Vanessa Van Edwards is a self-described “recovering boring and awkward person,” whose latest book, Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People, provides simple ways to decode people and level-up your relationships and networking abilities. It’s an especially practical episode, which features a handful of actionable strategies to be more effective in the social realm. We discuss […]
The Psychology of Creativity with Dr. James C. Kaufman
For this episode of The Psychology Podcast, I chat with my brother from another mother, Dr. James C. Kaufman, as we take deep dive into one of humanity’s most coveted virtues – creativity. We profile creative genius, discuss different forms of creativity, and talk about the links between creativity, IQ and mental illness. This episode […]
The Gifts of Disability with Gail Saltz
Over 50% of people will meet the criteria for a mental illness in their lifetime. On this episode of The Psychology Podcast, we want to do our part to encourage people to seek assistance, while celebrating some of the unique strengths of people with brain differences. I speak with Dr. Gail Saltz about some fascinating gifts […]
Boosting Student Resilience with Dr. Diana Brecher
Dr. Brecher is a clinical psychologist who uses cognitive behavioral strategies and positive psychology interventions to buffer students against the pervasive depression and anxiety present in higher education. We talk about her recommendations to increase resiliency, mindfulness, character strengths, self-efficacy, optimism, gratitude, and more. We discuss the mechanisms through which these interventions work, some of the many […]
How to Be a Happy Lawyer with Dan Bowling III
On today’s episode of The Psychology Podcast, our executive producer Taylor Kreiss conducts a guest interview about lawyer well-being. His guest, Dan Bowling III, is a Duke law professor and a positive psychology expert using science to help lawyers become healthier and happier human beings. We address some of the disconcerting mental health statistics, discuss why lawyers suffer from […]
Social Psychologist Roy Baumeister on Willpower, Violence, and Free Will
Roy Baumeister brings the methods of social psychology to bear on some of life’s deepest philosophical problems. In the second part of this two part series (see Part I), we cover the psychology of self-control, violence, sex differences, and free will. In addition to Roy responding to the critics of his “ego-depletion” model of self-control, he also offers […]
Social Psychologist Roy Baumeister on Identity, the Self, and the Meaning of Life
Dr. Roy Baumeister is widely considered to be one of the most influential and cited psychologists of our time. He’s also a wonderful conversationalist, full of interesting research to share with our listeners! In this episode, we learn about how he came to study the diverse array of fascinating topics that have characterized his career. We discuss how people […]
Wait But Why? Unraveling Life’s Biggest Mysteries with Tim Urban
We are huge fans of Tim Urban’s Wait But Why blog, so it was a great joy to speak with him for today’s show. In this episode of The Psychology Podcast, we experience Tim’s patented wry wit and deep philosophical insight as we chat across a wide range of topics, including Tim’s journey to becoming one of the […]
Alain de Botton on Love, Sex, Religion and Happiness
Modern day philosopher Alain de Botton has become world renowned for his ability to provide compelling real world answers to some of life’s biggest questions. For this episode of The Psychology Podcast, we cover the philosophy and science of a range of topics, including what it means to have a “normal” relationship, the origins of the […]
Mindfulness and Self-Authorship w/ Cory Muscara
Mindfulness has become a hot topic recently, gracing the covers of magazines like Time and Scientific American. Yet despite its rising popularity, many people remain confused about what exactly mindfulness is or how to start their own practice! On this episode of The Psychology Podcast, mindfulness expert Cory Mascara speaks with our executive producer Taylor Kreiss, sharing science backed […]
Your Brain on Enlightenment with Dr. Andrew Newberg
Dr. Andrew Newberg is widely regarded as a leading authority on the neuroscientific study of religious, spiritual and mystical experiences. For this episode of The Psychology Podcast, we engage in philosophically scientific meditations on the sublime and the sacred. Topics include: The 5 major components of an enlightenment experience, what occurs in the brain during […]
On Ecstasis and Extraordinary States of Consciousness with Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal
Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal, authors of the new book Stealing Fire, come on The Psychology Podcast to discuss the life changing power of ecstatic altered states of mind. The authors have worked with extreme sports athletes, Silicon Valley innovators, and maverick scientists to understand how high performing people are using peak experiences (such as flow) […]