Episodes

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by unusual shifts in mood, energy, and ability to function. These shifts involve extreme "highs" (mania) and "lows" (depression), sometimes accompanied by symptoms like racing thoughts, sleep problems, impulsive behavior, and feelings of hopelessness. Psychology plays a key role in understanding bipolar disorder by studying its symptoms, causes (like genetics and environment), and effective treatments, which often include medication, ps...

The psychology of white-collar crime involves understanding the motivations, personality traits, and decision-making processes of individuals who commit these offenses. Key factors include a focus on material wealth, optimism bias about getting caught, egocentricity, and potential difficulties in social and sexual relating. Certain personality traits like narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, as well as low levels of conscientiousness and self-control, have been linked to increased like...

Is staying married for the kids the right choice? This is one of the most heart-wrenching decisions a parent can face. It’s a question that weighs heavily on those contemplating divorce, sparking a complex debate about the best path forward for the family’s emotional and psychological well-being. Tune in and learn how all this plays out for children and parents. Learn how to prevent or manage a divorce!

What, exactly, is apathy? In a sense, it’s something like falling in love. You can describe it all you want, but until you’ve experienced it, you can only guess what it feels like. Paradoxically, what makes the feeling of apathy unique is that it’s essentially the feeling of not feeling. It’s something that at some point in your existence you’ve encountered. Whenever you feel that something vital is missing from your life, yet lack the drive to pursue it, you’re afflicted with this curiously “em...

Conspiracy theories, from a psychological perspective, are often linked to distrust of authority, political cynicism, and psychological traits like paranoia, narcissism, and insecure attachment. Belief in these theories can be reinforced by circular reasoning, where evidence against or lack of evidence for a conspiracy is interpreted as further proof of its existence. We live in a world filled with media who purposely provides us with disinformation to gain readers, listeners and viewers by inci...

Artificial intelligence (AI), sometimes known as machine intelligence, refers to the ability of computers to perform human-like feats of cognition including learning, problem-solving, perception, decision-making, and speech and language. Early AI systems had the ability to defeat a world chess champion, map streets, and compose music. Thanks to more advanced algorithms, data volumes, and computer power and storage, AI evolved and expanded to include more sophisticated applications, such as self-...

•Anticipation is a psychological process we engage in to mentally prepare for a certain outcome that we expect to happen in the future. Anticipating future events happens automatically, taking place largely in the oldest part of the brain, the cerebellum. Our minds are wired for anticipation; we evolved to have the capacity to form accurate expectations about the future so we could make better predictions about it. That ability allowed humans to take advantage of experiences that benefit us and ...

For most of us mere mortals, admitting we are wrong is very difficult, even under the best of circumstances. At times, we argue vehemently over trivial matters, even with loved ones. In such instances, we might notice how we avoid admitting we are wrong, or how we quickly point out how the other person was wrong about something else. "Oh, yeah, well maybe I did forget to take the trash out, but you constantly leave your dirty dishes in the sink!" When it comes to more substantive issues, such as...

Not all couples can pinpoint a specific trigger for a spiral of relationship resentment, but studies have shown that resentment is often a response to a wrong—or something perceived as punitive or humiliating. It also can grow in relationships in which teasing or humor is barbed, where one has a habit of diminishing the competence of the other, or when there is little perceived appreciation of a partner. Resentment can also spring from a sense of being betrayed in some way or taken for granted—o...

Adolescence is a challenging time for young people, bringing on not only the physical changes of puberty, but emotional transformation as well and in some cases, the emergence of serious mental health conditions. For parents, it can sometimes seem like their affectionate, adoring child has become a different, distant person and that their teen’s friends have become more important to them than their family. But some of these changes are part of the essential process of moving toward independence ...

Cognitive bias is a systematic error in thinking, affecting how we process information, perceive others, and make decisions. It can lead to irrational thoughts or judgments and is often based on our perceptions, memories, or individual and societal beliefs. Biases are unconscious and automatic processes designed to make decision-making quicker and more efficient. Cognitive biases can be caused by many things, such as heuristics (mental shortcuts), social pressures, and emotions. Tune in and lear...

Let’s start by saying that intelligence is one of the messiest topic areas in all of psychology. We don’t really know what it is (debate and controversy exist over definitions and conceptualizations), but what we do know is that—broadly speaking—whatever it is, it’s one of the finest predictors of outcomes in all psychology research. Of course, its ability to “predict” is dictated by how it’s operationally defined and, likewise, assessed—but that’s another issue for another day. Tune in and lear...

You have probably done it before: fired off an offensive response to an email, said something you later regretted or did something to you wish you wouldn’t have. Yes, you, like many others, have probably fallen victim to impulsivity. There may have been times your impulsive actions paid off. Yet, there are those times where your impulsive behavior may have left you asking “What was I thinking?” There is no doubt about it: The complexity of impulsiveness can be a blessing on one hand and a curse ...

Psychological perspectives are different ways of thinking about and explaining human behavior. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to studying and understanding the human mind and behavior. That's why psychologists utilize a variety of perspectives when studying how people think, feel, and behave. Exploring different perspectives gives us a fuller, richer way to look at psychology—and solve problems that people might be experiencing. Tune in and learn all about how psychological theories chang...

For most of the 20th century, philosophers, psychologists, and psychiatrists argued that meaning in life is a rare, profound experience, attainable through an active search, deep self-reflection, or some other arduous way of creating meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. But we now know that most people, most of the time, report that their lives feel more meaningful than not. Although actively constructing meaning may be required in some cases—for example, when your world is turned upside do...

Open and vulnerable communication between intimate partners is at the core of a relationship’s capacity to survive and thrive. It is what builds trust, clears the way for authenticity, and opens the gates to true intimacy. If relationship partners do not feel seen, heard, understood, and safe as they express their innermost desires and fears, they will never know the joy of blending souls. Yet despite the plethora of available guidance, many of the couples I see are still woefully inept in under...

Psychopathy is a condition characterized by the absence of empathy and the blunting of other affective states. Callousness, detachment, and a lack of empathy enable psychopaths to be highly manipulative. Nevertheless, psychopathy is among the most difficult disorders to spot. Psychopaths can appear normal, even charming. Underneath, they lack any semblance of conscience. Their antisocial nature inclines them often (but by no means always) to criminality. Tune in and learn all about the mind of ...

To grasp the concept of relationship churning, it’s essential to explore its key elements and historical context. Relationship churning isn't a new phenomenon; it has been observed throughout history, albeit under different names. Modern implications, however, have amplified its prevalence due to changing societal norms and technological advancements. The psychology of relationship churning is deeply rooted in attachment styles and emotional triggers. Individuals with insecure attachment styles ...

Good manners are a reflection of the Golden Rule: if you are nice to me, I'll be nice to you. The Golden Rule exists in every culture on the planet. A likely reason for this is our hyperactive connection circuitry in the brain that prominently uses the neurochemical oxytocin. When someone is nice towards another person, the recipient's brain releases oxytocin and this causes him or her to respond with kindness. Oxytocin is the embodiment of the Golden Rule. Tune in and find out how paying attent...

People with psychological disorders so easily rise to positions of power and take over the governments of countries. Pathocracy is arguably one of the biggest problems in the history of the human race. History has been a saga of constant conflict and brutality, with groups of people fighting against one another over territory and power and possessions, and conquering and killing one another. Tune in and learn how throughout history governments have been led and history made through pathocracy!

In Maslow's hierarchy, lower-level needs (physiological, safety, love/belonging, and esteem) are considered deficiency needs, which arise from a lack of something. Once these needs are met, individuals can focus on growth needs like self-actualization, where they strive to become the best version of themselves. Understanding needs is crucial for various psychological fields, including motivation, behavior, and mental health. Meeting basic needs is a prerequisite for addressing higher-level need...

Panic attacks are dramatically abrupt bursts of acute anxiety that feel life-threatening but are not. They build into a crescendo of fear within minutes, but what they lack in duration they make up in distress. The body sensations of anxiety become extremely intense—pounding heart, racing pulse, the feeling of difficulty getting enough air—making it feel as if you are about to die. That interpretation is mistaken, but it nevertheless triggers even more anxiety, intensifying the panic. •Panic at...

There are advantages to being smart. People who do well on standardized tests of intelligence (IQ tests) tend to be more successful in the classroom and the workplace. Although the reasons are not fully understood, they also tend to live longer, healthier lives, and are less likely to experience negative life events such as bankruptcy. Now there’s some bad news for people in the right tail of the IQ bell curve. A “high IQ society,” Mensa requires that its members have an IQ in the top 2 percent....

Horrible people are draining; encounters leave you emotionally wiped out. Time with them is about taking care of their business, which will leave you feeling frustrated and unfulfilled, if not angry. Don’t allow yourself to become depleted as a result of giving and giving and getting nothing in return. At first, you may feel for them and their plight but once you observe that every interaction is negatively charged you may want to limit your contact with them, or maybe even cut ties. Your time a...