The right song can make us feel chills, help pull us out of a bad mood, or take us back in time to the first time we heard it. Elizabeth Margulis, PhD, director of the Music Cognition Lab at Princeton University, talks about how music, memory, emotion and imagination intertwine; why people are especially attached to music from their teen years; whether there ... Show More
Jul 15
Social media, looksmaxxing, and why men struggle with body image, with Roberto Olivardia, PhD
For years, body image concerns and eating disorders were viewed as problems that primarily affected girls and women. But boys and men also struggle with body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and body dysmorphia -- often in ways that go unnoticed. Roberto Olivardia, PhD, a clini ... Show More
45m 28s
Jul 8
Rethinking sleep and mental health, with Philip Gehrman, PhD
Too often, we treat sleep as something we can sacrifice when life gets busy. But a growing body of research finds that sleep is essential to both mental and physical health -- and that sleep problems can be a cause, not just a consequence, of conditions like depression and anxiet ... Show More
31m 7s
Jul 1
Why listening well is harder -- and more powerful -- than you think, with Guy Itzchakov, PhD
Most people think they’re good listeners. But really listening well is harder than it seems. Guy Itzchakov, PhD, talks about what distinguishes high-quality listening from just staying quiet while someone else talks; how feeling heard affects speakers’ emotions, attitudes and rel ... Show More
45m 21s
Jun 2025
305. The psychology of music
Ever found yourself hitting play on that song, and instantly, a wave of emotion hits you, or you’re transported back to a forgotten summer, a specific laugh, a past version of yourself? It feels like magic, right? But beneath those goosebumps and surges of feeling lies an incredi ... Show More
44m 51s
Oct 2021
Why Music Sticks in Our Brains
Why do some songs can stick with us for a long time, even when other memories start to fade? Science reporter (and former Short Wave intern) Rasha Aridi explains the neuroscience behind that surprising moment of, "Wow, how do I still remember that song?!" Email the show at shortw ... Show More
13m 24s
Nov 2020
A Song a day keeps the doctor away
Research shows that music is very powerful and it has the ability to affect people in a number of ways, namely, their mood.
Have you ever heard of listening to music to improve your health and wellness?
In this episode, the founder of health and wellness music Liu Ziwei exp ... Show More
40m 18s
Sep 2023
How to Use Music to Boost Motivation, Mood & Improve Learning
In this episode, I describe how your brain and body are fundamentally wired to perceive and respond to music and how those responses can be leveraged to improve your mood, allow for processing sad emotions and enhance learning and performance. I explain the data showing how music ... Show More
1h 41m
<p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><strong>Why do some songs get stuck in our heads?</strong> In this episode, our presenter <a href= "https://www.ginnysmithscience.com/">Ginny Smith</a> explores the psychology of earworms. Ginny hears about the possible evolutionary reasons for why ... Show More
