Science Corrects Itself: The Embodied Cognition Story
What is embodied cognition, and did it survive the replication crisis? This episode of The Psych Files examines the famous embodied cognitio...
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Psychology in Everyday Life: The Psych Files
Learn how theories in psychology affect you in everyday life. Upbeat and interesting podcasts from experienced psychology teacher Michael Britt give you a bit more insight into you and your...
Episodes
20 of 397 episodes
The Secret to a Good Joke Is Silence
This episode looks at why comic timing works, using a 2026 study from Yuxi Ma, Yongqian Peng, and colleagues at Peking University, presented...
AI: Mixed Feelings, Cognitive Dissonance, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves
Most of us who use AI tools live with a quiet contradiction: the tools are genuinely useful, and using them raises real ethical problems — w...
Why Nobody Pushed the Button: The Psychology Behind a Subway Tragedy
Why did more than a dozen people walk past Steven McCluskey as he lay trapped in a Boston subway escalator? On the surface it seems to refut...
Why People Step Out of the Plane — and Go Back Up the Next Day
Why would anyone step out of an airplane — and why, after a fatal accident, would they go back up the very next day? In this episode I talk...
Does Your Cat or Dog Need Closure? Pet Grief and the Psychology of Loss
We hear the word "closure" everywhere — in true crime shows, in news coverage of trials, and in the well-meaning advice of friends after a l...
Home Alone: The Hidden Cost of Remote Work
I've worked from home for about fifteen years, and I like it. I'm a writer, I'm fine being on my own, and I've got the cats for company. But...
"I'm Getting Old" — And That Thought Might Be Killing You
Do you catch yourself saying "I'm getting old" more than you'd like to admit? Turns out, that habit might be doing more damage than you thin...
Actors Don't Really Memorize Lines!
Why do some people remember things effortlessly while others repeat information over and over and still forget it? In this episode, Michael...
Latest Research: Anthropomorphism and Dementia
In this episode of The Psych Files, I explore anthropomorphism—our tendency to attribute human characteristics to non-human entities—drawing...
The Surprising Psychology Behind Effortless Line Memorization
When I receive a new script, my first step surprises people. I create an audio recording of every scene I’m in – not just my lines, but ever...
Why Are We So Polite to AI?
When we say "please" or "thank you" to ChatGPT, we're witnessing the remarkable power of human social psychology in action. Our brains have...
The Song "Yesterday," Manhood, and the Fear of Vulnerability
In this episode of The Psych Files, I explore the fascinating intersection between music, psychology, and gender roles through subtle lyric...
Study Hack: Use ChatGPT to Ace Your Exams! | Self-Explanation Effect
Discover how to leverage ChatGPT and other AI tools to dramatically improve your learning and test performance! In this video, I explain a p...
Lost in the Click: Exploring the Browser Doorway Effect
The Blank Tab Effect: A Modern Doorway Phenomenon Have you ever switched to a new browser tab, only to find yourself staring at a blank page...
Beck's Cognitive Distortions: An AI-Powered Learning Activity
In my recent exploration of artificial intelligence, I stumbled upon a fascinating article entitled, “Instructors as Innovators: a Future-fo...
Paralyzed by Fear: Exploring Tonic Immobility in Sexual Assault
In this episode of "The Psych Files," we delve into the complex and sensitive topic of sexual assault, focusing particularly on the phenomen...
Cloning Voices: Scary Maybe, But Also Therapeutic?
I'm about as worried as anyone else about how the new tools for cloning voices could be used by "bad actors" to clone the voices of politici...
The Psychology of Music: The Role of Expectations and Minor Chords
How does music affect us emotionally? Why do minor chords sound so sad? In this episode of The Psych Files I explore ideas from Daniel Levit...
My 3 Favorite Psych Articles This Week - March 8, 2024
In this episode of The Psych Files, host Michael Britt explores three fascinating new psychology studies. First, research found that making...