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PODCAST

Why We Do What We Do

We explain popular and weird, little-known ideas in psychology. Whether you are a little curious about psychology, or a student, or even a professional, we have something for everyone.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

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All Episodes

65:15

The Psychology of Pain

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/20

Pain can be conceptualized physiologically, neurologically, and behaviorally. We review the physiological and neurological components of pain, and then spend considerable time considering the behavioral aspects of pain. It's a subject that seems straight forward on the surface, but has a surprising amount of complexity, nuance, and disagreement. It might seem nice to not be able to feel pain, but this is actually very dangerous. Also, so plants feel pain?RecommendationsAbraham: Mr. Monk’s Last

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18:55

Mini: Magic Eye

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/18

Autostereograms, better known as "Magic Eye" puzzles, are a unique 2D art in which repeated images create a 3D image, but you have to focus your eyes in just the right way to see it. We explain the history of this illusion, how it works, and how to see it. Futher, we explain why you see it as either 3D or inverted. Do you see the illusion? Get ad-free episodes and help us continue doing our thing: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and

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78:47

Punk Rock Legacy

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/13

Large musical movements are large cultural movements. Rap, rock, country, and other genres often galvanized or reflected social changes and values. Punk rock is a particularly iconoclast movement with an interesting history. We discuss the history of punk music as a genre of music and to an extent as a category of social behaviors. Even if you don't necessarily like punk, you may enjoy music that inspired it or was inspired by it. Let us know your favorite punk music and stories. Rock the

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16:33

Mini: What is a Repertoire?

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/11

We often talk about what students can do by referring to their repertoire. But what does it mean to refer to their repertoire? A lot of philosohpy in one little mini episode!Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and References: Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York, NY: The Free Press. Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. Cambridge, MA: Prentice Hall.Skinner, B. F. (1974). About Behaviorism. New York, NY: Vintage Press.Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., &

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109:26

Nostalgia: Board Games

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/06

Has it been so long? Abraham discusses his favorite discussion topic: Board games! Also ,there's been new research since that that further supports that board games are beneficial for cognitive and brain health. Prepare for fun, fun, fun, FUN. RecommendationsAbraham: Fantastic Four: First Steps (https://movies.disney.com/the-fantastic-four-first-steps) Shane: Happy Gilmore 2 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31868189/)Holidays (8/6/2025):Balloons to Heaven DayCorporate Baby Name DayFarmworker

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15:47

Mini: Restless Leg Syndrome

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/04

Do you ever feel an nearly uncontrollable urge to move your legs? If you do, you probably still don't have RLS, but it may be worth getting tested for a diagnosis. Please don't self-diagnose just because we talked about it. Restless Leg Syndome is mostly what it sounds like: A powerful urge to move your legs or get up and move around. Rather than just sitting for too long, this usually has a specific etiology and some specific treatments and tends to affect people's sleep. We'll explain the

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67:33

The Paraphilia Episode

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/07/30

SEX! Now that we have your attention, this episode reviews some of the paraphilias that exist. More importantly, we try to understand with a compassionate and critical lens. Some paraphilias are simply different than what might be considered "normal" sexual behavior, but in which no one is hurt, or exploited, and everything is consensual. However, there are paraphilias that include lack of consent, expoitation, or harm. There is no black and white way to classify this, so we need nuance and critical

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15:40

Mini: What is "Learning?"

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/07/28

You would think we would want a full length for this topic. Maybe we still will do one! But for now, we figured we can at least help clear up some misunderstandings or lack of understanding that some may have. Get ad free and bonus content: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and References: What is Learning?Donahoe, J. W., & Palmer, D. C. (2004). Learning and Complex Behavior. Ledgetop Publishing: Richmond, MA.Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. The Free Press: New York,

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69:05

Jonestown pt. 2

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/07/23

This second part completes the story of the tragedy of the murders at Jonestown. In addition, we expand on this conversation by unpacking the mentality of the participants, and dig a little bit into how charismatic leaders can develop a following that seems baffling from the outside. It is an analysis on where we were as a country, and as a species, as well as where we are now and where we are going. Recommendations:Abraham: Superman (2025); https://www.superman.com/Shane: Jimmy Eat World Live

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15:41

Mini: Backseat Driving

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/07/21

We all hate it. Yet, some of us do it. We talk about why people do it, how recipients perceive it, and how passenger commentary/critique/analysis affects driving behavior and safety.Join our member club for ad-free content and other bonus content: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and

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53:47

Jonestown pt. 1

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/07/16

One of the largest mass murders of American citizens in history took place in 1978 in Guyana at the hands of cult leader, Jim Jones. This discussion delves into the circumstances that gave rise to Jones' power and influence of hundreds of people that lead to a tragic mass death of hundreds of people young and old. This first episode chronicles Jones' life as he rose to prominence and eventually moved his congregation to South America. The next episode will unravel the tragedy that took place in

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17:18

Mini: Nail Biting

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/07/14

Do you bite your fingernails or know someone who does? Why do we do this weird, self-destructive thing? What can we do to stop it? We quickly explore the conditions under which we bite our fingernails and some strategies for reducing the frequency of this habit. Tell us your experiences with nail biting (info@wwdwwdpodcast.com; ‪@wwdwwdpodcast.bsky.social‬)Join our supporter's club:

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66:41

Tipping Point

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/07/09

Tipping is another oddly American tradition that we all pretty universally hate. Perhaps you did not know that the modern conception of tipping arose during reconstruction as a means to not have to pay black people for their labor. We explore the origins of this strange, uniquely American tradition, why it persists, and what is probably going to make this problem much, much worse. RecommendationsAbraham: Unconscious Mind

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11:36

Mini: Learned Helplessness

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/07/07

Some people use this term incorretly, some don't know it at all. To help get everyone on the same page, we are going to review the history of research that first described this phenomenon. Then, we will give examples of what this might look like in real-life scenarios. Get ad-free and bonus content: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and References: Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis, 3rd Ed. Pearson.Seligman, M. E., & Maier, S. F. (1967). Failure

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87:52

Reframing: A Framework to Developing a Compassionate...

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/07/02

Special guests Jennifer Farris, Meg Solomon, and Dr. Mari Cerda join us to talk about their new book about developing a compassionate care model. They outline the critical elemtents of their discussion, and share personal stories to help illustrate their recommendations. At the end, they join us in giving their own recommendations for things that bring them joy. We could all use a little more joy. Find the Book

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10:34

Mini: Skeptical All Day

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/06/30

Can you walk around being skeptical all day long? At what point do you need to let your guard down? We suggest that not only can you go about your day being skeptical, it is better if you do. We'll explain.Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks: https://www.theskepticsguide.org/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

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60:45

Head Go Bonk: Bad

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/06/25

There is a unique type of brain trauma that destroys lives and cuts them short and we can't even tell that it has happened until after your death. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy occurs when there is repeated head trauma, even if it is mild. The result can manifest as forgetfulness, impulsivity, violence, and an early death. Mercifully, it is relatively preventable. Unfortunately, few people care to prevent it. Protect Your Brain!Recommendations:Abraham: Mickey 17

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12:04

Mini: Why We Twitch

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/06/23

Sometimes we have some random twitches that develop out of nowhere. What is going on with these? Why do they happen? And, what can we do about it? We explore the uncomfortable world of twitches. Fun fact, these are technically different from spasms. Become a member: Patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and

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61:13

Replacement Theory

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/06/18

Replacement theory is essentially a propaganda campaign engineered to scare gullible people into giving power to autocrats. Versions of this have been around for a long time. We review the history of replacement theory, explain how it works to trick people into voting against their interests (and the interests of everyone else), and what we can do about it. RecommendationsAbraham: Wool (https://hughhowey.com/books/wool/)Shane: Turnstile - NEVER ENOUGH

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15:00

Mini: Placebo Controls for Vaccines

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/06/16

One of the most common strategies of current right-wing propaganda is to say something that sounds like reasonable words, but when you break it down it is misleading, misinformed, outright wrong, or even dangerous. One example of this is a recent suggestion that we start using placebo-controlled experimental arrangements for established vaccines. This is fairly simple to dismantle, so buckle in for a quick and dirty takedown of the placebo-controlled vaccine studies stupid nonsense. Support us on

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