investments - Richard P. Eibach, Steven E. Mock, 2011 — Although raising children has largely negative effects on parents’ emotional well-being, parenthood is often idealized as a uniquely emotionally rewarding role. Break Music: St.Vincent - Smoking SectionThe Strange Appeal of Perverse Actions — Why do we enjoy doing things for no good reason?

In this engaging conversation, John Jost, a Professor of Psychology and Politics at NYU, shares his insights on the intersection of psychology and political ideologies. He discusses the complexities of characterizing conservatives, the historical bias in social psychology, and the dynamics of political dogmatism. Jost questions whether social scientists should remain neutral or advocate for change in today's political climate. The playful banter adds a light touch, making serious topics like motivated social cognition and ideological diversity both accessible and entertaining.

Yoel and Mickey take a deep dive into the Democratic Primary field, asking what the field of judgment and decision making can teach us about the large and diverse field of Democratic candidates. Why is Biden leading in the polls? Is Elizabeth Warren being helped by Kamala Harris? Why isn’t Biden hurt by progressives’ deep dislike of him? What should we make of one-issue voters? Bonus: Yoel makes a fearless and consequential prediction. Who will make him stick to his word?Links:Miller High Life • RateBeerFollowing outcry, American Psychological Association “refocuses” takedown notice program – Retraction Watch2020 Presidential Candidates | The New York TimesThe recognition heuristic: A decade of research — The recognition heuristic exploits the basic psychological capacity for recognition in order to make inferences about unknown quantities in the worldThe Adaptive Decision Maker: John W. Payne, James R. Bettman, Eric J. Johnson: 9780521425261: Books - Amazon.ca — The Adaptive Decision Maker argues that people use a variety of strategies to make judgments and choices. The authors introduce a model that shows how decision makers which strategy a person will use in a given situation.Decoy effect - Wikipedia — In marketing, the decoy effect (or attraction effect or asymmetric dominance effect) is the phenomenon whereby consumers will tend to have a specific change in preference between two options when also presented with a third option that is asymmetrically dominated.Choice Based on Reasons: The Case of Attraction and Compromise Effects on JSTOR — Choice Based on Reasons: The Case of Attraction and Compromise Effects

Yoel and Mickey welcome Slate columnist Daniel Engber to the podcast. Dan talks about the state of science journalism, including what he sees as more skeptical, less credulous reporting. He also talks about the replication crisis in psychology, imposter syndrome in academics, concussion in sport, and the value of blue-ribbon panels opining on the state of science. Dan also delights with his contrarian takes on marathon running, the windchill factor, and a computer’s progress bar. Bonus: Yoel yet again finds an excuse to drink no beer at all.Special Guest: Daniel Engber.Links:Apex Predator | Off Color BrewingFolly Brewing Toronto Microbrewery — Imposter Syndrome -- Farmhouse IPAEverything Is Crumbling — An influential psychological theory, borne out in hundreds of experiments, may have just been debunked. How can so many scientists have been so wrong?Daryl Bem proved ESP is real. Which means science is broken.How the progress bar keeps you sane | TED TalkDon’t Run a Marathon — Running a marathon is a dangerous, expensive, stupid, meaningless task. Don’t do it.Wind chill is a meaningless number. So why are we still using it?

Yoel and Mickey welcome Professor of Psychology Brent Roberts from the University of Illinois to the podcast. One of the most influential personality psychologists of our day, Brent unleashes his thoughts on broad range of topics: candidate gene studies, personality, conscientiousness, coddling of the American mind, screen-time, senior colleagues, and the replication crisis in psychology. What is personality and how does it change? Why do people love the Myers-Briggs personality test? How would conscientiousness have helped us in our ancestral past? Has helicopter-parenting made American kids fragile and easily debilitated? Has the smartphone actually destroyed a generation? Should we be optimistic about the gains made by the reform movement in psychology? Bonus: Mickey gives Yoel a surprise gift.Special Guest: Brent Roberts.Links:White Pony Microbrewery — Blend of Darkness is a blend and is made up of "Black Sheep" and "Zumbi" which has then been variously matured in Speyside, whisky, brandy, tequila and Jack Daniel's Bourbon casks. Finally, this oak aged beer has been blended again, this time with "Sheep doesn't get sheep", White Pony's new imperial stout.Live Transmission Milkshake IPA — Grab me a beer, too!Naughty Neighbour Pale Ale — Nickel Brook Brewing co. — The Naughty Neighbour is ready to knock your socks (and skates) off! Practically born with her skates on, Naughty Neighbour quickly rose through the ranks to become an undefeated Roller Derby Champ. Just like her, our American Pale Ale is bold, smooth and in-your-face! Whiskey Barrel Stout | Boulevard Brewing Company — Over-the-top but surprisingly approachable, this twist on the classic style starts with several types of malted barley, rye, oats and wheat.Brent W Roberts | Psychology at Illinois5-HTTLPR: A Pointed Review | Slate Star CodexNo Support for Historical Candidate Gene or Candidate Gene-by-Interaction Hypotheses for Major Depression Across Multiple Large Samples. - PubMed - NCBIThe surprise guestBrent W. Roberts on Twitter: "Progress implies you had a place to move from. There has never been any place to move from than "the association of screen time to well-being in teens is minuscule". Are you claiming that the effect sizes were large and are now small? 1/… https://t.co/4WFOz7shHK"The New Rules of Research | pigeeSocial media’s enduring effect on adolescent life satisfaction | PNAS — In this study, we used large-scale representative panel data to disentangle the between-person and within-person relations linking adolescent social media use and well-being. We found that social media use is not, in and of itself, a strong predictor of life satisfaction across the adolescent population. Instead, social media effects are nuanced, small at best, reciprocal over time, gender specific, and contingent on analytic methods.

Yoel and Mickey discuss the concept of privilege, the unearned, sometimes invisible conditions of a person’s life that give them advantages that others might not have. What are the benefits of acknowledging one’s privilege and calling it out in others? Are there drawbacks to focusing on the immutable characteristics of a person that might normally proffer advantages? If all our characteristics are unearned, that is products of biology and environment that we have zero control over, should people be praised or blamed for them? But, first, they discuss new internal analyses by Google suggesting it has been overpaying women, not men; they then raise serious concerns about this analysis because it conditioned on a collider, a statistical concept that Yoel and Mickey (to put it generously) struggle to understand. Bonus: Mickey falls in love with bidets.Links:Bidet Attachments by TUSHY | For People Who Poop — Ask me about my buttholeNew York Times | Google Finds It's Underpaying Many Men as It Addresses Wage Equity — A survey of employee salaries at Google reaches a surprising conclusion: More men than women were being underpaidJulia Rohrer's Brilliant Blogpost: That one weird third variable problem nobody ever mentions: Conditioning on a collider – The 100% CI — Causal inference from observational data boils down to assumptions you have to make and third variables you have to take into account. I’m going to talk about a third variable problem today, conditioning on a collider.Thinking Clearly About Correlations and Causation: Graphical Causal Models for Observational Data - Julia M. Rohrer, 2018 — Certain types of third variables—colliders and mediators—should not be controlled for because that can actually move the estimate of an association away from the value of the causal effect of interest.BuzzFeed | How Privileged Are you?What Is Privilege? - YouTubePrivileged | By Kyle Korver — What I’m realizing is, no matter how passionately I commit to being an ally, and no matter how unwavering my support is for NBA and WNBA players of color….. I’m still in this conversation from the privileged perspective of opting in to it. 'The Class Ceiling' Decodes the Cultures of Elite Workplaces - The Atlantic — When two sociologists interviewed highly paid architects, TV producers, actors, and accountants, they encountered work cultures that favor the already affluent.

Yoel and Mickey talk with Sarah Haider, the co-founder and Executive Director of Ex-Muslims of North America, an organization that advocates for the acceptance of religious dissent and supports those who leave Islam. Sarah talks about her own experience of growing up Muslim and leaving her faith; the unique predicament of and risks for Muslim dissenters; and how US partisan politics make her work more difficult. Bonus: Sarah gives Mickey pointers on how to avoid using Twitter as an outrage machine, a lesson he sorely needs.Special Guest: Sarah Haider.Links:Ex-Muslims of North America — We Envision A World Where Every Person Is Free To Follow Their ConscienceSarah Haider: Islam and the Necessity of Liberal Critique (AHA Conference 2015) - YouTube — Presented at the American Humanist Association 74th Annual Conference, May 7-10, 2015, in Denver, Colorado.Ex-Muslims: They left Islam and now tour the US to talk about it - BBC NewsIslam’s Ex Factor: An Interview with Sarah Haider and Muhammad Syed - TheHumanist.comShould Muslims Like Me Be So Critical of Ex-Muslims? - YouTubeList of ex-Muslim organisations - Wikipedia