Creatures of Habit

Do you ever struggle to communicate with your mom? Or feel like you and your spouse sometimes speak different languages? This week, we revisit a favorite conversation with linguist Deborah Tannen. She shows how our conversational styles can cause unintended conflicts, and what we ... Show More

Have you ever had a flash of insight that hit you when you least expected it? How did it change your life? Psychologist Anthony Klotz studies the "jolts" that shake us out of our routines, and how these moments can help us make more intentional decisions about the people we want ... Show More

From childhood, we're taught that honesty is the best policy. Yet in everyday life, we hedge, soften our words, and leave things unsaid. This week, we talk with psychologist Steven Pinker about why indirect speech is such a fundamental part of human relationships. How long can yo ... 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