Episodes

  • Why listening well is harder -- and more powerful -- than you think, with Guy Itzchakov, PhD

    Why listening well is harder -- and more powerful -- than you think, with Guy Itzchakov, PhD
    Jul 1 2026
    Most people think they’re good listeners. But really listening well is harder than it seems. Guy Itzchakov, PhD, talks about what distinguishes high-quality listening from just staying quiet while someone else talks; how feeling heard affects speakers’ emotions, attitudes and relationships; why high-quality listening can reduce defensiveness during disagreements; and whether AI chatbots will ever be good listeners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • “Sharenting”: What happens when children's lives are shared online? With Keneisha Sinclair-McBride, PhD

    “Sharenting”: What happens when children's lives are shared online? With Keneisha Sinclair-McBride, PhD
    Jun 24 2026
    From ultrasound photos to graduation pictures, many parents share their children's lives online. For some families, these posts help maintain connections with friends and relatives or build supportive parenting communities. But what does it mean for children to grow up with a digital footprint that begins, in some cases, before they are even born? Keneisha Sinclair-McBride, PhD, discusses the psychology of "sharenting," the privacy and safety risks of sharing in the age of AI, and how families can balance connection and community with children's need for autonomy and control over their own stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    24 mins
  • Multisensory perception: How sight, sound and touch shape what we taste, with Charles Spence, PhD

    Multisensory perception: How sight, sound and touch shape what we taste, with Charles Spence, PhD
    Jun 17 2026
    Why does seafood taste better at the beach? Why are so many snacks crunchy? Can the color of a room or the music in the background change the way we experience what we eat and drink? Charles Spence, PhD, head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford, discusses the science of multisensory perception and how our senses work together to shape flavor; why food is the ultimate multisensory experience; and how insights from this research can help people eat more mindfully and enjoy eating more fully. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Why midlife may be your prime time, with Margie Lachman, PhD

    Why midlife may be your prime time, with Margie Lachman, PhD
    Jun 10 2026
    For many adults, midlife is a time of competing responsibilities: raising children, helping parents and managing careers, all while confronting their own aging. Yet psychologists increasingly see these years not as a period of crisis or decline but one of growth and opportunity. Margie Lachman, PhD, author of Primetime: A New Vision for Midlife, discusses the science of midlife, including why people often become more confident and resilient in middle age, how caring for others can be both stressful and rewarding, and why the choices we make in our 40s and 50s can have an outsized impact on our health and cognitive functioning later in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • How children learn culture — and create it, with Dorsa Amir, PhD

    How children learn culture — and create it, with Dorsa Amir, PhD
    Jun 3 2026
    Which aspects of human cognition are universal and which are shaped by the culture we grow up in? Dorsa Amir, PhD, director of the Mind & Culture Lab at Duke University, talks about how children learn cultural norms around things like sharing, risk-taking and cooperation; what she’s learned from her work with the Shuar people in the Ecuadorian Amazon; why children’s “peer cultures” may play a bigger role in human development than we realize; and why parents can take comfort from the vast variety of ways children are raised succesfully around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    43 mins
  • Introducing: Call to Mind

    Introducing: Call to Mind
    May 29 2026
    Today, we're sharing an episode of another podcast we think you'll enjoy: Call to Mind, from American Public Media. Call to Mind is American Public Media's initiative to foster new conversations about mental health. This episode, The Strain of Stress, looks at the many pressures Americans are facing today, how chronic stress can affect both mental and physical health, and how to manage the strain. You’ll hear from two familiar voices: Arthur C. Evans Jr., CEO of the American Psychological Association, and Dennis Stolle, APA’s head of applied psychology. Learn more about Call to Mind at calltomindnow.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    53 mins
  • How to feel more loved, with Harry Reis, PhD

    How to feel more loved, with Harry Reis, PhD
    May 27 2026
    Even in our closest relationships, we can sometimes feel misunderstood and disconnected. Relationship researcher Harry Reis, PhD, coauthor of How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most, talks about the difference between being loved and feeling loved; the five “mindsets” that help people build stronger relationships; and why listening, vulnerability and curiosity are key to feeling more loved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 mins
  • Why being ‘a little more social’ makes us happier than we expect, with Nicholas Epley, PhD

    Why being ‘a little more social’ makes us happier than we expect, with Nicholas Epley, PhD
    May 20 2026
    From chatting with a stranger on the train to reaching out to an old friend, everyday social interactions make us happier than we realize. Yet many people avoid these moments because they expect them to feel awkward or uncomfortable. Nicholas Epley, PhD, author of ‘A Little More Social,’ discusses why people consistently underestimate how much they’ll enjoy all kinds of social interactions; the psychology behind small talk and deep conversations; how technology is changing the way we connect; and why even brief moments of connection can improve our happiness, health and well-being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins