Shows
The Jewish AngleMichael Inzlicht: Quebec as a model for Canadian patriotismCanadian patriotism has surged since U.S. President Donald Trump took office and waged a trade war with his country's northern neighbour. But while this flavour of patriotism has largely manifested in opposition to the United States ("Elbows up," etc.), one Jewish social psychologist, neuroscientist and writer wonders if Canadians could change that perspective. What if, instead of defining itself as "not America", Canadian patriotism celebrated its culture and achievements on their own merits?
That's the thesis from Montreal-born Michael Inzlicht, who now teaches in the psychology department at the University of Toronto. Earlier this year, he...
2025-09-2926 min
Two Psychologists Four BeersWhen to Quit (with Paul Bloom)Paul Bloom takes over the show to interview Yoel about loss of faith: when to give up on a theory, and which of his own findings he no longer believes. But it's not all doom and gloom! They also talk about what social psychology findings they think are robust, and what new research they are excited about.
But before all that, they discuss whether Sydney Sweeney's new American Eagle ad campaign is pro-eugenics. Special Guest: Paul Bloom.Sponsored By:Statistical Horizons: Use the promo code for 20% off any seminar today! Promo Code...
2025-08-081h 10
Compassion in a T-ShirtCan AI Be More Compassionate Than Humans? | Michael InzlichtIn this episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I sit down with Professor Michael Inzlicht from the University of Toronto and the Rotman School of Management to explore a question that feels both inspiring and unsettling: Can a machine be more compassionate than a human?Michael’s recent study, Third-Party Evaluators Perceive AI as More Compassionate than Expert Humans, found that people consistently rated AI-generated empathic responses as more caring, understanding, and validating than those written by real people — even trained crisis line professionals. That’s remarkable, and it raises big questions about how we relate to each o...
2025-07-1156 min
The Behavioral Design PodcastEmpathy and AI with Michael InzlichtEmpathic Machines with Michael InzlichtIn this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, hosts Aline and Samuel are joined by Michael Inzlicht, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and co-host of the podcast Two Psychologists Four Beers. Together, they explore the surprisingly effortful nature of empathy—and what happens when artificial intelligence starts doing it better than we do.Michael shares insights from his research into empathic AI, including findings that people often rate AI-generated empathy as more thoughtful, emotionally satisfying, and effortful than human responses—yet still prefer to receive empathy from a huma...
2025-05-151h 03Two Psychologists Four BeersGood News for the Chronics (with Mickey Inzlicht)On-again off-again co-host Mickey Inzlicht joins the show to debrief about the recent SPSP (Society for Personality and Social Psychology) conference. We then dissect a new paper purporting to show working memory deficits in heavy cannabis users, including a deep dive into the preregistration. Finally, we discuss a recent Op-Ed in the Guardian that argues that research on AI empathy is fatally flawed.Links:Brain Function Outcomes of Recent and Lifetime Cannabis Use | Child Development | JAMA Network Open | JAMA NetworkOSF Registries | Verbal Memory and Language Processing in Young Adults who Use Cannabis: An Analysis of the...
2025-03-061h 19
THE GRAIN: AI vs. CreativityPODCAST: AI vs. Effort—Michael InzlichtCreativity has always been a through line in my life and career. For my specialized honours thesis in university, I studied the psychology of creativity—how and why artists are compelled to create.What I found is that creatives are problem-solvers. They seek conflict that they can process and address, using their creativity as a tool for resolution. Over time, they begin to embody and repeat the way they solve these problems—whether by mastering a specific medium or honing a distinctive style. Their method of problem-solving becomes their identity, something they craft and refine throughout their care...
2025-02-2757 min
Good Life ProjectThe Cutting-edge Science of Self-control (and What to Do About It) | Michael Inzlicht, PhDWhat if everything you thought you knew about willpower and self-control was wrong? In this groundbreaking conversation, psychologist Michael Inzlicht challenges the famous "ego depletion" theory and reveals surprising new research on the true nature of self-regulation. Discover why conscientious people may be wired differently, how to leverage motivation for lasting change, and science-backed strategies to amplify your ability to stick to goals - without burning out your willpower. If you want to master self-discipline in a sustainable way, don't miss these fresh insights.You can find Michael at: Website | Speak Now Regret L...
2024-12-091h 03Two Psychologists Four BeersWhat's Wrong with Living in a Bubble? (with Mickey Inzlicht)Occasional co-host Mickey Inzlicht joins the show to talk about the 2024 election, Bluesky, and his crusade against yard signs. We discuss prediction markets, Democratic declines with non-college voters, and whether Bluesky is a political bubble (and if so, if there's anything wrong with that). Also, Mickey explains his problem with yard signs and defends his beer snobbery.Links:How the Trump Polymarket Whale Correctly Called the Election, and Made Nearly $50 Million - WSJYard Wars - by Michael Inzlicht - Speak Now Regret LaterMelenas - Bang (Official Video) - YouTube
2024-12-041h 11Two Psychologists Four BeersWe Are So BackMickey joins Yoel for the first new episode in nearly a year. We talk what's been up with the show, plans for the future, and what it feels like to briefly be (almost) internet-famous.
In the second half of the show, we talk about expertise and prediction. When social scientists make predictions about the future, should we listen? How much should failures of prediction make us distrust expert advice more generally, and if so, how skeptical should we be?Links:D.E.I. Statements Spark Debate at UCalifornia and Other Universities - The New...
2024-07-311h 01
Empathy Unbound: Embrace Your SuperpowerMichael Inzlicht - empathy, AI, the effort paradox, the effects of chronic cannabis use and how social media impact human behaviour and well-beingEmpathy, AI, and the Effort Paradox with Professor Michael Inzlicht In this episode of 'Empathy Unbound,' host Andrew Phipps engages in a profound conversation with Professor Michael Inzlicht from the University of Toronto. They explore the complexities of empathy, the potential of empathic AI, and how humans often avoid empathy due to its mentally demanding nature. The discussion also delves into the intriguing 'effort paradox,' where effort is both avoided and valued, and how chronic cannabis use and social media impact human behaviour and well-being. This episode offers a deep dive...
2024-07-161h 08Two Psychologists Four BeersRE-RELEASE: Against MindfulnessPlaying devil's advocate, Yoel and Mickey mount a criticism against the scientific study of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can we measure it? Is mindfulness-based therapy effective? Can mindfulness improve the quality of attention beyond the meditation cushion? Are effects of mindfulness mostly placebo effects produced by motivated practitioners and adherents? Should we be impressed by mindfulness meditation’s supposed effects on conceptions of the self? Is mindfulness, in all its complexity, amenable to scientific study?
Bonus: Is the value of diversity and inclusivity a core part of open science?
This is a re-release of an ep...
2023-09-271h 23
Perform by Alex AuerbachPerform Podcast Episode #6: Teaching People to Value Effort with Dr. Michael InzlichtMichael Inzlicht is a Research Excellence Faculty Scholar at the University of Toronto. His primary appointment is as Professor in the Department of Psychology, but he is also cross-appointed as Professor in the Department of Marketing at the Rotman School of Management. Michael conducts research that sits at the boundaries of social psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. Although he has published papers on numerous topics, his current research interests concern work and play. His research on work or effort is mostly on the topics of self-control and motivation, but also includes research on the mentally demanding nature of empathy...
2023-08-1835 minTwo Psychologists Four BeersWhat's Wrong with Social Media?Mickey returns with the hot takes you know and love. He joins Yoel and Alexa to discuss Jonathan Haidt's recent Atlantic article, "Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid." Haidt claims the answer is social media, but the cohosts aren't fully convinced. To shed a bit more light on the matter, they turn to an article by Amy Orben and Andrew Przybylski which provides a rigorous analysis of the relationship between social media use and well-being. In the end, Mickey admits to being a hypocrite, and Alexa makes a plug for Big Potato. ...
2022-06-221h 23Two Psychologists Four BeersThe C-Word (with Julia Rohrer)Personality psychologist and methodologist Julia Rohrer joins the show to talk about causal claims, strategic ambiguity, and how tough it is to tell what empirical claims many psychology papers are making. To illustrate, we subject Yoel's first paper, "Conservatives are more easily disgusted than liberals," to some vigorous post-publication peer review. We also discuss what makes Julia most hopeful about psychology, as well as the recent progress in alcohol-free beer.Special Guest: Julia Rohrer.Links:Two Psychologists Four Beers on UntappdWho would win, 100 duck-sized strategic ambiguities vs. 1 horse-sized structured abstract? – The 100% CIPsyArXiv Preprints | The On...
2022-02-091h 26
Free Will MattersE7 Michael InzlichtMichael Inzlicht. Michael is research excellence faculty scholar at the University of Toronto, with appointments in the Department of Psychology and in the Rotman School of Management. He's published more than 100 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and he's edited two books. His work has been featured in media outlets around the world, including The New York Times, The Globe Mail, BBC News Time, The Daily Telegraph and the CBC, among many others. Michael is also co-host of the world famous podcast, Two Psychologists and Four beers.
2021-12-1324 minTwo Psychologists Four BeersAgainst Method?Alexa and Yoel tackle Paul Feyerabend, the wild man of philosophy of science. What can we learn from his "anything goes" argument for methodological anarchy? We go deep on the first five chapters of Feyerabend's most famous work, "Against Method," and discuss his (maybe not entirely serious) arguments for extreme theory proliferation, ignoring the data, and Chinese herbal medicine.
Also, we discuss which Christmas album is superior: Sia or Dolly Parton.Links:Two Psychologists Four Beers on UntappdSia's Christmas AlbumDolly Parton's Christmas AlbumBaller Christmas TreeGreenwald's Paper on Theory Controversies
2021-12-081h 14Two Psychologists Four BeersPreregistration (What is it Good For)Alexa and Yoel talk about objections to preregistration. Does preregistration imply that researchers can't be trusted? Does it mean that they can't use their best judgment? When might preregistration be unhelpful? We also discuss researcher degrees of freedom in a recent paper testing Cardi B's maxim that "hoes don't get cold."
Plus: ketchup on ice cream, and Alexa's controversial replacement for Daylight Savings Time.Links:The political war around daylight saving time takes a nasty turn - POLITICOQuantitude S3E07: In Defense of Researcher Degrees of FreedomWhen looking 'hot' means not feeling cold: Evidence...
2021-11-171h 07Two Psychologists Four BeersBeyond ExperimentsAlexa and Yoel talk about a paper purporting to show that winning the Nobel Prize increases your lifespan. In the process, they dip their toes into non-experimental causal inference and discuss whether there is a taboo in psychology about drawing causal conclusions from non-experimental data. Plus, Yoel does his best to explain what an instrumental variable is and Alexa drinks a very large beer.Links:Two Psychologists Four Beers on UntappdThe Taboo Against Explicit Causal Inference in Nonexperimental Psychology - Michael P. Grosz, Julia M. Rohrer, Felix Thoemmes, 2020Instrumental Variables in Sociology and the Social Sciences...
2021-11-031h 07Two Psychologists Four BeersPleasurable Suffering (with Paul Bloom)Paul Bloom joins us to talk about why we want to suffer. Sometimes it's a means to an end, but sometimes we desire it for its own sake.
Among other things, we talk about mountain-climbing, whether you'd want to run just the end of the marathon, experience machines, BDSM, and parenting.
Plus, a very special extra guest host, kidney donation, pronouns, and trigger warnings.Special Guest: Paul Bloom.Links:Who Is the Bad Art Friend? - The New York TimesThe Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for...
2021-10-131h 24Two Psychologists Four BeersWe Need to Talk About Fraud (with Joe Simmons)Yoel and Alexa are joined by Joe Simmons to talk about fraud. We go in-depth on a recent high-profile fraud case, but we also talk about scientific fraud more generally: how common is it, how do you detect it, and what can we do to prevent it? Special Guest: Joe Simmons.Links:Drav India Session AleMilkshake IPA - Microbrasserie Vox PopuliA-OK IPA - Avondale Brewing Co.L'Espace Public - Neighborhood brewers »The galactic attackFalse-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant - Joseph P. Simmons, Leif D. Nelson, U...
2021-09-291h 22Two Psychologists Four BeersThe Climate Survey (with Danielle McDuffie)Danielle McDuffie is a graduate student in psychology at the University of Alabama. This is the story of how she ran a graduate student climate survey, the explosive results, and the very contentious year that ensued.Special Guest: Danielle McDuffie.Links:Crisp Apple | Angry OrchardKettle Sour Brunch - Microbrasserie Vox Populirogue.com | BATSQUATCHR.E.M. - Pop Song 89
2021-09-1559 minTwo Psychologists Four BeersThe Good LifeAlexa and Yoel discuss a new paper (Oishi & Westgate, 2021) arguing that psychological richness is an overlooked aspect of the good life. In the process, they compare psychologically-rich-life scores, plan hypothetical vacations, and compare major regrets.
Also, Alexa reviews an (accidentally-purchased) alcohol-free beer.Links:IPA du Nord-Est (beer) - Episode | Boréale | BoréaleLow Viz IPA | Arches Brewing | BeerAdvocateRun Wild IPA (Non-Alcoholic) 6-Pack | Athletic Brewing Company | Craft Non-Alcoholic BeerA psychologically rich life: Beyond happiness and meaning. - PsycNETJust think: The challenges of the disengaged mindDiederik Stapel's MemoirThe Kinks - Sunny Afternoon (Official Audio) - YouTube
2021-09-011h 06Two Psychologists Four BeersOlderAlexa and Yoel tackle the most dreaded subject: getting older. Have they become better researchers and people over the years? Are they happier and more connected? Or are they just more forgetful and less good at stats?
Plus: some listener feedback about self-care raises conceptual questions about suffering.
2021-08-111h 04Two Psychologists Four BeersHow to Self-CareAlexa and Yoel go deep on self-care. What is it, how do you do it, and why does the term raise Yoel's hackles? How hard do we actually work, and should we be trying to work less?
Also, Alexa shares an amazingly successful culinary experiment.Links:The Least Stressful Jobs Of 2013How Hard Do Professors Actually Work? - The AtlanticResearch shows professors work long hours and spend much of day in meetingsHow I Practice Self-Care as a Black Woman in Academia | TimeAcademics should make time for self-care, even if just a few minutes each...
2021-07-211h 11
Brain Observations - Where neuroscience meets the human experienceProfessor Michael Inzlicht on self-regulation and goal pursuit. Episode 4In this episode we learn about self-regulation, willpower and goal pursuit. Michael Inzlicht is a professor of psychology with a specific interest in understanding the underlying mechanisms of self-control. Here he talks about different models to describe the self-regulatory process and we discuss which components makes for a more successful pursuit of goals. Through this episode you can learn ways to reflect on and develop your own process of creating, working on and achieving goals in your life.
2021-07-1852 minTwo Psychologists Four BeersHow (Not) to be a HaterAlexa and Yoel discuss "The Anticreativity Letters," a satirical article by Richard Nisbett that advises young psychology researchers to (among other things) avoid being overly critical. How does the article's advice hold up today? How does one combine appropriate skepticism with enthusiasm for research? Or are the two in conflict at all?
Plus: Alexa gets salty about salty drinks, and Yoel returns to the gym.Sponsored By:Paperpile: No-fuss reference management for the web. Manage your research library, right in your browser. Promo Code: BEERSLinks:The Anticreativity LettersCitrus Sage | Cascade BrewingLueur...
2021-07-071h 24Two Psychologists Four BeersGetting Drunk (with Ted Slingerland)Mickey and Yoel welcome repeat guest Ted Slingerland to talk about his new book "Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization," in which he makes the case for alcohol.
Also, why are Yoel's guns out, and what was Mickey's worst trip?Special Guest: Edward (Ted) Slingerland.Sponsored By:Paperpile: No-fuss reference management for the web. Manage your research library, right in your browser. Promo Code: BEERSLinks:Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to CivilizationTwo Psychologists Four Beers Episode 18: What Science and the...
2021-06-231h 36Two Psychologists Four BeersHow is Open Science Doing?Yoel and Alexa discuss progress in open science over the past 10 years. Is the scientific reform glass half-full or half-empty? Where have we made progress, and what still needs work? We use two papers describing "Scientific Utopia" by Nosek and colleagues (written nearly 10 years ago!) in order to evaluate our progress.
Also, the true story of how Ashley Madison got its name.Sponsored By:Paperpile: No-fuss reference management for the web. Manage your research library, right in your browser. Promo Code: BEERSLinks:Unibroue | Megadeth Saison 13Just the Juice - Prairie Artisan...
2021-06-091h 26Two Psychologists Four BeersOur Social Media PrismsMickey, Alexa, and Yoel break down "Breaking the Social Media Prism," a new book arguing that social media reinforces our pre-existing political beliefs and polarizes us against the other side.
Plus, HUGE NEWS about who's hosting the show. Also, Yoel gets a French lesson.Links:Saison - Sour beer – LOOP MissionLazer Lager | Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! | BeerAdvocateTrimTab IPA - TrimTab Brewing Co. - UntappdIPA - Wild Range Brewing Company - UntappdSustainability – HALF HOURS ON EARTHThe Future Is Electric - Half Hours on Earth - UntappdBreaking the Social Media Prism: How to Make Our Platforms Less...
2021-05-261h 28Two Psychologists Four BeersQuick Fixes (with Jesse Singal)Journalist and podcaster Jesse Singal joins the show to talk about the enduring popularity of social-psychological quick fixes and how they go wrong. Plus: what is wrong with how the media covers science?Special Guest: Jesse Singal.Links:Shipping Out of Boston | Jack's AbbyGood Monster DIPA - Collective Arts BrewingPost Shift | Jack's AbbyGlitter Bomb - Phillips BreweryThe Quick Fix: Why Fad Psychology Can't Cure Our Social Ills: Singal, Jesse: 9780374239800: Amazon.com: BooksBlocked and ReportedAlborosie - Unprecedented Time - YouTube
2021-04-281h 18Two Psychologists Four BeersLegalize It (with Carl Hart)Neuroscientist and addiction researcher Carl Hart joins the show to talk drug legalization. Why does he think all drugs should be legal? What are some common myths about drug use and addiction? And how has his personal experience as a regular drug user influenced his views?
Bonus: What drugs should we try next?Special Guest: Carl Hart.Links:Frisch - Collective Arts Brewing6ix Days in Dade | J Wakefield BrewingDrug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear: Hart, Carl L. Dr.: 9781101981641: Amazon.com: BooksEffects of Acute Smoked Marijuana on...
2021-03-241h 22Two Psychologists Four BeersActually Against Academia (with Lee Jussim)Lee Jussim joins the show to argue that we have been too soft on academia. We discuss problems in psychology and the social sciences including ideological bias, politically-motivated retractions, and more. Have things gotten better or worse over the past 10 years?
Plus: is Lee bad at Twitter?Special Guest: Lee Jussim.Links:6ix Days in Dade – Bellwoods BreweryAvion Anejo | Spirits ReviewBalt County BreweryWhite Picket Fence – Bellwoods BreweryRabble Rouser | Psychology TodayThe Princeton Faculty's Anti-Free-Speech Demands - The AtlanticA Model of Political Bias in Social Science ResearchMicroaggressions, Questionable Science, And Free Speech
2021-02-241h 20Two Psychologists Four BeersBullshit, Misinformation, and What to Do About It (with Gord Pennycook)Psychologist Gordon Pennycook joins the show to talk bullshit and misinformation. What is bullshit, and why do some people fall for it more than others? Why does misinformation spread so readily, and what can be done to stop it?
Plus: Yoel asks some perfectly reasonable questions about COVID's origins, and Mickey indulges in some Canadian content.Special Guest: Gordon Pennycook.Links:Voodoo Ranger IPA | New Belgium BrewingBeer – Bellwoods BreweryPrairie Blonde - Paddock Wood Brewing Co. - UntappdHome - Pabst Blue Ribbon : Pabst Blue RibbonLive Transmission Milkshake IPA | Flying Monkeys Craft BrewerySpaten | LCBOAn an...
2021-01-271h 22
You Might Have a PointInterview with Yoel Inbar and Michael Inzlicht"You Might Have a Point" is a podcast that features interviews with guests who specialize in one or more of a broad range of subjects, including philosophy, psychology, politics, public policy, journalism, and culture.
In this episode, Stephen Dause interviews the hosts of the Two Psychologists, Four Beers (https://www.fourbeers.com/) podcasts, Michael Inzlicht (https://twitter.com/minzlicht) and Yoel Inbar (https://twitter.com/yorl). They discuss their own podcast, the intent behind it, and the reception they've gotten from academics and the public at large. In the second segment, Stephen talks with Michael and Yoel about the social...
2021-01-101h 18Two Psychologists Four Beers2020 Silver LiningsMickey and Yoel follow up on two recent episodes ("Against Academia?" and "Racism and Sexism on Campus"). Then they review some of the less-bad aspects of 2020 and recommend some things that got them through a challenging year. Plus: what 80s band was Mickey the #1 fan of?Links:Disco Soleil | Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! Alouette 1 Galaxy IPA - Dominion City Brewing Co. - UntappdRevival Hour Saison – Dominion City Brewing Co.flotsam on TwitterActually Against AcademiaNature Communications retracts much-criticized paper on mentorship – Retraction WatchBlocked and ReportedBig Mouth - IMDbI May Destroy You - IMDbThe Queen's Gambit - IMDbThe Expa...
2020-12-301h 18Two Psychologists Four BeersTalking about Talking (with Katie Kinzler)Psychologist Katie Kinzler joins the show to talk language. How do children and adults make judgments about people based on how they talk? Is there a "bilingual advantage"? And does Mickey sound Canadian?
Bonus: When deciding whether to go to grad school, should you not do what Katie did?Special Guest: Katherine (Katie) Kinzler.Links:Menagerie Single Hop Pale Ale – Fairweather Brewing CompanyBlueberry, Chocolate, Coffee & Vanilla - Collective Arts Brewing815 Cabernet Sauvignon - Joel Gott WinesBourbon | Knob Creek® Bourbon WhiskeyOnce a French Speaker, Always a French Speaker? — Once a French Speaker, Always a Fre...
2020-12-161h 10Two Psychologists Four BeersSexism and Racism on Campus (with Anne Wilson)Repeat guest Anne Wilson joins the show to talk about two recent papers about bias in psychology and on campus. Is gender and racial bias pervasive? Or are things better than many of us might think? We also discuss the recent "female mentorship" paper that's been causing quite the hubbub.Special Guest: Anne Wilson.Links:KEG DEALS & KICK BACKS - AMARILLO & EL DORADO • 355 ML 4-PACK – Blood Brothers BrewingElora Borealis — Elora Brewing CompanySurround Sound: Lotus - Collective Arts BrewingBreakaway IPA - Fixed Gear Brewing CompanyIPA 15 | Collective Arts BrewingThe Future of Women in Psychological ScienceParenthood and produc...
2020-12-021h 41Two Psychologists Four BeersAgainst Academia?Mickey and Yoel tackle the pros and cons of academia. As an academic, is it taboo to say you love your job? How hard do we work anyway? If we ran the world, how would we change academic hiring?
Also: why do reporters call us and ask us for our opinion?Links:Grapefruit and Elderflower - Collective Arts BrewingChanging demographics of scientific careers: The rise of the temporary workforce | PNASThe path to professorship by the numbers and why mentorship matters | Behavioural and Social Sciences at Nature ResearchSystematic inequality and hierarchy in faculty hiring networks...
2020-11-111h 19Two Psychologists Four BeersThe Kindness of Strangers (with Michael McCullough)Psychologist Michael McCullough joins the show to talk forgiveness, punishment, and how we came to care about the welfare of people we don't know. Also: a listener calls out our dubious math.Special Guest: Michael McCullough.Sponsored By:The Great Courses Plus: The Great Courses Plus is a Video-On-Demand service brought to you by The Great Courses – the leading global media brand for lifelong learning and personal enrichment. With thousands of in-depth videos taught by the world’s greatest professors, you’ll always have something fascinating to learn about. Promo Code: BEERSLinks:Broa...
2020-10-211h 39Two Psychologists Four BeersAll In (with Maria Konnikova)Psychologist and author Maria Konnikova joins the show to talk poker, life, and what one teaches you about the other. She talks with us about working with Walter Mischel as a graduate student, her decision to leave the academic track to become an author, and her latest book, The Biggest Bluff, in which she describes how she became a tournament-winning professional poker player.
Bonus: who will win our round of Lodden Thinks?Special Guest: Maria Konnikova.Sponsored By:The Great Courses Plus: The Great Courses Plus is a Video-On-Demand service brought to...
2020-10-071h 07Two Psychologists Four BeersBeing WEIRD (with Joe Henrich)Yoel and Mickey interview one of the most influential social scientists of our generation, Harvard University's Joe Henrich. Why are people from the West so peculiar, so different from other people the world over? What led the West to be particularly prosperous? If not intelligence, what marks humans as so special? What are the various approaches to the evolutionary study of human behaviour? Does psychology suffer from a theory crisis? Has religion been a net plus to the survival of human groups?
Bonus: Who is lazier, psychologists or economists?Special Guest: Joe Henrich....
2020-09-231h 28
The BrainCore PodcastEpisode Two: Isn't It Ironic? (with Dr. Michael Inzlicht)Tolu and Kristina discuss the possible ironic effects of anti-prejudice interventions with Dr. Michael Inzlicht, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Is it possible these interventions may actually end up increasing prejudice? They also talk briefly about the Implicit Association Test. Does the test actually produce reliable and valid results? The terms of the Episode (TOTEs) are Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation.
Dr. Inzlicht's Journal Article:
Legault, L., Gutsell, J. N., & Inzlicht, M. (2011). Ironic effects of antiprejudice messages: How motivational interventions can reduce (but also increase) prejudice. Psychological Science, 22(12), 1472-1477. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0...
2020-09-2242 minTwo Psychologists Four BeersThe COVID debate (with Robb Willer and Simine Vazire)Robb Willer and Simine Vazire join the podcast to debate whether social science, in its current form, can usefully contribute to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Is psychology ready to give trustworthy advice to policy-makers?
Plus: Yoel shirks his beer-drinking, yet again.Special Guests: Robb Willer and Simine Vazire.Sponsored By:The Great Courses Plus: The Great Courses Plus is a Video-On-Demand service brought to you by The Great Courses – the leading global media brand for lifelong learning and personal enrichment. With thousands of in-depth videos taught by the world’s grea...
2020-09-091h 36Two Psychologists Four BeersCold Takes (with Neil Lewis, Jr.)Yoel and Mickey welcome Neil Lewis, Jr. of Cornell University to the podcast. Is psychology ready to be applied to help the response to the COVID-19 pandemic? What are the opportunity costs of applying a psychological intervention? How does Neil navigate Twitter so effectively? What will Neil be doing over at FiveThirtyEight? What can meta-analyses and registered reports tell us about stereotype threat?
Bonus: How is Mickey like Jesus?Special Guest: Neil Lewis, Jr..Links:How To Make a Gin Basil SmashSucker Punch | doubletroublebrewing.comHazeMama - Great Lakes BreweryHow many (and whose...
2020-08-261h 11Two Psychologists Four BeersAgainst OrthodoxyAfter over a year of (mostly) avoiding controversial topics, Yoel and Mickey dive in to talk about orthodoxy, dissent, and "cancel culture." Does the narrowing of acceptable views make us dumber or does it represent a drawing of new moral boundaries that make us more kind? How does the silencing of dissent lead to self-censoring? Why does it appear like some people are given more permission to dissent than others? Is cancel culture leading to a right-wing backlash?
Bonus: Why was the podcast account suspended from Twitter?Links:LINEHOUSE LONDONJW CITRUS APA | Gillingham Brewing...
2020-08-121h 14
Two Psychologists Four BeersThe Upside of Feeling Bad (with Claudia Haase)For their 50th episode, Yoel and Mickey welcome Northwestern University psychologist Claudia Haase to the podcast to discuss relationships and mistakes. What was life like in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin wall? How can Yoel and Mickey iron out their relationship problems? How is life as a working academic and mother during a global pandemic? Why are people so scared to admit to their mistakes? How can we learn from failure?
Bonus: Should you delete Twitter?Special Guest: Claudia Haase.Links:Daisy Cutter Pale Ale — HALF ACRECorona (beer) - Wi...
2020-07-291h 23Two Psychologists Four BeersWhy Buddhism is Wrong (with Evan Thompson)Yoel and Mickey have a far ranging conversation with University of British Columbia professor of philosophy, Evan Thompson. Despite growing up with a daily meditation practice and contributing to the cognitive science of mindfulness, why does Evan not consider himself a Buddhist? Is Buddhism a religion that is truly different from other religions? Is the self an illusion, as is popularily portrayed by Buddhist modernists such as Sam Harris? What do failures to replicate social psychology studies of embodied cognition mean for the larger enterprise of embodied cognition? Can science and traditional Buddhism co-exist? Why is Evolutionary Psychology a...
2020-07-151h 19Two Psychologists Four BeersClocks and Garbage Cans (with Rachel Ruttan)Yoel and Mickey host Rachel Ruttan, who is an assisant professor of organizational behavior and human resources at the Rotman School of Management. What is organizational behavior and how is it different from psychology? What makes for a good research idea? How is figure skating like academia? When big corporations espouse social values, does it cheapen people's commitment to these values?
Bonus: What is the best way to suss out if a new friend smokes weed?Special Guest: Rachel Ruttan.Links:Barnstormer Brewing & Distilling Co.BOTTLE SHOP – Blood Brothers BrewingValue Corruption: The Ef...
2020-07-011h 20Two Psychologists Four BeersTalking about Racism (with Keith Maddox)Yoel and Mickey welcome back returning guest Keith Maddox from Tufts University to talk about his research on racism. What is shadeism? Can anything be done to make it easier to talk about race and racism? What happens to poeple who confront racism? Has social psychology overplayed the impact of implicit prejudice? Has psychology overplayed the role of the individual racist, and not focused enough on structural racism?Special Guest: Keith Maddox.Links:White Lion Brewing - White Lion BreweryJuice Caboose - Juicy IPA – Railway City Brewing CompanyFirst Class Lager - 473ml Can – Barnstormer Brew...
2020-06-171h 29Two Psychologists Four BeersVery Good Men (with Very Bad Wizards)Yoel and Mickey try to settle their feud with the boys from Very Bad Wizards, Tamler Sommers and David Pizarro. They discuss what psychology, philosophy, and art can and can't do. Does psychology get more respect than it deserves? How has philosophy contributed to supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response? In principle, is it possible to measure authoritarianism or love or neuroticism? How has VBW not become an icon of the IDW?
Bonus: Who loves Tamler's step-mother the most?Special Guest: Very Bad Wizards.Links:Fin du Monde | UnibroueRoman Candle – Bellwoods BrewerySmall Batch Wh...
2020-06-031h 37Two Psychologists Four BeersBeing Human (with Scott Barry Kaufman)Yoel and Mickey welcome humanistic psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman to the show. Scott talks about his academic path from intelligence researcher to positive psychologist. What is humanistic psychology? Can one study humananistic concepts like self-actualization, flourishing, and meaning scientifically? What does evolutionary psychology get wrong about basic human needs?
Bonus: SBK sings!Special Guest: Scott Barry Kaufman.Sponsored By:The Great Courses Plus: The Great Courses Plus is a Video-On-Demand service brought to you by The Great Courses – the leading global media brand for lifelong learning and personal enrichment. With thousands of in...
2020-05-131h 05Two Psychologists Four BeersPsychology in the Time of COVID-19Yoel and Mickey spend the first half of the episode discussing how thier lives have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. How has the pademic affected those with and without children? How has the pandemic impacted our various relationships? For the second half of the episode, they discuss what to make of the rush of psychology research on COVID-19. Given psychology's noted problems with replication, generalizability, and standards of evidence, should psychologists be trying to shape public policy? What actionable advice can psychology offer?
Bonus: Mickey finally says what he truly think of the Very Bad Wizards...
2020-04-291h 08Two Psychologists Four BeersPenumbral Fuzz (with Nina Strohminger)Yoel and Mickey welcome Nina Strohminger, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics at the Wharton School of Business, to the show. Nina delivers entertaining takes on digust and morality, the true self, adventures in academia, and writing heroic book reviews. Do incidental emotions reliably impact decision making? What aspect of mind is at the core of one's identity? Which neurodegenerative diseases are the most difficult for caregivers to cope with? What does Nina really think about Colin McGinn's book, The Meaning of Disgust?
Bonus: What is worse: pop-psychology or pop-philosophy?Special Guest: Nina Strohminger.
2020-04-151h 11Two Psychologists Four BeersThe Plague (with Joshua Tybur)Yoel and Mickey welcome evolutionary psychologist Joshua Tybur to the podcast to discuss COVID-19 and the function of disgust as part of the behavioral immune system. What is the relationship between disgust sensitivity and political orientation? Can the theory of evolutionary act as a meta-theory for the study of human psychology? Why is evolutionary psychology so controversial and polarizing?
Bonus: Would Mickey inflate a new unlubricated condom with his mouth?Special Guest: Joshua Tybur.Sponsored By:The Great Courses Plus: The Great Courses Plus is a Video-On-Demand service brought to you by...
2020-04-011h 16Two Psychologists Four BeersWith and Without Children (with Elizabeth Page-Gould)Yoel and Mickey welcome return guest Elizabeth Page-Gould to the podcast to discuss adults with and without children. Why did Liz choose to have children? What do we make of fathers who leave their familiies? How does society view people without children? What is the logic behind anti-natalism?
Bonus: What is concept creep and is it necessarily a bad thing?Special Guest: Elizabeth Page-Gould.Sponsored By:The Great Courses Plus: The Great Courses Plus is a Video-On-Demand service brought to you by The Great Courses – the leading global media brand for lifelong le...
2020-03-181h 10Two Psychologists Four BeersDiversity, Death, and (Cohen's) DAs Little Urban Achievers, Yoel and Mickey delight in discussing previews for The Jesus Rolls, a Big Lebowski spinoff starring John Torturo as Jesus Quintana. They next talk about the University of California's policy of selecting faculty job candidates based primarily on their diversity and inclusion statements. They finally talk science: What happens when open science advocates veer from their pre-registration plans and fail to reject the null hypothesis? Should we care about effect sizes in psychology outside of applied research?Sponsored By:The Great Courses Plus: The Great Courses Plus is a Video-On-Demand service brought...
2020-03-041h 14
The Dissenter#298 Michael Inzlicht: Self-control, Gratification Delay, Ego-depletion, And The Replication Crisis------------------Support the channel------------
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2020-02-211h 19Two Psychologists Four BeersHot Takes (with Robb Willer)Yoel and Mickey welcome Stanford sociologist and psychologist Robb Willer to the show, who serves up hot takes about the replication crisis. Did the low replicabilty era in social psychology have consequences for political science or sociology? Has the open science movement benefited from motivated morality, only effecting change when change was easy? Despite intentions, will the open science movement make science even more elitist?
Bonus: Taking psychedelic drugs at music concerts is fun! Special Guest: Robb Willer.Links:Fog Breaker IPA | Anchor Brewing CompanyTransformative experience and social connectedness mediate the mood-enhancing...
2020-02-191h 23Two Psychologists Four BeersIs There a Generalizability Crisis?Yoel and Mickey discuss a new paper by Tal Yarkoni suggesting that quantitative research in psychology is suffering from a generaliozability crisis. Do the numbers and statistics that psychological scientists present in their papers correspond to their verbal claims? What would psychological science look like if psychologists made fewer general statements? Should psychologists conduct more qualitative and descriptive research? Did Tal Yarkoni himself use a quantitative argument to prop up very old verbal claims about the problem of induction?
Bonus: Before discussing generalizability, Yoel and Mickey discuss Contrapoints and her new video on cancel-culture.Links:
2020-01-221h 13Two Psychologists Four BeersThe War on Christmas Holiday SpecialYoel and Mickey declare war on Christmas, discuss US-Canada differences, and almost entirely avoid serious topics.
Bonus semi-serious topic: are all theories in psychology bound to be true?Links:Kitchen Party | Big Spruce Brewing | BeerAdvocateAn Additional Future for Psychological Science - William J. McGuire, 2013Adam Green - Dreidels Of Fire - YouTube
2019-12-251h 04Two Psychologists Four BeersPsychological Science Meets the Real World (with Nick Hobson)Mickey and Yoel chat with Nick Hobson, a psychologist who has moved from academia to applying behavioral science in the real world. What are some of the challenges that face academics-turned-practitioners? How can you apply psychological research in a rigorous way while, at the same time, keeping the bosses happy? We talk to Nick to find out.
Plus: Yoel's eventful evening, and microdosing.Special Guest: Nick Hobson.Links:A Smiling Serial Shitter Is Terrorizing Toronto - VICECall Me | chipmunks on 16 speedThe BehavioristIt's All Just a Bunch of BS on Apple Podcasts
2019-12-111h 14Two Psychologists Four BeersAgainst ExperimentsAre many classic social psychology experiments more theater than science? Mickey and Yoel discuss "The Rise and Fall of Social Psychology," a book by the sociologist Augustine Brannigan that makes this provocative claim. Given the complexity of social life, are laboratory experiments just the wrong way to measure most social phenomena?
Bonus: who is Don Cherry, and what is his beef with Yoel?Links:Home - Beau's‘I don’t regret a thing.’ Don Cherry not backing down after being fired by Sportsnet | The StarRon MacLean says Coach's Corner 'is no more' after Don Cherry...
2019-11-271h 08Two Psychologists Four BeersThe Future of Social PsychologyMickey and Yoel take advantage of the SESP (Society for Experimental Social Psychology) conference to ask guests some hard-hitting questions about the present and future of social psychology (and, of course, beers). We then answer the same questions ourselves.
Bonus: why are we banning applause on the show?Special Guests: Hanah Chapman, Keith Maddox, Laura Niemi, and Pam Smith.Links:Beau's Brewing Co. - Lug TreadOxford students vote to replace clapping with silent jazz hands | News | The TimesSESPLaura Niemi | Munk School of Global Affairs and Public PolicyHanah ChapmanPamela Smith | Faculty | Rady School...
2019-11-131h 25Two Psychologists Four BeersWhat is Heterodox Academy? (with Debra Mashek)Mickey and Yoel talk with Debra Mashek, the executive director of Heterodox Academy, an organization working to increase open inquiry, viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement in academia. But what does that mean exactly? Aren't these just codewords for "more conservatives"? We talk to Debra to find out.
We also ask Debra about her decision to leave her tenured faculty position and move across the country to take this job.Special Guest: Debra Mashek.Links:A Beer Sommelier's No Name Beer ReviewBlood Orange - Flagship Brewing Company - UntappdWelcome to Heterodox Academy...
2019-10-301h 07Two Psychologists Four BeersMeasurement Schmeasurement (with Jessica Flake)Jessica Flake joins Mickey and Yoel to talk measurement. What is it, how do you do it well, and do social psychologists care about it? What does measurement theory tell us about the validity of standardized tests like the GRE? Jessica also talks about how she went from high-school dropout to professor at McGill.
Bonus: what the hell is Kentucky Gentleman?Special Guest: Jessica Flake.Links:Brasserie Harricana, Montréal, Quebec, Canada | RateBeerJK Flake 📈📏 on Twitter: "What? The GRE is not a face valid measure of quantitative + verbal reasoning? These discussions are off the...
2019-10-161h 20Two Psychologists Four BeersIs Ego Depletion Real?By listener request, Yoel quizzes Mickey about ego depletion. How did we start studying it? How has the replication crisis changed how we think about it? After more than a decade studying ego depletion, does Mickey still have any faith in the phenomenon?
Bonus: what does it mean to say, "don't @ me"?Links:De Hemel BreweryDon't @ meThe Strength Model of Self-Control — Self-control is a central function of the self and an important key to success in life. The exertion of self-control appears to depend on a limited resource.Is Ego Depletion Real? An Analysis of...
2019-10-021h 18Two Psychologists Four BeersEvaluating EminenceYoel and Mickey discuss the role of eminence in science. Is there a role for eminence in psychology? What makes a researcher eminent? Would we be better off disregarding eminence entirely?
Your hosts also discuss common myths in psychology plus a recent mini-controversy in which someone compared New York Times columnist Brett Stephens to a bedbug.
Plus: what did Yoel bring back from Hawaii?Links:Evil Genius | STACY’S MOM CITRA IPA — Stacy’s Mom is our American IPA dry-hopped exclusively with Citra hops. Soft on the palate with extremely low bitterness, this i...
2019-09-181h 06Two Psychologists Four BeersSacred ValuesYoel and Mickey discuss sacred values. How are sacred valued different from other values? What are the hallmarks of values that have become sacrilized? Why does it seem crass, or even offensive, to suggest trading off a sacred value (such as diversity value) against other, more mundane considerations? What does it mean that sacred values are dose insensitive and evidence insensitive?
Bonus: Do scientists who attended conferences sponsored by the late Jeffrey Epstein need to morally cleanse?Links:St. Mary Axe | INDIA PAGAN ALE — A robust pale ale - hazy, juicy and aggressively hopped.Di...
2019-09-041h 16Two Psychologists Four BeersBetter Advice (with Alexa Tullett)Yoel and Mickey welcome Associate Professor of Psychology, Alexa Tullett from the University of Alabama to the podcast. Co-host of The Black Goat podcast and board member of the Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science (SIPS), Alexa talks about being a Canadian early career researcher working in the US. What research is Alexa most excited about these days? How did she become interested in meta science? What advice would she give to non-Americans thinking of working in academia in the US? How did the Black Goat podcast come about?
Bonus: Follow-up on the effect of parenting...
2019-08-211h 05Two Psychologists Four BeersAgainst MindfulnessPlaying devil's advocate, Yoel and Mickey mount a criticism against the scientific study of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can we measure it? Is mindfulness-based therapy effective? Can mindfulness improve the quality of attention beyond the meditation cushion? Are effects of mindfulness mostly placebo effects produced by motivated practitioners and adherents? Should we be impressed by mindfulness meditation’s supposed effects on conceptions of the self? Is mindfulness, in all its complexity, amenable to scientific study?
Bonus: Is the value of diversity and inclusivity a core part of open science?Links:Burdock Bottle ShopCollective Arts Br...
2019-08-071h 16Two Psychologists Four BeersTerrible Advice (with Paul Bloom)Yoel and Mickey welcome Paul Bloom to the podcast, who is not only a returning guest but also the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology at Yale University. We first give terrible advice on parenting. Does parenting affect happiness, relationship satisfaction, and meaning? Does parenting screw with prospective decision making because it leaves the decision maker utterly transformed? We next discuss perversity. Why do we enjoy doing transgressive things? Who is likely to be perverted? Is perversion ever a good strategy?
Bonus: How would Paul rate Yoel on a scale of 1 to 5?Special Guest...
2019-07-241h 08Two Psychologists Four BeersTruth and Political Bias in Psychology (with John Jost)Yoel and Mickey welcome Professor of Psychology and Politics John Jost from New York University to the podcast. Author of the most influential political psychology paper of the last two decades, John talks about the role of psychology in politics and the role of politics in psychology. Is it fair to characterize conservatives as dogmatic, rigid, and close-minded? Given replication failures, are conservatives indeed more attuned to negative stimuli in their environments? Does the description of conservatives as resistant to change applicable in the Trump era? Should social scientists be advocates/activists, neutral fact-finders, or something in between? Why...
2019-07-031h 26Two Psychologists Four BeersHeuristics and Biases in the Democratic PrimaryYoel and Mickey take a deep dive into the Democratic Primary field, asking what the field of judgment and decision making can teach us about the large and diverse field of Democratic candidates. Why is Biden leading in the polls? Is Elizabeth Warren being helped by Kamala Harris? Why isn’t Biden hurt by progressives’ deep dislike of him? What should we make of one-issue voters?
Bonus: Yoel makes a fearless and consequential prediction. Who will make him stick to his word?Links:Miller High Life • RateBeerFollowing outcry, American Psychological Association “refocuses” takedown notice program –...
2019-06-191h 03Two Psychologists Four BeersSlow-Form Journalism (with Daniel Engber)Yoel and Mickey welcome Slate columnist Daniel Engber to the podcast. Dan talks about the state of science journalism, including what he sees as more skeptical, less credulous reporting. He also talks about the replication crisis in psychology, imposter syndrome in academics, concussion in sport, and the value of blue-ribbon panels opining on the state of science. Dan also delights with his contrarian takes on marathon running, the windchill factor, and a computer’s progress bar.
Bonus: Yoel yet again finds an excuse to drink no beer at all.Special Guest: Daniel Engber.Li...
2019-06-0557 minTwo Psychologists Four BeersBlend of Darkness (with Brent Roberts)Yoel and Mickey welcome Professor of Psychology Brent Roberts from the University of Illinois to the podcast. One of the most influential personality psychologists of our day, Brent unleashes his thoughts on broad range of topics: candidate gene studies, personality, conscientiousness, coddling of the American mind, screen-time, senior colleagues, and the replication crisis in psychology. What is personality and how does it change? Why do people love the Myers-Briggs personality test? How would conscientiousness have helped us in our ancestral past? Has helicopter-parenting made American kids fragile and easily debilitated? Has the smartphone actually destroyed a generation? Should we...
2019-05-221h 29Two Psychologists Four BeersPerils of PrivilegeYoel and Mickey discuss the concept of privilege, the unearned, sometimes invisible conditions of a person’s life that give them advantages that others might not have. What are the benefits of acknowledging one’s privilege and calling it out in others? Are there drawbacks to focusing on the immutable characteristics of a person that might normally proffer advantages? If all our characteristics are unearned, that is products of biology and environment that we have zero control over, should people be praised or blamed for them? But, first, they discuss new internal analyses by Google suggesting it has been over...
2019-04-241h 06Two Psychologists Four BeersApostasy and Dissent (with Sarah Haider)Yoel and Mickey talk with Sarah Haider, the co-founder and Executive Director of Ex-Muslims of North America, an organization that advocates for the acceptance of religious dissent and supports those who leave Islam. Sarah talks about her own experience of growing up Muslim and leaving her faith; the unique predicament of and risks for Muslim dissenters; and how US partisan politics make her work more difficult.
Bonus: Sarah gives Mickey pointers on how to avoid using Twitter as an outrage machine, a lesson he sorely needs.Special Guest: Sarah Haider.Links:Ex-Muslims...
2019-03-271h 01Two Psychologists Four BeersTwo Normies Four BeersYoel and Mickey discuss Kill All Normies, a book written by Angela Nagle about the online culture wars, the rise of transgressive politics, and the disappearance of moderates. But, first they discuss a new journal article titled The Paradox of Viral Outrage suggesting that online pile-ons tend to backfire
Bonus: What does Mickey really think about Christina Hoff Sommers?Links:Quillette Social in TorontoQuilletteThe Paradox of Viral Outrage - Takuya Sawaoka, Benoît Monin, 2018 — Moral outrage has traditionally served a valuable social function, expressing group values and inhibiting deviant behavior, but the exponential dynamics of...
2019-02-271h 05Two Psychologists Four BeersA Schedule Update (Shomer F*cking Sabbatical)We are going to be on a one-episode-a-month schedule till May. Why? Because Mickey is on sabbatical from his cough incredibly demanding job: ✈️🌴🏖🍹😎Links:Bali
2019-02-0603 minTwo Psychologists Four BeersWhat Science and the Humanities Offer Each Other (with Edward Slingerland)Yoel and Mickey welcome Distinguished Professor of Asian Studies, Edward (Ted) Slingerland from the University of British Columbia to the podcast. Ted discusses what the sciences can offer the humanities, but also how the humanities can enrich science. Ted then discusses his popular book, "Trying Not To Try", where he describes the Chinese concept of Wu-Wei, which can be defined as effortless action or spontaneity and proposes that the ever-striving West could use a lot more of it. Finally, Ted tries in vain to convince Mickey that intoxication is an important, critical part of culture.
Bonus: Did...
2019-01-301h 18Two Psychologists Four BeersWhy Trump WonYoel and Mickey discuss Identity Crisis, a new book about the 2016 US presidential election written by the political scientists John Sides, Michael Tesler, and Lynn Vavreck. But first, they talk about the recent controversy over Patreon's ban of a provocative internet personality and what, if any, implications this has for free speech.
Bonus: who is Mickey's favorite Sex and the City character?Links:Michael Inzlicht on Twitter: Toilet paper roll — "My departmental rival, @gmacdonalduoft, had this made for our area secret Santa party last night. Now I'm struggling to decide whether I should make it...
2019-01-021h 05Two Psychologists Four BeersHow Polarized Are We? (with Anne Wilson)Yoel and Mickey sit down with Anne Wilson of Wilfrid Laurier University to discuss free speech, the Lindsay Shepherd case, political polarization, #MeToo, and more.
Bonus: how many tattoos does Mickey have, and is that why he's less trustworthy?Special Guest: Anne Wilson.Links:The death of the Montreal bagel? - The Globe and MailIMPETuS Lab | Anne Wilson's Social Psychology LabInside Lindsay Shepherd’s controversial battle over free speech on campusGOODBYE TO THE LEFT - YouTube — Lindsay Shepherd says goodbye to the leftSocial Justice And Words, Words, Words | Slate Star CodexDartmouth students sue...
2018-12-191h 09
The Psychology PodcastMichael Inzlicht || The Replication CrisisToday we have Dr. Michael Inzlicht on the podcast. Dr. Inzlicht's primary appointment at the University of Toronto is as professor in the Department of Psychology, but he is also cross-appointed as Professor at the Roman School of Management, and he is a Research Fellow at the Behavioral Economics in Action group. Michael conducts research that sits at the boundaries of social psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. Along with Yoel Inbar, he hosts the podcast “Two Psychologists Four Beers.” In this episode we discuss: How serious is the replication crisis in psychology? Can the human social realm ever b...
2018-12-1356 minTwo Psychologists Four BeersJust When You Think You're OutYoel and Mickey discuss two mini-controversies recently in the news: 1) Should equity, diversity, and inclusion statements be required from academic job candidates? Do they signal the liberal values of academia, and if so, is that a bad thing? 2) Are psychologists disproportionately likely to argue that free speech is in crisis on campus? If so, why?
Bonus: Mickey describes an intimate product that he definitely does not own.Links:Kenneth DeMarree - Department of Psychology - University at BuffaloBare Spray – A Hit for Your Naughty Bits🐙🛐Will Gervais🛐🐙 on Twitter — "Academia has some bleak and pessimistic take...
2018-12-051h 05Two Psychologists Four BeersVices (with Elizabeth Page-Gould)Yoel and Mickey have their first repeat guest as Liz Page-Gould joins them to talk vices. Weed, booze and porn are all on the table (well, not literally) as we take on some popular vices. Why do you get paranoid when you smoke? Was alcohol really the impetus for agriculture? Is watching porn bad for your relationship? Bonus: learn who's watched porn in the last week.Special Guest: Elizabeth Page-Gould.Links:Rouge River BreweryAdverse effects of cannabis - The Lancet — Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in many developed societies. Its health an...
2018-11-211h 14Two Psychologists Four BeersWhat's Wrong with the IAT? (with Jesse Singal)Journalist Jesse Singal joins Yoel and Mickey to talk about the state of science journalism, what he thinks is wrong with how people interpret the Implicit Association Test (IAT), and the pros and cons of moral outrage. Why do so many science journalists simply repeat talking points from university press releases? Is it ethical to administer the IAT as a teaching tool? What is social media like for a journalist?
Bonus: Yoel, Mickey, & Jesse discuss a new paper arguing there are upsides to moral outrage.Special Guest: Jesse Singal.Links:Dunham Orange...
2018-11-071h 00Two Psychologists Four BeersEverybody Hates Social MediaMickey and Yoel take on social media. What are the upsides and downsides of being on social media, particularly Twitter? Why does Mickey ban himself from social media for most of the day? What led Yoel to abandon Twitter entirely for two weeks, and what drew him back in? Would the open science movement have happened without social media? Bonus: when is it a good idea to give voice to the voiceless?Links:Blood Brothers — Blood Brothers Brewing is a family-owned craft brewery opened in 2015 by Dustin and Brayden Jones in Toronto, Ontario.Department of Deviance: Re...
2018-10-241h 03Two Psychologists Four BeersNo Such Thing as Bad Publicity?Yoel and Mickey discuss how scientists should publicize their work. Should scientists issue press releases about their findings? Should they write op-ed columns to communicate directly with the public? If Yoel writes an op-ed about Mickey's paper, is that weird? Do scientists have an obligation to share their work with the public, or does self-promotion involve too many perverse incentives?
Bonus: Toronto sex doll brothel, raw water, and beaver fever.Links:Milkshark (Tropical) — Bellwoods BreweryGose (Guava) | Collective Arts BrewingEverything We Know About Toronto’s New Sex Doll Brothel - VICEMeet “raw” water—ludicrously priced unfiltered...
2018-10-101h 01Two Psychologists Four BeersConservative Social Psychologist Wanted (with Clay Routledge)Yoel and Mickey welcome Clay Routledge to the show. Clay is a professor of psychology at North Dakota State University who studies the cognitive and motivational consequences of the search for meaning, including religion and other supernatural beliefs. Clay talks about his childhood growing up as the child of missionaries in Africa and the U.S., what it's like to be outside the liberal mainstream in psychology, and how religion and belief in alien visitors may be connected.Special Guest: Clay Routledge.Links:Junkyard Brewing Company | Small craft brewery in Moorhead, MNFlensburger Brauerei — FLENSBURGER BR...
2018-09-261h 13
GrowthStoryEP34 - Michael Henson : Taking a leap of faith on entrepreneurshipUp until a few months ago, Michael was a teacher until he left his day job to pursue his passion for storytelling full-time through his photography and creative services business Henson Creative. Learn about how Michael started to experiment with visual communication and developed his talents into a true expertise. Learn how LinkedIn played an important role in leveraging Michael’s business to more than a hobby and how he uses LinkedIn today. Learn about Michael’s traditional past with business school and the corporate world, and how that wasn’t suited for his entrepreneurial spirit and creative mind. Finally, get so...
2018-09-201h 08Two Psychologists Four BeersGiving the Finger (with Alice Dreger)Yoel and Mickey welcome author, journalist, historian, and bioethicist Alice Dreger to the show. Alice, who wrote Galileo’s Middle Finger, discusses how her upbringing, her academic background, and her own Galilean personality led her to piss so many people off in the service of serving both truth and justice. Can academics pursue both truth and justice? What is a Galilean personality? Do activists pollute science? Why did Alice refuse to be lumped in with the so-called Intellectual Dark Web? How can we improve the way newspapers work?
Bonus: Why did Yoel and Mickey create an (Alice ap...
2018-09-121h 00Two Psychologists Four BeersConfessions of a Science Critic (with James Heathers)Yoel and Mickey welcome Northeastern University research scientist and science critic James Heathers to their show. Yoel, Mickey, and James discuss science reform and the need for robust science criticism. Why is it so hard for some (older) scientists to admit their mistakes? Do science critics feel empathy for the scholars they criticize? Is there a danger of science criticism going too far, even over-correcting? What exactly is Yoel drinking this episode?
Bonus: James discusses his fascinating research on people who can control their goosebumps.
Bonus Bonus: Yoel and Mickey submit to James's break-music request.
2018-08-291h 02Two Psychologists Four BeersWhen Does the Left Go Too Far?Yoel and Mickey ask how to know when the political Left has gone too far. Assuming the Left can indeed go too far--turning off even other progressives who feel abandoned by their natural political home--Yoel and Mickey riff on ways this might manifest. The conversation includes a discussion of identity politics, the problems with subjectivity, the challenge of balancing the desire for justice with the desire for truth, and the inherent problem of being both a scientist and activist. Before debating the supposed sins of the Left, Yoel and Mickey discuss a new paper overturning the cause of the...
2018-08-151h 14Two Psychologists Four BeersYoel and Mickey Fall in Love (with Elizabeth Page-Gould)Yoel and Mickey welcome their University of Toronto colleague and close friend, psychologist Elizabeth Page-Gould. Liz, who is an expert in close friendship, tries to help Yoel and Mickey fall in love with each other…and with her…by administering the so-called fast-friends procedure. By answering questions of increasing intimacy and revealing personal stories, Yoel, Mickey, and Liz grow in rapport over the course of the hour, sometimes uncovering deep emotions.
Bonus: Yoel and Mickey discuss a new paper in Science Magazine suggesting that judgments of blue dots can help us understand the advent of concepts such as m...
2018-08-011h 18Two Psychologists Four BeersI Love How You Hurt Me (with Paul Bloom)Yoel and Mickey welcome Yale psychologist Paul Bloom to the show, their very first guest. In a far ranging conversation, Yoel, Mickey, and Paul discuss the potential benefits of pain. Why do we sometimes choose to suffer? Are there any benefits (to self or society) to being a painful or disagreeable person? Why do we enjoy and seek out aversive fiction, be that in books, TV, or film? Why do so many of the goals that we set and pursue involve pain and suffering?
Bonus: Yoel, Mickey, and Paul each completed a validated measure of agreeableness. Can...
2018-07-181h 06Two Psychologists Four BeersThe Replication Crisis Gets PersonalIn their most emotional episode yet, Yoel and Mickey discuss the replication crisis in psychology. What is meant by the replication crisis and how did it get started? Why does it appear like the field is split into two, with some young academics actively trying to reform psychology and more senior scholars suggesting the problems have been mostly overstated? How have academics dealt with the possibility that their own work might not be robust and replicable? Finally, how did one of the most notorious academic fraudsters get caught?
Bonus: Did Mickey spike Toxoplasma gondii (crazy cat lady...
2018-07-041h 08Two Psychologists Four BeersWTF is the IDW?Yoel and Mickey take a deep dive into the so-called Intellectual Dark Web (IDW). What is the IDW and who are the prominent members of this group? Why do members of the IDW seem so cranky? Are members of the IDW actually being silenced, and given their massive popularity, who is silencing them? Is the IDW a positive and new development in our culture? Should the members of the IDW be concerned about some of their fans and followers?
Bonus: Why did Yoel decide to have us drink the champagne of beers?Links:Meet...
2018-06-201h 06Two Psychologists Four BeersYou're Not Wrong Walter, You're Just an A$$holeIn this episode, Yoel and Mickey tackle problems of tone and incivility in online discussions of the scientific literature. What constitutes bullying and is the term abused to derail legitimate criticism? What is an ad hominem attack and when is it a fallacy? Finally, who's our favorite member of the Black Goat podcast?Links:When the Revolution Came for Amy Cuddy - The New York TimesHere’s How Cornell Scientist Brian Wansink Turned Shoddy Data Into Viral Studies About How We EatSome Points On Bullying, Attacks and CriticismSimone Schnall's replication responseIssues with data and analyses: Errors, un...
2018-06-051h 01