The stress and social isolation of leaving one's cult, with Calvin Wayman
Calvin Wayman was raised in a fundamentalist Mormon cult, with four mothers and 44 siblings. This world was everything he had known. At the age of 30, he left that world, and was effectively on his ow...
11 Apr 20231h 3min
On psychopathy, dark traits, and "dark empaths," with Nadja Heym
I talk with Nadja Heym, a psychology researcher who specializes in dark traits, like psychopathy, narcissism, and sadism, and who has researched so-called "dark empaths": people with dark traits who h...
23 Mar 20231h 7min
Can our contempt and rage help create the very things we're upset about?
When trying to convince people of the problem of polarization and the necessity for depolarization endeavors, a common objection from politically passionate people goes, "But the other side is horribl...
13 Mar 202322min
Psychological tactics and opponent-reading in GT racecar driving, with Andy Lally
A talk with racecar driver Andy Lally, who specializes in endurance GT (sportcar) racing. Topics we talk about include: What's the breakdown in skill versus chance in an average race? What are the con...
11 Mar 202351min
Do some common facial expressions reveal personality traits?, with Herman Ilgen
I talk with Herman Ilgen, who's been a negotiator for more than 30 years and who is the founder of the Institute for Nonverbal Strategy Analysis (INSA). Ilgen has researched how facial expression patt...
5 Mar 202353min
An angry divide over zoning in Caroline, New York: a talk with Quaker Rebecca Schillenback
In the small town of Caroline in central New York state, there seems to be a war going on. A large sign in the town reads, "There’s a war in the valley, time to pick a side." The divide is over propos...
19 Feb 202354min
Improving sexual satisfaction in long-term relationships, with Jessica Maxwell
A talk with psychologist Jessica Maxwell about her research on sexual relationships. We talk about "growth" versus "destiny" views on sex: in other words, whether someone sees sexual satisfaction as s...
15 Feb 202354min
How body language can influence teammates and competitors in sports
I talk with Philip Furley, who has done extensive research on behavior and psychology in sports. Topics discussed include: how an athlete's body language can influence teammates, opponents, and even j...
9 Feb 20231h 3min
