Stories, science and secrets from the world’s brightest thought-leaders. Behavioral Grooves is the podcast that satisfies your curiosity of why we do what we do. Explanations of human behavior that will improve your relationships, your wellbeing, and your organization by helping you find your groove.
Episodes
2 days ago
2 days ago
Raj Choudhury joins us to explore how “Work From Anywhere” is more than a trend—it’s a research-backed blueprint for improving productivity, well-being, and talent access. From managing time zones to building culture without offices, Raj breaks down what it takes to make remote work really work.
Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Raj Choudhury
[4:16] Benefits of Work From Anywhere
[12:14] Challenges and Solutions to Remote Work
[18:50] Real Company Examples: Zapier, Cisco, Atlassian
[24:00] Why Leaders Resist Remote Work
[35:15] Bringing WFA to Traditional Organizations
[42:30] What’s Changed since 2020
[44:00] Desert Island Music Picks
[46:00] Grooving Session: Rethinking How We View Work
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
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The World is Your Office by Raj Choudhury
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6 days ago
6 days ago
Are you like Kurt, stuck wearing a pair of 'lucky socks' every time your team plays, no matter what the outcome of the game turns out to be? In this month's bonus, we explore why we hold onto superstitions, like lucky socks, even when we know they don't work. From BF Skinner's pigeons to social identity theory, we unpack the behavioral science behind our game-day rituals, however irrational, and discuss the sense of agency, control, and belonging that they create.
Topics
[0:00] Intro: Kurt's Lucky Socks
[3:38] The Placebo Effect
[7:27] Mistaking Correlation for Causation
[11:58] Social Identity and Group Belonging
[16:34] The Psychological Benefits of Superstitions
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Monday Jun 23, 2025
Monday Jun 23, 2025
UX leader Alexis Mook joins us to talk about breaking bias in product design, defending the role of behavioral research inside corporate structures, and making the leap from academia to tech. From wrongful convictions to third-party testing, this conversation reveals why saying “no” might be a researcher’s greatest superpower.
Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Alexis Mook
[7:50] Alexis’s Role and Journey at IBM
[20:58] Challenges and Biases in UX Research
[22:03] Impact of Research on Product Development
[31:49] The Shift from Academia and Career Satisfaction
[43:10] Grooving Session: Reducing Bias and Challenging Overconfidence
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
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Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
Zach Mercurio joins us to discuss the power of mattering—why it's a foundational human need and how it can be cultivated through small but meaningful interactions. From leadership strategies to personal stories, we explore how feeling seen, heard, and valued changes everything.
Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Zach Mercurio
[3:31] Why Mattering Matters
[11:29] Purpose, Meaning, and Mattering: What’s the Difference?
[16:21] Mattering as a Survival Instinct
[26:14] “If It Wasn’t For You…”
[35:22] The Importance of Mattering in Leadership
[40:55] The Role of Mattering in Organizational Culture
[45:37] The Impact of Mattering on Employee Engagement
[49:50] Desert Island Music Picks
[52:42] Grooving Session: Mattering is Common Sense, Not Common Practice
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
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The Power of Mattering by Zach Mercurio
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Monday Jun 09, 2025
Monday Jun 09, 2025
What if your personality isn’t fixed? Olga Khazan shares how she deliberately set out to become more extroverted, agreeable, and emotionally stable—using improv, mindfulness, and science-backed strategies. Based on her book Me, But Better, this conversation explores how real change happens, and why connecting with others may be the key to becoming who you want to be.
Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Olga Khazan
[5:59] Experiment: Can I Change My Personality?
[9:59] Results: What Changed, What Didn’t?
[17:43] Nature vs. Nurture in Personality
[21:46] Personality Traits as Tools for Life
[29:31] Can Older Adults Still Change?
[38:39] Solitude vs. True Connection
[43:45] Olga’s Music Playlist
[45:46] Grooving Session: Working on the Personality We Want
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
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Monday Jun 02, 2025
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Hospice doctor, podcaster, and author Jordan Grumet joins us to explore why the traditional idea of “finding your purpose” might actually be making us miserable. Drawing from his work with patients at the end of life, Jordan challenges the pressure to chase big, lofty goals—or what he calls “big P” Purpose—and instead invites us to embrace “little p” purposes: the simple, joyful activities that ground us and connect us to others. From childhood passions to quiet regrets, Jordan shares practical ways to identify what truly lights you up and how to build a life that feels meaningful—without overhauling everything.
Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Jordan Grumet
[7:01] Why Is Purpose So Important?
[10:52] Why Big P Goals Can Cause Anxiety
[16:43] Childhood Joys, Baseball Cards, & Writing
[19:32] You Can’t Fail Little P Purpose
[24:09] Overcoming Barriers to Purpose
[34:41] Regret vs. Disappointment
[46:25] Grooving Session: Creativity, Cadence, and Purposeful Context
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
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The Purpose Code by Jordan Grumet
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Thursday May 29, 2025
Thursday May 29, 2025
In this monthly bonus episode, we tap into insights from our Facebook community to explore what keeps us feeling stuck in our habits and goals. With help from behavioral science, we unpack the hidden forces behind inertia, fear, and comfort zones — and share practical strategies to break free. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and get back in your groove, this one’s for you.
Topics
[0:00] Behavioral Boot Camp!
[2:15] Insights from Groove Questions
[6:34] Self-Confidence
[10:03] Risk Aversion and Community Support
[13:25] Final Thoughts - Trust Your Instincts!
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
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Behavioral Grooves on Substack
Monday May 26, 2025
Monday May 26, 2025
How do our brains choose what’s important to us? Emily Falk, neuroscientist and author of What We Value, joins us to decode what goes on behind the scenes with our decisions - everything from what to eat for breakfast to how to respond to trolls on social media - and how emotional, rational, and social information is integrated by the brain to guide our choices.
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Emily Falk
[8:29] Understanding Value Calculations
[12:58] Research Methods and fMRI
[18:01] Self-Relevance and Social Relevance Systems
[28:41] Defensiveness and Social Norms
[40:49] The Importance of Being "In Sync"
[58:17] The Role or Music in Self/Social Relevance
[1:07:45] Grooving Session: Communication, Social Norms, and Behavioral Science at Work
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
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Communication Neuroscience Lab
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Dar Williams - As Cool As I Am
Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Faisal Naru traces the explosive growth of behavioral science in policy from 2010 to today, highlighting how Global South nations are using it to address complex problems like poverty and public health. He makes the case for embedding behavioral science teams into organizations long-term—moving from quick “silver bullet” fixes to enduring “golden nuggets” of insight.
Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Faisal Naru
[6:42] Behavioral Science Policy Units and Global Trends
[15:23] Global Approaches - North vs. South
[24:33] How Different Systems Support Behavioral Science
[36:25] The Golden Nuggets of Behavioral Policy
[48:55] Desert Island Music
[51:22] Grooving Session: The Future of Behavioral Science
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Monday May 12, 2025
Monday May 12, 2025
What if the key to growth isn’t finding better answers, but asking better questions? In this episode, Elizabeth Weingarten shares insights from her book How to Fall in Love with Questions, exploring how embracing uncertainty can lead to greater self-awareness, resilience, and connection. Blending personal stories, behavioral science, and wisdom from poet Rilke, she introduces the idea of a “questions practice” — a mindset shift that helps us navigate life’s toughest moments with curiosity and clarity.
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Elizabeth Weingarten
[11:04] The Power of Loving Questions
[15:50] The Biological Need for Certainty
[21:48] The Role of Patience in Asking Questions
[39:18] Questions and the Role of Behavioral Science
[47:57] Desert Island Music
[50:38] Grooving Session: The Value of Sitting With Questions
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
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How to Fall in Love with Questions
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