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
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
What life habits keep our brain healthy? How does our mind respond to trauma? And why does the way we talk about suicide and mental health make such a difference to those who are struggling? We discuss all these topics with neuroscience researcher Dr Daniel Almeida.
To mark World Mental Health Day on Sunday, Oct 10, 2021, we decided to delve into the science behind mental health. And who better to help us with this topic than Daniel who has been named as one of Forbes 30 under 30 in science. His incredible work as a neuroscience researcher in the Douglas Research Centre at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, involves psychological autopsies to understand the molecular impacts of severe childhood abuse on the brains of individuals who died by suicide.
As you can imagine, this episode is full of difficult yet important topics. But what struck us most about Daniel was how upbeat and positive he is about his work and the difference it’s making to people’s lives. Daniel kindly shares his top 5 healthy brain habits that we can all adopt to improve our mental wellbeing.
If you, or someone you know needs help with their mental health, please use one of the resources in the links below.
Mental Health Support
Suicide Prevention Lifeline (US):https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: National Helpline (US): 1-800-662-HELP (4357). SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
The Canada Suicide Prevention Service: https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/
Samaritans (UK): https://www.samaritans.org/
United for Global Mental Health (List of support networks around the world): https://unitedgmh.org/mental-health-support
Topics
(6:29) Speed round.
(10:14) Does talking about suicide help?
(14:15) Why it’s very important to talk about “dying by suicide” instead of “committing suicide”.
(16:17) About Daniel’s work as a neuroscientist.
(17:47) What are the links between childhood trauma and suicide?
(25:16) What age are children most sensitive to the effects of trauma?
(31:19) How the type of trauma experienced by a child matters.
(33:36) How resilience is more like a sword than a shield.
(35:29) What are the 5 best brain health habits?
(41:57) What is a brain bank and how are psychological autopsies used?
(44:30) What music isn’t noise pollution for Daniel?
(46:24) Music and the brain.
(48:13) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim; how to apply Daniel’s work to your life.
© 2021 Behavioral Grooves
Links
World Mental Health Day: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day
Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package
Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist
Leading Human™ Workshop on Dec 14th, 2021 (more dates to be added soon): https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/leading-human-workshop
Promo Code: GROOVERS to receive $20 off (limited time offer for listeners).
Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/
Dr Brenda Mildner – Mother of Psychological worked on bilateral hypocantim removal: https://www.mcgill.ca/neuro/about/brenda-milner
Donald Hebb: https://can-acn.org/donald-olding-hebb/#:~:text=Donald%20Hebb%20(1904%2D1985),which%20was%20published%20in%201949.
“Molecular impacts of childhood abuse on the human brain” Ibrahim, P.; Almeida, D.; Nagy, C.; Turecki, G. (2021): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289521000515?via%3Dihub
“A Slice of the Suicidal Brain: What Have Postmortem Molecular Studies Taught Us?” Almeida, D. and Turecki, G. (2016): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27671915/
“What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing”, by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry: https://amzn.to/3lF7EQ7
Brain structure of dancers and musicians https://www.falishakarpati.com/bio
Support Behavioral Grooves by donating on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves
Musical Links
Gladys Knight & The Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0F9lh8TiSM&ab_channel=GladysKnightTPVEVO
Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU
The Supremes “Where Did Our Love Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTBmgAOO0Nw
Stevie Wonder “As”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYQfWJNWe3I
Marconi Union - Weightless Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYnA9wWFHLI&t=6831s
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
The clearest indicators of our financial solvency are based on the behaviors we exhibit with our investments. Dr. Daniel Crosby PhD is a psychologist, behavioral finance expert, asset manager and bestselling author of four books including “The Behavioral Investor”: https://amzn.to/3Bl4s3t. We examine with him the question of whether financial success ultimately brings us happiness? Surprisingly it can, but not in the ways that we think it does.
Having studied the growing list of 200 odd behavioral biases and heuristics, Daniel has whittled them down to what he describes as the four “Big Daddy” biases: ego, emotion, attention and conservatism. We learn about why these matter so much and interestingly what Coke Zero can teach us about our biases!
Daniel touches on his other bestselling book “You’re Not That Great”: https://amzn.to/3ifiRFC which refreshingly embraces the fact that we are in fact all fairly average! That self esteem is built not by awarding prizes for participation, but by taking a risk, working hard and acknowledging that occasionally we will fall flat on our face along the way!
In our Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim, following our interview with Daniel we talk about the ways that we can apply Daniel’s insights to improve our wellbeing and our relationships. [Tim quotes the infamous “Man in the Arena '' quote from Theodore Roosevelt but apologies, we incorrectly credited the quote to Eisenhower, not Roosevelt in the episode.]
If you would like to invest in the work that Behavioral Grooves does to bring you interviews like Daniels every week, please support our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves thank you.
Topics
(3:09) Welcome and speed round.
(5:51) Why understanding people is vital to understanding markets.
(8:20) Daniel's journey into behavioral finance.
(11:02) What behavioral finance can help with beyond your bank balance.
(15:17) Can money really boost our happiness?
(20:05) The benefits of embracing our mediocrity.
(24:30) How stress impacts performance.
(26:58) Meta-biases: ego, promotion, attention, conservatism.
(31:09) What Coke Zero can teach us about conservatism bias.
(36:51) Ethics and behavioral finance.
(41:09) What music does Daniel invest in?
(48:44) Grooving Session on how to apply Daniel’s work in our own lives.
© 2021 Behavioral Grooves
Books by Daniel Crosby
The Laws of Wealth: Psychology and the secret to investing success: https://amzn.to/36NsbuJ
The Behavioral Investor: https://amzn.to/3Bl4s3t
You're Not That Great: https://amzn.to/3ifiRFC
Personal Benchmark: Integrating Behavioral Finance and Investment Management https://amzn.to/3h5TjM1
Links
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Honeycomb: https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/
“Subjective Well-Being and Income: Is There Any Evidence Of Satiation?” Betsy Stevenson and Justin Wolfers (2013): https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/subjective-well-being-income.pdf
“The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness” by Morgan Housel: https://amzn.to/3onc5C2
Daniel Crosby TEDx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXUh3wNnFrw
“Nudge: The Final Edition” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/2ZqQn5O
Barry Ritholtz, Episode 47. How to Reduce Evolutionary Panic: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/barry-ritholtz-reducing-panic/
The Rocket City Trash Pandas: https://www.milb.com/rocket-city
“Sludge: What Stops Us from Getting Things Done and What to Do about It” by Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/3CNQJ4X
At Uber, a New C.E.O Shifts Gears, The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/09/at-uber-a-new-ceo-shifts-gears
Trevor Foulk episode (publishing at the end of Oct 2021)
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, Episode 246. Are You More Honest with Google or Your Friends? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/are-you-more-honest-with-google/
Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253. Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/
Ben Parr, Episode 237. Attention: How to Capture It and Keep It with Ben Parr: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/attention-with-ben-parr/
Musical Links
Phoebe Bridgers “Kyoto”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw0zYd0eIlk
Elliot Smith “Angeles”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMSU4QDbdew&ab_channel=lucilwinchester
Radiohead “Creep”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkzRNyygfk&ab_channel=Radiohead
Arcade Fire “The Suburbs”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Euj9f3gdyM&ab_channel=ArcadeFireVEVO
Father John Misty “Real Love Baby”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOspC5B69L4&ab_channel=SubPop
Vampire Weekend “This Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwkrrU2WYKg&ab_channel=VampireWeekendVEVO
Run The Jewels “Legend Has It”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWaljXUiCaE&ab_channel=RunTheJewels
Sunday Sep 26, 2021
Sunday Sep 26, 2021
To be influential you do not require power, but wielding your influence is powerful. Vanessa Bohns, social psychologist and professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University, joins us to discuss her enticing new book “You Have More Influence Than You Think”: https://amzn.to/39vCDIN. She draws from her research to illustrate why underestimating our influence can lead us to miss opportunities or worse yet, to misuse our power.
Vanessa challenges us to examine our powers of persuasion and to recognize that we have more influence than we even realize. We learn exactly why it’s so hard for us to say no, even when we’re uncomfortable with saying yes. And why we should focus on communicating more with people face-to-face.
As with all of our episodes, we leave you with a Grooving Session discussion focusing on how we can use Vanessa’s research to improve our lives, our relationships and our workplaces. Maybe this episode will influence you more than you realize? If it does, please support our ongoing work by contributing to our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves (just imagine, if we asked you in person, would you say yes?).
Topics
(3:19) Welcome to Vanessa Bohns.
(5:46) How your enjoyment of chocolate is influenced by others.
(8:15) The spotlight effect; is everyone really looking at me?
(12:34) How can we influence people more than we think?
(17:20) How Vanessa discovered people are likely to help, if you ask.
(23:34) Why it’s so much harder to say no than we think.
(26:50) How power amplifies your influence.
(29:22) Why we need to recognize white privilege as a position of power.
(32:47) Communication: why our choice of words matter.
(34:13) Robert Cialdini’s Influence.
(36:30) What are the most common misconceptions about influence?
(41:07) What are the 2 biggest takeaways from the book?
(43:52) How music has influenced Vanessa.
(49:13) Grooving Session discussing how to apply Vanessa’s research.
© 2021 Behavioral Grooves
Links
“You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters” Book by Vanessa Bohns: https://amzn.to/39vCDIN
John Bargh, Episode 248: Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? With John Bargh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/
Shankar Vedantam, Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/
Cristina Bicchieri, Episode 102: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/
“Shared Experiences Are Amplified” Erica J. Boothby, Margaret S. Clark, John A. Bargh (2014): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614551162
“Good Lamps Are the Best Police: Darkness Increases Dishonesty and Self-Interested Behavior” Chen-Bo Zhong, Vanessa K. Bohns, Francesca Gino (2010): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797609360754
Robert Frank on the Power of Peer Pressure in Fighting Climate Change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmOUNgXKd0c&ab_channel=Rare
Robert Cialdini, Episode 226: The Power Of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/
How to Start a Movement | Dan Sivers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V74AxCqOTvg
Musical Links
Bronksi Beats “Smalltown Boy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88sARuFu-tc
Sleigh Bells “Locust Laced”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzLOcmRRUfg
The National “Light Years”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FQtSn_vak0
Vampire Weekend “This Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwkrrU2WYKg
David Bowie “Ashes to Ashes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyMm4rJemtI
Harry Styles “Watermelon Sugar”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKlD97TnYwM
Billie Ellish “Everything I Wanted”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgBJmlPo8Xw
Taylor Swift “Willow”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsEZmictANA
Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg
Sunday Sep 19, 2021
Sunday Sep 19, 2021
Employee burnout, The Great Resignation, Office Covid Regulations; these are all major concerns for leaders in the workplace right now. But how can managers successfully navigate these stresses, while still maintaining productivity among staff?
At the start of the pandemic, Behavioral Grooves began a series of podcasts with researchers and practitioners to understand the organizational shifts we were seeing. Over the course of our interviews, we discovered big changes in the way business was being conducted and that managers, specifically, were really caught off guard. They didn’t have a coach or a guide to help them through all the changes. We decided to change that. And so, we created Leading Human™.
In this Grooving Session with Kurt Nelson PhD and Tim Houlihan, they sit down to discuss the following topics about Leading Human™:
- What is Leading Human™?
- Who is Leading Human™ going to benefit?
- Why did the Behavioral Grooves team feel inspired to write Leading Human™?
While Leading Human™ was initiated by the pandemic, it goes well beyond the current workplace dynamics and delves into the core of how work will happen in the future.
Ultimately Leading Human™ focuses on four key areas:
- Creating Psychological Safety;
- Building a Team Charter;
- Implementing Human-Centered Routines;
- Charting a Clear Path Forward.
Together, these can make a significant difference in employees' emotional connection to the company and successful re-entry to the workplace. Leading Human™ is full of practical tips and exercises to implement.
Where to Get More Info on Leading Human™:
Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package
Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist
Leading Human™ Workshop on Nov 2nd, 2021 (more dates to be added soon): https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/leading-human-workshop
Promo Code: GROOVERS to receive $20 off (limited time offer for listeners).
![Kwame Christian: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch [Republish Episode 178]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog2137480/Kwame_Christian6l9eg_300x300.jpg){kind=logo}
Sunday Sep 12, 2021
Sunday Sep 12, 2021
[NOTE: This episode is republished from #178 in October 2020.]
Kwame Christian, Esq. is the author of “Nobody Will Play With Me: How to Use Compassionate Curiosity to Find Confidence in Conflict.” He is the host of two podcasts, “Negotiate Anything” and “Ask With Confidence.” He is a professor at The Ohio State University Law School and is the director of the American Negotiation Institute. Kwame’s educational background combines an undergraduate degree in psychology, a masters in public policy, and a juris doctor. Yup – a classic underachiever. (NOT)
Kurt and Tim got to talk to Kwame about the behavioral science hidden in his practical techniques. For instance, we discussed how to be more effective in negotiations by managing our emotions and how to reframe our negotiations as opportunities. He went on to say that negotiations are really “the art of discovery.” We also discussed the decades-old myth of the win-win negotiation – you guessed right: it’s a myth!
Kwame also dropped more sound-bite bombs in our conversation than any other guest. There are tons and tons of takeaways from this conversation that you can put to use in your work or home life right away.
And if that’s not enough, he’s got the most eclectic musical tastes of any guest on Behavioral Grooves so far. Check it out.
We are grateful to our friend Brian Ahearn who introduced us to Kwame in May 2020.
© 2021 Behavioral Grooves
Links
Kwame Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwamechristian/
Kwame on Negotiations: https://americannegotiationinstitute.com/
Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life: https://amzn.to/3E19685
Kwame’s Podcast Negotiate Anything: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/negotiate-anything/id1101679010
Kwame’s TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Zg65eK9XU
Kwame as Ohio State Law Professor: https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/faculty/kwame-christian/
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610
Matthew Walker, “Why We Sleep”: https://amzn.to/3tuMeZC
Them-Us-Fit-Action: https://blog.cmbinfo.com/crc-2018-how-to-engage-todays-corporate-research-buyer
Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves
Musical Links
Bob Marley “Wait in Vain”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtgP0EQmWVk
Calypso: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpUh5wUBkbM
Soca (Soul Calypso): https://medium.com/@jada.steuart/soca-then-and-now-d5674e9f2b0c
Reggae: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyscBx0UWkY
Dub Step: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ1txLdu6qg
Hip-hop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t-BLUi3eAI
Rap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGj3nv36M1o
Ska: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Weu3b8Nd40
Smooth Jazz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--cmYzvVASc
AC/DC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC/DC
“Under the Graveyard” by Ozzie Osbourne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuzyA5gDa4E
Major Lazer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqeW9_5kURI
The Clash “Should I Stay or Should I Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGIFublvDes
The Police: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4VjsqR5Vbc
George Benson “Breezin”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVc5rCl0BIs
Grover Washington “Just the Two of Us”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqX7WX6jFdw
David Benoit “Lucy and Linus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOg17QnLGVs
Earl Klugh & Bob James: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTOZxnBEPJA
Lee Ritenour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMXCSiufPYA
The Rippingtons: https://www.rippingtons.com/
Sunday Sep 05, 2021
Sunday Sep 05, 2021
How can behavioral science aid the mammoth task of vaccination the world against Covid? What common barriers cause vaccine hesitancy in populations around the globe? And how can behavioral design overcome them?
Born out of frustration, while trying to eliminate Polio from Pakistan, the global behavioral design agency Common Thread (www.gocommonthread.com) was born. They use findings from psychology, anthropology, economics and sociology, to identify and analyze behavioral insights. Bringing a people-centered approach to the world's toughest public health problems.
We are delighted to be joined on this podcast episode with the co-founder, director and lead storyteller of Common Thread, Michael Coleman. He talks with us about his new publication, “The Little Jab Book: 18 Behavioral Science Strategies for Increasing Vaccination Uptake” (www.vax-up.org) and the global projects that he is currently collaborating on.
Topics
(6:24) Speed round questions.
(8:55) Applying behavioral science to global health concerns.
(9:47) How Common Thread was started and why it focuses on putting people at the center of public health problems.
(11:30) The complexities Mike faced with the Polio Eradication Plan in Pakistan.
(14:02) What is the mission of Common Thread?
(15:52) What tools does Common Thread use to change behavior?
(18:59) How can removing friction from decisions make a big difference in people’s responses?
(23:00) About The Little Jab Book: 18 Behavioral Science Strategies for Increasing Vaccination Uptake.
(25:33) Who The Little Jab Book is intended for?
(27:01) What are the barriers to vaccinating the world against Covid?
(31:50) How vaccine hesitant conversations can impact public health responses.
(34:28) Work with UNICEF to create individual country responses to vaccination barriers.
(39:16) What music would Mike take to a desert island?
(41:43) How Common Thread uses music to foster an inclusive work culture.
(43:35) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim summarizing the application of Mike’s insights.
Behavioral Grooves has a Patreon page to help fund our work, please consider donating a small amount to our podcast at www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews, tweets and comments about the podcast; these help others find out about us too. But most of all, thanks for listening!
© 2021 Behavioral Grooves
Links
Common Thread: www.gocommonthread.com/
Michael Coleman: www.gocommonthread.com/blog/person/michael-coleman/
Common Thread newsletter “The Stitch”: www.gocommonthread.com/the-stitch/
The Little Jab Book: 18 Behavioral Science Strategies for Increasing Vaccination Uptake: www.vax-up.org
Behavioral Insights lab set up with Gavi for immunization oriented to the global south: “From Idea to Immunization”: www.gocommonthread.com/work/global-gavi-bi/
Barry’s tea: www.barrystea.ie/
Sherine Guirguis: www.gocommonthread.com/about/
Harvard School of Public Health: www.hsph.harvard.edu/social-and-behavioral-sciences/
UNICEF: www.unicef.org/
The Global Vaccine Allowance: www.gavi.org
The Gates Foundation: www.gatesfoundation.org
Vax-Up: www.vax-up.org
PATH: www.path.org
BUSARA: www.busaracenter.org/
The New York Times Global Vaccination Tracker: https://nyti.ms/2WNx1Xt
Rob Burnet, Well Told Story: www.africa-asa.com/rob-burnet/
Episode 202: How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD: www.behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-chaning-jang-works-around-not-being-weird/
Episode 223: How Behavioral Science Can Impact Nonprofits: The Inspiring Story at Save The Children: www.behavioralgrooves.com/episode/behavioral-science-and-nonprofits/
Musical Links
Nina Simone “Stars” (Montreux Festival in 1976): https://bit.ly/38Dv7Lz
Jeff Buckley “Grace”: https://bit.ly/3BG9OW4
Jeff Buckley (Live in Frankfurt, 1995): https://bit.ly/3h0XMi7
The Tragically Hip “Ahead By a Century”: https://bit.ly/38G2kGm
Common Thread Spotify Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3yHvsYf
Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou, a 93 year old Ethiopian jazz pianist: https://spoti.fi/3zPhlBG
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Few psychologists in the world have contributed more to scientific discovery than our guest Richard E. Nisbett. He joins us to discuss his latest book, the title of which embodies one of his favorite activities: Thinking: A Memoir. Thinking weaves Richard’s personal story through his research journey, painting a richer sense of the thought process behind his discoveries.
Richard E. Nisbett is the Theodore M. Newcomb Distinguished Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Michigan. Many of his previous books have been co-authored with his collaborator and friend, the late Lee Ross. The two first met in graduate school when they studied under the ground-breaking researcher Stanley Schachter at Columbia University.
Later in his career, alongside Tim Wilson, the two made the ground-breaking observation: they noted that we can only identify "what people think about how they think," but not "how they really think." Join our podcast conversation with Richard to explore how we can improve our thinking, reasoning and decision making.
If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.
Topics we Discuss with Richard E. Nisbett
(3:20) Welcome and speed round.
(7:25) What motivated Richard to write his memoir?
(12:12) Why do we so readily disregard base rates?
(15:56) Why do we disconnect ourselves from the behavior in Stanley Milgram’s experiment?
(17:21) Richard’s work on Attribution Theory.
(20:25) How does our unconscious mind affect our behaviors and decision making?
(23:27) Richard’s insight on why we rationalize our decision making.
(27:13) Working in a vacuum in academia.
(30:03) Interdisciplinary work at Michigan University.
(32:23) Can we teach people to become better at reasoning?
(39:15) The problems with replicating social psychology studies.
(46:28) What is Richard thinking about these days?
(51:32) What music would Richard take a desert island?
(57:13) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing their interview with Richard.
© 2021 Behavioral Grooves
Books by Richard E. Nisbett
Thinking: A Memoir: https://amzn.to/341F4A4
Intelligence and How to Get It: Why Schools and Cultures Count: https://amzn.to/3fALT0L
The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why: https://amzn.to/3u728bj
Culture Of Honor: The Psychology Of Violence In The South (New Directions in Social Psychology): https://amzn.to/3ub2FJu
Thought and Feeling: Cognitive Alteration of Feeling States: https://amzn.to/2Rqgw1f
Rules for Reasoning: https://amzn.to/3hDj6LJ
The Person and the Situation: https://amzn.to/2S6tfGa
Links from our Interview
Lee Ross “The Person and the Situation: Perspectives of Social Psychology”: https://amzn.to/3iYN3q5
Stanley Schachter “The Psychology of Affiliation: Experimental Studies of the Sources of Gregariousness”: https://amzn.to/3sEQQw1
Malcom Gladwell “Outliers: The Story of Success”: https://amzn.to/3xWZdnw
Michael Lewis Book about Dnaiel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, “The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds”: https://amzn.to/3iYwIlg
Richard Thaler “Nudge: The FInal Edition”: https://amzn.to/3srwyWs
Stanley Milgram Experiment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment
Cary Grant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cary_Grant
Timothy Wilson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Wilson
Russell Sage Foundation: https://www.russellsage.org/
University of Michigan: https://umich.edu/
Jean Piaget: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Piaget
Episode 155: John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/
Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/peggy-noonan
The Week: https://www.theweek.co.uk/
Episode 67: George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/
Musical Links
Beethoven “The Emperor Concerto”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPx7P6YvHYw
Beethoven 7th symphony, 2nd Movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgHxmAsINDk
Schubert “Serenade”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biUv4VLW0fc
Sunday Aug 22, 2021
Sunday Aug 22, 2021
Can we control our unconscious behavior? How much does the situation we’re in control us? Can we prime people to behave a certain way? Is it even ethical to try? To what degree do cultural identity and stereotyping impact the automaticity of our actions?
Following on from our discussion with Dr Philip Zimbardo PhD, in our last episode (#247) about the Stanford Prison Experiment, we reached out to our friend and previous guest (episode #155), Dr John Bargh PhD, social psychologist at Yale University. As the world’s leading expert on the unconscious mind, John gave us fresh insight on how our behavior is primed by factors such as our cultural identity and even by who we are thinking about.
Interestingly our conversation shifted towards changing attitudes in society and in particular the inspiration stance that athletes such as Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have taken recently to prioritize their mental health. John describes them as pioneers: “what pioneers and leaders do is they give an alternative example for the other people and say, “You know what, you don't have to do this, here's what I did.””
In our last interview with John, he left us with some parting wisdom; to hug our children more. We couldn’t resist asking him for some more wise words, so listen to the end to find out John’s advice to all of us.
Word of mouth continues to be the best way for new listeners to find Behavioral Grooves. Please consider sharing your favorite episodes with your friends. And if you want to help more, your financial support goes a long way. You can donate via our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. And thank you to all of our loyal listeners who already donate to our podcast.
Topics we discuss with John Bargh
(3:58) Welcome to John Bargh and speed round questions.
(7:50) Nature vs nurture?
(11:51) A summary of John’s research on automaticity and priming.
(15:04) How you activate a different cultural identity.
(19:42) How did the Stanford Prison Experiment impact social psychology research?
(25:09) Do we control situations or do situations control us?
(30:14) Can you prime someone to commit murder?
(35:17) How Simone Biles is an example of changing attitudes in society.
(37:14) Are employees starting to self-select which corporation they work for?
(44:29) What direction is the research on priming and automaticity heading in the future?
(47:33) What research is John engaged in right now?
(50:08) How can we prevent ourselves from being influenced by our context?
(52:46) John’s wise parting advice.
(56:28) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing the interview.
© 2021 Behavioral Grooves
Links
John Bargh book “Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do”: https://amzn.to/3yUHka8
Episode 155: John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/
William James: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James
Rozin, Paul. (1976): “The evolution of intelligence and access to the cognitive unconscious.” Progress in Psychobiology and Physiological Psychology: https://bit.ly/37JnBhI
Cushman, Fiery (2019): “Rationalization is Rational”, Behavioral and Brain Sciences: https://bit.ly/2VRicTG
Episode 229: From Holding the Mic to Theory of Mind: Rob Leonard’s Love of Language: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rob-leonards-love-of-language/
Stanford Prison Experiment: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stanford-prison-experiment/
Rosanna Summers: http://www.roseannasommers.com/
Vanessa Bohns: “You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters”: https://amzn.to/3g5Omlg
Lee Ross: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ross
Kerri Strug: https://www.today.com/news/kerri-strug-shares-her-support-simone-biles-rest-usa-gymnasts-t226636
Simone Biles: https://www.simonebiles.com/
Naomi Osaka: https://www.naomiosaka.com/
Episode 147: Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-goal-setting-prompts/
Support Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves
Musical Links
Jimi Hendrix “Somewhere”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-THhwh5mNI
Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin) “Stairway to Heaven”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkF3oxziUI4
Sunday Aug 15, 2021
Sunday Aug 15, 2021
The Stanford Prison Experiment has been the topic of movies, newspaper articles, textbooks and TV shows. Extensively published controversy has surrounded the social psychology experiment ever since it was conducted in 1971. Now on the 50th Anniversary, we invite you to listen to a very unique interview with the man who orchestrated it all; Dr Philip Zimbardo PhD.
- Was the Stanford Prison Experiment designed to measure the corruption of power?
- Were participants influenced by the context of the experiment itself and pressured into performing a role?
- How exactly did the environment influence the behavior of the participants, including Dr Philip Zimbardo himself? As he quotes; “a bad barrel can take a good apple, and make it bad”.
At Stanford University in 1971, influenced by the work of his friend Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo assembled a mock prison in the basement of the university and used male student volunteers to become the guards and prisoners. What unfolded in the coming days surprised even Philip Zimbardo.
What is less known about Philip Zimbardo is that he has since done extensive research on shyness, cult behavior, time perception, and more recently on heroism. According to him, we are all “heroes in waiting”, and he has founded the Heroic Imagination Project to help cultivate the heroes among us.
Our discussion with Dr Z (as he asked us to call him!) weaves through an enlightening reflection on his upbringing, the influence of his family and peers, and his transition into academia. Kurt and Tim intercept the conversation throughout to provide explanation and insights. And we end with how Dr Z’s work can influence our behavior now. What can we really learn from the Stanford Prison Experiment? And how can we all become a hero in waiting?
Topics
(2:59) Introducing Dr. Philip Zimbardo.
(4:30) Dr Z’s upbringing in the Bronx.
(6:40) The significance of Dr Z’s classmates at James Monroe High School.
(11:06) How racism influenced Dr Z’s application to Yale.
(16:18) How Dr Z started the Stanford Prison Experiment.
(19:05) What Dr Z was trying to understand from the experiment.
(20:04) What went wrong.
(21:59) How abusive guard David Eshelman explained his behavior.
(23:10) Controversy around the experiment and why it ended early.
(27:07) Chip Frederick’s abusive behavior at Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraqi War.
(30:15) If you can cultivate evil behavior, can you also cultivate heroic behavior?
(33:36) The 4 steps to becoming a "Hero in Training".
(35:14) Dr Z’s offer to help with police brutality in the US.
(37:04) Takeaways: how to be aware and intentional with our behavior.
We look forward to welcoming you back next week for more about why context matters with esteemed Yale social psychologist, Dr John Bargh PhD.
Please consider donating to our podcast work through Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves).
We also love hearing from our listeners, please leave us a podcast review or reach out to us on Twitter:
Kurt Nelson @motivationguru
Tim Houlihan @THoulihan
Mary Kaliff @BeSciMary
© 2021 Behavioral Grooves
Links
Stanley Milgram: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Milgram
Solomon Asch - Conformity Experiment: https://www.simplypsychology.org/asch-conformity.html
Charlie Parker “All The Things You Are”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTORd2Y_X6U
Episode 76: Nurit Nobel: De-Biasing the Recruiting Process: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nurit-nobel-de-biasing-the-recruiting-process/
Chip Frederick: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/oct/22/usa.iraq
Heroic Imagination Project: https://www.heroicimagination.org/
![[INTERVIEW] Are You More Honest with Google or Your Friends? With Seth Stephens-Davidowitz](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog2137480/Seth_Stephens-Davidowitz_headshot2bfr8d_300x300.jpeg){kind=logo}
Sunday Aug 08, 2021
Sunday Aug 08, 2021
The truth is we divulge more information to Google that we do to our friends, our family or even our doctors. Our social media persona can paint a very different picture to what we secretly search for on Google. So what do search trends in Google tell us about ourselves and our society? Does it matter that we are different on Google than in person?
Author of bestseller Everybody Lies (https://amzn.to/32ULlgD), Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, tells us how data can unlock the keys to happier relationships and even how to better parent our children.
Topics We Discuss with Seth:
(3:15) Welcome and speed round questions.
(12:53) Are people more honest with Google or with their friends?
(16:01) The juxtaposition between our social media presence and our Google searches.
(21:03) Does everybody really lie?
(26:06) Why people lie about sex.
(30:00) Why your children’s outcome is affected by your location.
(36:37) Using more data and less intuition to make decisions.
(44:28) The data to use and not to use for successful dating.
(47:57) What age do we get hooked on music?
(54:10) Do people lie about music?
Join us for our follow-on discussion in Episode 245 where Kurt and Tim have a Grooving Session on what they have talked about with Seth: the effect of context with honesty, tips for successful dating and the influences surrounding our children.
If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves). We also love reading your reviews on the podcast, which gives other listeners social proof that we’re worth listening to!
© 2021 Behavioral Grooves
Links
Behavioral Grooves new website: www.behavioralgrooves.com
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: http://sethsd.com/
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: “Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are”: https://amzn.to/32ULlgD
The Myth of the “Relationship Spark” with Logan Ury (featuring a guest appearance by Christina Gravert, PhD): https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/relationship-spark-logan-ury/
Dan Ariely, “Let Me Come Right Out and Say It: You Cheat”: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/let-me-come-right-out-and-say-it-you-cheat/
Bernie Madoff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Madoff
Shankar Vedantam, “Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain”: https://amzn.to/2PUkzlv
Raj Chetty: http://www.rajchetty.com/
Dan Levitin, “This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession”: https://amzn.to/3C45iSh
Episode 171: Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For with Roy Baumeister https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/
Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/
Moneyball movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneyball_(film)
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, “The Songs That Bind”: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/10/opinion/sunday/favorite-songs.html
Episode 219: Why Music Makes You Feel Better with Pablo Ripollés and Ernest Mas Herrero: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-music-makes-you-feel-better/
Elizabeth Ki, Behavioral Scientist at Spotify: http://elizabethdkim.com/
Episode 218: Share, Like, Comment: Sandra Matz PhD Exposes The Truth Behind your Digital Footprint: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/your-digital-footprint/
Musical Links
Leonard Cohen “Famous Blue Raincoat”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohk3DP5fMCg
Leonard Cohen “Alexandra Leaving”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELGaHaZzwjU
Leonard Cohen “Suzanne”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svitEEpI07E
Bruce Springsteen “Dancing in the Dark”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs
Bob Dylan “Too Late”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUT7N8RYgSI
Paul Simon “Late in The Evening”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K5qIA1IVIA
Crosby, Stills and Nash “Just a Song Before I Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UoneXjfBC0
Dave Matthews Band “Funny The Way it Is”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNiS9T-I2Eg&pp=sAQA
Katy Perry “Smile”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZA5heWazIQ
Duran Duran “Invisible”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMCd5zrsFpE
Justin Bieber “Intentions”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AyMjyHu1bA
The Beatles “Come Together”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45cYwDMibGo