The U.S. feels more polarized than ever, and with election day around the corner, many of us are feeling the strain of political divisions among our friends, family members and loved ones. Keith Payne, PhD, author of “Good Reasonable People: The Psychology Behind America’s Dangerous Divide,” discusses the psychology that underlies how most people think about ... Show More
Yesterday
Why can’t you remember being a baby? With Nicholas Turk-Browne, PhD
Why can’t you remember your first birthday party? Or the house you lived in at age 2? Nicholas Turk-Browne, PhD, talks about new studies that suggest that babies and toddlers may form early memories; why we aren’t able to retrieve them as adults; and how evolving brain imaging te ... Show More
42m 42s
Jul 2
How to be happier, with Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD
Want to be happier? Some of our happiness level is due to genes or life circumstances, but research shows much of it is within our control. Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, talks about the habits and mindsets that lead to lasting happiness, the complex relationship between money and happi ... Show More
35m 30s
Jun 25
The psychology of wealth, empathy and entitlement, with Paul Piff, PhD
Can money make you mean? Most of us like to think we’d stay grounded if we were to become wealthy, but psychologists’ research suggests that money, status and power shape people’s beliefs and behavior – sometimes in surprising ways. Paul Piff, PhD, of the University of California ... Show More
45 m
Nov 2024
Keith Payne (on the psychology behind the political divide)
Keith Payne (Good Reasonable People, The Broken Ladder) is a professor and author. Keith joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the effects of economic segregation, the roots of our current divisions, and how some people feel about dating others with opposite political views. Keith ... Show More
2 h
Sep 2024
Matt Grossmann and David A. Hopkins, "Polarized by Degrees: How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics" (Cambridge UP, 2024)
Over the past several decades, American society has experienced fundamental changes - from shifting relations between social groups and evolving language and behavior norms to the increasing value of a college degree. These transformations have polarized the nation's political cl ... Show More
32m 33s
Jun 2024
The Biggest Political Divide Is Not Left vs. Right
The biggest divide in our politics isn’t between Democrats and Republicans, or even left and right. It’s between people who follow politics closely, and those who pay almost no attention to it. If you’re in the former camp — and if you’re reading this, you probably are — the latt ... Show More
1h 10m
Nov 2024
The Psychology of Last Minute Voters - The hidden mind games controlling the election
Conflicted, Confused, and Ready to Vote - Uncovering the discombobulated thoughts of the great undecided who will sway the election.
We dive into the hidden forces in our minds that sway our decisions when we don't know how to decide. From Free Will to Confirmation Bias, Appearan ... Show More
42m 9s
Dec 2024
Amy J. Binder and Jeffrey L. Kidder, "The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today" (U Chicago Press, 2022)
The past six years have been marked by a contentious political atmosphere that has touched every arena of public life, including higher education. Though most college campuses are considered ideologically progressive, how can it be that the right has been so successful in mobiliz ... Show More
1h 13m