How the threat of disease has shaped human behavior, with Mark Schaller, PhD

How the threat of disease has shaped human behavior, with Mark Schaller, PhD

The COVID-19 pandemic is a grim reminder that infectious diseases have been a danger throughout human history–so much so that the threat of infection has actually helped shape human evolution. Disgust, wariness of strangers, cultural norms around food and cleanliness–all of these behaviors may have evolved at least in part to keep us safe from infectious disease. Researchers call this suite of protective mechanisms the behavioral immune system. University of British Columbia psychologist Mark Schaller, PhD, who coined that phrase, discusses the origins of the behavioral immune system and how behaviors that evolved to protect us from diseases may not be suitable for the threats we face today. We’d love to know what you think of Speaking of Psychology, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey, visit www.apa.org/podcastsurvey. Links Mark Schaller, PhD Music Minimalist Piano w/ Cello by tyops via Freesound.org Freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The invisible work of being a daughter, with Allison Alford, PhD

The invisible work of being a daughter, with Allison Alford, PhD

For many women, being a daughter is not just a family role – it’s a lifelong job. Dr. Allison Alford discusses what she calls “daughtering”: the work of managing family dynamics, from coordinating sc...

4 Feb 39min

When your “mind’s eye” is blank: Understanding aphantasia, with Joel Pearson, PhD

When your “mind’s eye” is blank: Understanding aphantasia, with Joel Pearson, PhD

People with aphantasia can’t visualize images in their mind’s eye. Ask them to picture an apple and they see a blank screen. Aphantasia researcher Joel Pearson, PhD, discusses how scientists are deve...

28 Jan 40min

Inside the social minds -- and amazing memories -- of chimps and bonobos, with Laura Simone Lewis, PhD

Inside the social minds -- and amazing memories -- of chimps and bonobos, with Laura Simone Lewis, PhD

Most of us could look at a decades-old yearbook and recognize many of the faces of our former classmates -- but humans aren't the only ones with this remarkable ability. Laura Simone Lewis, PhD, of th...

21 Jan 39min

Precision mental health and personalized treatment, with Leanne Williams, PhD, and Zachary Cohen, PhD

Precision mental health and personalized treatment, with Leanne Williams, PhD, and Zachary Cohen, PhD

Depression and anxiety look very different from one person to the next, and finding the right treatment can be a trial-and-error process. But researchers are working to change that. Leanne Williams, P...

14 Jan 42min

How will AI companions change our human relationships? With Ashleigh Golden, PsyD, and Rachel Wood, PhD

How will AI companions change our human relationships? With Ashleigh Golden, PsyD, and Rachel Wood, PhD

What does it mean to have an AI boyfriend or girlfriend, or to turn to an AI friend for emotional support? Ashleigh Golden, PsyD, and Rachel Wood, PhD, discuss the rise of AI companions and how they m...

7 Jan 47min

Encore: The benefits of being bilingual, with Viorica Marian, PhD

Encore: The benefits of being bilingual, with Viorica Marian, PhD

More than half the world’s population speaks more than one language. Viorica Marian, PhD, of Northwestern University, talks about why speaking multiple languages may have far-reaching cognitive benefi...

31 Des 202545min

Encore: Learning to embrace winter, with Kari Leibowitz, PhD

Encore: Learning to embrace winter, with Kari Leibowitz, PhD

Are you dreading the cold, dark months ahead? In Scandinavia, where the winters are among the coldest and darkest on earth, many people look forward to winter as a time of coziness, beauty, and rest. ...

24 Des 202541min

How competition drives our behavior, with Stephen Garcia, PhD

How competition drives our behavior, with Stephen Garcia, PhD

From classrooms to boardrooms, from sports to social media, we’re constantly sizing ourselves up against other people -- and being sized up in return. Dr. Stephen Garcia discusses what drives some peo...

17 Des 202535min

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