Dive into the science that shapes our lives as I chat to experts to uncover unexpected areas where psychology influences us.

Are search engines manipulating your beliefs? Could getting kinky improve your relationship? And why do people become obsessed with cycling?

From vulnerability to vampires, and from cats to craft beer, subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts to explore if actually, Everything’s Psychology.

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

I'm joined by Dr Lori Beth Bisbey, a psychologist, a sex & intimacy coach, host of the A to Z of Sex podcast and star of Open House: The Great Sex Experiment on Channel 4. 

We talk about the psychology behind people's sexual kinks and fetishes, if engaging in kinky behaviour is healthy for relationships, and if such behaviour should be seen as ‘normal’.

You can find out more about Lori Beth at her website www.drloribethbisbey.com

You can listen to the A to Z of Sex podcast here

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Professor Ian Walker, Professor of Psychology and Head of the School of Psychology at Swansea University, talks to me about the psychology of cycling. We also discuss how you can change people's transport behaviour, what it means to be a ‘mindful traveller’, and if it's actually safer not to wear a helmet when cycling.

Find out more about Professor Walker's work at www.drianwalker.com

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I chat with renowned psychologist Professor Robert Epstein about how search engines are modern Skinner boxes, manipulating our choices and even our beliefs. Hear about how his research over the last 12 years shows how tech corporations such as Google and Facebook are employing techniques from behaviourism to manipulate our beliefs and opinions to influence global politics and beyond.

In the show, Robert mentions the following websites:

http://myprivacytips.com/

https://aibrt.org/

https://americasdigitalshield.com/

Robert's choice of browser: https://brave.com/

Robert's choice of email: https://proton.me/mail

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

What is vulnerability and how does it affect people differently? How should consumer organisations, such as banks be catering for people with characteristics of vulnerability?

I chat with Dr Chris Fitch from the Money Advice Trust about the impact of being vulnerable and some of the innovative ways organisations are changing to be inclusive and accessible.

Find out more about the Money Advice Trust here

Listen to Chris's podcast ‘Vulnerability Matters’ on Soundcloud or search for Vulnerability Matters wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

This episode dives into the complexities of cat behaviour.

Dr Claude Béata, animal behaviouralist and author of The Interpretation of Cats, emphasises cats dual role as both predator and prey and how this distinction can help us understand these most wonderful creatures. 

Our discussion also covers the importance of experience in shaping behaviour, the nuances of attachment and over-attachment, and therapeutic approaches that prioritise positive reinforcement. Additionally, the conversation highlights the various aspects of cat behaviour, including litter box preferences, the debate between indoor and outdoor living, the fascination with cardboard boxes, the impact of breeding practices, and the challenges of adopting rescue cats.

Go order a copy of Dr Béata's book, The Interpretation of Cats and Their Owners. It's a fascinating, enjoyable, and enlightening book for all cat lovers. 😻

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Do habits really take 66 days to form? Should you rely on willpower? How does a psychologist approach overcoming their own bad habits and starting good ones?

Professor Ben Gardner leads us through the intricate world of habits, exploring their definitions, the distinction between habits and routines, and the psychological mechanisms behind habitual behaviour. 

Professor Gardner shares insights from his extensive research, highlighting the importance of instigation habits that trigger actions and the role of willpower in habit formation and the need for a nuanced understanding of habits to effectively implement behaviour change in daily life. 

Find out more about Ben's work at: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/people/benjamin-gardner

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I chat with Dr Paul Sacher about the state of AI within the behavioural sciences. Should we be scared how AI will be used or excited about the opportunities it opens for research and the application of psychology?

Paul is an AI and Behavioural scientist, CEO of Sacher.ai, and a senior lecturer in AI and behavioural science in the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London.

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Why are we so drawn to stories about transformation? About leaving the ordinary world, facing a crisis, and returning changed?

From King Lear to The Lion King, from Harry Potter to The Hunger Games, the same plot shape appears again and again: a lone hero sets off on a journey, struggles, grows, and triumphs.

This structure — famously named The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell — has come to dominate the way we tell stories. But why? Why this structure? And what does its popularity say about us, psychologically?

In this episode, I’m joined by writer and radio producer Eliane Glaser, whose Aeon article “Our Narrative Prison” unpacks the history, psychology, and cultural consequences of the Hero’s Journey.

Together, we’ll explore how the monomyth taps into deep behavioural drivers — and whether it’s time to rethink the stories we live by.

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You'll find Eliane's article here: https://aeon.co/essays/why-does-every-film-and-tv-series-seem-to-have-the-same-plot

You can find out more about Eliane and her books here: https://www.elianeglaser.com/

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

This is the first of shorter episodes to sit in-between the main interview episodes. It means you'll now get an Everything's Psychology episode every week.

Here, I dig a little deeper into the psychology behind the Hero's Journey and share a couple of academic studies which reveal the power of storytelling.

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Here's some links which I mention:

Christopher Vogler's 7-page memo on the relevance of the hero's journey in screenwriting: https://livingspirit.typepad.com/files/chris-vogler-memo-1.pdf

Egan, L.C., Santos, L.R. and Bloom, P. (2007) ‘The Origins of Cognitive Dissonance’, Psychological Science, 18(11), pp. 978–983.

Kirkpatrick, L. A., & Epstein, S. (1992). Cognitive-experiential self-theory and subjective probability: Further evidence for two conceptual systems. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(4), 534–544. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.63.4.534

McAdams, D.P. (2001) ‘The Psychology of Life Stories’, Review of General Psychology, 5(2), pp. 100–122. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.5.2.100.

McAdams, D.P. (2019) ‘“First we invented stories, then they changed us”: The Evolution of Narrative Identity’, Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture, 3(1), pp. 1–18. Available at: https://doi.org/10.26613/esic.3.1.110.

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

In this episode, discover the innovative concept of superhero therapy with Dr. Janina Scarlett. Her work with military personnel, adults, and children integrates pop culture heroes into evidence-based therapy to help individuals cope with anxiety, trauma, and other mental health challenges.

Links from the episode

Dr Janina Scarlet's website: https://www.superhero-therapy.com/

The Superhero Therapy podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NLrbC0hDBF4TPZe5t8G4a

Dr Scarlet's online courses on Pesi.com 

Paper on the effectiveness of Avatar Therapy in people with psychosis

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

If you haven't listened to the previous interview episode with Dr Janina Scarlet on the idea of Superhero Therapy then instead get the cheat sheet with all the best bits here. 

Also, I extrapolate from Superhero Therapy to Bandura's Bobo doll experiments from the 1960s, behavioural noise from Daniel Kahneman, and I also share a couple of super resources for you to dive into.

Resources

Superhero Therapy for Anxiety and Trauma by Dr Janina Scarlet: https://amzn.eu/d/1SX8xbv

Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment: https://www.simplypsychology.org/bobo-doll.html

Noise by Daniel Kahneman: https://amzn.eu/d/jjm6eor

Our Superheroes, Ourselves by Robin Rosenberg: https://amzn.eu/d/d4SVYXU

Oxford Risk study (2021) into decision noise for financial advice: https://www.oxfordrisk.com/blog-posts/adviser-noise-in-retirement-income-advice

Hero Cards: www.loveherocards.com

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Why are we so obsessed with vampires?

In this episode, I'm joined by psychologist and author David Cohen. We chat about his book The Psychology of Vampires (Routledge, 2019) and David unpacks what vampires really represent in the human mind—from repressed desires and forbidden sexuality to our deepest fears about death, power, and emotional dependency.

We delve into how Freud, Jung, and modern psychological theories help explain the vampire’s grip on our imagination—and why this mythical figure has evolved from a terrifying predator to a tortured, seductive anti-hero in today’s pop culture.

You can order a copy of the Psychology of Vampires directly from Routledge

Find out more about David's books and films here

And you can contact David on dcpsychologynews@gmail.com

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

In this shorter episode, I discuss my interview with David Cohen on the psychology of vampires and delve a little deeper into the groups of people who identify themselves as real-life vampires or drink blood.

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The Psychology of Vampires by David Cohen (Routledge Publishing)

Psychologists on Psychology by David Cohen

Laycock, J. (2010) Real Vampires as an Identity Group: Analyzing Causes and Effects of an Introspective Survey by the Vampire Community https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2010.14.1.4

Kendegar, A. (2021). From the urge to see one’s own blood to the urge to drink it: Can hemomania be specified as an impulse control disorder? Two case reports. https://doi.org/10.1080/10550887.2021.1897200

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

In this shorter episode, I share a few more ideas from psychology that relate to last week's topic of sexual violence. I also give an update on which episodes have proven to be the most popular to date.

If you have an idea for an episode, please let me know at paul@everythingspsychology.com or DM me on any of the social channels.

📺  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everythingspsychology

📷  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingspsych

💃🏻  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@everythingspsych

☁️  Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/everythingspsych.bsky.social

🤬  X: https://x.com/everythingsPsy

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In this episode, we dip our psychological toes into the world of sociology and gender studies by chatting with Professor Alison Phipps (Newcastle University) about sexual violence.

It's certainly a serious topic, but we try to tackle it with humour as Alison and I are old school friends who can be open and honest with each other. I ask Alison to summarise her last book, ‘Me Not You: The Trouble with Mainstream Feminism’ and also her upcoming book, ‘Sexual Violence in Racial Capitalism’, and I get to ask lots of ‘dumb’ questions in my attempt to understand this complex topic.

Show links

Find out more about Alison and her work here: https://phipps.space/

‘Me Not You’ by Alison Phipps

‘Sexual Violence in Racial Capitalism’ by Alison Phipps

‘Abolition Feminism Now’ by Angela Davis and others

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

In this episode, I explore the intricate relationship between psychology and investing with Dr. Daniel Crosby. 

We discuss how behavioural biases impact investment decisions, the importance of understanding these biases, and the role of financial advisors in guiding investors. We end by recommending practical steps for individuals looking to improve their investing strategies – or just get started.

More about Daniel Crosby: https://orion.com/thought-leader/daniel-crosby

The Behavioral Investor (Amazon): https://amzn.eu/d/b4ginLa

The Soul of Wealth (Amazon): https://amzn.eu/d/aN5qEY1

Daniel's podcast, “Standard Deviation” (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1uQPuBpfpomaUNkwY7SkcH?si=ce80c36049934500

Follow Daniel on X: https://x.com/danielcrosby

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

I share my framework to help companies struggling to persuade their customers to make decisions that will make them better off. I share how mapping customer communications to a psychological model helps promote action.

For more on the Behaviour Relay, email paul@behaviour.co.uk

Get updates and freebies from my upcoming book at behavebook.com

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Valued this year at $8 billion, OnlyFans is the video hosting site generating significant media interest, with celebrities using it to support their other work.

I chat with Dr Anna Kelberg about why people put themselves on cams, and whether it's just for the money. Also, is paying for a subscription to an OnlyFans provider considered cheating on your partner? And, is OnlyFans something which young people view as empowering or exploitation?

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Find out more about Anna's work at https://www.annakelberg.com/

Anna's research into sex webcammers: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1173902/full

Anna's thoughts on infidelity: https://www.annakelberg.com/blog-posts/cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater

The paper I mentioned from Guadalajara from Anguita & Romero: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12119-025-10389-2

Research into sexual attitudes and characteristics of OnlyFans users: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9330933/

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

In this episode, I expand on last week's interview with the details of a 2025 research paper that examined the influence of erotic content platforms, such as OnlyFans, on teenagers.

You can read the full paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12119-025-10389-2.

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

With the celebrity version of The Traitors UK starting on October 8th, I talk with three psychologists from Chester University about the psychology used in the show as a whole, how contestants have played the show previously, and how the gameplay will change with celebrities in the Traitor house.

Listen to Lisa, Clea, and Kevin breakdown each new episode of the Celebrity Traitors on their own podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4mlX6OZRgRodLBmkNZrfuj?si=4513f5ce732344bb

Professor Lisa Oakley: https://www.chester.ac.uk/staff-directory/loakley/

Dr Clea Wright: https://www.chester.ac.uk/staff-directory/cleawright/

Dr Kevin Hochard: https://www.chester.ac.uk/staff-directory/khochard/

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Why do people start a podcast? I chat with host of the Growth Mindset Psychology podcast, Sam Webster Harris, about his motivations for launching a podcast and why, after 500+ episodes, he's still doing it. We chat about the psychology of motivation, self-determination, signalling theory, and whether there's a hierarchy of influencers.

Listen to the Growth Mindset Psychology website on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2rQ6Aug8EBudJMSBYTi8nM?si=5db3dfbf082943cc

Catch Sam's new podcast, How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation here: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT?si=8a7d052ef9704634

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What psychology have we seen in the first four episodes of the Celebrity Traitors? Were we right in our predictions? Now that we've seen how the celebs are playing the game, who do I think will make it to the end?

Don't forget to listen to last week's episode where I chat with three psychologists from the University of Chester about the psychology in the show. And check out their own podcast, ‘The Psychology of The Traitors’ on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/show/4mlX6OZRgRodLBmkNZrfuj?si=8bdc0c98286e4993

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You can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology