Why We Do What We Do

People watch scary movies around Halloween and other times of the year. Many horror films are produced every year. What is this strange fascination that people have with the macabre and feeling fear? There is an important element of social structures and possibly some gender expectations as well. There are many other hypotheses, but many of them suck. Find out why! Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Clinical Lycanthropy is the mental health condition in which people believe that they turn into an animal of some kind, commonly werewolves. The evidence and history of this as a diagnosis and possible treatments is very scarce and there are only a handful of cases throughout history. For the most part, this is likely a symptom of an overarching mental health condition that includes delusion. Nevertheless, an interesting topic to learn about! Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Our brains are a complex network of neurons that connect all of the parts of our body together. So if the electrochemical signals fire sporadically then there could be a wide range of various symptoms including convulsions, memory loss, and confusion. Listen in to learn more about what seizures do in the brain and what to do about them. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Many people make exaggerated claims about the neurological benefits of specific foods and then charge you for their consultation expertise, their dietary supplements, their recipes, or their other woo products. Some of their recommendations are perfectly legit, but their proposed outcomes are generally completely unsupported. Plus, we discuss antioxidants, supplements, and the real brain foods. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Punishment is neither good nor bad, but it can be positive or negative. Puzzle that one out! There is a technical use o of the term and concept of punishment and a lot of interesting research. This discussion primarily does a brief overview of what it is and theories of why we do it. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Many point to the uniqueness of humans in their language. Others suggest that we just haven't found a way to teach language to other species. This all changed with researchers reported teaching hundreds of signs to primates. But if they were successful, where are all the primates with language? Why aren't there robust or at least existing research programs to teach language to another species? This is a discussion of the controversial history of trying to break the species language barrier. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Twin studies have been a staple in psychological research for over a century. But many people don't know about the critical assumptions implicit in conducting these studies. Shane and Abraham break down the history of twin studies and the weaknesses that plague them. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Students experience positive and negative reinforcement throughout their school day. Some of this reinforcement is specifically delivered by teachers, and some of it just occurs as a part of a normal day. What is negative reinforcement and what does it look like in schools. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Recent pundits have voiced their alarm and concern over the use of behavior modification strategies to create "addictive" patterns of behavior. Who are the people still using this technique? It turns out it is much more common than you might think. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Why are some people picky eaters, while others are adventurous? Is it evolution? Parenting? Some combination of the two? This isn't a discussion on interventions for feeding disorders or food selectivity. However, it will summarize a slew of scientific articles on how picky eating develops and maintains across the lifetime and the implications of a restricted diet. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Many of us have had the experience of looking over the edge and wondering what it would be like to jump or fall. We don't actually want to, but we are curious. Edgar Allen Poe called this The Imp of the Perverse. Freud called it the "Death Drive." There are many theories as to why many people have this experience. Listen in to find out more! Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

People often have seemingly inexplicable taste in music. What is it that that drives us toward our music preferences? Have you ever felt persecuted for your taste in music? Learn about the psychology of why we like the music we like. Also, recommend music for the team to listen to! Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

A common cognitive bias we have is that we tend to think that we are better informed and experienced in things that we really are. The examples are practically endless and everyone does it. What are you worse at than you think? Listen in as Shane and Abraham (Shanebraham) describe the study that started a tsunami of research on basic human fallibility. Also, find out what lemons have to do with a bank robbery in the late 1990's. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Schools might be as segregated today as they have ever been. Learn more with Dr. Kent McIntosh as he lends his expertise on racial inequality (disproportionality) in school discipline. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Sometimes we find ourselves faced with so many options that we choose to do nothing at all. What is with going on with that? Shane and Abraham discuss the theories regarding why we freeze in the face of overwhelming options and some strategies to overcome feeling paralyzed by choosing. Remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.