Creatures of Habit

Stories about unlikely heroes have captivated people for thousands of years. This week, social scientist Ben Rogers explores why the "hero's journey" resonates so deeply, and how the stories we tell about our own lives can shape our sense of purpose. He explains why seeing oursel ... Show More

Pain feels like a simple message from the body. If your elbow hurts, there must be something wrong with your elbow. If your back is painfully stiff, you need some work done on your back. But psychologist Rachel Zoffness says our minds play a much larger role in our experience of ... Show More

As we move through the world, it's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around us and then deciding how to respond. But psychologist and neuroscientist Norman Farb says our brains actually navigate the world by coming up with mental maps. These maps act like a ... Show More

Many of us are brimming with good intentions right now, determined to eat more healthily, get organized or fulfill our other New Year’s resolutions. But by February we’ll have reverted back to our old ways. Why is it so difficult to make these lasting behavioral changes? Wendy Wo ... Show More

It's a New Year and for many of us, a time to try to make some changes in our lives. However, lots of studies and practical experience tell us that most people don't follow through on the promises they made to themselves, whether it's losing weight, exercising more, or acquiring ... Show More

In this episode I discuss habits with social psychologist Wendy Wood-- how to break the bad ones, create good habits, and how to make them actually stick. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See ... Show More

<p>Humans have made New Year's resolutions for millennia - and had a terrible time sticking to them. So, great expectations aside, why do most resolutions fail? Listen in to this classic episode as Cristen and Caroline learn more about science of willpower and how to stick with r ... Show More

How do you form new habits and break old ones? And what’s the science behind successfully maintaining healthy habits? Wendy Wood is a behavioral scientist, researcher and provost professor at USC who’s studied habits for decades. She joins the show to talk about the three steps t ... Show More

Research shows we all look for moments to make a fresh start - new years, new seasons, new decades. Our optimism about making big, positive changes is strong, but it fades quickly. As we enter 2020, Dr Laurie Santos asks Wharton's Katy Milkman about the science behind the "fresh ... Show More

The beginning of a new year often represents a clean slate for people hoping to make a change. But by this point in January, many have let go of their resolutions. It can be difficult to make goals stick, especially when they require actions that aren't inherently rewarding. Katy ... Show More

The year is almost over, which means a lot of people are making ambitious resolutions that they will fully abandon by February 1. Tune into today’s bonus podcast to learn how to use the concepts of constraint and massive action to break the cycle of abandoned resolutions and achi ... Show More