
PsychCrunch
PsychCrunch is the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest. Each episode we explore whether the findings from psychological science can make a difference in real life. Just how should we live, according to psychology? We speak to psychologists about their research and whether they apply what they've discovered in their own lives.
Latest episodes

Nov 1, 2017 • 13min
Episode 10
It's been a while coming, but this is Episode 10 of PsychCrunch the podcast from the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology help us avoid procrastinating and get on with the important things we know we should be doing? Our presenter Christian Jarrett hears about what causes procrastination, how to stop it, and whether it has any upsides. Also, we put the psychologists on the spot and ask whether they've managed to cure their own procrastination. Our guests are the world experts in the psychology of procrastination Professor Tim Pychyl at Carleton University and Dr Fuschia Sirois at the University of Sheffield. Studies discussed or alluded to in the episode: A critique of the construct validity of active procrastination I forgive myself, now I can study: How self-forgiveness for procrastinating can reduce future procrastination Procrastination and Stress: Exploring the Role of Self-compassion Procrastination and the Priority of Short-Term Mood Regulation: Consequences for Future Self Also, find more studies on procrastination that we've covered at Research Digest, and Prof Pychyl has further relevant resources at www.procrastination.ca. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Dr Christian Jarrett. Mixing and editing Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Additional music: Lynne Publishing, composer Stefan Wolfgang Bode via Pond5. Art work Tim Grimshaw.

Feb 21, 2017 • 14min
Episode 9
This is Episode 9 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology help us work together better in teams? Our presenter Christian Jarrett hears about the benefits of appointing a "meta-knowledge champion" for the team, making sure everyone has contact with the team's "extra miler", and why you should think carefully about the physical space that you do your teamwork in. Our guests in order of appearance: Dr Julija Mell (Essec Business School), Dr Alex Fradera (Research Digest writer), and Dr Katherine Greenaway (University of Queensland). Studies discussed in the episode: Why your team should appoint a "meta-knowledge" champion – one person who’s aware of everyone else’s area of expertise Team effectiveness is disproportionately influenced by your group’s best performer or "extra-miler" Minimalist, anonymous rooms are probably not a good place to do teamwork In home or at home? How collective decision making in a new care facility enhances social interaction and wellbeing amongst older adults Related resources from The Psychologist: Towards Healthier Meetings and An Interview With Dr Craig Knight: Taking Back Control Of Your Space Episode credits: Presented and produced by Dr Christian Jarrett. Mixing and editing Jeff Knowler. Vox pops Ella Rhodes. PsychCrunch theme music Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Additional music Zander Sehkri/Zeroday Productions (via Pond5). Art work Tim Grimshaw.

Nov 7, 2016 • 10min
Episode 8
Brian Earp, a researcher affiliated with Oxford and Yale, delves into the thorny issue of trust in psychological studies. He shares insights on the replication crisis, highlighting the implications of failed attempts to replicate notable findings like power posing and the Macbeth effect. Brian reflects on the importance of adaptability in scientific beliefs and the need for constructive critiques within academia. His candid discussion encourages researchers to embrace their own negative findings, underscoring the value of integrity in psychological research.

5 snips
Aug 9, 2016 • 12min
Episode 7
This is Episode Seven of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology give you a competitive edge in sport? Our presenter Christian Jarrett learns about the importance of having the right competitive mindset, and how to use self-talk and positive imagery to boost your sporting performance. Our guests, in order of appearance, are George Hanshaw (International Sport Achievers and HanshawPerformance.com), Marc Jones (Staffordshire University) and Sanda Dolcos (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). Studies discussed in the episode include: Cardiovascular indices of challenge and threat states predict performance The inner speech of behavioral regulation: Intentions and task performance strengthen when you talk to yourself as a You Effect of self-talk and imagery on the response time of trained martial artists. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Christian Jarrett. Mixing engineer Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Additional music Vincent Pedulla and Jeffrey Peterson (via Pond5). Art work Tim Grimshaw.

Jun 13, 2016 • 10min
Episode 6
This is Episode 6 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Have you ever sent a sarcastic email or text message and discovered to your horror that the recipient thought you were being literal? If so, this episode is for you! Research Digest editor Christian Jarrett speaks to Dr Ruth Filik (University of Nottingham), lead author of a recent study into how emoticons and punctuation can help you convey written sarcasm more effectively. After listening, you'll realise those little winking faces ;-) are no laughing matter. Seriously! Research discussed in this episode includes: How and when to send sarcastic emails and texts, according to science Emotional responses to irony and emoticons in written language: Evidence from EDA and facial EMG Episode credits: Presenter/editor Dr Christian Jarrett. Mixing Dr Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work Tim Grimshaw. PsychCrunch is sponsored by Routledge Psychology.

Mar 30, 2016 • 12min
Episode 5
This is Episode Five of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. In this episode we explore whether psychology can help us learn a new language.We hear about research showing the benefits of music training to language learning, and how it may be possible to boost your learning of foreign words while you sleep. Our presenter Christian Jarrett also hears about the anxiety that many people feel when trying to speak a foreign language and why it's so important to just give it a go!Our guests in order of appearance are Dr Christina Gkonou of the University of Essex, Dr Sylvain Moreno, Director of Canada's Digital Health Hub at Simon Fraser University, and Professor Björn Rasch at the University of Fribourg.
Among the research studies that we talk about in this episode are:
Short-Term Music Training Enhances Verbal Intelligence and Executive Function
Foreign languages easier to learn when they're sung rather than spoken
Boosting Vocabulary Learning by Verbal Cueing During Sleep
Episode credits: Presenter/editor Dr Christian Jarrett. Producer Dr Lorna Stewart. Mixing Dr Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Music: Go Maman. Art work Tim Grimshaw.

4 snips
Dec 16, 2015 • 12min
Episode 4
This is Episode Four of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest. In this festive episode we explore whether psychology can help us with gift giving.
Our presenter Christian Jarrett and his guests discuss the benefits of giving "giver-centric" gifts; how recipients like to receive gifts on their wish lists; why ethical or pro-social gifts are sometimes not so warmly received; and the two words that can salvage that awkward situation when a gift doesn't go down too well.
Our guests in order of appearance are Lisa Cavanaugh USC Marshall School of Business, Lara Aknin of Simon Fraser University, and Alex Fradera, contributing writer to the BPS Research Digest blog.
The studies discussed in this episode, in order of appearance, are:
Give a piece of you: Gifts that reflect givers promote closeness
Give them what they want: The benefits of explicitness in gift exchange
When doing good is bad in gift giving: Mis-predicting appreciation of socially responsible gifts
Moments of truth in gift exchanges: A critical analysis of communication indicators used to detect gift failure
Episode credits: Presenter/editor/producer Dr Christian Jarrett. Vox pops Ella Rhodes. Music and mixing Dr Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Jingle Bells vocals Joe Loveday. Art work Tim Grimshaw.

Oct 19, 2015 • 13min
Episode Three Bonus Material
On October 1, 2015 Dr Christian Jarrett (Editor, BPS Research Digest) met with Dr Jon Sutton (Editor, The Psychologist magazine) to debate Michael Jackson's legacy. This is their full argument!
Excerpts from their debate about MJ appear in Episode Three of PsychCrunch, which explored whether psychology can help you to win an argument.

4 snips
Oct 19, 2015 • 13min
Episode Three
This is Episode Three of PsychCrunch, the new podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest. In this episode we explore whether psychology can help you to win an argument.
After our presenter Christian Jarrett tries his luck with an argument about Michael Jackson's legacy, we find out why convincing people of your point of view is so difficult, and we hear about a paradoxical technique that's encouraging people to change their own minds about one of the most serious arguments in the world – the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We'll also touch on why neurobabble appears to be so convincing.
Our guests are Dr Jon Sutton (Editor, The Psychologist); Dr Tom Stafford (University of Sheffield); Boaz Hameiri (Tel Aviv University); and Sara Hodges (University of Oregon).
Some of the research discussed by our guests has been covered previously on the Research Digest blog, including how superfluous neuroscience can be so persuasive, and other relevant research is in our archive. Boaz Hameiri's research on the paradoxical thinking intervention was published last year in PNAS. Tom Stafford's ebook is available on Amazon: For argument's sake: evidence that reason can change minds. Further reading from The Psychologist magazine: The truth is out there–a look at belief in conspiracy theories; Are conspiracy theories just harmless fun?; Looking back: Every believer is also a disbeliever; Falling on deaf ears–when people believe psychology is not science.
Episode credits: Presenter/editor Dr Christian Jarrett. Producer Dr Lorna Stewart. Music and mixing Dr Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work Tim Grimshaw.

Jun 18, 2015 • 12min
Episode Two
Explore the psychological underpinnings of habits and the challenge of changing them. Discover the mind bus technique, which helps manage cravings by visualizing impulses as passengers. Learn practical tips to break indulgent habits, such as using your opposite hand to disrupt automatic behaviors. Uncover the truth behind the 21-day myth of habit formation, revealing that it actually might take around 66 days to instill new practices. Gain insights from experts on making healthier choices and reducing chocolate consumption!