Everything's Psychology

Something different for Christmas. I share a short story based on a behavioural bias.This week, the story is called Spaghetti Sauce and is about choice overload. Choice is a paradox. We convince ourselves that we want it, and certainly rebel when it’s taken away from us, but when we get too much of it, we regularly struggle to make a choice. This story follows a young girl in Atlanta as she struggles with the choices of daily life, with dire consequences.Spaghetti Sauce was written by me, Paul Davies, and forms part of a book I'm writing called ‘Bias: Twelve Tales of Influence’.Would I love your feedback? Hmm? If it's positive or constructive, then I think so. If you don't like it, that's of course fine, but please keep it to yourself and don't break the little writing confidence I have. More interview episodes will be coming in the New Year.Send us a textYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

In this episode of Everything’s Psychology, I sit down with Richard D. Gross, author of The Psychology of Time, to unpack how our minds construct the very thing we live inside of: time. From internal body clocks and ‘mind time’ to cultural attitudes and our awareness of mortality, we explore why time can race, crawl, or seem to stand still.You’ll learn why your brain is always half a second late, yet your experience still feels live and continuous.You’ll hear how extreme situations – from car crashes to psychedelic trips – can make seconds feel like minutes, and why the memory of an event, not the event itself, often stretches time.You’ll discover why age, culture, and even gender can reshape your sense of time – and what that means for how you plan and live your life.Grab a copy of The Psychology of Time here:From Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Time/Gross/p/book/9781032696195From Amazon (UK): https://amzn.eu/d/gwqdR92From Amazon (US): https://a.co/d/b3MSis7This episode is sponsored by At My Best: www.atmybest.comUse code Everything10 to get 10% off all At My Best tools.Send us a textYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Was the moon landing mankind’s giant leap, or was it Hollywood's greatest special effect? Was the global vaccine rollout an elaborate scheme by Bill Gates to implant microchips in all of us? And do the condensation trails you see behind aeroplanes in the sky contain chemicals to keep the population docile?Let's be honest, a small part of us loves a good conspiracy theory. They’re exciting. They make the world feel a little less random. But why are these ideas so sticky? What makes us want to believe the unbelievable, and is there a fine line between enjoying a wild theory and falling down a rabbit hole of misinformation?With me to discuss the psychology of conspiracy theories is Professor Jan-Willem van Prooijen, who is Head of Social Psychology at Free University Amsterdam. The second edition of his book, The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories is out in December published by Routledge.LinksOrder The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories – https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Conspiracy-Theories/vanProoijen/p/book/9781032868585Find out more about Professor Jan-Willem Van Prooijen – https://www.janwillemvanprooijen.com/Play the online fake news game – https://www.getbadnews.comSend us a textYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Dr. Jim Taylor, a clinical psychologist and performance coach, dives into the critical link between psychology and athletic performance. He explores how mental training can elevate athletes' capabilities, discussing the importance of mental resilience in sports and life. Jim shares insights on overcoming self-doubt, the impact of high-profile athletes on mental health awareness, and how to translate sports psychology to everyday situations. Plus, he discusses his innovative app, Mindto, which aims to deliver effective mental training for athletes.

Why do people start a podcast? I chat with host of the Growth Mindset Psychology podcast, Sam Webster Harris, about his motivations for launching a podcast and why, after 500+ episodes, he's still doing it. We chat about the psychology of motivation, self-determination, signalling theory, and whether there's a hierarchy of influencers.Listen to the Growth Mindset Psychology website on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2rQ6Aug8EBudJMSBYTi8nM?si=5db3dfbf082943ccCatch Sam's new podcast, How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation here: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT?si=8a7d052ef9704634Send us a textYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

What psychology have we seen in the first four episodes of the Celebrity Traitors? Were we right in our predictions? Now that we've seen how the celebs are playing the game, who do I think will make it to the end?Don't forget to listen to last week's episode where I chat with three psychologists from the University of Chester about the psychology in the show. And check out their own podcast, ‘The Psychology of The Traitors’ on Spotify.https://open.spotify.com/show/4mlX6OZRgRodLBmkNZrfuj?si=8bdc0c98286e4993Send us a textYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

With the celebrity version of The Traitors UK starting on October 8th, I talk with three psychologists from Chester University about the psychology used in the show as a whole, how contestants have played the show previously, and how the gameplay will change with celebrities in the Traitor house.Listen to Lisa, Clea, and Kevin breakdown each new episode of the Celebrity Traitors on their own podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4mlX6OZRgRodLBmkNZrfuj?si=4513f5ce732344bbProfessor Lisa Oakley: https://www.chester.ac.uk/staff-directory/loakley/Dr Clea Wright: https://www.chester.ac.uk/staff-directory/cleawright/Dr Kevin Hochard: https://www.chester.ac.uk/staff-directory/khochard/Send us a textYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

In this episode, I expand on last week's interview with the details of a 2025 research paper that examined the influence of erotic content platforms, such as OnlyFans, on teenagers.You can read the full paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12119-025-10389-2. Send us a textYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Valued this year at $8 billion, OnlyFans is the video hosting site generating significant media interest, with celebrities using it to support their other work.I chat with Dr Anna Kelberg about why people put themselves on cams, and whether it's just for the money. Also, is paying for a subscription to an OnlyFans provider considered cheating on your partner? And, is OnlyFans something which young people view as empowering or exploitation?– – –Find out more about Anna's work at https://www.annakelberg.com/Anna's research into sex webcammers: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1173902/fullAnna's thoughts on infidelity: https://www.annakelberg.com/blog-posts/cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eaterThe paper I mentioned from Guadalajara from Anguita & Romero: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12119-025-10389-2Research into sexual attitudes and characteristics of OnlyFans users: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9330933/Send us a textYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

I share my framework to help companies struggling to persuade their customers to make decisions that will make them better off. I share how mapping customer communications to a psychological model helps promote action.For more on the Behaviour Relay, email paul@behaviour.co.ukGet updates and freebies from my upcoming book at behavebook.comSend us a textYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology