Why We Do What We Do

What Listening to This Episode Says About You Personality

O.K.

Rating Performance Evaluations

Astrology: It's All Fun Until Someone Gets Hurt

Why We Need the Crunch

A Behavioral Analysis of Depression Pt. 2

A Behavioral Analysis of Depression Pt. 1

Exercise for What Ails Ya

Why People Believe Conspiracy Theories

That Thing You Doula (Interview with Dr. Ashley Greenwald

William James

Wolf Trainers

Sick for Attention

Motivational Interviewing

Human Lost and Found

Genital Reveal Parties

Get Rich(ish)

Psychology of... Calendars?

Applied Behavior Analysis: Anti-Ableism w/ Dr. Megan Miller and Dr. Kerri Milyko

241 | Christmas Origins: Santa Claus

This time of year it is fun to explore the origins of our most rock-solid traditions. In this discussion we learn about our favorite god-like mutant: Santa Claus! This is one of the few beings with a pretty clear starting point in American (yes, mostly North American) history. We had a lot of fun unpacking the science of what it would mean for Santa to visit every house in the world, which involves a mountain of calories and alcohol and faster than light travel. What a guy! References -htt...

240 | (COVID) Vaccine Hesitancy pt 2

"Pretend reasons" for being hesitant about the vaccine are the conspiracy theories and nonsense. Motivated reasons are the biases and excuses that sound legitimate, but really have no actual merit. The strategies to help someone become better educated include listening to them, asking them questions that demonstrate the flaws in their logic, being honest, and sharing data and information non-judgmentally. Links and Resources: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-319 https://www.hopkinsmedi...

239 | (COVID) Vaccine Hesitancy pt 1

We may disagree with them, strongly, but those of us who are hesitant about getting the vaccine, are not stupid. And treating them as such will only cause them to dig their heels in more strongly. To begin, it is helpful to understand the virus and about the plan to develop a vaccine. We also suggest that there are three ways to think about the reasons for hesitancy: general reasons, pretend reasons, and motivated reasons. We get through the first of these. You probably know someone who falls...

238 | Goop

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop brand markets itself as an “alternative wellness” brand that encompasses a variety of products, tips, and information geared toward improving the wellbeing of most anyone. There are suggestions for everything from food, sexual health, clothing, and more. But the promises of improvement may be based on loose information, lack of science, of falsehoods. Still, the brand has become a powerhouse worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and despite several instances of critici...

237 | Beyond Dog and Boba Fett

Bounty hunting has evolved from several centuries ago from a more renegade and vigilante practice and into a formal, licensed, and routine job. Those who enter the business are often ex-law enforcement looking for private work and potential for big payouts. They are given license to use certain tactics that police are not allowed to, which makes the job potentially more exciting in some surveillance methods. Links and Resources: Bounty Hunter Laws by State (understandingbailbonds.com) htt...

236 | Don't You D.A.R.E.

This ideological and foolish program was not only ineffective but in some instances lead to increases in the likelihood that children would use drugs. Jeff Sessions supports it though. The D.A.R.E. program and the war on drugs was a rallying cry for the righteously anti-science and both caused more harm than good. D.A.R.E. to resist failed interventions. Links and Resources: DARE website: https://dare.org/about/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2lJYBpzyN8 (10 minutes, Steven Colbert hig...

235 | Above the Atmosphere

Only a small percentage of people who have attempted to be astronauts have succeeded. The training and physical requirements are extremely stringent. This is because billions of dollars and many lives are at stake for the smallest mistake. Another component is what motivates someone to put themselves at risk. Particularly considering how little compensation is actually available. Links: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_Astronaut_Requirements.html https:/...

234 | Poisoned

Poisoning yourself can save your life! Although this statement makes it seem like we are some alternative medicine podcast or Goop shill, we are neither! The practice of taking small amounts of poison is called "Mithridatism" after the legendary King of Pontus who feared assassination by poison. In so doing, he became of the earliest and most expert chemists of his time. Why would people do this today? The short answer: snakes. But there might be other reasons too... Links: https://daily.j...

233 | Why We Bury Our Dead

Did you ever think about that "burying" means when it comes to the dead? Although many creatures might end up in the dirt, humans seem to be the only ones who do it intentionally. The first evidence of "burials" took place in a cave. You might not also think about how much is wasted in modern funeral practices. Caskets, tombstones, cremation, burial plots, and formaldehyde are horrific for the environment. There, joy destroyed. Happy Halloween! Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burial#:~...

232 | What Makes Something "Creepy?"

There are feelings that we call "the creeps:" Heightened awareness, the chills, dilated pupils. There are things that are creepy: things in contextually inappropriate places, things that imply a history of violence. And there are characteristics of creepy: greasy and poor hygiene, jobs having to do with death or exploitation, and suggesting predatory sexual behavior. I got creeped out just writing this. However, like most things, these are contextually influenced by our culture. What creeps ...

231 | Vampires

There are legitimate medical conditions that may have given rise to the myth of vampires. We discuss the history of vampire lore, vampirism in other cultures, and the diseases that may have inspired the concept of vampires. Links:  https://medium.com/@TheJessicaBugg/common-types-of-vampires-fd3bcaec070f https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA248333953&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=15354075&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E72303989#:~:text=Renfield's%20syndrome%2C%20also...

230 | History of Halloween

Halloween is a timeless tradition that offers innocent and sometimes mischievous fun for people of all ages. It’s at time where anyone can mask their identity in place of a playful one, dive into buckets of candy, and wake up the next day with a hell of a hangover or stomachache. However, the commercialized Halloween we know and love today began during the Middle Ages as a pagan festival for the harvest, one in which the changing of the season was associated with connecting with the spirits o...

229 | Low-Grade Mania

This rare disease has been described as "the one you would want to get if you had to have a disorder." Nevertheless, the long-term effects are deleterious. One of the hosts disclosed having this diagnosis. Hypomania is somewhat convoluted and highly associated with more familiar disorders such as bipolar. Find out more in this episode! Links: 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t9/ 2. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-hypomania-how-is-it-diagnosed-380313 3. https://...

228 | Psychology's Checkered Bible

Did you know the first attempt to catalog mental health diversity occurred as part of the US Census? Although people had been imprisoning people for "mental health" issues for a century beforehand, the first attempts to categorize neuro-diverse individuals did not begin until the mid 1800s. Once the DSM was established it went through several iterations and conceptual and technological shifts. Learn all about our weird plot-less book! Links: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice...

227 | Guardians

Conservatorship didn't begin with Britney Spears. Shane and Abraham discuss her case and the general principle behind conservatorship. This is meant to be a good thing, and often is a good thing, but there is the potential for abuse. We discuss some considerations for this. Links for Today: https://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-conservatorship.htm?rdeLocaleAttr=en#link=%7B%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-conservatorship.htm?rdeLocaleAttr=en%22,%22targ...

226 | Jet Lag

The ability to travel far enough fast enough to feel the effects of a dramatically different day/night cycle is very new to the human experience. Only in the last century or century and a half has the concept of time zones even come to exist, let alone the idea that crossing them could mess with our biology. Now we are in the thick of it and the "treatments" are mostly bunk. Jet Lag is one of those things that is best treated with a change in behavior. Links: 1. https://slate.com/human-in...

225 | Sleepless in Insomnia

There are different types of insomnia characterized by the causes and nature of the issue. For instance, insomnia caused by external factors such as drugs or kids, is not the primary kind of insomnia. To treat insomnia, one of the most powerful interventions is simply modifying sleep hygiene routines. Links for Today:https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355167 https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/insomnia-symptoms-and-causes https://www.sleepfound...

224 | Speed Reading: Read Anything in Normal Minutes

It is not hard to find websites and gurus offering the promise of reading at extreme speeds while maintaining high comprehension. So, what doesn't everyone do this? Because there are physical limits to what humans can do. Speed reading is an empty promise without evidence. Links for Today: https://qz.com/597995/there-really-is-no-such-thing-as-speed-reading/ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/speed-reading-successfully-a-starting-point.html https://www.psychologicalscience.org/n...

223 | What is the Point of Music Videos?

From “Thriller” to “Gangnam Style,” and everything in between, music videos have captured our hearts for several decades. This episode explores the early iterations that existed before the advent of MTV brought music videos into the mainstream and revolutionized it as an art form. With a unique combination of audio and visual stimuli, music videos continue to challenge the norm and launch new performers into stardom. Links for Today: https://crackmagazine.net/article/long-reads/history-musi...

222 | Kleptomania

Kleptomania is an accepted mental condition listed under a category of disorders related to impulse control. It involves an individual’s ability to resist “urges” that arise under unique circumstance that vary across each person, and often involve stealing small meaningless items from stores, loved ones, etc. While it’s more common in younger women, it exists across many types of people and often starts during adolescence. Given the low magnitude of early instances, individuals have a tendenc...

221 | Impulsivity and the Marshmallow

There are several quintessential psychology experiments whose notoriety transcend beyond college Intro Psych Courses. Walter Mischel’s “Marshmallow Test,” as it became popularized as, was no exception. The seminal study gave kids a chance to wait for preferred items or demonstrate limited self-control by selecting a less-preferred option earlier. Mischel and his colleagues, as well as several follow-up studies, sought to determine the longitudinal value of their results on predicting academic...

220 | Gross Sounds

Shane and Abraham (Shanebraham) explore the not-a-disorder, but still very real experience that many people have. Misophonia (not the sound of musical miso, although that's what the name seems like it should imply) is a relatively common experience of an extreme aversion to certain sounds. For Abraham it is heavy machinery, for Shane, Avril Lavigne (jk!). Shane and Abraham have fun unpacking the science behind how misophonia develops and what you can do to change it you want to. Links for T...

219 | ABA Pt. 9: Reflections

If the last episode was the end, consider this the epilogue. The making-of, if you will. We recount our experiences with anxiety, ethics, planning, and all of the wonderful feedback we received. This is our postmortem for the process. Links for Today: https://childmind.org/article/controversy-around-applied-behavior-analysis/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311908.2019.1641258#:~:text=The%20operant%20conditioning%20and%20compliance,typical%20clients%20would%20never%20pass. ...

218 | ABA Pt. 8: The Finale

The end. Fin. The culmination of the miniseries on the controversy around Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as harmful. This final discussion is what we have been working toward over this entire series: the comparison of ABA to conversion therapy. The argument focuses on stereotypic behaviors and other "quirky" or non-normative behaviors in which non-neurotypical people might engage (not to mention that those neuro-typical people also demonstrate!). This was the most complex issue that we tackl...

217 | ABA Pt. 7: Feelings

The argument is that Behavior Analysts don't consider a child's emotional well-being and ignore their feelings. Specifically, this is in regard to blocking or preventing self-soothing behaviors such as self-stimulatory "stereotypic" behaviors. Discussions of feelings are essentially absent from professional discussions as well. The first thing to address in this space is that behavior analysts are humans with feelings and consider the fact that emotions are important. However, behavior analys...

216 | ABA Pt. 6: Dependency

Teaching, managing, supervising, etc. requires some amount of scaffolding to train new skills. For example, providing explicit instruction, demonstrating the performance, immediate feedback, and even physical guidance are all used to help learn a new skill. However, if not faded from the instruction, then the learner becomes dependent on the guidance to perform the task. Several strategies can help mitigate prompt-dependency and we talk about them! Links for Today: https://childmind.org/art...

215 | ABA Pt. 5: Obedience

Over compliance can arise in coercive situations inside of many contexts including workplaces, relationships, and in ABA. It can also arise under multiple circumstances such as a highly reinforcing, or a highly coercive environment. Either way, we want people to think for themselves and ask for help. Noncompliance for the win! Links for Today: https://childmind.org/article/controversy-around-applied-behavior-analysis/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311908.2019.1641258#:~:te...

214 | ABA Pt. 4: Applying It

One of the most substantial hurdles is ensuring that what we do can be applied to real-life situations. Generalization is one of the stated goals of the field of ABA and much has been done to increase the likelihood that kids can generalize their skills. Nevertheless, it is one of the areas in which we can and should do better. Links for Today: https://childmind.org/article/controversy-around-applied-behavior-analysis/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311908.2019.1641258#:~:...

213 | ABA Pt. 3: Little Robots

One of the challenging aspects of teaching new behaviors is to teach them in such a way that they are meaningful to the individual, their social community, and to their family. Doing so can result in behaviors and speech that sound repetitive to the point of appearing robotic. It is something that can be offputting, and something that we can improve. Onward! Links for Today: https://childmind.org/article/controversy-around-applied-behavior-analysis/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

212 | ABA Pt. 2: A History of Punishment

This discussion follows us into the past as we talk about the use of punishment as an intervention for changing behavior. This practice stood alongside a host of horrific treatments from a range of different fields for neuro-diverse individuals. But the use of punishment is all but completely absent from contemporary ABA. Nevertheless, we understand the concern about seeing our loved ones in distress. Links for Today: https://childmind.org/article/controversy-around-applied-behavior-analys...

211 | Applied Behavior Analysis Part 1

Recent increases in the controversial accusations that Applied Behavior Analysis is harmful, abusive, and similar to conversion therapy, have lead to a vitriolic feud online. Although the message isn't very clear, we did our best to listen and distill the most common arguments into several points specific points. This is the first part introducing what is shaping up to be our most ambitious project to date. Links for Today: https://childmind.org/article/controversy-around-applied-behavior-...