Labels are an essential part of distinguishing between one another but they can also pigeonhole one’s sense of identity. How can we adjust our approach to labeling mental illnesses, particularly in children, in a communally constructive way? On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss labels.

We’re used to seeing certain people in one context, but why do we get so thrown off when we see them elsewhere? How do cultural differences in collectivism and individualism shape the way we may perceive people in a variety of settings? On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss acquaintances...

In the heat of the moment, revenge can be an appealing idea to consider but often it has devastating results with fleeting satisfaction. Revenge narratives permeate popular media and we dislike when a wrongdoer goes unpunished, so why don’t we actually decide to carry out justice ourselves? On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr....

When we invest a lot into something, be it a relationship, job, or even a used car, it can be tough to cut your losses and start anew. So why are we so prone to sticking with it rather than moving on? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke...

What we refer to as “reverse psychology” is more or less a strategy of deception based on expected defiance, and any short term gratification is often met with long term problems. So why has reverse psychology become such a trope in parenting or dealing with contrarians? On this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art...

From seeing a UFO to advancing a conspiracy theory, often the simplest explanation is the most likely one. Yet we still tend to fancy convoluted ideas with lots of moving parts, just because they sound good to us. On this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss Occam’s Razor.

We live in an era with push notifications and all-day news coverage, but is keeping up to date with the latest development really that important? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss 24 hour news cycle.

We judge our own actions on our intentions, yet we take other people’s behaviors at face value. Is it acceptable to do something virtuous in light of ill intent? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss actions and intentions.

When thinking about the concept of a “micro aggression”, what we’re really doing is subscribing to signal detection theory. What is the theory and how does it come into play when we’re dissecting the behaviors of others? In the first episode of this two-part conversation on Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss...

We’ve covered what signal detection theory is, so how does it come up when we assign labels to behaviors that could be considered “micro aggressions”? Are there significant benefits to these labels? In the second episode of this two-part conversation on Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke continue their discussion on signal detection....

Dating back to when we were kids, two weeks into the future seems a lot longer than two weeks in the past. Even as adults we know two weeks is the same length regardless of when it takes place and yet we still experience this asymmetrical mindset. In this episode of Two Guys on Your...

As tax day nears, it’s not a bad idea to look at our spending habits. Typically when we experience a windfall, we tend to spend more. When we come up short, we spend less. So although objectively we should maintain an average amount of spending, our financial habits continue to be influenced by how much...

A psychological study with null results is less likely to be published than one with surprising results, so it’s no wonder researchers tailor and conduct experiments with a preferred outcome in mind. So why is it so difficult to replicate a popular study around the time of its initial publication? In this episode of Two...

A new idea that matches our beliefs is easy to latch onto and one that contradicts us makes us try and find reasons why it’s false. In an age of information-seeking, how can we best judge “the facts”? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss accepting and dismissing information.

A new idea that matches our beliefs is easy to latch onto and one that contradicts us makes us try and find reasons why it’s false. In an age of information-seeking, how can we best judge “the facts”? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss accepting and dismissing...

In psychology, the “Dark Triad” refers to narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. How do we identify those who are “high in the Dark Triad” and in what ways can these people be detrimental to our professional or personal life? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss the Dark Triad.

Looking back, we tend to associate our legacy with accomplishments in our career and we rarely think about the value of our work in the moment. Yet a personal sense legacy can be derived from a number of meaningful things outside the workplace, even if we’re not considering them right now. On this episode of...

For some, completing a task the moment it arises is of utmost importance. But if you do something to completion far ahead of its deadline, you may miss out on important information. On this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss “pre-crastination”.

Even though we know how unreliable our visual memory is, we still put a huge amount of stock into what someone says they saw. Why is an eyewitness account so important in legal proceedings and beyond, and why should we question the value of an eyewitness testimony? On this episode of Two Guys on Your...

What is joy? That is the question that prompted this week’s edition of Two Guys on Your Head with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke. You might vaguely understand the definition of joy, but when it comes to the psychology of joy the more know the better equip you are to set yourself up...

Listen back to a Views and Brews discussion, recorded live at The Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas, about “The Psychology of Risk and Reinvention” with Two Guys on Your Head. Join KUT’s Rebecca Mcinroy along with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke to explore when and why we take risks, and what goes into...

KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about why it’s so important to diversify your interests. What is unhealthy about a one track mind? And why is it important to step outside our brain’s comfort zone?

We might think the idea of happiness and joy are interchangeable, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss on this episode Two Guys on Your Head they are very different.

It turns out when it comes to magic it’s more about psychology than it is hocus pocus. On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the role our perceptual system plays in understanding trickery.

There are many types of advice, some good and others not so good. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of giving and taking advice.

Mentorships can be helpful if they are set up well. Yet as Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke point out, so often they’re not.

KUT’s Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about when and why to say “thank  you.”

KUT’s Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the role of praise in motivating change.

We know our minds are our bodies, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about on this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, how these connections work is more complex than we might think.

Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about some problems with research on embodied cognition and look at what it means and what it doesn’t.

Growing pains are inevitable, and the frustration associated with them can often magnify existing issues or create new ones altogether. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of population – and why this all matters.

From a Views and Brews recorded live at the Cactus Cafe KUT’s Rebecca McInroy talks with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke about the psychology behind how to interviewing for a job.

Is empathy inherently a good thing? It turns out, not always. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of empathy.

We may be drawn to loud sounds in the environment, but do we really know why? On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of volume.

In light of recent events, we are rebroadcasting an edition of Two Guys on Your Head with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke about the psychology behind both sides of America’s ongoing debate about firearms and gun control.

Most of us know what we need to do to be healthy, even if we don’t always do it. However, when a doctor prescribes a medication for what ails us we might take it more seriously. So what happens psychologically when a doctor prescribes a social activity to heal our ills? In this edition of...

Our environment affects our thinking in ways beyond our conscious awareness; even if we happen to be scientists. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about science and society.

What is the real problem when you feel inadequate? How can you help yourself overcome it when you recognize it? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about The Imposter Syndrome.

Why do we continue to believe in ideas that sound scientific long after they have been scientifically proven to be incorrect? That is the question that Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke take on in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head.

In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about how to rethink your approach to work for a happier life.

It turns out the idea that women are better than men at multitasking is not true at all. In fact, men and women are equally bad at multitasking, however, why does this notion persist? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke take on multitasking and gender.

Why can experiencing art in a museum be significant? It turns out there’s much more to it than just the pictures on the walls. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of museums and art.

***This episode references guns and suicide and may be upsetting for some of our listeners*** Data can be a tricky thing to bring into discussions around guns and suicide. As Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, being more critical about the way information is...

Listen back to Two Guys on Your Head recorded live at The Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas for a Views and Brews, as KUT’s Rebecca McInroy talks with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke about the psychology of happiness. Many people chase after goals that seem to them important and promising—getting into the right...

Listen back to Two Guys on Your Head recorded live at The Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas for a Views and Brews, as KUT’s Rebecca McInroy talks with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke about the psychology of happiness. In this episode, we answer an audience question about money and happiness.

It turns out there is a lot to learn about when studying the psychology of near misses. One thing we learn is that the memories of these events–like the time you almost ran into a tree with your bike, or the time you stuck your head out of a moving train and then pulled it...

We may underestimate the role that our emotions of an event play in our memory of that event. But it turns out there are ways to manipulate those memories and separate the emotion out; even from Flashbulb memories. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke talk...

There is an observation in psychology that looks at how people behave when they have not lived up to the expectations they set for themselves; the “What The Hell Effect.” In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke talk about, not only what it is, but why...

There is an observation in psychology that looks at how people behave when they have not lived up to the expectations they set for themselves; The What The Hell Effect. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke discussion about TWTHE and how it relates to identity,...

When it comes to the holidays, how important is the day, psychologically, that we celebrate? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the importance rituals in marking time, and the way in which we can alleviate stress in our lives by understanding that things...