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.

Ep 36: The secrets of dreams and nightmares 03/14/2024

Ep 36: The secrets of dreams and nightmares This is Episode 36 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Why do we dream? And what business does a good dream have turning into a nightmare? In this episode, Ella Rhodes embarks on an exploration of our non-waking life. In it, she speaks with Director of the Swansea University Sleep Laboratory, Professor Mark Blagrove, about his research and latest theories about the origins of dreams. Research Clinical Psychologist Dr Bryony Sheaves of Oxford University also shares her expert insights into why we have nightmares, and the innovative research revealing how treating them can improve our mental health. Episode Credits: Written and hosted by Ella Rhodes. Mixed and edited by Jeff Knowler. Edited by Emma Barratt. Missed previous episodes? Get up to date . Not done dreaming? Check out The Psychologist’s most recent for much more on the function of dreams. Or in this Research Digest piece by Emily Reynolds. PsychCrunch is sponsored by Routledge Psychology Routledge Psychology is part of the Taylor & Francis Group, and publishing partner for the . Browse over , and . BPS members are entitled to a 25% discount on all books published by Routledge – find your discount code here and visit the dedicated BPS Member page at Routledge . /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/30369783

Ep 35: Why do we enjoy playing with fear? 10/26/2023

Ep 35: Why do we enjoy playing with fear? This is Episode 35 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. From haunted houses to scary movies, many of us find a thrill in a good scare. But… isn’t that a bit counter-intuitive? In this episode, we ask why so many of us are drawn to things that should make us run a mile, and whether we can use fear to help us better cope with day-to-day anxiety. Host Ella Rhodes speaks with Director of The Recreational Fear Lab, Dr Mathias Clasen, and Cambridge University PhD student Lucie Daniel-Watanabe to discover why fear isn’t always to be feared. Episode credits: Written and hosted by Ella Rhodes. Audio mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. Edited by Emma Barratt. Not done learning about fear? Get into Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe’s look at . Or if coping with fear piques your interest, why not explore with this piece by Christian Jarrett. Still curious? Dive deeper into our guest Dr Matthias Clasen’s work . PsychCrunch is sponsored by Routledge Psychology Routledge Psychology is part of the Taylor & Francis Group, and publishing partner for the . Browse over 5 million articles at , and related books at . /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/28429352

Ep 34: How do you make friends as an adult? 06/16/2023

Ep 34: How do you make friends as an adult? This is Episode 34 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Despite it being easier than ever to communicate, so many of us find it challenging to make new friends – especially as we get older. Opening up conversations with strangers can leave us feeling like a bother, and fizzle into nothing more than a one-off interaction. The loneliness this can create isn’t just a passing sting, it can have ongoing impacts to both our mental and physical health. So, in this episode, Ginny Smith asks: just how do we make friends as adults? To get to the bottom of this problem, Ginny speaks with our expert guests Dr. Marissa G. Franco (Professor, speaker, and the New York Times bestselling author of Platonic) and Dr Gillian Sandstrom (Senior Lecturer in the psychology of kindness at the University of Sussex). Together, they give their insights on why so many of us run into problems expanding our social circle, and share some practical advice on how to make more connections. Episode Credits:Written and hosted by Ginny Smith.Mixing and audio editing by Jeff Knowler.Edited by Emma Barratt. Want to know more about the psychology of friendship?Discover plenty more on the topic over . PsychCrunch is sponsored by Routledge PsychologyRoutledge Psychology is part of the Taylor & Francis Group, and publishing partner for the . Browse over 5 million articles at , and related books at . /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/27167634

Ep 33: Have you experienced the unseen other? 02/23/2023

Ep 33: Have you experienced the unseen other? Have you ever had the feeling that there was someone – or something – nearby? Perhaps you were in bed falling asleep when you suddenly became convinced that a person was standing next to you, even though you couldn’t actually ‘see’ or ‘hear’ anyone at all. Or maybe you were out in the wilderness, with no-one for miles around, and couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following you. In this episode, Dr Jon Sutton, editor of The Psychologist magazine, talks to , Associate Professor at Durham University, about the phenomenon of the 'felt presence' – that often eerie sensation that someone is near us. Jon and Ben’s wide-ranging discussion touches on everything from Shackleton’s unusual experiences in Antarctica, to the frightening yet common phenomenon of sleep paralysis and the modern practice of ‘tulpamancy’. Read a at The Psychologist Ben’s book will be released in March and is Episode credits: Presented and produced by Jon Sutton, with additional content from Matthew Warren. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch is sponsored by Routledge Psychology /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/26020023

Ep 32: How to face grief 02/15/2023

Ep 32: How to face grief Grief is a universal experience, but one which affects every individual differently. A grieving person might feel guilty, listless, frightened, or angry. And at a time when they most need support, the bereaved may find other people turning away from them, not really knowing how to talk to them about their feelings and the person they’ve lost. So how can we learn to better cope with grief in ourselves and in others? In this episode, Ella Rhodes, journalist for The Psychologist, speaks to two experts who are working to help us understand how people process grief and what can be done to support those who are grieving. Our guests are , Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Arizona and author of The Grieving Brain, and , psychotherapist and co-founder of The Good Grief Project. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ella Rhodes. Script edits by Matthew Warren. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music by Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Artwork by Tim Grimshaw. Further resources More information about The Good Grief Project Check out Dr Mary-Frances O'Connor's website for , as well as a including those discussed in this episode. Last year, Jon Sutton for The Psychologist Also in The Psychologist: Memory Box: Echoes of 9/11, and discusses the themes of the film with Jane Harris. PsychCrunch is sponsored by Routledge Psychology. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/25938060

Ep 31: How to better understand your cat 09/06/2022

Ep 31: How to better understand your cat We’ve lived side-by-side with domestic cats for thousands of years, yet they maintain an aura of mystery and a reputation for aloofness and even outright disdain for humans. But are cats really so enigmatic – or are we only just beginning to understand them? In this episode, Ella Rhodes, journalist for The Psychologist, speaks to two experts who are working to help us to understand cats. They discuss research on cat cognition and intelligence, chat about what we can do how to make our cats’ lives happier, and even share some tips on how to train them. Our guests are , assistant professor of animal health and behaviour at Unity College, and Dr Zazie Todd, author of the and recent book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ella Rhodes. Script edits by Matthew Warren. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music by Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Artwork by Tim Grimshaw. Relevant research and writing from our guests includes: : a blog written by Zazie Todd Several articles by Kristyn Vitale and colleagues: /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/24284490

Ep 30: The psychology of superstitions 05/13/2022

Ep 30: The psychology of superstitions From carefully avoiding cracks in the pavement to saluting every magpie that you meet, superstitious behaviour is really common. But why do we have superstitions? Where do they come from? And are they helpful or harmful? To find out, our presenter talks to , former professor of psychology at Connecticut College and author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition. Ginny also chats to , professor of communication at the University of California Davis, who explains how superstition and magical thinking is linked to being a fan of both fiction and sports. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ginny Smith. Script edits by Matthew Warren. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music by Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work by Tim Grimshaw. Relevant research and writing from our guests includes: and , both by Laramie Taylor and discussed in the podcast. , an article at Skeptical Inquirer in which Stuart Vyse discusses some of the work mentioned in this episode. , an extract from Vyse's book Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition, published at The Atlantic. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/23098904

Ep 29: Why do people share false information — and what can we do about it? 01/26/2022

Ep 29: Why do people share false information — and what can we do about it? Why do people share false information? In this episode, our presenters and Jon Sutton explore the psychology of misinformation. They hear about the factors that make people more or less likely to share misinformation, discuss strategies to correct false information, and learn how to talk to someone who is promoting conspiracy theories. Our guests, in order of appearance, are , Professor of Psychology at the University of Westminster, and , senior research scientist at Northeastern University’s Network Science Institute. Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ginny Smith, with additional reporting by Jon Sutton. Script edits by Matthew Warren. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music by Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work by Tim Grimshaw. Relevant research from our guests includes: /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/21901796

Ep 28: Why songs get stuck in our heads 10/15/2021

Ep 28: Why songs get stuck in our heads In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith explores the psychology of earworms. Ginny hears about the possible evolutionary reasons for why we experience the phenomenon, learns what earworms can teach us about memory — and finds out how to get rid of them. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/20826287

Episode 27: The Psychologist presents… at Latitude Festival 2021 — Child food poverty 08/16/2021

Episode 27: The Psychologist presents… at Latitude Festival 2021 — Child food poverty At Latitude Festival in Suffolk in July, The Psychologist Editor Dr Jon Sutton hosted a conversation in The Listening Post with Greta Defeyter, Professor of Developmental Psychology and founder and Director of the "Healthy Living" Lab at Northumbria University. An expert on food insecurity, social injustice, school feeding programmes and holiday hunger, Professor Defeyter considered why children go hungry, what we can do about it, and how her own experiences of poverty have shaped her. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/20154251

Ep 26: How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected our mental health? 08/03/2021

Ep 26: How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected our mental health? In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith talks to researchers who have been conducting work throughout the pandemic to understand the toll that it has taken on our wellbeing. Ginny learns about the different factors that can make us more or less vulnerable to these effects, finds out how pregnant women have fared during this stressful time, and also hears about emerging data that finds links between the virus itself and mental health conditions. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/20017670

Ep 25: How to change your personality 05/18/2021

Ep 25: How to change your personality Are our personalities set in stone, or can we choose to change them? In this bonus episode, Matthew Warren talks to former Research Digest editor Christian Jarrett about his new book, "Be Who You Want: Unlocking the Science of Personality Change". Christian discusses the evidence-based methods you can use to alter your personality, and explains how our personalities evolve over the course of our lifespans, even when we’re not consciously trying to change them. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/19145981

Ep 24: How Children Learn Through Play 04/13/2021

Ep 24: How Children Learn Through Play What role does play have in child development? In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith talks to some top play researchers to find out how children learn new skills and concepts through play, and explores what teachers and parents can do to encourage this kind of learning. Ginny also discovers how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way kids play and learn. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/18691781

Ep 23: Whose psychology is it anyway? Making psychological research more representative 01/21/2021

Ep 23: Whose psychology is it anyway? Making psychological research more representative Emily Reynolds, staff writer at Research Digest, explores modern psychology’s relationship with race and representation. How does psychology's focus on White American participants shape the assumptions we make about people of different racial identities or cultures? And what can top-tier psychology journals do to improve diversity among not only participants but also authors and editors? /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/17634239

Ep 22: Drifting Minds — Maladaptive Daydreaming And The Hypnagogic State 11/03/2020

Ep 22: Drifting Minds — Maladaptive Daydreaming And The Hypnagogic State Ella Rhodes, Journalist for The Psychologist, explores the boundaries between wakefulness and dreaming. What can we can learn about consciousness from the strange transition period between being awake and asleep, known as hypnagogia? And why do some people experience visions and imaginings that take them away for hours at a time? /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/16665539

Ep 21: How To Stay Connected In The "New Normal" 09/02/2020

Ep 21: How To Stay Connected In The "New Normal" What can we do to stay connected in the middle of a pandemic? Our presenter Ginny Smith looks at how video chats compare to in-person interaction, and how psychology could help improve virtual communication in the future. She also examines the importance of touch for reducing stress — and asks whether interactions with our furry friends could make up for a lack of human contact. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/15854900

Episode 20 03/02/2020

Episode 20 What can psychology teach us about dealing with pain? Our presenter Ginny Smith learns that swearing can have a pain-reducing effect, and puts the theory to the test with an experiment on editor Matthew Warren. Ginny also hears about how virtual reality could provide a welcome distraction to patients suffering from chronic pain. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/13340918

Episode 19 01/28/2020

Episode 19 Do we worry too much about screen time? The issue of screen use by children and teenagers is rarely out of the headlines — but what does the science say? To find out, our presenter Ella Rhodes talks to Dr Amy Orben, Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge and winner of the 2019 BPS award for Outstanding Doctoral Research, who has explored the psychological effects of screen time in her research. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/12902414

Episode 18 09/09/2019

Episode 18 Can psychology help us become more creative? Our presenter Ginny Smith learns how we can develop our creativity with practice, and discovers that our best “Eureka” moments often come when we step away from the task at hand. She also investigates how members of the public fare with the riddles psychologists use to study creative problem solving — see how you get on at home. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/11177216

Episode 17 07/23/2019

Episode 17 Can psychology help make running more enjoyable? Our presenter Christian Jarrett speaks to several experts about various strategies including "cognitive reappraisal" and the benefits of taking part in organised runs. He also hears how some of us are genetically disposed to find running less enjoyable than others, and why that isn't an excuse for giving up. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/10623962

Episode 16 (bonus episode) 05/03/2019

Episode 16 (bonus episode) Ella Rhodes, journalist for The Psychologist magazine, delves into the growing body of research exploring aphantasia – a condition she has personal experience of. While most people can see images formed in their minds people with aphantasia draw a blank, what might this mean for autobiographical memory, face perception and imagination? Our guests, in order of appearance, are: at the University of Westminster and at the University of Exeter. Background resources for this episode: . . . . . . . . Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ella Rhodes. Mixing Jeff Knowler. Music Sincere Love by Monplaisir. PsychCrunch theme music Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work Tim Grimshaw. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/9636179

Episode 15 03/19/2019

Episode 15 Mindfulness is everywhere these days, but is it really as beneficial as it's often made out to be? Our presenter Ginny Smith hears from clinical psychologist Dr Catherine Wikholm (co-author of The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You?); she visits the Cambridge Buddha Centre to meet people who have taken up mindfulness meditation; and she discusses some of the latest mindfulness research trials with Professor Barney Dunn, a clinical psychologist at Exeter University. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/9060209

Episode 14 11/07/2018

Episode 14 This is Episode 14 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology help your cooking taste better? Our presenter Ginny Smith hears about the importance of food presentation, pairing and sequencing, and how our perception of food is a multi-sensory experience. She and her friends conduct a taste test using "sonic seasonings" that you can also try at home. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/7467818

Episode 13 08/29/2018

Episode 13 Can psychology help us to learn better? Our presenter Christian Jarrett discovers the best evidence-backed strategies for learning, including the principle of spacing, the benefits of testing yourself and teaching others. He also hears about the perils of overconfidence and the lack of evidence for popular educational ideas like "learning styles" and "brain gym". /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/6981440

Episode 12 06/27/2018

Episode 12 Can psychology help us to be funnier? Our presenter Ginny Smith hears how a key ingredient of humour is "incongruity" and the surprise of unexpected meanings. Individual words too can be amusing, but actually most of the time we laugh not because we've seen or heard a joke, but as a natural part of friendly interaction. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/6749411

Episode 11 02/21/2018

Episode 11 This is Episode 11 of PsychCrunch the podcast from the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/6284678

Episode 10 11/01/2017

Episode 10 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. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/5898823

Episode 9 02/21/2017

Episode 9 This is Episode 9 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, sponsored by . Can psychology help us work together better in teams? Our presenter 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: (Essec Business School), (Research Digest writer), and (University of Queensland). Studies discussed in the episode: Related resources from The Psychologist: and Episode credits: Presented and produced by . Mixing and editing . Vox pops Ella Rhodes. PsychCrunch theme music Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Additional music Zander Sehkri/Zeroday Productions (via ). Art work Tim Grimshaw. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/5103876

Episode 8 11/07/2016

Episode 8 This is Episode 8 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by . Can we trust psychological studies? We speak to , of Oxford University and Yale University, about how to respond when we're told repeatedly that the veracity of eye-catching findings, or even cherished theories, has come under scrutiny. Brian also talks about his own experience of publishing a failed replication attempt – a must-listen for any researchers who are fearful of publishing their own negative findings. Find Brian on Twitter Episode credits: Presented and produced by . Mixing and editing . PsychCrunch theme music Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Additional music Legrand Jones (via Pond5). Art work Tim Grimshaw. Studies discussed: See also (pdf) and . Related articles and resources: including video of on the crisis held by the British Psychological Society. Commentary pieces by Brian Earp: An open review of the draft paper entitled "Replication initiatives will not salvage the trustworthiness of psychology" by James C. Coyne /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/4810482

Episode 7 08/09/2016

Episode 7 This is Episode Seven of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by . 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 ( and ), (Staffordshire University) and (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). Studies discussed in the episode include: . Episode credits: Presented and produced by . Mixing engineer . PsychCrunch theme music Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Additional music Vincent Pedulla and Jeffrey Peterson (via Pond5). Art work Tim Grimshaw. /episode/index/show/psychcrunch/id/4578138

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