Why Do We Do That?

Nov 24 2024 58 ep. 53 mins 35
Why Do We Do That? Podcast artwork

Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of social scientists, psychologists, and others that use applied psychology in their work.

  Science  Society & Culture
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#059 - Tribal Culture with Dr. Michael Morris

Nov 24 2024 62 mins  
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with cultural psychologist Dr. Michael Morris about tribal culture and his new book, Tribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together. They discuss the important elements of culture, how human coordination compares to other primates, the key instincts that facilitated tribal living, and how our tribal

#058 - Divorce with Dr. Barbara Kelly

Oct 27 2024 57 mins  
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychologist Dr. Barbara Kelly about the topic of divorce. They discuss the reasons why people pursue divorce, common causes of communication breakdown in a relationship and how to avoid them, strategies for detaching from an intimate partner, and how to manage divorce effectively when children are involved. For more on Bar

#057 - Human Well-Being with Dr. Clay Routledge

Sep 30 2024 47 mins  
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with existential psychologist Dr. Clay Routledge about happiness & well-being. They discuss the extent to which happiness is objective, the distinction between pleasure and well-being, how discomfort can be an important contributor to well-being, and how nostalgia can be used to cope with negative emotions. For more on Clay,

#056 - Flow with Dr. Sue Jackson

Sep 02 2024 49 mins  
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychologist Dr. Sue Jackson about flow states and her new book, Experiencing Flow: Life Beyond Boredom & Anxiety They discuss the characteristics of flow, common activities that can produce flow states, the arousal sweet spot that leads to flow, what elite athletes can teach us about flow, and some practical ways to ex

#055 - OCD with Dr. Jonathan Abramowitz

Aug 04 2024 47 mins  
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with clinical psychologist Dr. Jonathan Abramowitz about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). They discuss how OCD is different from "ordinary" obsessions, different categories of obsessive thoughts, whether or not traumatic events cause OCD, and how exposure helps to treat OCD symptoms. For more on Jon, visit http://www.jabramo

#054 - Intelligence with Dr. Russell T. Warne

Jun 30 2024 59 mins  
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 what degree intelligence is determ

#053 - Shame & Guilt with Dr. June Tangney

Jun 02 2024 51 mins  
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 & shame. For more on Ju

#052 - Morbid Curiosity with Dr. Coltan Scrivner

May 05 2024 50 mins  
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, visit www.coltanscrivner.com

#051 - Gaming & Mental Health with Dr. Chris Ferguson

Apr 07 2024 53 mins  
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 impacts of gaming, why violent video

#050 - The Importance of Play with Dr. Peter Gray

Mar 17 2024 72 mins  
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 learned during play, why play has decli