Two Guys on Your Head

Dean Allan Cole, Dean of the School of Social Work at UT Austin, and Dr. Octavio Martinez, Executive Director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, discuss the vital intersection of psychology, social work, and behavioral health. They explore the importance of storytelling in therapy, emphasizing how narratives connect us. The conversation delves into building community ties, the essential role of arts and humanities in healthcare, and warns about the implications of AI in mental health. They highlight the pressing need for human connection in today's digital age.

New research on the psychology of overconfidence reveals that even when people get clear feedback about their actual abilities, their confidence doesn’t budge. The finding might not surprise you, but as we explore in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, with Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy, the way researchers uncovered it is pretty ingenious. The post Overconfidence appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When it comes to luck, we often focus on the good kind, but what about bad luck, superstition, and the strange rituals we turn to for comfort and control? On this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about how these beliefs and behaviors can both calm and trap us, and what they reveal about our desire to manage the uncontrollable. The post Bad Luck, Superstitions, and Safety Behaviors appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Chance may favor the prepared mind, but if you’re only looking for a lucky break, you may miss out on something much more important. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the psychology of luck. The post Luck appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Popularity shapes our choices every day, but in today’s world, what we perceive as “popular” is often steered by algorithms, targeted ads, push notifications, and the constant pull of social media; forces we may not fully recognize. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore the psychology of popularity and how its influence has evolved in the digital age. The post The Weighted Vest: an update on popularity appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We often assume our choices reflect personal taste: selecting the “best” products, enjoying the movies we “want” to see, and listening to the music we believe is “good.” Yet underlying these decisions is the powerful influence of popularity. It doesn’t just affect what we buy—it informs how we evaluate ideas, people, and beliefs. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy examine the psychology of popularity and its impact on our everyday judgments. The post The Psychology of Popularity appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Humans may take the card we swipe for granted at the grocery store when we buy food, or look at our bank balance and not even think of how unique it is that we can translate those little numbers into experiences and things. It’s merely one of the benefits of having big brains. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of how our brains determine value. The post How We Determine Value (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Every day we’re surrounded by a flood of negative headlines, and it can take a real toll on our mental health. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy share practical ways to protect your well-being and stay mentally strong in the midst of all the noise. The post Mental Health in the Media Storm appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

To resist or not to resist? That is the question. And the answer is—shocker to no one—it depends. But what it depends on matters a lot. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore the fine line between resistance as healthy self-preservation versus resistance as missed opportunity, and what to take into account when considering a path forward. The post The Psychology of Personal Resistance appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We spend an increasing proportion of our time online, and, given the importance of social media to human welfare, the external factors that shape online behavior are important to consider. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore social media use and the weather. Resources & References Worse Weather Amplifies Social Media Activity — A 2025 study in Psychological Science by Kelton Minor, Esteban Moro, and Nick Obradovich shows that extreme weather events significantly increase social media use, often more than major cultural celebrations. Read the study here. The post The Weather and Social Media Use appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.