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 games are so enjoyable, if gaming is any different from other forms of escapism, and the benefits of online gaming. For more on Chris, follow him on X at https://twitter.com/CJFerguson1111 Why Do We Do That? is a psy ..read more

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 separate from the body, and how thinking differently can improve our physical health. For more on Ellen, visit www.ellenlanger.me. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of social scienti ..read more

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 that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of social scientists, psychologists, and others that use applied psychology in their work. Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube ..read more

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 pursuing a goal is the hardest, and how to deal with conflicting goals. For more on Ayelet, visit www.ayeletfishbach.com Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of social scientists, psycho ..read more

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. We 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 vocal fry not is not exclusively a female speech pattern. For more on Valerie, visit www.valeriefridland.com or check out her blog on Psychology Today called Language in the Wild. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs hum ..read more

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 can be harmful, the mental tricks individuals use to justify addictive behavior, and key principles for overcoming addiction. For more on Anna, visit www.annalembke.com. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior ..read more

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 in child development, what happens when gestures don't match speech, and how parents & teachers can use gesture to enhance learning. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of social scient ..read more

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 way we think they do. For more on Stephen, visit www.skepticalinquirer.org 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 ..read more

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 about science & censorship. For more on Cory, visit www.coryjclark.com. 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 psycholog ..read more

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 procrastination.ca or check out his audio series on procrastination through Sam Harris's Waking Up app. Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of social scientists, psychologists, and others that us ..read more