KUT » Two Guys on Your Head

If threatening punishment is not an effective way to change behavior or motivate people, why do we continue to do it? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy wrap up their exploration of the psychology of punishment by examining why we rely on threats and why they still […] The post Why We Continue To Threaten Punishment appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Not all punishment is created equal. While punishment can serve many purposes, it’s not always effective when it comes to changing behavior, especially if the goal is simply to avoid getting punished. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy continue their exploration of the psychology of punishment, focusing […] The post Signal Value and Punishment appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

In the moment, threatening punishment to see behavior change might seem like a good idea, but does it work? It turns out it depends on your goal. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the psychology of punishment and reveal why scolding, […] The post Threatening Punishment appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It can be frustrating to be in conversations that get you nowhere, often because one party knows what they want already and is not interested in hearing the other side. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore the all too common practice of […] The post Reasoning From The Desired Conclusion appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Our culture, personal reflection, and life experiences shape how we understand our value within larger systems, and this, in turn, affects how we see our role in creating change. In the third and final installment in our Two Guys on Your Head series on the psychology of apathy, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and […] The post Apathy and Value Systems appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When the weight of the world feels overwhelming, tuning out can feel like the only option. But what happens when apathy becomes a habit, and how do we break free from it? In this episode, the second in our Two Guys on Your Head series on the psychology of apathy, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob […] The post How To Combat Apathy appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When life feels like a nonstop barrage of problems we can't fix, it's natural to want to shut down. But apathy doesn't make the problems go away, and it can leave us feeling even more stuck. In this episode—the first in our Two Guys on Your Head series on the psychology of apathy—Dr. Art Markman […] The post Learned Apathy appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Spring is in the air in Austin, Texas, and on this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke talk about why–psychologically–it’s important to enjoy the beauty of this moment. The post Spring appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Conversations change our minds. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke explore the psychology of why and how that happens. The post Conversation appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Emotions are sometimes good to listen to when you’re trying to make a decision, but sometimes, they’re not so good. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, the more you know about how your brain works and what certain feelings may indicate, the more tools you have […] The post Embodied Emotions (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

There is a lot of misinformation out there, and we might think that we just need more correct and factual information to combat it. While that can be true, it turns out that how and when we get information plays a huge role in what we believe. In this episode of Two Guys on Your […] The post Bypassing appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When it comes to deciding what is valued and what is not, we often proceed with an illusion of objectivity instead of an evaluation system that can showcase expertise and quality. So, what does it really mean to be “the best,” and who gets to decide? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art […] The post Meritocracy appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

One misconception about giving up is that it takes less energy, motivation, or stamina than sticking to something. However, in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke discuss the agency and energy it takes to stop doing something and change course. The post Giving Up and Agency appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When we hear someone say they’re giving up, it’s not usually met with congratulations. However, on this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke explore why perhaps it should be. The post Giving Up appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Why do we wait for big milestones to celebrate when the little wins matter just as much? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore the psychology behind celebration, gratitude, and achievement—revealing why our brains are wired to thrive on recognizing progress along the way. The post Celebration (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Our producer, Rebecca McInroy, spent a lot of time in Greece as an undergraduate studying and living there; she adores the country and the language. On one of her first trips there, a Greek man accused her of being from a country of “barbarians” because in the English language, there is only one word for […] The post The Word Love appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Disappointment is unpleasant, and many times, when we’ve experienced past disappointments, we adjust our expectations so we don’t have to go through that again. Still, sometimes, that isn’t the best way to navigate our emotional lives. In the third and final episode of our series on the psychology of disappointment, Two Guys on Your Head, Art […] The post Disappointment: Trauma and Expectations appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Disappointment is unpleasant, but we rarely take the time to reflect on the social dimensions of the feeling. In the second episode of our series on the psychology of disappointment, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the role of disappointment as discipline. The post Disappointment: Discipline appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Feeling disappointment is not pleasant, but rarely do we take the time to reflect on how re-calibrating our expectations can help us navigate disappointment more constructively. In the first episode of our series on the psychology of disappointment, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the role of expectations. The post Dissapointment: Expectations appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It’s the start of the new year, and for many of us, it’s a time to plan projects and events or set goals. However, even with the best-laid plans, why do we have difficulty accomplishing all we set out to do or feel a sense of relief rather than joy when we complete big tasks? […] The post Planning appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

*This episode contains artificially generated audio content. As humans, understanding what is “real” vs. what is “artificial” is something we are continuously coming to terms with. Feeling duped by something you thought was something else can be disconcerting. As part of The University of Texas Year of AI, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, […] The post The Psychology of The Artifical appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When we see experts in action, there can be something mysterious about how they work; they seem to just “know” what to do. That process of knowing is no accident, but trying to explain that process is almost impossible. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy discuss the psychology of explaining […] The post Explaining Intuition appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When we see true experts in action, there can be something mysterious about how they work; they seem to just “know” what to do. That process of knowing is no accident. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the psychology of educating intuition. The post Educating Intuition appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We often hear the term “critical thinking” but may take for granted that we don’t think critically about what it means. In this fourth and final episode of our series on critical thinking, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore the psychology of emotions. The post Critical Thinking: Emotions appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We often hear the term “critical thinking” but may take for granted that we don’t think critically about what it means. In this third episode of our five-part series on critical thinking, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore what critical thinking is and what it isn’t. The post Critical Thinking: What is it? What isn’t it? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We hear the term “critical thinking” often but may take for granted that we don’t think very critically about what it means. In this second episode of our series on critical thinking, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the role of expertise. The post Critical Thinking: Expertise appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We hear the term “critical thinking” often but may take for granted that we don’t think very critically about what it means. With this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy begin a series on the psychology of critical thinking by talking about what it takes to get started. The post Critical Thinking: The Foundation appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When looking for a good restaurant or trying to figure out what film to watch or book to read, a good critic can be very useful. However, distinguishing between a critic and an influencer can be tricky. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the psychology of the critic. The post The Critic appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

From a very early age, we learn to take cues from our environment as to how we should feel about things; we look to our parents to give us a sense of safety, and we laugh when others laugh. However, in our society today, with everything from laugh tracks to bot-generated likes, assessing the validity […] The post Social Decision-Making appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When we’re anxious, we have a heightened awareness of negative things in our environment. In contrast, we tend to notice more desirable things when excited. Coupled with the media landscape today, it’s easy to see how emotions can spiral every time you look at your phone. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, […] The post The Psychology of Uncertainty (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We evolved to learn how to trust people, but we didn’t evolve in an environment with the Internet and AI, which means that it can be difficult for us to discern fact from fiction quickly. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about what this […] The post Media and Trust appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We’re not great at assessing risk, especially using ratios and percentages, but as Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy ask in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, does it matter? The post Assessing Risk appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Often, when we hear warning reports associated with certain foods or behaviors, we think we understand what is good or bad for us. However, as Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy discuss in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, base rate neglect, we don’t have a clear understanding of what that means. The post Base Rate Neglect appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Texas Science & Natural History Museum hosted a live taping of Two Guys on Your Head, with the whole Two Guys team, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy, to discuss the Psychology of Time. It was a wonderful conversation! In this fourth and final installment of the series, we take questions from the […] The post Time: Audience Q&A appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Texas Science & Natural History Museum hosted a live taping of Two Guys on Your Head, with the whole Two Guys team, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy, to discuss the Psychology of Time. It was a wonderful conversation, and for the next few episodes, we’re bringing you bits and pieces of various […] The post Time: Art and Pain appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Texas Science & Natural History Museum hosted a live taping of Two Guys on Your Head, with the whole Two Guys team, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy, to discuss the Psychology of Time. It was a wonderful conversation, and for the next few episodes, we’re bringing you bits and pieces of various […] The post Time: Perception and Memory appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Texas Science & Natural History Museum hosted a live taping of Two Guys on Your Head, with the whole Two Guys team, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy, to discuss the Psychology of Time. It was a wonderful conversation, and for the next few episodes, we’re bringing you bits and pieces of various […] The post Time: Imagining Deep Time appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Moving is never easy, but at least you have deadlines for when you need to be out of one place and into another. When it comes to unpacking, it’s a different story. As Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, getting settled in takes time, but the psychological payoff can […] The post Unpacking appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

For many, fall marks the beginning of a new school year, which can mean a time to reinvent yourself. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss the importance of mindset, social groups, and expectations when starting fresh. The post New Beginnings appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Emotions are sometimes good to listen to when you’re trying to make a decision, but sometimes they’re not so good. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, the more you know about how your brain works and what certain feelings may indicate, the more tools you have […] The post Embodied Emotions appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We often read engaging or witty quotes and consider their content or meaning, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head,  quotes serve many functions in how and what we communicate and remember. The post Quotations appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It’s August, which means it’s the anniversary of the first airing of Two Guys on Your Head on KUT Austin. And even though we don’t need an excuse to party, it seems strange to celebrate the 11-year mark. Why is that? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head,  Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore the significance […] The post Psychological Landmarks appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Oftentimes, we praise perfect execution over Samuel Beckett's mantra,​“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Even so, the idea of practicing a skill, learning a task, or iterating on an idea is easier for us to accept than allowing people who wrong us in some way a second chance. In this episode of Two Guys on Your […] The post Second Chances appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Becoming an expert in any area takes a lot of time, work, and navigation; teaching our expertise to someone else takes a different and unique set of skills. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss how to teach expertise. The post Teaching Expertise appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Every generation has a different starting point when it comes to knowledge, and it can be a challenge to decipher what we can take for granted regarding how we know what we know and what we need to learn for ourselves. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss the […] The post Culture and Knowledge appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

With so many opportunities for compromise, not only in our political sphere but also in our daily lives, we might wonder why teaching strategies for this aren’t more common. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss why it’s so important to teach balanced pragmatism as a skill and as a […] The post Teaching Balanced Pragmatism appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We live in an era of deep division, and it’s hard for people with opposing views to even talk to each other. So, how can we begin to move toward compromise and collaboration? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss the idea of “balanced pragmatism” as a possible way forward. […] The post Balanced Pragmatism appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Happiness is important when it comes to our working conditions, but it’s not the only factor to consider. As Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, a good balance of promoting happiness, creativity, and efficiency can be difficult but rewarding. The post Work and Happiness appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When you work in an open floor plan it’s hard to concentrate as you’re easily distracted, and you feel like a pest, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, they do have an interesting upside. The post Benefits of The Open Floor Plan appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Creating open floor plans for workspaces may be less expensive, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, psychologically, we’re paying a high price. The post The Open Floor Plan appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Performing social norms has benefits, however, when you have to perform all the time just to fit in, it can be stressful and exhausting. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about performance and privilege. The post Performance and Privilege appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.