Reasons to Be Cheerful (Ep. 417 Rebroadc...

Dartmouth president Sian Beilock, a psychologist by training, made her name studying why people choke. Now she’s applying those insights to one of the most scrutinized jobs in America. No pressure! SOURCES: Sian Beilock, president of Dartmouth College. RESOURCES: "Growing share o ... Show More

It’s a hard time to run a university: public trust is low, political pressure is high, and finances are fragile. But Daniel Diermeier, who trained as a political scientist, has Vanderbilt humming. How? He says the key is choosing magnets over wedges. SOURCES: Daniel Diermeier, ch ... Show More

Insurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending blizzard of automated notifications. In this update of a 2025 episode, Stephen Dubner discovers where all this sludge comes from — and how much it’s costing us. SOURCES: Benjamin Handel, pro ... Show More

Many of us are witnessing a tyranny of positivity right now — with calls to “find the silver lining” and “stay positive” amidst a global pandemic. But we are wired to feel negative at times. Contrary to what our culture tells us, accepting our negative emotions can have tangible ... Show More

Why do we respond more to the negative over the positive; to criticism more than praise? Why do we worry so much? How can we stop our negative thought patterns? Science shows this negative thinking is innate, it’s our negativity bias and it explains why negative events and emotio ... Show More

Explore the negativity bias, the psychological tendency that makes us dwell on negative events and information. Learn why it happens and its impact on our lives. Find the full transcript of this episode and learn more about it on https://englishpluspodcast.com/the-negativity-bias ... Show More

Explore the negativity bias, the psychological tendency that makes us dwell on negative events and information. Learn why it happens and its impact on our lives. Find the full transcript of this episode and learn more about it on https://englishpluspodcast.com/the-negativity-bias ... Show More

35 | By definition, "negativity bias" is our tendency not only to register negative stimuli more readily but also to dwell on these events. If you've ever gotten multiple compliments but focused more on the one insult, that is negativity bias at work. Why do we do this? Is this n ... Show More

We discuss if there is an evolutionary reason why we're attracted to bad news. 

Why do we tend to be so much more focused on the negative aspects of life than the positive? What happens in our brain when our minds are predisposed to negativity. In this episode of the podcast, the Amens discuss negativity bias, and why we should be active in transforming our ... Show More

We’ve all heard the saying: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. But isn’t that a terrible way to look at life? Because if you go into everything with negativity, you might miss the best thing that could ever happen.But, dear listener, the saying is a saying for a rea ... Show More

All of a sudden it seems like everyone knows someone who has tested positive for COVID. Are we back in a wave? How bad could it get? How effective will the new vaccine be? What do we actually know about COVID now that we didn’t before, and will it protect us? We talk to Atlantic ... Show More

COVID-19 exposed the flaws in our society and the human species. Do we leave old ways behind and build our defenses for the pandemics to come and what will our economic fortunes look like? Does human behaviour really change in the long run? Hear from Dr Mei Ling Doery, Global Aff ... Show More