social and politics

The Placebo Effect

There are a lot of factors that help to regulate our overall health and wellness. If we are content in our lives and relationships, we are more likely to be healthy. If we exercise and eat well, we reap the benefits in our mind and body. Also, as recent studies by Ted Kaptchuck and others show,...




social and politics

Uncut Special: Art Explains Research on How Dogs Read Human Facial Expressions

This is too good to leave on the cutting room floor. Dr. Art Markman explains new research on how dogs read human facial expressions and what it could tell us about how they think.




social and politics

Dognition

We are as transfixed as you are by the Westminster Dog Show. So on this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about why we want to know what our lovely pups are thinking.




social and politics

Theatre

It might seem odd that when we have so much entertainment at our fingertips every day that anyone still treks out to see live theatre. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, psychologically we may get more from a visit to our local...




social and politics

Creation

Tearing something down is quick, easy, and very gratifying. What is more time-consuming and difficult is creating, building, and constructing. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, the reasons why we are more likely to criticize than create aren’t just about effort.




social and politics

Accountability

We might think that in order to keep order in our households, workplaces, or classrooms, that it’s important to hold people accountable for their negative behavior. However, what that can lead to is a playing field that allows for either nothing to happen or punishment. It is more important to focus on the behaviors we...




social and politics

Boredom (Re-broadcast)

It seems that people today carry with them the constant mantra “I’m so busy.” It can be tough to juggle work, kids, and life in general, but a lot of that feeling of being overwhelmed may be our own fault. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markaman and Dr. Bob...




social and politics

#AustinBombings

In this special edition of Two Guys on Your Head Dr. Art Markman and Rebecca McInroy talk about the psychology of the current moment in Austin and how to negotiate moving forward following the traumatic events of this month.




social and politics

Extra: Talking To Kids About The Recent Bombings in Austin

Dr. Art Markman offers some advice on how to talk to your children about the Austin bombings.




social and politics

Guns (Re-broadcast)

In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology behind both sides of America’s ongoing debate about firearms and gun control.




social and politics

Dissapointment

There are many reasons we might not be happy with the decisions we make, but it turns out not many of them have to do with the actual choice. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of disappointment.




social and politics

Zeigarnik Effect

Completing all the tasks we have to do during the day can be exhausting, but we might not realize the fatigue we feel due to all of the things we leave undone. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the Zeigarnik effect. Also, check...




social and politics

Charisma and Leadership

It turns out you can have too much of a good thing when it comes to your charismatic leader. On this week’s edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore why that is.




social and politics

Leadership and Motivation

Leadership is not as easy as it might appear. At times even leaders themselves might not be aware of everything that makes their leadership effective. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about leadership and they muse about how it’s easy to work harder than...




social and politics

Attention Spans

“People just don’t have the attention spans they used to,” is a popular refrain. But on this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, we ask Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke if there’s any truth to it.




social and politics

Time, Attention, and How To Complete Tasks

Time is important, especially when it comes to the brain. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about how our brains process and understand Time, and how we can reorient out goals within tasks to stay motivated and get more done.




social and politics

Negotiation

Negotiation is a complicated process. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about some psychological elements that can make it a little easier.




social and politics

Negotiation, Power, and Ourselves

Framing negotiations in terms of winning and losing w can set us up for disappointment, not only when it comes to how we negotiate with others but also how we negotiate with ourselves. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke off some other options that might...




social and politics

Online Privacy (Rebroadcast)

Understanding what we want to make public and what we want to keep private might seem like an easy choice. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head when it comes to life online, our brains aren’t quite equipped to navigate the complexity of...




social and politics

Value (Rebroadcast)

Humans may take the card we swipe for granted at the grocery store when we buy food. We might look at our bank balance and not even think of how unique it is that we can translate those little numbers into experiences and things. It’s merely one of the benefits of having big brains. In...




social and politics

Money and Happiness (Rebroadcast)

The idea that money doesn’t make you happy is easy to get behind if you have it, but if you don’t it’s a hard one to buy into (pun intended). Yet the correlation to money and happiness is more complicated then one might think. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art...




social and politics

DNA Testing

As humans, we like to categorize, and with services like Ancestry.com and 23 and Me, we have new ways to figure out where we fit and where we don’t. But what can we really find out that we don’t already know? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr....




social and politics

Confidence

We might think that confidence is a performance and that some people are more believable than others because they exude a certainty that we don’t have. However, it turns out that confidence comes with experience and knowledge, and that having some hesitation about accuracy can be beneficial. In this edition of Two Guys on Your...




social and politics

Editing

When we’re just starting out as writers or artists it can be hard for us to go back to the drawing board after we’ve composed the first draft. But why is it easier to be willing to edit after years of experience? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and...




social and politics

Flip-Flopping

Last week’s conversation on editing left us thinking, maybe one reason why people are hesitant to edit their work is that they might be seen as going back on their ideas, or flip-flopping. In this week’s edition of Two Guys on Your Head Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about why flip-flopping is seen...




social and politics

Cognition and Civic Engagement

Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with professors Art Markman and Bob Duke as they talk about the psychology of social activism, the effectiveness of deterrence, and the health consequences of negative emotions. Views and Brews is free and open to the public, hope to see you at the Cactus soon!




social and politics

Framing Discourse

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in a debate that it doesn’t occur to us to change the frame of the conversation. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, it’s always important to find new ways to talk about and think about...




social and politics

Jerks (Rebroadcast)

This week, the Two Guys On Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke, will toss around the topic of jerks – and provide some insightful, doctor prescribed strategies for handling difficult people in our lives.




social and politics

Civility

We may think that civil discourse is a good idea, but when it gets down to practicing it how skilled are we? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke take on the psychology of civility.




social and politics

Belief Revision

Say a store you love changes hands and you aren’t too fond of the new place. So why do you continue to go back to the store when you know it’s not the same? Turns out a lot of psychology goes into the decision-making process around this dilemma. On this edition of Two Guys on...




social and politics

Money and Happiness (Update)

A few months ago, we rebroadcast an episode on Money and Happiness. The show focused on research into whether money brings happiness. The researchers’ conclusion was that money helps, but happiness is contingent on what we spend it on. If we buy experiences rather than things, chances were we would be happier people. Turns out...




social and politics

Praise (Rebroadcast)

“Hey, you know, you’re really good at that.” That feels good to hear, doesn’t it? Praise always feels good to hear, but not all praise motivates us to try new things, challenge ourselves or deal with failure. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss how...




social and politics

The Cheerleader Effect

A few weeks ago we came across an article on “The Cheerleader Effect,” or the idea that people seem more attractive in a group than in isolation. Although there does seem to be evidence that this is true, we couldn’t help but speculate as to why. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head,...




social and politics

Time

Time flies when you’re having fun, the old saying goes. But how can time – maybe the most fundamental concept of the universe – feel different under different conditions? On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke – break down the factors influencing our perception of time.




social and politics

Weaponizing Anger

Anger is an interesting emotion. It creates energy and can be contagious, it can also motivate you to act. But it’s not always the most effective form of motivation if you want to get people to think and work together to create change. On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman...




social and politics

How We Learn Language (Rebroadcast)

Can you remember what it was like for you to learn your native language?  Probably not, but why is that? As humans, we begin learning to speak our native language during the earliest stages of our lives, in infancy.  Most people don’t have many accessible memories from this period of development. How do we do...




social and politics

Reinvention

When and why do we take risks? What goes into the process of remaking yourself at any age or stage of life? What is the role of grief when we talk about reinvention? These are some of the questions we discussed with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke at a recent Views and Brews...




social and politics

Gaslighting

We might feel like we’ve been duped when we believe a lie someone has told us, and we may want to crawl in a hole when we share “fake news” on Facebook. But in actuality, we have evolved to trust vs. to question, which is why our tendency toward credulity if easily taken advantage of....




social and politics

Scooter Culture

We might fancy ourselves as responsible, socially conscious people, but when new technologies such as communal scooters are introduced into our environments all that can easily fly out the window. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of scooter culture in Austin.




social and politics

Metaphors and Framing Discourse

Many times we use metaphors not only to illustrate what we are talking about but also to denote that we belong in a certain group. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of metaphors and framing discourse.




social and politics

Sugar And The Brain (Rebroadcast)

Why is it hard to have just one of those delicious slices of pound cake over the holidays? Well, it turns out it has less to do with the creamy butter and more to do with the way our brains react to those sweet white grains of sugar. In this edition of Two Guys on...




social and politics

Greed (Rebroadcast)

Is greed good?  Is greed a human instinct?  Why are some people inclined to hoard? For some individuals, greed and selfishness are much more commonly displayed than generosity. So, it might be fair to say greed feels more natural for some. On the other hand, most might say they favor unselfishness. In this installment of...




social and politics

Data (Amended)

Humans are not rational beings, and when it comes to data this is blindingly evident. On this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about data and the brain.




social and politics

Status

Status is a double-edged sword. On the one hand having status can give you access to opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have, and on the other losing it can be very hard to deal with psychologically. On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology...




social and politics

Thanksgiving (Rebroadcast)

For many of us, Thanksgiving means spending time with our families, carrying out traditions that we’ve practiced for years. While it can be very stressful, messy, and challenging to spend time with family members you don’t see very often, it can also be a beautiful time of re-centering. Traditions serve a psychological function. By repeating...




social and politics

Leadership and Being Liked

If you’re in a leadership position you know you have to make some difficult decisions. Some of those decisions might put you in the doghouse for a while, but if you are motivated by the good of the group as opposed to the need to be liked, things tend to work out better. In this...




social and politics

Leadership and Trust

On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke continue their discussion on leadership with a look at the psychology of leadership and the importance of trust.




social and politics

Honesty & Happiness

If you’ve caught yourself wanting to lie in a social situation, you’re not alone. Honesty is a huge part of trust in every relationship but can be difficult to maintain across all sorts of interactions. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about honesty and happiness.




social and politics

Exercise & Sleep

The two cheapest and easiest things we can do for our health is sleep more and exercise more, so why don’t we do it? Sleep and exercise have an immense impact on physical and mental health both in the moment and for your future self. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr....




social and politics

Resolution [Re-Broadcast]

Happy 2019! It’s that time of the year when we resolve to drink less, exercise more, save money, etc. It may feel really good to intend to do “better” in the new year, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke  explain in this 2015 edition of Two Guys on Your Head, real change takes planning and hard work.