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.

Episodes

Professional Wrestling

September 20, 2023 • 45 mins
Sorry for Abraham's poor mic quality this episode! It'll be back to normal next time. Why do people become pro wrestlers? Why do people watch professional wrestling? This semi-ancient/semi-recent theatre is underrated for the real risk and exploitation of the performers. But it ropes people in with it's narrative story, athletic performances, and incredible stunts. Listen in for the deep dive into the psychology of professional wre...
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Breaux

September 13, 2023 • 48 mins
David Henry Breaux was a kind, beloved person with a tragic story. In a rare instance of profiling a single individual, we use this inspiring story to talk about what compassion is.

Recommendations
Links:
  1. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/03/california-town-mourns-compassion-guy
  2. ...
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Veganitarianism

September 6, 2023 • 66 mins
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 almost took the place of veganism, critique Peta, and talk about why people do it?

Recommendations


L...
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History of Slavery pt 2

August 30, 2023 • 44 mins
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.

Recommendations


Links:
  1. https://youtu.be/Ajn9g5Gsv98
  2. https://restavekfreedom.org/2018/09/11/the-history-of-slave...
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History of Slavery pt 1

August 23, 2023 • 49 mins
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 retrospective analysis of this practice. We pull no punches in our discussion about what slavery entailed and how it developed.
WARNING: Contains topics that some listeners may find upsetting (torture, child abuse, sexual assault)

Recommendations
  • Abraham: Dawn Platinum EZ Squeeze...
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Nostalgia: What Happened to Asperger Syndrome?

August 16, 2023 • 56 mins
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 that have happened since this episode published, including a serious revelation about Dr. Hans Asperger himself...

Recommendations

Links:
  • Barahona-Corrêa, J. B., & Filipe, C. N...
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Speaking in Tongues

August 9, 2023 • 48 mins
Divine gift? Neurological breakdown? Sims? No matter what you think is the attributible variable, speaking in tongues involves humans doing things, and therefore falls into the realm of psychology and into our diabolically skeptical hands. We explore the facts and features of speaking in tongues and its history.

Recommendations
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Excited Delirium

August 2, 2023 • 48 mins
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 neurobabble pseudoscience used to justify thousands of murders every year. Join on us on our debunking mission.

Recommendations
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Naked

July 26, 2023 • 57 mins
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" most of the time. We explore nudism, where it came from, where it is, and why people do it. Nudists, we salute you!

Recommendations
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Orca Party

July 19, 2023 • 58 mins
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 orcas have been demonstrating a few interesting difficult-to-explain trends since people have started paying attention. We describe what orcas have been doing, why it's interesting, and what we understand about it so far.

Recommendations
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Super Tasters

July 12, 2023 • 49 mins
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 can taste flavors that other people can't detect at all. These are the super tasters! How does it work? Why do some people have it? How can you test yourself? Find out here.

Recommendations
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Nostalgia: The Polygraph Test

July 5, 2023 • 64 mins
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 publication. Spoiler: They still don't work, Listen in to learn more.
]Links and references
  1. htpss://axeligence.com/applicant-consultants-on-polygraph-test-accuracy/#:~:text=Some%20studies%20have%20shown%20that,98%25%20for%20each%20test%20taken.
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc...
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Take the Good With the Bad

June 28, 2023 • 48 mins
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 for reward. Unless you were raised somewhere other than Western culture. How does this apply to things beyond decision making? We'll replace one of your Psych 101 classes with this theory you should know.

Recommendations
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Homeowner Associations

June 21, 2023 • 53 mins
Homeowner Associations (HOAs) are (mostly) involuntary paid memberships into systems that can regulate nearly everything about your home and life around your home. Any deviation from those regulations, real or perceived, can be met with fines, a lien on your house, mortgage takeover, and threats of jail time. Where did this sadistic practice horror come from? Racism, of course. Listen in to our deep dive into the dumpster fire that...
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Dancing Until You Drop

June 14, 2023 • 42 mins
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 serious injury. Why did they do this? We explore the known and unknown about the dancing plagues!


Recommendations
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Video Game Violence

June 7, 2023 • 64 mins
Video games often depict graphic violence, gore, and other behaviors that would be considered extremely inappropriate, immoral, and illegal. What effect does this have on the players who control these actions? Politicians point to these games as influencing the violent crimes that people commit. Fortunately, there is a lot of research so we got to the bottom of this controversial idea.

Recommendations
  • Abraham: Guardians of the G...
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Tough on Crime

May 31, 2023 • 61 mins
"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 would-be criminals? We explore the "tough on crime" policies with a critical eye.

Recommendations:
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Heroic Rats

May 24, 2023 • 44 mins
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 machine and pretty easy to train. Researchers have trained rats to use their remarkable sense of smell for a variety of heroic deeds that are saving many human lives. These are their stories... dun dun.

Recommendations
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Scientology, Allegedly

May 17, 2023 • 68 mins
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 choose to take on this litigious behemoth? Because they are staunchly anti-psychology while claiming to be science. Ripe for the plucking.

Recommendations
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If These Flags Could Talk

May 10, 2023 • 53 mins
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 do we use them? What do we use them for? A lot more interesting than you might think.

Recommendations
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