In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with educational psychology scholar Dr. Russell Warne about intelligence and his book, In the Know: Debunking 35 Myths about Human Intelligence. They discuss the key components of intelligence, the myth of multiple intelligences, what life outcomes are improved by having higher intelligence, to …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with emotion researcher Dr. June Tangney about shame & guilt. They discuss the difference between guilt & shame, why some people feel more shame than others, whether or not shame can be a good thing, cultural differences in experiencing shame, and how to effectively cope with feelings of guilt &…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with behavioral scientist Dr. Coltan Scrivner about morbid curiosity. They discuss the different domains of morbid curiosity, if morbidly curious people are less empathetic, what attracts us to horror & true crime content, and potential benefits of being curious about danger. For more on Coltan,…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with professor of psychology and co-author of "Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong", Dr. Chris Ferguson, about the relationship between video games and mental health. They discuss whether or not violent video games cause violent behavior, the challenges in measuring the imp…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with play expert, Dr. Peter Gray about his book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students For Life. They discuss the characteristics of an activity that allow it to be considered play, the developmental skills learn…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. Kate Sweeny about the psychology of uncertainty. They discuss the upside of worrying, how uncertainty compares to other life stressors, what types of people are better at worrying, and effective vs. ineffective coping strategies. For more on Kate, visit www.katesween…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with professor of psychology Dr. Ellen Langer about mindfulness and her new book, The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health. They discuss the difference between mindfulness and mindlessness, how our thoughts & mindsets can limit our potential, why the mind should not be thought of as …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with ADHD expert, Dr. Stephen Faraone. They discuss the primary symptoms of ADHD, the difference between normal inattentiveness and ADHD, genetic vs. environmental factors, and effective ADHD treatments. For more on Stephen, visit www.adhdevidence.org. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with behavioral scientist & motivation expert Dr Ayelet Fishbach about motivation and her new book, Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation. They discuss the one trait that all goals should have, how to use framing & incentives to motivate behavior, why the middle of pursu…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with sociolinguist Dr. Valerie Fridland about speech & society and her new book, Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English. They discuss whether or not there is a "right way" to speak English, how social class can drive changes in speech, why um's & likes can be useful, and how …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Anna Lembke about addiction and her newest book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. They discuss the importance of dopamine as it relates to the pleasure/pain balance, how technology & our on-demand culture exploit the brain's wiring, why the pursuit of pleasure …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Susan Goldin-Meadow about gestures and her new book, Thinking with Your Hands: The Surprising Science Behind How Gestures Shape Our Thoughts. They discuss how our gestures help both others and ourselves understand thought, the spontaneous nature of gestures, why gesturing is important i…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with clinical psychologist Dr. Stephen Hupp about pseudoscience in mental health. They discuss the difficulties of proving benefits from mental health treatments, why Rorschach tests are bogus, the value of psychoanalysis vs. cognitive behavioral therapy, and how not all treatments "work" the wa…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. Cory Clark about politics, science, and belief. They discuss whether or not values & cognition differ based on your political affiliation, how in-group bias can impact belief formation, why public institutions should avoid politicizing issues, and public attitudes ab…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with procrastination expert, Dr. Tim Pychyl. They discuss the difference between delay & procrastination, the role emotions play in our guiding our actions, why tomorrow won't be different from today, and the essential tools we need to overcome procrastination. For more on Tim, visit procrastina…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist, Dr. Erin Westgate, about boredom. They discuss the features of situations that cause boredom, who is prone to boredom, why difficult tasks can also be boring, the benefits of boredom, and solutions to conquering boredom. For more on Erin, visit www.erinwestgate.com or f…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with researchers Dr. Daniels Simons & Dr. Christopher Chabris about deception and their new book, Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It. They discuss how easy it is to be fooled by online information, why doomsday cult members don't abandon their beliefs when their predi…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with clinical psychologist & attachment researcher, Dr. Or Dagan. They discuss the importance of healthy parent-child relationships, the necessary elements for developing a secure attachment, consequences of having an insecure attachment style, how parents can balance care & independence, and th…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with exercise scientist and researcher, Dr. Nick Tiller, about health beliefs and his new book, The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science: Confronting Myths of the Health & Fitness Industry. They discuss why misinformation is so pervasive in the health & fitness industry, why we should avoid quick f…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Liesel Sharabi, about online dating. They discuss online vs. traditional dating, tips for crafting a good profile, gender differences in the online experience, why being too picky can be a bad thing, and what factors lead to long term success. For more on Liesel, check out her blog, Dat…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with professor of psychology Dr. Doug Kenrick about human motivation and his newest book, co-authored with his son, David Lundberg-Kenrick, entitled Solving Modern Problems with a Stone-Age Brain. They discuss meaningful differences between the environment of our ancestors vs the modern world, w…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with writer & speaker, Kelly Carlin, about self-expression. They discuss how one's early life can make self-expression challenging, discovering your true passions, ways to develop creativity, and how Kelly's father (George Carlin) struggled to express his true self. For more on Kelly, visit huma…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist, Dr. Regan Gurung about effective learning strategies and his new book co-authored with Dr. John Dunlosky entitled Study Like A Champ: The Psychology Based Guide to “Grade A” Study Habits. They discuss why the feeling of learning may not be the same as actual learning, t…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with author and marketing professor, Dr. Zoe Chance about influence and her new book, Influence Is Your Superpower. They discuss how to influence without manipulating, if authenticity is necessary to be persuasive, why feelings must come before facts, and the importance of kindness & persistence…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychiatrist & author, Dr. Joe Pierre, about conspiracy theory beliefs. They discuss what distinguishes conspiracy theories from other types of beliefs, the motives & thinking errors that contribute to these beliefs, why convincing people to change their mind might be the wrong goal of cons…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with researcher & marketing professor, Dr. Kaitlin Woolley, about consumer motivation. They discuss the motives & biases underlying consumer decisions, why we avoid certain types of product information, how marketers leverage psychology to build loyalty, and practical ways to improve your decisi…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychiatry instructor & psychotherapist, Dr. Mark Ruffalo, about psychotic disorders. They discussed the nature of psychotic disorders, changes in classification & treatment over time, how talk therapy can be used to reduce symptoms, and ways to address psychotic disorders in homeless popul…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychologist Dr. Jill Rathus about self-harm & trauma. They discussed motives behind self-harm, the role trauma plays in creating negative patterns of behavior, the downside of using distraction to deal with emotional pain, and how dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can help people develop …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with behavioral scientist Dr. Stuart Vyse about his new book The Uses of Delusion: Why It's Not Always Rational to Be Rational. They discussed why being rational is not always the optimal way of thinking, the competing systems of human cognition, when it makes sense to be unhealthy, and why bein…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with journalist & author, Monica Guzman about her new book I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. They discussed barriers that get in the way of effective communication, how judgment is the opposite of curiosity, how social medi…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with clinical psychologist, Dr. Camilo Ortiz about effective parenting. They discussed the keys to effective discipline, how to have less arguments with your children, the danger in being too helpful, and some techniques for fostering emotional intelligence. For more on Camilo, visit his website…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with author & well-being researcher, Dr. Todd Kashdan. They discussed why most dissent efforts fail, what makes insubordination principled vs unprincipled, how to overcome barriers to fostering new ideas, and strategies for rebels to be more effective at changing minds. For more on Todd, visit h…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with clinical psychologist, Dr. Kevin Chapman. They discussed how social anxiety is a normal human emotion, the lies we tell ourselves about our ability to socialize, the role of culture and race in the experience of social anxiety, and how to retrain our brains to overcome negative thinking. Fo…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychologist & school shooting expert, Dr. Peter Langman. They discussed whether or not profiles of school shooters are accurate, how shooters make their intentions known, why these warnings are often overlooked, and how to effectively prevent these tragedies from happening. For more on Pet…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Leidy Klotz about why subtraction is often overlooked, how evolution & culture has impacted our ability to appreciate subtraction, how inventors & emergency rooms applied subtraction to solve problems, why "just enough" is often better than "the best", and how to improve your life with …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with magician Brian Brushwood about the importance of story-telling when performing tricks, the lengths magicians will go to create effects, what magic teaches you about reading people, and how magic can change your perception of the real world and prevent you from being taken advantage of. For …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. John Petrocelli about the difference between BS and lying, the various kinds of BS and why people engage in them, the danger in valuing personal experience over objective truth, and what tools you should have in your BS detection kit. For more on John, check out his …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. William Swann about the battle between viewing yourself positively vs. accurately, why some people might not prefer positive feedback, the trick to maintaining your sense of self worth, and why affirmations may not be as useful as once thought. For more on Bill, visi…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with aggression expert, Dr. Brad Bushman about which types of people are prone to aggression, how violent media and the presence of guns can influence aggressive behavior, why purging your anger is a bad idea, and some helpful ways to manage your anger. For more on Brad, visit his OSU faculty pa…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist, Dr. Richard Nisbett about how poorly people are at explaining their own thoughts, how thinking has changed over the past century, what statistical principles can make you a better thinker, and cost-benefit analysis in the age of Covid-19. For more on Richard, visit his …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with mentalist Mark Edward about the techniques he uses to create the illusion of psychic ability. We discussed how listening plays a role in producing a convincing reading, what methods psychics use to get inside information about you, whether or not all psychics are con artists, and how much o…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist, Dr. Benjamin Karney about success in long-term relationships. They discuss the one trait that predicts marriage success over time, how life circumstances & socioeconomic status can influence relationships, what behaviors within a relationship can lead to more positive o…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. David Pizarro about moral judgment. They discussed how emotions can influence moral judgments, if too much empathy can be a bad thing, how disgust can impact your political attitudes, and how to balance emotion & reason when forming moral judgments. For more on David…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with social psychologist Dr. Kennon Sheldon about goal pursuit and motivation. They discussed the biggest mistake people make when choosing goals, the importance of doing things you don't want to do, the keys to effective goal planning, how to stay motivated while pursuing long-term goals, and h…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. James Kaufman about how there's not just one way to be creative, how to maximize creativity in a group setting, what mental processes and traits contribute to someone being creative, whether or not mental illness increases creativity, and how to increase YOUR ability to be more creative…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Gregory Gorelik about sexual selection and how it influences gender differences in humans, why dominance is an important trait within males, how today's environment differs from that of our ancestors, and the evolutionary origins of BDSM. For more on Greg, visit his website or his autho…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Casey Casperson about how the principles of improv can be applied to real life, including how to be more accepting of others, the freeing nature of expressing emotions effectively, and the importance of listening & being open to new ideas. For more on Casey, visit his website or Sick Puppie…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Justin Puder about the top mental health issues encountered in college students, the challenges of dealing with new life transitions and how to overcome them, how social media can impact mental health, and how mindfulness can help you combat stress and live a happier life. For more on J…

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Ryne Sherman about why individuals typically chosen for leadership positions may not be the best fit for the job, what traits make for an effective leader, whether or not leaders need to be nice in order to be effective, and what behaviors are sure to undermine trust in leadership. For …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with Dr. Ramani Durvasula about how to identify narcissists, how narcissistic behavior might develop, why narcissists can be so frustrating to deal with, and what you can do to address narcissists in your life. For more on Dr. Ramani, visit http://doctor-ramani.com Why Do We Do That? is a psycho…