Shows / Why We Do What We Do
Why We Do What We Do
We explain popular and weird, little-known ideas in psychology. Whether you are a little curious about psychology, or a student, or even a professional, we have something for everyone.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.
Episodes
- Why We Do What We Do
Veganitarianism
Plant-based food and hygeine products are gaining in popularity. What is behind this trend in vegan leaning? We explain the history of veganism, the names that…
- Why We Do What We Do
History of Slavery pt 2
The conditions of slavery, the current state of modern slavery, and other things we need to talk about. Check out our conclusion to this dicussion…
- Why We Do What We Do
History of Slavery pt 1
As new policies are attempting to revise history by rebranding slavery in a more flattering manner, we decided to review the history of slavery to get a…
- Why We Do What We Do
Nostalgia: What Happened to Asperger Syndrome?
From the archive, we have dusted off this old discussion in which we explain how Asperger Syndrome came and went. Further, we provide a few updates on things…
- Why We Do What We Do
Speaking in Tongues
Divine gift? Neurological breakdown? Sims? No matter what you think is the attributible variable, speaking in tongues involves humans doing things, and…
- Why We Do What We Do
Excited Delirium
Have you heard of the mental diagnosis that literally causes death? Or, at least that is what some would like you to believe. We uncover the conspiracy of…
- Why We Do What We Do
Naked
There are a few things we all have in common as humans, and one of those is that we all have a naked body at some point. Some people make that "some point"…
- Why We Do What We Do
Orca Party
Killer whales have been making the news lately for attcking boats. This is particularly notable because they seem to have spread this trend to other orcas. But…
- Why We Do What We Do
Super Tasters
Your tongue is special. It might taste a lot or a very little. Some people have extra super-sensitive tongues packed with many taste receptor cells and they…
- Why We Do What We Do
Nostalgia: The Polygraph Test
This is a rerun and update of our episode on the polygraph. Originally recorded in 2017, we wanted to see what new research has happened since our original…
- Why We Do What We Do
Take the Good With the Bad
One of the most enduring theories of choice-making is the behavioral economics model called "Prospect Theory." People tend to avoid risk twice as much as work…
- Why We Do What We Do
Homeowner Associations
Homeowner Associations (HOAs) are (mostly) involuntary paid memberships into systems that can regulate nearly everything about your home and life around your…
- Why We Do What We Do
Dancing Until You Drop
A few times through history a large crowd of people stopped everything they were doing and just started dancing... Sometimes until the dancing resulted in…
- Why We Do What We Do
Video Game Violence
Video games often depict graphic violence, gore, and other behaviors that would be considered extremely inappropriate, immoral, and illegal. What effect does…
- Why We Do What We Do
Tough on Crime
"Tough on Crime" has been a popular rallying cry in the US for some time. However, what does this actually mean? Further, how does it impact the behavior of…
- Why We Do What We Do
Heroic Rats
Rats have been a source of much rage and fear for their various behaviors and disease-carrying proclivities. But they are an impressive evolutionary smelling…
- Why We Do What We Do
Scientology, Allegedly
Scientology is one of the newer religions in the world. And, although you have probably heard a lot about them, they are pretty small in number. Why did we…
- Why We Do What We Do
If These Flags Could Talk
One of the global ways that people communicate symbolically, flags are a sort of universal-ish language, depending on the flag. Where did they come from? Why…
- Why We Do What We Do
I Pledge Allegiance...
Compulsory, ritualistic pledging an oath of fealty to a leader or government's flag sounds like something you might see in an oppressive tyranical government…
- Why We Do What We Do
Nostalgia: Consciousness: The Case For And Against
First aired in November 2017, what has happened in the world of consciousness since this episode? Both a lot and somehow very little. As always, the definition…
- Why We Do What We Do
Wokeism
Wokeism has a much longer history than you might think and its original meaning has been appropriated and obfuscated beyond recognition. We break down the…
- Why We Do What We Do
The Psychology of Swearing
Swearing involves the use of taboo words considered coarse, blasphemous, or otherwise unacceptable in polite or formal speech to accentuate a statement…
- Why We Do What We Do
Facilitated Communication Pt. 3: The Damage
In this third and final installment of our discussion about Facilitated Communication, we explain why Facilitated Communication is not only ineffective, it is…
- Why We Do What We Do
Facilitated Communication Pt. 2: The Science
The follow-up to the history of Facilitated Communication. How can we determine if the messages typed by an individual with little or no previous language…
- Why We Do What We Do
Facilitated Communication Pt. 1: Magic Keyboard History
Being as charitable and honest as we can, facilitate communication is an ineffective pseudoscience. We explore the history, the claims, and a careful…
- Why We Do What We Do
Seizure Alert Dogs
Seizure alert animals, like dogs, help during and after seizures and require training and upkeep. They aren't just pets and may stay with their owner for 8-9…
- Why We Do What We Do
Ancestral Hallucinations: The Bicameral Mind
A highly controversial speculative hypothesis. Julian Jaynes read ancient texts and arrived at a unique and wholly original hypothesis: Our ancestors did not…
- Why We Do What We Do
How THC Makes You Feel High
The royal "you" feel high, that is. Many if not most people understand that THC is the primary chemical in cannabis respnosible for the effect of feeling…
- Why We Do What We Do
Fan Fiction
Fan fiction is whn fans take liberties with their favorite characters and put them in new situations or contexts, creating their own stories. It's a way to…
- Why We Do What We Do
Gone Feral
"Feral" is a fancy word for describing something that's wild, untamed, and unaccustomed to human contact - kinda like that one coworker who always brings a…
- Why We Do What We Do
Episode 300: Spartans!
Spartan culture was all about being tough and ready for battle. They trained hard, ate tough, and had no time for luxuries like haircuts or personal hygiene…
- Why We Do What We Do
Are Ultra-processed Foods Making Us Less Intelligent?
It has been suggested that consuming too much ultra-processed food can lead to a decrease in cognitive abilities, particularly in areas such as decision-making…
- Why We Do What We Do
The Authoritarian Way
This is not about authors. Authoritarians represent an oppressive governmental structure including "communism" and dictatorships. Although different in theory…
- Why We Do What We Do
John B. Watson: Psychologist, Advertiser, Bad Parent
WARNING: There is some discussion about suicide. John Broadus Watson was a giant historical figure in the history of psychology and is often referred to as the…
- Why We Do What We Do
Let's Talk About Immigration (part 2)
This second conversation gets into the more widely discussed arguments about immigration. Countries that receive legal and illegal immigrants can profit from…
- Why We Do What We Do
Let's Talk About Immigration (part 1)
Transnational immigration is a major talking point and vote-motivating topic among many people around the world. People migrate due to push and pull factors…
- Why We Do What We Do
2022 Wrap Up
We celebrate 5 years as a podcast with some then and now reflections. We review some of the topics we have covered, entertainment we have enjoyed, science…
- Why We Do What We Do
The Interesting World of Steampunk
What is steampunk? Why is steampunk? Who is steampunk? This is the future as imagined through the fashion and technology of victorian era zeitgeist, or…
- Why We Do What We Do
What is a Cast-Iron Stomach?
Some people can eat nearly anything (or actually anything) without becoming ill. One man's digestion was so severe that he would eat four times the average…
- Why We Do What We Do
In The Ketaminetime
Ketamine is a new and still controversial medical intervention being explored for its utility in mental health treatment. Is there something of substance here…
- Why We Do What We Do
Hypochondriac
Below the ribs. Hypochondriasis, now illness anxiety disorder, is the debilitating fear that symptoms or the potential for symptoms will lead to more severe…
- Why We Do What We Do
Democrat-Republican Switch
The party of national programs, federal regulations, and taxes: The republicans! If you're in the 1700s-1800s. At some point, the policies of the parties…
- Why We Do What We Do
EMDR
This treatment involves moving your eyes back and forth while engaging in systematic desensitization. And maybe a purple hat. Does EMDR work for PTSD or other…
- Why We Do What We Do
Nostalgia: Do We Have Free Will?
If we had to ask... This is a revisit of our discussion from April 2018 with a little more conversation with the new host (Shane). Recommendations - Shane…
- Why We Do What We Do
Shrug ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
While shrugging is a common expression, used by many cultures, the explanation as to why we shrug is still vague and for the most part an unanswered question…
- Why We Do What We Do
Tales from the Cryptids
These are the strange, often horrifying, sometimes cuddly mythical creatures of lore. Sometimes they are meant to scare us away from dangers, sometimes to gain…
- Why We Do What We Do
Serial Killers
The one you've all been waiting for. Maybe. Where did the term "serial killer" come from? Where have serial killers been active around the world? Most…
- Why We Do What We Do
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's...
We're not sure what it is... It's unidentified! In this Halloween spooky pod, we take on the history of the pursuit of extraterrestrial visitors. We talk about…
- Why We Do What We Do
The VooDoo Queen of New Orleans
VooDoo isn't sticking pins in dolls to cause pain to a victim. Actually, it's highly cultural and unique and often helpful. Madam Marie (Paris) Laveau is a…
- Why We Do What We Do
Why Pets?
Humans having been keeping animals around for a long time as workers and pest control. Do they serve another purpose all these centuries later? We explore the…
- Why We Do What We Do
Of Tyranny and the People
People are frequently imprisoned when the pose a threat to the authority of people in power. Most of these were people who did little or nothing besides…
- Why We Do What We Do
Nostalgia: Gender and Sexuality
This is a nostalgic look at our episode on Gender and Sexuality with our first ever guest. We follow-up the episode with an updated discussion on this topic…
- Why We Do What We Do
Skepticism vs Denialism: Round 2
In this face-off between hope and logic and reason vs blustering confusion and nonsense, who will emerge victorious? We discuss the motives and tactics of…
- Why We Do What We Do
Skepticism vs. Denialism: Round 1
Denialists like to claim that they are skeptics and engaging in critical thought. They require ever more evidence from their opponents, but little to no…
- Why We Do What We Do
Why The Sarcasm?
Sarcasm can be found in nearly every language and culture and throughout much of human history. Is it because we are all passive aggressive jerks? Or maybe we…
- Why We Do What We Do
Colossal Meltdown
The disaster at the Chornobyl (yes, I spelled that correctly) nuclear power plant was a culmination of human errors, faulty design, and poor leadership. A…
- Why We Do What We Do
Fast and/or Furious
Road rage is an intensive pattern of various behavior that are commonly demonstrated by drivers as they face the typical inconveniences that exist on the road…
- Why We Do What We Do
40 Hours per Week
Working 40 hours per work has been the norm for so long, we seem to take for granted that this is just the normal run-of-the-mill schedule in the U.S. But…
- Why We Do What We Do
Coffee Traditions Around the World
What makes Vietnamese coffee different from Malaysian coffee? What should expect if you are visiting a coffee shop in Sweden? Despite being one of the world's…
- Why We Do What We Do
Nostalgia: Uhs, Ums, Likes
We are adding a new format of rerunning old episodes and updating the research and adding discussion points. Enjoy a nostalgic return to WWDWWD 5 years ago…