The Armen Show

How does one use victimhood for resources, and what qualities does such a person possess? What can we get when scientists of differing viewpoints work together? Can one be motivated to look at free will in others differently based on a view of their moral nature? I discuss these topics and more with returning guest behavioral scientist Dr. Cory Clark on episode 367 of The Armen Show. From her bio, “Cory Clark, Ph.D., is the Executive Director and Co-Founder (along with Professor Philip Tetlock) of The Adversarial Collaboration Research Center at University of Pennsylvania and a Visiting Scholar in the Psychology Department. She received her Ph.D. in Social and Personality Psychology from University of California, Irvine in 2014. Between then and now, she was a Postdoctoral Scholar at University at Buffalo and Florida State University, an Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at Durham University in the United Kingdom, and the Director of Academic Engagement for Heterodox Academy. She co-hosts a podcast, Psyphilopod, which has been described as “Ruthlessly truthful and highly insightful conversations on psychology, philosophy, politics, and academic culture.” She considers herself a Moral and Political Psychologist, but she is particularly interested in how people (scientists and non-scientists) interact with information in ways that allow them to maintain and justify their preferred worldviews. Scientists are but mere mortals, and consequently, they are vulnerable to similar biases, errors, motivations, and psychological needs as other people. Although she has great admiration for the scientific method, individual scientific findings warrant scrutiny and skepticism. She hopes her blog reflects that spirit. You can find her CV, which links to most of her work on her website. All of her academic publications are available for free on ResearchGate. And you can follow her on Twitter for brief descriptions and discussions of recent social scientific findings that she finds interesting or perplexing.”

What can we learn about different species that exist on the planet, and the world that they live in? What kinds of senses do they make use of, and what do we share with our fellow species? I discuss some of what is covered on the Species podcast, along with the topics of female infidelity and more, on episode 366 of the show with Macken Murphy. Macken Murphy is a writer and science educator. He hosts a weekly podcast about animals, Species, recommended by both Apple and BBC’s Wildlife magazine. He has currently studied anthropology at the University of Oxford. Macken has also co-written a book titled Animal Sidekicks: Amazing Stories of Symbiosis in Animals and Plants, which is a children’s book in the category of animal and plant symbiosis. Links: Species | Twitter | Animal Sidekicks on Amazon

How can we best navigate our social world to make a good impression and not err in showcasing our good qualities? What does it take to identify what the mistakes are in this category, and what kind of analysis should we do of the feedback that people give us? Professor Övül Sezer joins on episode 365 of the show to guide us in understanding impression mis-management and more. Professor Övül Sezer is Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at Cornell University. She received her BA in Applied Math and PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. She teaches courses in managerial decision-making and negotiations. When it comes to her research, she applies the same observational tools that she also uses in doing stand-up routines at comedy clubs, which is identifying a “particular human behavior that strikes me as odd, interesting, or confusing, and either study it in-depth using experiments or describe it with humor.” Most people think they know how to make a positive impression and can easily spot the mistakes others make, but when it comes to their own missteps, they tend to be oblivious. She identifies these mistakes and investigate how to better navigate our social world. She explores: How can we signal that we are both competent and likable? How can we brag wisely? How can we give valuable feedback in a way that strengthens our relationships rather than harming them? How can we network less awkwardly? Her research identifies useful strategies for making better impressions. Dr. Sezer’s work has been published in leading academic journals including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. It also has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Washington Post, Forbes, Financial Times and Scientific American. She was honored as one the “Top 40 Business School Professors under 40” by Poets & Quants.

Can the history of a country be looked at differently through analysis of what was left behind and how things actually may have occurred? Are we able to see events more clearly with some space of time and a calmer moment in place. On episode 364, I speak with UC Irvine’s Professor Nicole Iturriaga on these topics in relation to the records of Spain during and after the Franco regime, as described in her book Exhuming Violent Histories: Forensics, Memory, and Rewriting Spain’s Past. “Many years after the fall of Franco’s regime, Spanish human rights activists have turned to new methods to keep the memory of state terror alive. By excavating mass graves, exhuming remains, and employing forensic analysis and DNA testing, they seek to provide direct evidence of repression and break through the silence about the dictatorship’s atrocities that persisted well into Spain’s transition to democracy. Nicole Iturriaga offers an ethnographic examination of how Spanish human rights activists use forensic methods to challenge dominant histories, reshape collective memory, and create new forms of transitional justice. She argues that by grounding their claims in science, activists can present themselves as credible and impartial, helping them intervene in fraught public disputes about the remembrance of the past. The perceived legitimacy and authenticity of scientific techniques allows their users to contest the state’s historical claims and offer new narratives of violence in pursuit of long-delayed justice. Iturriaga draws on interviews with technicians and forensics experts and provides a detailed case study of Spain’s best-known forensic human rights organization, the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory. She also considers how the tools and tactics used in Spain can be adopted by human rights and civil society groups pursuing transitional justice in other parts of the world. An ethnographically rich account, Exhuming Violent Histories sheds new light on how science and technology intersect with human rights and collective memory.” Nicole Iturriaga is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminology, Law, and Society at the University of California, Irvine, and was previously a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute Center on Religious and Cultural Diversity. Links: Nicole’s Personal Website | Twitter | Research | Exhuming Violent Histories

What can we learn about free will? What layers are there to understand regarding the discussion between determinism and free will? I speak on these topics with Professor Alfred Mele of Philosophy at Florida State University on episode 363 of the show. He is the author of Free Will: An Opinionated Guide. Alfred Remen Mele is an American philosopher and the William H. and Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. He is also the past Director of the Philosophy and Science of Self-Control Project and the Big Questions in Free Will Project.

Carrie James and Emily Weinstein are the authors of “Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (and Adults Are Missing). How are teens navigating a networked world? What are they doing on their smartphones, and what does their response say about the current moment? Is there something more than addiction to screens and connectivity going on? On episode 362, I discuss these topics with Dr. Emily Weinstein and Dr. Carrie James, co-authors of Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (and Adults Are Missing). Dr. Emily Weinstein is a senior researcher at Project Zero and a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Weinstein studies the intersections of networked technologies with the social, emotional, and civic lives of adolescents and emerging adults. Her research on digital technologies draws on a variety of methodological approaches, including digital post analyses, interviews, surveys, focus groups, and experiments. Dr. Weinstein’s published work appears in interdisciplinary journals, including New Media & Society, Computers in Human Behavior, Journal of Adolescent Research, and International Journal of Communication. In Spring 2022, she is teaching the new course, Digital Dilemmas: Adolescents Behind Their Screens (T510A). Outside of her academic research, Emily regularly works with schools and families to reimagine supports for digital life. She is also a longtime collaborator of Common Sense Education, where she has worked on the development of free programs and resources related to digital citizenship. She holds a Master’s degree (Ed.M.) in Prevention Science and Practice and a Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Human Development and Education, both from Harvard University, and a B.S. from Cornell University. Carrie James is a Research Associate and Principal Investigator at Project Zero. A sociologist by training, her research explores young people’s digital, moral, and civic lives. Over the past decade plus, Carrie has led research and educational initiatives focused on ethical issues in digital life, civic engagement and participatory politics in a connected age, and cross-cultural online learning experiences.  For many years, Carrie worked closely with Howard Gardner and colleagues, conducting research on digital ethics. Past projects include: The Good Play Project, a MacArthur Foundation-Funded initiative focused on digital ethics and the Good Participation Project, a MacArthur Youth and Participatory Politics Research Network study of youth civic participation and civic education in a networked age. Carrie co-directs Digital Dilemmas and Reimagining Digital Well-Being With and For Youth with Emily Weinstein. These initiatives emphasize approaches that center teens’ perspectives and experiences, and involve them as co-designers of interventions to support their digital well-being. In collaboration with Common Sense Education, we have produced new classroom resources, including a core set of thinking routines and dilemmas for digital life. Carrie’s publications also include Disconnected: Youth, New Media, and the Ethics Gap (The MIT Press, 2014), and numerous articles in peer-reviewed education and media journals. She holds a M.A. (1996) and a Ph.D. (2003) in Sociology from New York University. Links: Carrie’s Bio | Emily’s Bio | Behind Their Screens

How are hierarchies formed, maintained and challenged? My guest on the topic of hierarchies, as well as the categories of dominance and prestige, is Dr. Kaylene McClanahan, postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She joins on episode 361 of The Armen Show. Kaylene McClanahan is a social scientist who researches social hierarchies. She received her PhD from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. Kaylene is a proponent of reproducible science and an avid R user. She also posts about R, hierarchy research, and academic life on Twitter. Kaylene has taught Negotiations to MBA and executive audiences. Links: Personal website | Twitter | Research on Google Scholar

Jennifer Jacquet is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies and Director of XE: Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement at NYU. She is also deputy director of NYU’s Center for Environmental and Animal Protection. Her research focuses on animals and the environment, Agnotology, and attribution and responsibility in the Anthropocene. She is author of The Playbook: How to Deny Science, Sell Lies, and Make a Killing in the Corporate World, a work of ‘epistolary non-fiction’ that makes the business case for scientific denial. She also wrote Is Shame Necessary about the evolution, function, and future of the use of social disapproval in a globalized, digitized world. She is the recipient of a 2015 Alfred P. Sloan research fellowship and a 2016 Pew fellowship in marine conservation. Links: Jennifer’s Website | Twitter | The Playbook

Steve Magness is a world-renowned expert on performance. He is the author of the new book Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and The Surprising Science of Real Toughness. He is the coauthor of Peak Performance, The Passion Paradox, and the author of The Science of Running. Collectively his books have sold more than a quarter-million copies in print, ebook, and audio formats. Magness has served as an executive coach to individuals in a variety of sectors. His work serves on applying the principles of which he writes. In addition he’s served as consultant on mental skills development for professional sports teams, including some of the top teams in the NBA. His writing has appeared in Outside, Runner’s World, Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Men’s Health, and a variety of other outlets. In addition, Steve’s expertise on elite sport and performance has been featured in The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Guardian, Business Insider, and ESPN The Magazine. Steve received his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston and a graduate degree from George Mason University. He currently lives in Houston, Tx with his wife Hillary. Once upon a time, he ran a mile in 4:01 in high school, at the time the 6th fastest high school mile in US history.

What kind of bigger-picture understanding can come with traveling to parts of the world and immersing yourself in the culture or activities, and connecting in-depth with locals? How can one’s internal confidence affect connection and physical linkage with others along the way? We cover these topics and more with attorney and world traveler Karin Lang on episode 358 of The Armen Show. Whether it is going to a region of Europe, or a region of Southeast Asia, Karin tells us of some of the stories and takeaways of switching things up and heading to a place that calls you. When you have a calling that has a sense of urgency or immediacy to it, where another person does not have that same feel, it is up to you to reach for it. Karin has already done this in the travel category a few times, as we discuss on the show, and is on the way to more exploring of this type. A later topic of discussion in our talk is related to confidence and self-esteem, which then links with our covering of sexual relations and what it takes to make the connection better or stronger for both participants. Though it can take place without such understanding, one person may be left out of the full experience that comes with physical connection, which isn’t a great way to leave things. One clear link we speak of in this episode is that of our hard-hitting nature, which can rub some folks the wrong way, but does allow us to have an existence free of many niceties that are actually limiting constructs. Though few will be interested in having a life with a lot of directness and rougher moments, those who can handle those are set for some special times.