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PODCAST

MissPerceived

Leah Ruppanner is a no-nonsense Sociologist from the University of Melbourne on a mission to dispel society’s biggest and most divisive gender myths. In MissPerceived, Leah will tackle pervasive questions and draw upon decades of academic research and evidence to debunk the gender myths that benefit no one - showing that women aren’t better than men at seeing mess or multitasking, and that men aren’t bumbling caregivers who can’t change a diaper or find the keys. MissPerceived will show how as a

science social sciences

All Episodes

18:54

Illness and Guilt: When Being Sick Feels Like Failing

MissPerceived ·

2026/01/27

Everyone is sick right now—and somehow, you still feel bad for needing to lie down. In this episode ofMisperceived, Leah unpacks why so many women feel guilty when they get sick, even when their families are fine, fed, and happily living on Hot Pockets and Uncrustables.Drawing on global stories from the U.S., Australia, and Sweden, she breaks down how culture, capitalism, and the lack of a safety net teach us that illness is a personal failure and rest is something we have to earn. She then connects

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16:16

Stop Trying to Fix Your Whole Life in January: Mental...

MissPerceived ·

2026/01/20

January isn’t a fresh start if you’re already running on fumes from making everyone else’s holidays magical. In this episode ofMissPerceived, Leah unpacks why so many women swing from December over-giving straight into “new year, new me” overachieving—launching businesses, overhauling their bodies, and rewriting their whole lives before February even hits.She breaks down the mental load hangover, why perfectionist resolutions backfire, and how to set goals that are actually aligned with your

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11:58

Post-Holiday Chaos, Mental Load, and Why Your Messy...

MissPerceived ·

2026/01/13

Feeling like you have to declutter the entire house, redesign your space, and fix consumerism itself… all before the tree is even down? This episode breaks down the post-holiday “mental load hangover” and explains why the pressure to create and then undo all the holiday magic is not a personal failing, but part of the eight types of mental load described in Leah’s upcoming book,Drained. Leah dives into magic making, gendered expectations around home and mess, and why your cortisol spikes when your

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15:07

Are Women Really “Less Ambitious”? The Truth Behind...

MissPerceived ·

2026/01/06

Did women suddenly lose their ambition—or did the 2025 Lean In & McKinsey “Women in the Workplace” report give everyone the wrong story about what’s actually going on? In this episode, Professor Leah takes a blowtorch to the idea of a so‑called “ambition gap,” arguing that the real problem isn’t women’s drive, it’s burnout, mental load, and structural barriers at work and at home. Leah breaks down why women, who now earn more degrees and participate in the workforce at historically high rates,

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15:24

Is Your Messy House Making You Sick? Clutter,...

MissPerceived ·

2025/12/23

Is the clutter in your home actually messing with your health—or are you just “too sensitive”? In this episode ofMisperceived, Professor Leah Ruppaner breaks down the science on clutter, stress, and the mental load, including a landmark UCLA study showing that women who describe their homes as cluttered and unfinished have elevated cortisol patterns across the day, while men in the same homes don’t show the same spike. Leah unpacks why a messy house hits women harder, how invisible labor and

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21:58

Who Do They Call First? The Hidden Mental Load of...

MissPerceived ·

2025/12/16

In this episode of MissPerceived, Professor Leah unpacks what really happens when something goes wrong with your kids and the school, coach, or doctor has to pick up the phone: who do they call first, and why is it almost always mom? Drawing on new research from the Quarterly Journal of Economics and her own mental load interviews, Leah breaks down how schools and other institutions default to mothers as the family “911 call center,” even when parents explicitly ask them to call dad instead. She

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17:36

Your College Bestie Changed Your Brain (And Your...

MissPerceived ·

2025/12/09

Why do college besties hit different from every other friendship you’ve had since? In this episode of Misperceived, Prof Leah breaks down what makes university friendships so intense and enduring, weaving in research on brain development, “self‑authorship,” and how women use friendships to test ideas, build identity, and stay sane in a hostile world. She explains why that 3 a.m. pizza‑and‑life‑chat friend often becomes your lifelong go‑to for truth, comfort, and tough love—and why those bonds set an

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13:28

Helicopter Parenting, Teen Sex, and the Crushing...

MissPerceived ·

2025/12/02

When does keeping your kids safe turn into quietly wrecking their chances to grow up? In this episode, Prof Leah unpacks teen dating—covenants, text surveillance, and all—and asks what happens when parents’ fear of the future swallows their kids’ present. Drawing on her research on the mental load (and her forthcoming bookDrained), she connects helicopter parenting, constant digital surveillance, and perfection pressure to teens’ isolation, anxiety, and lack of room to fail, urging parents to back

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9:52

Phone a Friend: Why Texting Your Bestie Is...

MissPerceived ·

2025/11/25

Ever feel like your day is just one “Are you kidding me?” moment after another? This week, Prof. Leah breaks down why some meetings should be illegal, how flat tires seem to know when you’re at your limit, and why venting to your best friend might actually be the healthiest thing you can do after a week of emotional overload . Drawing on new research from the Journal of Adolescent Health, we look at how teens—and adults—really cope with stress, and why texting a trusted friend trumps doomscrolling

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20:47

How’s Dad Doing? The New Mental Load of Fatherhood

MissPerceived ·

2025/11/18

On this episode of MissPerceived, Leah flips the script on the mental load, shifting focus from mothers to the evolving experience of dads. Drawing from new research and hundreds of interviews across the US and Australia, Leah unpacks how modern fathers are navigating emotional thinking work-what she calls the “mental load logics”-while managing family, work, and parenting standards that have changed almost overnight. From comparing themselves to their own fathers (as anti-models or “good, but I can

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15:25

Why You Can’t Outsource Your Mental Load: The Sticky...

MissPerceived ·

2025/11/11

On this episode, Professor Leah dives into new research revealing why high-powered, high-earning mothers still can’t shake their mental load—no matter how much money, help, or flexibility they gain. Discover the difference between core and episodic mental load, why domestic cognitive labor sticks to women regardless of income or status, and how “gender stickiness” explains persistent burnout among mothers. With insights from over 2,000 parents and fresh findings on fatherhood, this episode gives a

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16:14

Back to Work? Why Motherhood, Work, and Gender Myths...

MissPerceived ·

2025/11/04

We’re digging into the real deal behind that “return to work” moment after having a baby. Have you ever wondered if you’re supposed to feel overwhelmed, lost, or suddenly less “yourself” as a mother, or if it’s just you? Spoiler: it’s not just you, and it’s not a flaw. On this episode, Leah breaks down what brand new research tells us about why mothers feel double the time pressure (hint: it’s not just diapers and sleepless nights), how cutting back work hours really affects mental health, and why

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19:10

Midlife Divorce: The (Real) Costs, Gender Myths, and...

MissPerceived ·

2025/10/28

Let’s get brutally honest about what really happens when you split up after 40. Professor Leah dives into the latest divorce research (with a little side-eye at bad advice and bad exes). Whether you’re thinking of leaving or just hanging on by a thread, you’ll get clear-eyed advice about dividing up homes and pensions, what happens when “the kids are grown,” and why being practical (and maybe a little ruthless) matters. Expect global stories, a few laughs, and plenty of “don’t be scared, be

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21:03

Stop Saying These 5 Phrases at Work If You Want a...

MissPerceived ·

2025/10/07

Professor Leah breaks down five everyday phrases women use—“I’m sorry for unloading,” “I don’t want to step on toes,” “I’m not that smart,” “I’m not sure, but…,” and “I’m so sorry for…”—and exposes the gender myths that fuel them, from needing to be liked to staying small and humble even when right. Together we’ll learn why taking up space, speaking with conviction, and sharing imperfect ideas drive innovation, reduce self-doubt, and build more equitable workplaces and relationships. You’ll get

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23:09

Work-Life Balance: Gig vs. Job

MissPerceived ·

2025/09/30

Discover the realities behind the work-life balance choices facing women. Leah tackles myths about workplace flexibility, exploring why so many women are leaving traditional jobs for the gig economy and digital platform work. This episode unpacks the promises—and pitfalls of becoming your own boss, including the realities of algorithm-driven “digital bosses,” blurred personal boundaries, and the relentless mental load many face at home. If you’ve ever wondered whether freelancing or platform work

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19:45

Why Women Tune Out Politics: The Hidden Cost of...

MissPerceived ·

2025/09/23

Dive into the mental load crisis as Profrssor Leah uncovers how motherhood leads to burnout and impacts women’s political engagement. This episode explores why overburdened mothers are tuning out of politics, the persistent gender gap in civic participation, and the unique ways mothers channel energy into causes like gun violence prevention. Discover the real story behind domestic cognitive labor, the consequences for democracy, and why amplifying mothers’ voices could change our communities for the

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17:58

Better Multitaskers: Women, Men, or Just a Myth?

MissPerceived ·

2025/09/16

In this episode, we unpack one of the most enduring cultural beliefs: that women are inherently better multitaskers than men. Drawing on research, cognitive science, and the history of gender roles, we examine whether this assumption is rooted in real performance differences or if it’s a product of societal expectations and labor divisions. How much of “multitasking ability” is biological, and how much is the result of women being socialized (and often expected) to juggle domestic, professional, and

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17:25

Work-Life Chaos Is Making You A Jerk (And Yes, The...

MissPerceived ·

2025/09/09

In this brutally honest episode, Leah exposes how all that work-life juggling isn’t just making people tired it’s rewiring who they are. Pulling from top research and real stories, she shows how juggling kids, deadlines, and never-ending to-do lists transforms us into more anxious, less fun, slightly pricklier humans (especially if you’re a mom). Leah doesn’t just talk stats; she dishes out real talk, science-backed validation, and gives doctor’s orders for carving out sanity, connection, and a

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18:31

What Happens When Women Earn More? The Breadwinner Myth

MissPerceived ·

2025/09/02

How does it affect families (and gender roles) when women out-earn men? In this eye-opening episode of MissPerceived, sociologist and gender equity leader Leah unpacks the latest research on household income dynamics, challenging the persistent breadwinner myth. Discover what happens behind closed doors when women become primary earners, how traditional norms shape family finances from the U.S. to the UAE, and why women’s contributions are still too often invisible or discounted.Leah explores the

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14:23

Are Female-Named Hurricanes More Destructive?

MissPerceived ·

2025/08/26

Do hurricanes with women’s names really cause more damage? In this thought-provoking episode of MissPerceived, sociologist and gender equity expert Leah Ner dives deep into the origins of hurricane naming and the science behind the headline-grabbing myth that female-named hurricanes are deadlier. Leah explores the gendered history of hurricane naming, revealing how old traditions and modern stereotypes have shaped public perceptions and fueled persistent gender myths.Discover what the data actually

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91 results

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