About this episode
Yesterday
The 3-Step System for Simplifying Your Work and Life
When people are faced with problems and complexity, our instinct is to add instead of subtract. As a result, we have a tendency to make our work and our lives more and more complex, and less and less effective and fulfilling. Even when what we add is new technology that promises ... Show More
46m 29s
Sep 8
If I Don’t Return: A General's Wartime Journal for His Sons
When Mark Hertling learned he was deploying for Operation Desert Storm, he decided to start a journal.Back then, Mark was an Army major and cavalry officer with two young sons. His unit would be out in front of the main force, and during an intelligence briefing, he was told it c ... Show More
48m 2s
Sep 1
To Change Yourself, Change Your Situation
Professor of psychology Angela Duckworth is famous for her work on grit — the combination of passion and perseverance that leads to high achievement. But she’s come to an increasing appreciation for the fact that success isn't just a matter of the qualities inside you; it's also ... Show More
55m 59s
Mar 2022
Sociology Ruins Trauma
<p>The world is a mess, so let's talk about trauma. In this episode, I examine trauma in its many different forms and the ways social structures can create as well as mitigate its effects. I also ask if trauma claims can actually be good. You'll have to listen for the answer.</p> ... Show More
16m 50s
Mar 2021
Policymaking Is Not a Science (Yet) (Ep. 405 Rebroadcast)
<p>Why do so many promising solutions — in education, medicine, criminal justice, etc. — fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code?</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.c ... Show More
46m 1s
Jan 2024
5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Replay)
49m 12s
Apr 2025
Policymaking Is Not a Science — Yet (Update)
45m 28s
Oct 2024
How to Win People Over
<p>We humans are a social species, and so it's not surprising that we care a lot about what other people think of us. It's also not surprising that many of us stumble when we try to manage others' views of us. This week, organizational psychologist <a href="https://www.kenan-flag ... Show More
53m 40s
Aug 2025
163. The Data Sleuth Taking on Shoddy Science
<p>Uri Simonsohn is a behavioral science professor who wants to improve standards in his field — so he’s made a sideline of investigating fraudulent academic research. He tells Steve Levitt, who's spent plenty of time rooting out cheaters in other fields, how he does it.</p><p> < ... Show More
56m 25s
Jun 2025
160. How to Help Kids Succeed
1 h
Jul 2023
How to Talk to People: ‘Everyone Used to be Nicer,’ And Other Persistent Myths
A lot of people are plagued by the feeling that society used to be better, that neighbors were more helpful, that strangers once talked to you. Some people channel that belief into political action, as in the Make America Great Again movement. A new study explains why the sense t ... Show More
27m 47s
Apr 2024
The Neuroscience Behind Our Collective Dysregulation: Navigating Today’s Social Crisis (232)
Ann and Sue delve into the pressing emotional and social challenges confronting our world today. They examine the impact of divisive political rhetoric, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, collective distrust, and widespread trauma on individuals and society as a whole. Emphasizing th ... Show More
1h 1m
Feb 2020
405. Policymaking Is Not a Science (Yet)
<p>Why do so many promising solutions — in education, medicine, criminal justice, etc. — fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code? </p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz. ... Show More
44m 30s
When it comes to proposed solutions to life's problems, whether on an individual or societal scale, the four most commonly used words these days are "According to a study . . . " This phrase is used by journalists and media outlets; we certainly use it a lot in AoM articles. And it's used in the rationales that are forwarded for implementing some new program ... Show More
<p>We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “steep learning curve” and “hard-wired.” Most of the time, they don’t actually mean what we think they mean. But don’t worry — the experts are getting it wrong, too.</p><p> </p><ul><li><str ... Show More
<p>Why do so many promising solutions in education, medicine, and criminal justice fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.oslc.org/blog/scienti ... Show More
<p>Psychologist David Yeager thinks the conventional wisdom for how to motivate young people is all wrong. His model for helping kids cope with stress is required reading at Steve’s new high school.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://liberalarts. ... Show More
