logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2021
50m 2s

Group Think

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode
How do the groups you identify with shape your sense of self? Do they influence the beer you buy? The way you vote? Psychologist Jay Van Bavel says our group loyalties affect us more than we realize, and can even shape our basic senses of sight, taste and smell.  If you like our work, please consider supporting it! See how you can help atsupport.hiddenbrain ... Show More
Up next
Oct 5
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
When historian Kate Bowler was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer, she became fascinated by the ways people try to impose order on events they can't control. She joins us to explore what it means to live fully when life offers no satisfying explanation for the tragedies we may face. ... Show More
1h 32m
Sep 28
How to Make a Difference: Part 2
Think about the last time you had a discouraging thought. Maybe you told yourself, "This won't work. I'm not cut out for this." Did you take that thought as fact? Last week, we talked with psychologist Martin Seligman about why some people come to believe that their actions don’t ... Show More
49m 9s
Sep 21
How to Make a Difference: Part 1
Why do some people act on the possibilities before them, while others come to believe that nothing they do will make a difference? Psychologist Martin Seligman describes his groundbreaking research on learned helplessness, and explains how the stories we tell ourselves about setb ... Show More
48m 10s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2025
Understanding Social Identity and Political Behavior: A Psychology 101 Overview
Explore how social identity influences political behavior and why our group affiliations shape voting and attitudes more than facts or policies. 
5m 9s
Aug 2023
Ep20 "Why does your brain care more about some people than others?"
Why do we so naturally form ingroups and outgroups? And what does that have to do with evolution, monkeys, Greeks, psychopaths, Syndrome E, and propaganda posters? Join Eagleman to learn why our brains are so wired for tribalism, what the consequences are for the world, and how a ... Show More
38m 16s
Aug 2024
The Psychology of Identity and Fostering Social Harmony w/ Dr. Jay Van Bavel
This week Scott is joined by NYU professor and expert on social identity, Dr. Jay Van Bavel. Dr. Kaufman and Dr. Van Bavel discuss how to escape your echo chambers and overcome your biases, the role social media plays in creating a funhouse mirror, and how to make connections wit ... Show More
49m 50s
Oct 2025
Understanding Social Influence: Key Psychological Effects Explained | Intro to Psychology
Discover how social influence shapes our thoughts and actions, with insights into conformity, obedience, and groupthink in an engaging psychology 101 style. 
5m 48s
Oct 2019
Emotional Children
Some say that we hold the power to move physical objects and change things around us. Do you remember being able to do so? For more: ScaryPod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
6m 30s
Sep 2025
This Psychology Secret Controls Your Life
Most people think propaganda is just war posters, but it’s shaping your thoughts every single day. In this episode I break down its secret mechanics so you can learn to spot manipulation, and use the same psychology to win in business, relationships, and everyday life.Get my free ... Show More
20m 55s
Aug 2024
Feel Less Alone
Learn how our shared feelings and natural connections show that we are all interconnected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
3m 39s
Jun 2017
The Culture Inside
Is there a part of ourselves that we don't acknowledge, that we don't even have access to and that might make us ashamed if we encountered it? We begin with a woman whose left hand takes instructions from a different part of her brain. It hits her, and knocks cigarettes out of he ... Show More
54m 44s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami