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PODCAST

Unlocking Behaviour Change

Unlocking Behaviour Change is a podcast delving into psychology and motivation. Join Professor Robert West, a world-leading behavioural scientist, and Jamie West, a writer and musician, as they explore the human mind with practical insights and a touch of humour. Whether you’re into psychology, behaviour science, or just want to understand yourself (and others) a little better, this podcast is for you. Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y

science social sciences

All Episodes

26:06

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 30:...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/12/16

In this episode Robert gets it the wrong way round, citing the Cuban Missile Crisis as an example of how groupthink brought the West to the brink of nuclear war when in fact it was previous decisions such as authorising the failed invasion of Cuba that had exhibited groupthink and President Kennedy learned the lessons from this and set up decision-making processes that addressed this particular bias. For more info see

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26:48

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 29: The...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/12/09

Crucial decisions that affect our lives are made in 'groups', which technically can range from two or more people, as in the flight crew of a commercial jet, to the voting population of a country. This episode begins to examine how group decisions are made. Robert and Jamie analyse the ebb and flow of discussions and the art of skilful chairing. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal

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27:20

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 28: What...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/12/02

Robert was fed up with asking for a flat white and getting heaven knows what, so with the help of his AI friend, Claude, he created an 'ontology' of milk-containing coffee drinks! Claude and Robert got carried away and ended up writing a Substack article about the power of ontologies as a way of clarifying meaning - something that is sorely needed in behavioural and social sciences. https://robertwest100.substack.com/p/a-flat-white-by-any-other-nameThis episode of the Unlocking Behaviour Change

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28:05

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 27: The...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/11/25

Robert argues that we should assume people pretty much always believe things because we want or need to believe them. Some of us value evidence and truth and so want to believe things based on evidence, but clearly that is only one source of desire. So when we hear someone espousing a belief, it is worth asking 'Why does this person want or need to believe this?' And then Robert and Jamie discuss the potential adaptive advantages of unjustified beliefs ...Want more? Check out our latest

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23:52

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 26:...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/11/18

Jamie has been watching Celebrity Traitors while Robert has been learning about Cicero. In this episode, the duo talk about why it can be stressful to explain your decisions to others, the pros and cons of focusing on ‘optics’, and how the simple 'lose-change/win-stay' heuristic can lead to bad decisions. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to

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24:06

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 25: Hot...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/11/11

Decisions can be stressful – sometimes so stressful that we procrastinate or even avoid making them at all. In this episode, Robert and Jamie explore how to use our emotions to clarify rather than cloud our judgements. They also reveal the honest truth about how they feel receiving feedback . . . Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to

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25:44

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 24:...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/11/04

What role do emotions play in our decision-making? In this episode in the series discussing 'real-world' decision-making, we talk about threats, opportunities and tasks, the Yerkes-Dodson Law, advertising, horses and riders, tunnel vision, headless chickens, and not being too comfortable on stage. And Jamie develops his radio voice ...Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal

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25:04

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 23: Loads...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/10/28

In this episode, we talk about how we tend to overstimate the likelihood of things we can easily imagine, overly assume that people who are good at one thing tend to be good at other things, underestimate the importance of things the further we think they will occur in the future, and wrongly allow 'sunk costs' to influence decision-making.Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal

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26:16

Unlocking Behaviour Change Episode 22: False...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/10/21

It’s one of the oldest debates in science: nature vs nurture – but where does the truth lie? Robert and Jamie discuss false dichotomies and black-and-white thinking as they continue exploring biases. Robert promotes using Bayesian probabilities to guide our decision-making, and Jamie gets angry at ChatGPT. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to

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30:02

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 21:...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/10/14

Everyone has biases, but what exactly is a bias? When do they work for us, and when are they maladaptive? In this episode, Jamie and Robert explore motivated biases, politics, and the power of optimism, with side-tracks into cricket and vegetarianism! Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to

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26:42

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 20: Notice...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/10/07

In this episode, Robert has an update on recent research into changes in mental rigidity as we age, and Jamie searches for silver linings. The duo go on to talk about ‘Just Noticeable Differences’, the transformative power of turning things off then on again, and how human's are going to have to become like chicken sexers when it comes to detecting fake videos and stories ...Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your

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29:47

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 19: Wine...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/09/30

Jamie has attended a wine-tasting, and Robert extrapolates insights into how we elaborate our ‘schemas’. The duo also discuss the complexities of choosing domestic solar panels and how schemas are essential for creativity . . . Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel:

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28:18

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 18:...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/09/23

This week, Robert and Jamie explore the work of the famous psychologist Jean Piaget. They talk about ‘schemas’ and how we ‘assimilate’ and ‘accommodate’ new information. They also discuss the ‘Big Five’ personality model, TikTok ‘Influencers’ and AI . . . Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to

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29:56

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 17:...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/09/16

We all know first impressions are important, but why? And what about final impressions? Robert offers some practical advice, including how to make your CV more impressive and Jamie talks about how to structure a live performance. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel:

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29:04

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 16: How we...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/09/09

How do our beliefs shape our perceptions? And how do our wants and needs affect our beliefs about what is true? What happens when our expectations are violated? In this episode, Robert and Jamie look at the fundamental ways in which we interpret the world and how this affects the decisions we make. Also, Robert reminisces about hearing Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath for the first time . . . Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation:

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27:47

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 15: Time...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/09/02

What is 'temporal discounting' and how does it influence decisions to stop smoking and decisions about what clinical interventions are worth paying for? Can procrastination be a good thing sometimes? How can we achieve long-lasting behaviour change? And what is going on with tea . . . ? Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack:

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28:26

Unlocking Behaviour Change Episode 14: Enacting real...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/08/26

Robert and Jamie talk through the knotty business of enacting decisions. Robert emphasises that for decisions such as stopping smoking, acting on the decision sooner rather than later can make all the difference. They discuss levels of commitment and the power of identity. And Jamie casts doubt on Shakespeare’s true identity . . . Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain:

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27:24

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 13:...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/08/19

Jamie & Robert continue exploring the cluster of decisions around stopping smoking. They discuss 'decision-making rules' and how our personalities affect how we compare options. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel:

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36:12

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 12: How...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/08/16

Robert and Jamie continue exploring how the FACET (Frame, Assess, Compare, Enact and Time) framework for understanding decision-making works in the real world. This time, they discuss how someone might assess their options when trying to stop smoking. They unpack what part knowledge and evidence play in making decisions, and Jamie reveals lesser-known uses of ChatGPT . . .Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal

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34:05

Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 11:...

Unlocking Behaviour Change ·

2025/08/05

In this episode, Robert and Jamie start to apply the FACET framework for analysing real-world decision-making to an important and very common cluster of decisions: whether or not to try to stop smoking - something that Robert knows something about! Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC

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30 results

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