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Under the Cortex is the podcast of the Association for Psychological Science (APS). It covers a wide range of topics from our journals, member research, policy initiatives, and the public impact of psychological science. In addition, APS hosts the Current Directions in Psychological Science Podcast, produced and hosted by journal editor Robert Goldstone, who interviews various authors to get deeper insights into the most compelling research published in the journal (psychologicalscience.org/publications/current_directions).
Under the Cortex, the weekly podcast of the APS
Current Directions in Psychological Science Podcast
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Under the Cortex: Parents Fine-Tune Their Speech to Children’s Vocabulary Knowledge
Researchers have developed a method to experimentally evaluate how parents use what they know about their children’s language when they talk to them. More
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Under the Cortex: Gesturing Reduces Effect of a Classic Optical Illusion, Study Finds
New research in Psychological Science shows how gestures can help people penetrate a classic optical illusion. More
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Under the Cortex: Handwriting Beats Typing and Watching Videos for Learning to Read
There is something intrinsically satisfying about crafting a handwritten thank-you letter or jotting down a thoughtful note to a friend or loved one. With the advent of electronic correspondence, handheld texting, and voice-recognition software, handwriting skills are becoming less commonplace and perhaps even old fashioned. Apart from a seemingly less-personal More
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Under the Cortex: Casual Sex, Self Esteem, and the Prejudices Women Face
New research in Psychological Sciecne finds no significant correlation between a woman’s sexual behavior and her self-esteem. More
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Under the Cortex: Midnight Attack of the Earworms! How Stuck Songs Sap Sleep
Michael Scullin from Baylor University talks to us about his research examining this phenomenon of sleep-disturbing earworms and how popular tunes can impact our sleep. More
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Under the Cortex: From Activism to Radicalization: The Tipping Point of Unfairness
What can psychological science tell us about the causes and mental processes that push people from activism to radicalization? To shine some light on this topic, we hear from Kees van den Bos at the University of Utrecht, who is an expert on the study of radicalization. More
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Under the Cortex: Out of the Box and Into the Lab, Mimes Help Us ‘See’ Objects That Don’t Exist
Chaz Firestone (Johns Hopkins University) and Pat Little (New York University) talk with Charles Blue about their Psychological Science paper on mimes and implied surface. More
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Under the Cortex Special Episode: 6 Young Researchers Discuss the Forefront of Psychological Science
In this special episode of Under the Cortex, we talk with some of the most recent Spence Award winner More
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Under the Cortex: Emotion and Long-Lasting Attitudes and Opinions
New research published in the journal Psychological Science reveals that attitudes based on feelings and emotions can also stand the test of time. More
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Under the Cortex: Methodologies and the Evolution of Science
Reflecting on the President’s Column in the March/April issue of the Observer, NPR science correspondent Joe Palca, who earned a PhD in psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, offers his unique take on the evolution of methodologies in science, from landers on Mars to big data and psychological More
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Under the Cortex: Horse Brain and the Human Brain
APS’s Charles Blue talks with APS Founding Member Dr. Janet Jones, author of the book Horse Brain, Human Brain. More
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Under the Cortex: Training to Wisely Navigate Social Conflicts
People are able to approach social conflicts more wisely if they have trained themselves in advance by practicing a distanced self-talk technique, referring to themselves with third-person pronouns such as “she” or “they” rather than the first-person pronouns of “me” or “I.” More
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Under the Cortex: How Depression and Stress Could Dampen Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines
Health behaviors and emotional stressors can alter the body’s ability to develop an immune response to vaccines, including—potentially—the new COVID-19 vaccines. More
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Under the Cortex: 2020 Year in Review
What happens when APS Media Relations director Charles Blue chats with APS Senior Science Writer Ludmila Nunes? A fun discussion on 2020’s most interesting research, that’s what! Many of the major news stories of 2020 were closely tied to understanding human behavior, including efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 More
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Under the Cortex: The Challenges of Military Veterans in Their Transition to the Workplace
Podcast addresses the long-standing structural features of the military that have created a culture and society that is dramatically different and disconnected from civilian society. More
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Under the Cortex: Primatology and Psychology, Shedding Light on Culture and Behavior
Frans de Waal explores the connection between primatology and psychology and how they intersect on issues of culture and behavior. More
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Under the Cortex: A Psychologist’s View of Racism and Inequality
APS’s Charles Blue speaks with social psychologist and cultural diversity scholar Dr. James Jones of the University of Delaware. More
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Losing Control: How Lack of Sleep Allows Unpleasant Thoughts to Intrude
Unwanted memories can intrude on our thoughts from time to time, but new research suggests that a lack of sleep can greatly impair our ability to suppress these unpleasant and unwanted thoughts. Researcher Scott Cairney from the University of York in the UK helps us understand the role of sleep More
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Under the Cortex: The Story Behind “The Future of Women in Psychological Science”
In September 2020, APS published the first-ever gender parity review of psychological science: “The Future of Women in Psychological Science.” The story behind this study, as told by some of the authors, is a compelling examination of personal experiences and observations. More
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Playing With Fear: Haunted Houses and Recreation
Haunted houses, horror movies, and ghost stories can provoke chilling delights, provided the fear they evoke remains in a “Goldilocks zone” that is neither too terrifying nor too tame. New research connects this sweet spot of recreational fear to a telltale range of heartrate fluctuations, shedding light on the mind-body More
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Podcast: COVID-19 and Its Connection to Human Behavior
Panelists discuss the remarkable resilience of many people in the face of COVID-19 and the challenges that lie ahead if we let our guard down. More
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Podcast: Violent Video Games and Aggression: The Connection is Dubious, at Best
If you are worried about violent video games triggering aggressive behavior in children, new research may help to alleviate your concerns. More
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Days of Future Past: Concerns for the Group’s Future Prompt Longing for Its Past (and Ways to Reclaim It)
APS interviews Michael Wohl on how collective angst can influence collective nostalgia. More
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APS Roundtable: Psychological Science and COVID-19, What We Know and What We Can Do
On March 18, the Association for Psychological Science convened a virtual roundtable of four APS members who discussed the psychological dimensions of COVID-19 and how it is affecting both society and individuals. More
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APS President’s Virtual Roundtable: The Opportunities and Challenges of Open Access
Virtual panel on the challenges and opportunities of the emerging journal publishing model of open access. More
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Psychological Science and Conspiracy Theories in the Era of COVID-19: Interview with Karen Douglas and Michael Shermer
Podcast interview on conspiracy theories and how they have materialized in the era of COVID-19. More
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Psychological Science and COVID-19, Interview with Roxane Cohen Silver
An audio podcast with APS Fellow Roxane Cohen Silver on coping with COVID-19. More
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[Podcast] Why Are There Differing Preferences for Suffixes and Prefixes Across Languages?
Interview with Alexander Martin about the preference of prefixes over suffixes in WEIRD languages. More
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Science Says We Prefer Fictional Villains Who Remind Us of Ourselves: Interview with author Rebecca Krause
People may find fictional villains surprisingly likeable when they share similarities with the viewer or reader. More