Episodes

  • The psychology of spending, debt and budgeting, with Abigail Sussman, PhD

    The psychology of spending, debt and budgeting, with Abigail Sussman, PhD
    Apr 8 2026
    Buy now, pay later plans have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, adding yet another variable to consider when making spending decisions. Abigail Sussman, PhD, discusses the psychological biases that influence how we spend, budget and borrow, including why splitting payments can make purchases feel more affordable, why we underestimate irregular expenses, and why many people carry debt even when they have savings. She also shares research-based strategies to help you make more deliberate choices and better manage your money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    34 mins
  • Why babies laugh, with Gina Mireault, PhD

    Why babies laugh, with Gina Mireault, PhD
    Apr 1 2026
    Before babies have the words to tell us what they're thinking, they can laugh. Developmental psychologist Gina Mireault, PhD, explains how she sets up a “baby comedy club” in her lab; what babies find funny and why; when babies start trying to make other people laugh; and what studying laughter can tell us about babies’ cognitive development and how they experience the world in their first year of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 mins
  • How accurate are our first impressions? With Nicholas Rule, PhD

    How accurate are our first impressions? With Nicholas Rule, PhD
    Mar 25 2026
    How much can you really tell about someone at first glance? Nicholas Rule, PhD, of the University of Toronto, talks about the science of first impressions: How your brain starts making judgments about other people in milliseconds--before you’re even aware of it--how accurate those judgments are and how they’re shaped by stereotypes and biases; the research on “gaydar”; to what degree you can pick up on traits like extraversion and trustworthiness; and the real-world consequences of our accurate – and inaccurate – snap judgments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins
  • Understanding Tourette disorder and other tic disorders, with John Piacentini, PhD

    Understanding Tourette disorder and other tic disorders, with John Piacentini, PhD
    Mar 18 2026
    Tourette disorder and other tic disorders affect millions of people yet remain widely misunderstood. John Piacentini, PhD, director of the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Clinic, explains the brain basis of Tourette disorder; talks about why tics are very common in young children; debunks common myths—such as the idea that Tourette disorder mainly involves uncontrollable swearing—and discusses how recent behavioral therapies are helping many patients manage tics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • How to become more patient, with Sarah Schnitker, PhD

    How to become more patient, with Sarah Schnitker, PhD
    Mar 11 2026
    Life is full of situations -- and people -- that try our patience, from a standstill traffic jam to an obstinate preschooler who won’t put on her shoes. Sarah Schnitker, PhD, talks about why patience can be so hard to come by; whether modern life and modern technology have made us less patient; the difference between patience and passivity; and cognitive strategies to build up your ability to be patient. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • Incentivizing recovery: Why contingency management works to treat addiction, with Lara Coughlin, PhD, and Michael McDonell, PhD

    Incentivizing recovery: Why contingency management works to treat addiction, with Lara Coughlin, PhD, and Michael McDonell, PhD
    Mar 4 2026
    More than half of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. involve stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine. There are no medications to treat stimulant addiction, but there is a behavioral treatment that works: contingency management, which involves offering tangible, immediate rewards for abstaining from drugs. Lara Coughlin, PhD, and Michael McDonell, PhD, discuss why contingency management works and the psychological principles it’s based on; how it can be used to treat other addictions including alcohol, tobacco and opioids; and recent momentum in moving it from research labs to the real world at large scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Catching fire: What goes viral and why? With Jonah Berger, PhD

    Catching fire: What goes viral and why? With Jonah Berger, PhD
    Feb 25 2026
    Why do some ideas, products, news stories and trends spread like wildfire, while others disappear? Jonah Berger, PhD, discusses the science of what catches on; the psychological forces that drive word of mouth, including social currency and high-arousal emotions like awe and anger; whether online and offline sharing differ; and what his research can tell us about the spread of misinformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 mins
  • How to build kids’ resilience, with Mary Alvord, PhD

    How to build kids’ resilience, with Mary Alvord, PhD
    Feb 18 2026
    From school pressures to friendship ruptures, all kids will face challenges as they grow. Mary Alvord, PhD, talks why building resilience is key to helping kids handle both everyday stresses and significant life setbacks; how to help children and teens develop foundational resilience skills like emotion regulation, problem solving and an “action mindset”; and how the Resilience Builder program is being scaled up to classrooms and schools to reach more kids who could benefit from it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 mins