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.
- Update frequency
- every 9 days
- Average duration
- 43 minutes
- Episodes
- 60
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2022
Taste & Flavor Psychology: Food for thought
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 tas…
[RERUN] Melancholy: The uplifting psychology of sadness
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 sup…
Touch Psychology: Our most hands-on research
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, relat…
Smell & Odor Psychology: The nose knows
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…
[RERUN] Aging: Water other people's tulips
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…
Cold & Flu Psychology: Nothing to sneeze at
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 oth…
The Milgram Studies: Obedience, conformity, or ideology?
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 litt…
Parapsychology: Our most haunting research yet
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:
I…
The positive side of negative emotions: Juicing the machine
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:
In…
Changing public opinion: part 2 of 2
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 po…
Changing public opinion: part 1 of 2
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 ch…
Rituals: Can deodorant swipes improve performance and connection?
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 psyc…
Toxic Positivity (with Whitney Goodman)
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 ha…
Compassion: Sharing your fries and comics
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 se…
Power & Powerlessness: Escaping the power paradox
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 "pow…
[RERUN] Hope & Helplessness
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 …
Celebrating Black History Month with Black-led Research
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 …
Self-Love & Self-Compassion: What's (self-) love got to do with it?
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 s…
Guilt Proneness & Hyper-Responsibility: Thanks a lot, Uncle Ben
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-re…
Placebo & Nocebo Effects: The power of nothing
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 …