
People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast
This is a podcast about deciphering human behavior and understanding why people do the things they do. I, Zach Elwood, talk with people from a wide range of fields about how they make sense of human behavior and psychology. I've talked to jury consultants, interrogation professionals, behavior researchers, sports analysts, professional poker players, to name a few. There are more than 135 episodes, many of them quite good (although some say I'm biased). To learn more, go to PeopleWhoReadPeople.com.
Latest episodes

Jun 27, 2025 • 1h 7min
The "deep whys" behind autistic behaviors | with Barry Prizant
I talk to Barry Prizant, author of the popular book "Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism," about the often misunderstood world of autism. We explore the idea that many so-called “autistic behaviors” are actually meaningful responses to stress, overwhelm, or attempts to communicate—and that looking for the “deep why” behind people's behavior is essential. We talk about sensory sensitivity and the complexities of the autism label. Barry shares stories from his decades of work, including surprising examples of how kids can use quotes from TV/movies to express their needs and fears. We also discuss empathy, the concept of autism as a different cultural style of communication, and how society’s need for people to “act normal” can cause harm. Even if you don’t know much about autism, you'll like this episode if you're interested in behavior, psychology, or communication.
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Jun 18, 2025 • 1h 1min
Why we freak out when the world stops making sense | with Stephen Heine
Why do we feel so unsettled and agitated when the world doesn’t make sense? In this episode, I talk with psychologist Steven Heine about his Meaning Maintenance Model — a theory that explains how we react when our sense of meaning is threatened. We explore how disruptions to our mental frameworks can lead us to double down on our beliefs, seek comfort in nostalgia, or shift our focus to other sources of meaning. We discuss what this tells us about political polarization, existential crises, and even how psychedelics and surreal art can shake up (and sometimes heal) our sense of reality. If you’ve ever wondered why ambiguity and uncertainty can feel so deeply uncomfortable—and what we might do to avoid it—this episode is for you.
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Jun 11, 2025 • 58min
How blockchain tech could revolutionize journalism and reduce polarization
Can blockchain tech reinvent journalism—and reduce toxic political polarization in the process? In this episode, Zachary Elwood talks with Don Templeman, founder of Aemula, a radically new kind of news platform. Inspired by the decentralization and transparency of cryptocurrency and other blockchain-based technologies, Aemula aims to create a trustless, bias-resistant newsroom of the future—one where algorithms are public, incentives reward nuance, and toxic polarization is nudged downward by design. Whether you're a blockchain skeptic or a media reform enthusiast, this is a conversation about what's broken in journalism—and one bold idea for fixing it. Learn more at aemula.com. Learn more about this podcast at behavior-podcast.com.
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May 27, 2025 • 55min
Can eye direction reveal lies? Or is that behavior bullshit? A talk with Tim Levine
Maybe you’ve heard that you can get clues about whether someone is lying by what direction they look when they talk. The most common form of this idea is that if someone is looking up and to their left, they’re more likely to be accessing real visual memories (associated with truth), and if they’re looking up and to their right, they’re more likely to be constructing visual images (associated with lies). But there is no basis for this; in fact, many studies have found evidence against that claim. This idea and other more broad ideas about eye movement clues were popularized by NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), a school of thought whose core ideas have been debunked time and time again. In this episode, I talk to Tim Levine, a respected deception detection researcher. We talk about: the eye direction idea; the huge amount of bullshit in the pop behavior analysis space (e.g., shows like the Behavior Panel); reasons why the spreaders of this bullshit are so popular and successful; what the science says about using behavior to detect deception; why it’s so difficult to use behavior to detect deception; the idea that you need to establish “baselines” for people to aid you in reading them; how behavioral patterns in games/sports can differ from more real-world non-game scenarios; confirmation bias in the behavior analysis space, and how even smart researchers can be unreasonably biased in favor of their own ideas; Paul Ekman’s work; and more.
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22 snips
Apr 14, 2025 • 1h 23min
Why some see liberals as the undemocratic ones: A talk about democracy and polarization with Elizabeth Doll
Join Elizabeth Doll, Director of Braver Politics for Braver Angels and expert in political depolarization, as she tackles the complex perceptions of democracy amidst America’s partisan divide. She discusses how anti-Trump sentiments clash with Republican views that see liberals as undemocratic. The conversation explores the ambiguity surrounding democracy, the implications of court stacking, and the importance of empathy in bridging ideological gaps. Through her insights, Elizabeth highlights how understanding diverse perspectives can reduce toxic political polarization.

Mar 31, 2025 • 1h 3min
On hypnosis and mind control: separating fact from fiction | with Martin S. Taylor
A talk about hypnosis and mind control with Martin S. Taylor, a well known British hypnotist (hypnotism.co.uk). Martin is known for his stage hypnosis act but also for educating people about hypnosis and removing the illusions and mystique surrounding it. There are some people who make astounding claims that they can control and manipulate people using hypnosis. Some even claim they can get people to do things against their will and their ethics. Some of these people claim they can do this quickly, within minutes, and that they can teach you to do the same. There are clearly some impressive things you can do with hypnosis (as Martin will attest) — but there are also clearly many unethical and deceptive people in the NLP/hypnosis/influence space who exaggerate what you can do with it. In this talk, Martin and I try to separate fact from fiction — reality from bullshit.Topics discussed include: How did Martin get into hypnosis? What’s going on in a stage hypnosis act? What psychological factors lead to people acting in unusual and extreme ways in those settings? Is there such a thing as a hypnotic “trance”? Is it a special state? Martin’s thoughts on hypnosis used for therapy and self-help. MK Ultra and other government programs related to mind control and brainwashing. The importance of being skeptical about grand claims about hypnosis and mind control.
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Feb 12, 2025 • 1h 19min
What happened to Keith Olbermann? A review of his insulting and incendiary behaviors
In March of 2024, the newsman and sports commentator Keith Olbermann tweeted that the “Supreme Court had betrayed democracy” and called for it to be “dissolved.” This was the second time he’d called for the Supreme Court to be dissolved: he did that also in 2022. This is a review of some of Olbermann’s more unreasonable and incendiary behavior over the last twenty years, with a focus on his political rage and how that relates to America’s toxic polarization problem. Because clearly there are many people around us, like Olbermann, with extreme contempt toward their political opponents, and a lot of biased, unreasonably certain takes about all sorts of events and happenings. What might we learn from Olbermann's behavior?
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Feb 8, 2025 • 53min
Mirror selfies, duck faces, and party pics: On signals we send with dating app profiles
I talk to Dr. Jess Snitko, who has researched online dating and other online communication, about the signals and messages we send, intentionally and unintentionally, with dating app profiles and pictures. Jess earned her Ph.D. in Media, Technology, and Society from Purdue University in 2020. Topics discussed: Factors in pictures and profiles that cause people to swipe right or swipe left; the so-called “duck-face” expression some girls make in photos; men’s shirtless photos; men who post pictures of holding a fish or posing with dead animals; bathroom mirror selfies; pictures of partying and drinking; group photos and problems with those; cropped photos where an ex is being removed from the picture; how first impressions can be prone to errors; and more.
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9 snips
Jan 24, 2025 • 54min
Is the left-right spectrum an illusion that harms us? A talk with Hyrum Lewis
Hyrum Lewis, a history professor at Brigham Young University and co-author of The Myth of Left and Right, argues that the left-right political spectrum is merely an illusion. He discusses how this flawed framework oversimplifies complex political ideologies, amplifies societal divisions, and misleads discourse. Hyrum also addresses common objections to his views, explores the dangers of rigid political labels, and emphasizes the need for more nuanced conversations to reduce polarization. His insights urge listeners to rethink how we classify and engage in political dialogue.

Jan 19, 2025 • 23min
Does Trader Joe's pressure its employees to talk to customers?
Every time I go in Trader Joe's, the checkout person asks me a question of some sort. I used to think everyone there was just happy and friendly, but then I heard reports that it was more of a rule or strong encouragement that employees talk to customers. I read conflicting reports about this online and wanted to talk to someone who'd worked at Trader Joe's, to see if she could shed some light on this. I talk to Twiggy, who has a YouTube channel (youtube.com/@TwiggysDollHospital) and who makes custom dolls (twiggysdollhospital.com).
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