Talk Psych to Me

Talk Psych to Me

Let's get psychology out of the lab and into the streets. Join hosts Tania Luna (psychology researcher) and Brian Luna (total layperson) as they turn fascinating research into practical tips for getting better at being human.

Episodes

November 29, 2022 52 mins

The next episode in our exploration of the human senses: this time we dig into the psychology of taste. We discuss neurogastronomy, how emotions and sensations impact flavor, comfort foods, super tasters,  picky eaters, food aversions, and Brian's stance on the best sodas.

Let's chew on this topic together:
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodcast 
Twitter: @talkpsych2me 
Email: tp2mpodcast@gmail.com 

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Lots of sad things are happening in our lives right now and in the lives of many people we love. So this week, we're replaying our 2020 episode on the psychology of melancholy. 

 For mental health support please call SAMHSA's National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) 

Talk psych to us:
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodcast 
Twitter: @talkpsych2me 
Email: tp2mpodcast@gmail.com 

Co-hosted by...

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Over the next few episodes, we'll be talking about the psychology of our senses. 

On this episode, we touch on the surprising psychology of touch: how it impacts our communication, associations, relationships, influence, and wellbeing. 

Keep in touch!
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodcast 
Twitter: @talkpsych2me 
Email: tp2mpodcast@gmail.com 

Co-hosted by Brian Luna and Tania Luna 
Theme m...

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October 18, 2022 56 mins

Over the next few episodes, we'll be talking about the psychology of our senses. This week, we're stopping to admire and explore the little-known psychology of smell, including: smell evolution, odor evaluation, smell and memory, social odors, olfactory dysfunction, and the world's worst scent.

Let us nose what you think!
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodcast 
Twitter: @talkpsych2me 
Email: tp2mpodcas...

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Tania's birthday is this week, so we're rerunning our episode on the psychology of age and aging.

Does being slightly older or slightly younger than your classmates in school impact you later in life? (Spoiler alert: yes!) What are some of the benefits of aging? And what advice do older adults have that we should all pay attention to today?

Talk psych to us:
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodcast 
Tw...

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September 20, 2022 50 mins

In honor of Brian’s sniffles, we’re exploring the psychology of “sickness behavior.” What are the psychological symptoms of colds and flus? What makes some of us more susceptible to sickness than others? And is it possible that our germs are controlling our actions?

Cough up your questions:
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodcast 
Twitter: @talkpsych2me 
Email: tp2mpodcast@gmail.com 

Co-hosted by Brian Luna a...

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Were the infamous Milgram Experiments evidence of obedience, conformity, ideology, or something more sinister about human nature? 

Join us for a deep dive of the shocking ;) research and its many little-known replications. We’ll explore why good people sometimes do bad things, and Tania will recreate the Milgram experiment to see if Brian will follow orders to inflict pain. 

Talk psych to us:
Instagram: @talkp...

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Set your skepticism aside and come explore the psychology of the paranormal! From ghost sightings to clairvoyance, we examine the research behind our most mysterious human experiences.

Come haunt us:
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodcast
Twitter: @talkpsych2me
Email: tp2mpodcast@gmail.com

Co-hosted by Brian Luna and Tania Luna
Theme music by Barrie Gledden, Kes Loy, and Richard Kimmings

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What's good about feeling bad? In this episode, we explore the psychology of emotional complexity, how to benefit from unpleasant emotions, and the upside of being down.

Share your feelings with us:
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodcast
Twitter: @talkpsych2me
Email: tp2mpodcast@gmail.com

Co-hosted by Brian Luna and Tania Luna
Theme music by Barrie Gledden, Kes Loy, and Richard Kimmings

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July 26, 2022 55 mins

Calling all activists and change-makers! In our last episode, we tackled the topic of direct influence. This time, we explore the research on framing, protests, mass media, influencers, and public policy. Which of them has the power to change our minds?

The complete meta-analysis we reference in this episode is available here: https://www.sentienceinstitute.org/public-opinion

Come share your opinion:
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July 12, 2022 59 mins

In this two-parter, we explore findings on public opinion change.  Is it even possible to change people's minds and, if so, how the heck do you do it? This is a great episode for anyone looking to change one mind or one million.

The complete meta-analysis we reference in this episode is available here: https://www.sentienceinstitute.org/public-opinion

Come share your opinion:
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodc...

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Is Brian's morning ritual of doing a set number of deodorant swipes an odd quirk or is it a legitimate strategy to improve performance, reduce anxiety, and spark connection? Come learn about the psychology of ritual and how you can put it to good use in your own life.

Make it your ritual to connect with us!
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodcast
Twitter: @talkpsych2me
Email: tp2mpodcast@gmail.com

Co-hos...

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This week author and psychotherapist Whitney Goodman joins the show to talk about toxic positivity.  Find out if your attempts to be positive actually cause harm and how to stop saying "everything happens for a reason" and "at least you still have your health"!

Learn more:

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Why is it that so many of us have the urge to help others, and what stands in our way? Discover the many surprising benefits of compassion (from accelerating your healing factor to increasing your sexiness), and add even more meaning and fulfillment to your life.

Feeling compassionate? Here are some of our favorite organizations supporting the urgent situation in Ukraine:

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What happens to us when we get pumped up on power or deflated by powerlessness?  Does power corrupt us or does it set us free? And how can we escape, what psychologist  Dacher Keltner calls, the "power paradox"?

Do you have the power to help people and animals in Ukraine? Here are some of our favorite organizations in urgent need of donations:

You have the power...

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February 24, 2022 40 mins

With a war looming in Ukraine (where Tania was born), many of us need a whole lot more hope right now. So we're pulling one of our earliest episodes from our archive on the psychology of hope, first aired on Jan 25, 2020. We talk about the difference between hope and optimism, the truth behind learned helplessness, and how to bulk up our hope muscles.

We hope to hear from you at:
Instagram:
@talkpsychtomepodcast

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In this episode, we celebrate Black History Month by spotlighting some Black psychologists whose research has had profound impacts. We talk stereotype threat, implicit bias, Optimal Psychology, and  attempt to recreate the famous Doll Test on an adult(ish) man.

Researchers mentioned include: Francis Sumner, Inez Prosser, Solomon Fuller, Maxie Maultsby, Jr., Mamie Clark, Kenneth Clark, Diane Byrd, Toni Sturdivant, Iliana Al...

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In this episode we investigate whether there's truth to the saying "you can't love someone until you love yourself." Join the conversation to discover your love style and build your self-compassion skills.

Show us some love:
Instagram:
@talkpsychtomepodcast
Email: tp2mpodcast@gmail.com

Produced by Scarlet Moon Things
Co-hosted by Brian Luna and Tania Luna
Edited by Alyssa Greene 
Theme music by...

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Do you ever feel like no matter how much you do, you’re still not doing enough? To get to the bottom of that emotion, Tania and Brian talk about the psychology of guilt, guilt proneness, and hyper-responsibility. Come take a guilt trip with us to discover the benefits, risks, and alternatives to chronic guilt. We spent hours making this episode -- the least you can do is listen ;) 

You never call, you never write. But if y...

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In this episode, Tania attempts to induce the nocebo effect -- placebo's evil twin -- on Brian. They explore placebo research (in areas ranging from pain to creativity), why it works, and how to put it to good use! It turns out "mind over matter" really does matter.
 
P.S. Because we mentioned drug use in this episode, we also wanted to mention the SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357. Get free and confid...

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