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Why We Do What We Do
We explain popular and weird, little-known ideas in psychology. Whether you are a little curious about psychology, or a student, or even a professional, we have something for everyone.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.
Episodes
Why We Do What We Do128 | Zombie Bugs | Why We Do What We Do
Our final Halloween themed episode dives into real-life zombies. Besides being horrifyingly disturbing, these brainless parasites pose an interesting conundrum…
Why We Do What We Do127 | Sleep Paralysis: Demons and Ghosts in the Night | Why We Do What We Do
The penultimate installment of our creepy psychology themed month of October is a breakdown of sleep paralysis. The experience we have when we begin to drift…
Why We Do What We Do126 | Where Our Superstitions Come From | Why We Do What We Do
Our third installment of our creepy psychology themed month of October discusses what superstitions are and where they come from. Furthermore, even people who…
Why We Do What We Do125 | Why People Like Horror Movies | Why We Do What We Do
People watch scary movies around Halloween and other times of the year. Many horror films are produced every year. What is this strange fascination that people…
Why We Do What We Do124 | Crying Wolf: Clinical Lycanthropy | Why We Do What We Do
Clinical Lycanthropy is the mental health condition in which people believe that they turn into an animal of some kind, commonly werewolves. The evidence and…
Why We Do What We Do123 | Seizure Disorders | Why We Do What We Do
Our brains are a complex network of neurons that connect all of the parts of our body together. So if the electrochemical signals fire sporadically then there…
Why We Do What We Do122 | Brain Food | Why We Do What We Do
Many people make exaggerated claims about the neurological benefits of specific foods and then charge you for their consultation expertise, their dietary…
Why We Do What We Do121 | A Brief Introduction to Punishment | Why We Do What We Do
Punishment is neither good nor bad, but it can be positive or negative. Puzzle that one out! There is a technical use o of the term and concept of punishment…
Why We Do What We Do120 | Sign Language With Primates | Why We Do What We Do
Many point to the uniqueness of humans in their language. Others suggest that we just haven't found a way to teach language to other species. This all changed…
Why We Do What We Do119 | Twin Studies | Why We Do What We Do
Twin studies have been a staple in psychological research for over a century. But many people don't know about the critical assumptions implicit in conducting…
Why We Do What We Do118 | Positive and Negative Reinforcement in Schools | Why We Do What We Do
Students experience positive and negative reinforcement throughout their school day. Some of this reinforcement is specifically delivered by teachers, and some…
Why We Do What We Do117 | Who Still Uses Behavior Modification? | Why We Do What We Do
Recent pundits have voiced their alarm and concern over the use of behavior modification strategies to create "addictive" patterns of behavior. Who are the…
Why We Do What We Do116 | Why Are Some People Picky Eaters? | Why We Do What We Do
Why are some people picky eaters, while others are adventurous? Is it evolution? Parenting? Some combination of the two? This isn't a discussion on…
Why We Do What We Do115 | Leaning Over the Edge: The Call of the Void | Why We Do What We Do
Many of us have had the experience of looking over the edge and wondering what it would be like to jump or fall. We don't actually want to, but we are curious…
Why We Do What We Do114 | A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock 'N Roll: The Psychology of Music Preference | Why We Do What We Do
People often have seemingly inexplicable taste in music. What is it that that drives us toward our music preferences? Have you ever felt persecuted for your…
Why We Do What We Do113 | You Know Less Than You Think: The Dunning-Kruger Effect | Why We Do What We Do
A common cognitive bias we have is that we tend to think that we are better informed and experienced in things that we really are. The examples are practically…
Why We Do What We Do112 | Expelled: Racial Inequality in School Discipline | Why We Do What We Do
Schools might be as segregated today as they have ever been. Learn more with Dr. Kent McIntosh as he lends his expertise on racial inequality…
Why We Do What We Do111 | Too Many Choices! Option Paralysis | Why We Do What We Do
Sometimes we find ourselves faced with so many options that we choose to do nothing at all. What is with going on with that? Shane and Abraham discuss the…
Why We Do What We Do110 | Diagnosing Mental Health Disorders | Why We Do What We Do
One of the most controversial and interesting topics in psychology is understanding how we diagnose mental health disorders. Shane and Abraham explain the…
Why We Do What We Do109 | The Downfall of Mental Hospitals | Why We Do What We Do
The setting: terrible hospital conditions and a poor understanding of mental health disorders. The solution: move patients out of the hospitals and into the…
Why We Do What We Do108 | How to Study | Why We Do What We Do
Cramming for a test? Find yourself struggling to remember things that you just ready when studying for class? Just interested in getting better at a particular…
Why We Do What We Do107 | Child Development Part 2: Birth Through the First Two Years | Why We Do What We Do
Returning for a second discussion of the initial stages of human development, RyanO and Abraham discuss the various birthing processes. In addition, we talk…
Why We Do What We Do106 | Child Development Part 1: Pregnancy | Why We Do What We Do
Abraham and RyanO discuss some remarkable facts about pregnancy and how learning begins while in the womb. There are basic facts and conceptual issues…
Why We Do What We Do105 | What's Going On With Weighted Vests? | Why We Do What We Do
Some people use clothing with weights added on children to “help” them manage their challenging behaviors. This is commonly used with children with an autism…
Why We Do What We Do104 | Why We Do What We Do Turns 2! | Why We Do What We Do
Bullying is an interesting problem in schools. What is it? Is it over-recognized or under-recognized? What works in reducing bullying? This week we are joined…
Why We Do What We Do103 | Bullying in Schools with Dr. Scott Ross and Brooke Wagner | Why We Do What We Do
Bullying is an interesting problem in schools. What is it? Is it over-recognized or under-recognized? What works in reducing bullying? This week we are joined…
Why We Do What We Do102 | Did Behaviorism Kill Research on Emotions? | Why We Do What We Do
Author Frans De Waal claimed on national radio that behaviorism killed research on emotions for most of the 20th century. What a remarkable achievement!…
Why We Do What We Do101 | Multi-Tasking is Hard | Why We Do What We Do
How well can humans multi-task? A lot less than we'd like to believe. Shane and Abraham describe what is really going on when we try and multi-task, why we are…
Why We Do What We Do100 | Fad Treatments for Autism | Why We Do What We Do
This week Shane, RyanO and Abraham welcome on the ABA Inside Track crew for our 100th episode covering some of the weirdest, ineffective, and potentially…
Why We Do What We Do099 | How We Know What We Know | Why We Do What We Do
This week Shane, RyanO and Abraham tackle Epistemology - or the study of how we know what we know! Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at…
Why We Do What We Do098 | Homeopathy Treatment for Mental Health | Why We Do What We Do
Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or…
Why We Do What We Do097 | I'm So Sorry! Why We Apologize | Why We Do What We Do
Apologizing is an interesting thing that we do. What do we get out of apologizing? What do we get out receiving them? Abraham and Shane discuss how and why we…
Why We Do What We Do096 | The Mozart Effect | Why We Do What We Do
This week Abraham and RyanO talk about the Mozart effect, which suggests that "listening to Mozart (and some other iterations!) makes you smarter." Listen and…
Why We Do What We Do095 | How Alcohol Makes Us Feel Drunk | Why We Do What We Do
Every wonder why and how alcohol makes us feel drunk? Ryan and Abraham explain what is in alcohol and how it interacts with our brain to cause us to feel…
Why We Do What We Do094 | False Confessions | Why We Do What We Do
Shane and Abraham tackle the how and why of false confessions. Why do people "confess" to crimes they didn't commit? To what extent do law enforcement officers…
Why We Do What We Do093 | Animal Aggression Part 2 With Hannah Branigan & Ryan Cartlidge | Why We Do What We Do
This episode we continue our fascinating discussion with Hannah Branigan of the "Drinking from the Toilet" podcast, and Ryan Cartlidge of the "Animal Training…
Why We Do What We DoBONUS | Join the Team! | Why We Do What We Do
We’re looking for some assistance on the podcast. If you think you fit what we’re looking for, then send us an email! Listen in, and remember that you can…
Why We Do What We Do092 | Animal Aggression Part 1 With Hannah Branigan & Ryan Cartlidge | Why We Do What We Do
This week we welcome on Hannah Branigan and Ryan Cartlidge to talk about animal aggression. Make sure to check out their podcasts…
Why We Do What We Do091 | Synesthesia (The Sun Smells Too Loud) | Why We Do What We Do
syn·es·the·sia/ˌsinəsˈTHēZHə/noun PHYSIOLOGY•PSYCHOLOGYthe production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another…
Why We Do What We Do090 | Gestalt (Gesundheit) | Why We Do What We Do
Listen in, and remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast…
Why We Do What We Do089 | Chelation Therapy For Autism: A Dangerous Myth | Why We Do What We Do
Listen in, and remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast…
Why We Do What We Do088 | Lobotomies as Psychotherapy │ Why We Do What We Do
Listen in, and remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast…
Why We Do What We Do087 | Super Color Vision: Human Tetrachromats │ Why We Do What We Do
Some people are born with superhuman color vision. But do they even know that they have it? How well can humans use an extra set of cones? Learn about this…
Why We Do What We Do086 | A Horse that Could Math! │ Why We Do What We Do
There once was an awesome horse... Listen in, and remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments…
Why We Do What We Do085 | 5:1 is the Magic Number│ Why We Do What We Do
Do you say more negative or positive things? Do people say more negative or positive things to you? Listen in to learn about some of the fascinating research…
Why We Do What We Do084 | The Psychology of ASMR│ Why We Do What We Do
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a psychological event characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin. It has been compared…
Why We Do What We Do083 | Dog Breeds & Personalities │ Why We Do What We Do
Are certain dogs more likely to be aggressive? What do we ACTUALLY know about dog personalities? Can they be changed?Become a supporter of this podcast…
Why We Do What We Do082 | How Much Can Sommeliers Sense? │ Why We Do What We Do
How do wine experts do their job? How many different flavors can a sommelier detect? Abraham and RyanO dive into the research on wine-tasting and the science…
Why We Do What We Do081 | Why is Fluency Important? Part 2: An Interview With Dr. Donny Newsome │ Why We Do What We Do
Following up with part 1, Abraham interviews Dr. Donny Newsome, a founding director of Fit Learning, on the topic of fluency. Every wonder what it is, why it…
Why We Do What We Do080 | Why is Fluency Important? Part 1 │ Why We Do What We Do
Fluency is a concept that has been used in a wide variety of descriptions applied to aspect of human performance. In part 1 RyanO and Abraham breakdown the…
Why We Do What We Do079 | Parsimony │ Why We Do What We Do
In this Episode, the team dives into what it means to be parsimonious and why it matters in psychology. This and more on your favorite consumable psychology…
Why We Do What We Do078 | Creativity │ Why We Do What We Do
In this Episode, the team dives into the questions of creativity. Where does it come from? Can it be created or influenced? This and more on your favorite…
Why We Do What We DoDo Babies Recognize Good & Evil?
Are babies born good? Do they have some sense of morality? Can babies identify good and evil? How evil ARE babies? Do they spill the Cheerios to satisfy some…
Why We Do What We Do076 │What is an EEG?│ Why We Do What We Do
On this week’s episode Miranda and Abraham the electroencephalogram (EEG). What does it do? What is it for? Are the robots coming for us? Listen in and find…
Why We Do What We Do075 │Perceiving the World Through Hearing Part 3: Tinnitus and Auditory Processing Disorder│ Why We Do What We Do
Ringing in the ears? Trouble understanding speech? Listen in as Abraham, RyanO, and Shane team up to wrap up our discussion about hearing with an emphasis on…
Why We Do What We Do074 │Perceiving the World Through Hearing Part 2: Treating Hearing Loss│ Why We Do What We Do
How is hearing loss tested for and treated? Abraham, Shane, and RyanO return to discuss treatments for hearing loss and some other topical and controversial…
Why We Do What We Do073 │Perceiving the World Through Hearing Part 1│ Why We Do What We Do
How do we hear? How does our hearing affect our perception of the world? Listen in as Abraham, RyanO, and Shane interview special guests audiologists Dr. Cathy…
Why We Do What We Do072 | Circular Reasoning: Redux | Why We Do What We Do
Revisit this oldie by goodie. We have employed discussions of circular reasoning frequently, so listen in for a refresher on this logical fallacy. Abraham and…
Why We Do What We Do071 │ Tolman's Cognitive Maps: A False Sense of Direction │ Why We Do What We Do
What are Cognitive Maps? Miranda and Abraham review Tolman’s experiment and discuss some possible explanations for the phenomenon of latent learning. Are…
Why We Do What We Do070 │ Spare The Rod: Corporal Punishment │ Why We Do What We Do
Does physical punishment improve bad behavior? Miranda and Abraham explore the history and recent research of corporal punishment. Conclusion? Listen in to…