Two Guys on Your Head

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in a debate, even with ourselves, that it doesn’t occur to us to change the frame of the conversation. As Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, it’s important to find new ways to talk and think about things. The post Framing Discourse (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It’s sometimes difficult to justify doing an activity that isn’t related to work or achieving a specific goal, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, letting your mind wander and thinking of things other than your immediate task can be beneficial for your brain and […] The post Wandering appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It can be difficult to understand how to navigate behavior when there is no direct cause and effect between what you’re doing and the impact you want to have. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke, talk about why it’s important to take daily actions toward long-term goals. The post Cause and Effect appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Time is important, especially when it comes to the brain. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke, talk about how our brains process and understand time and how we can reorient our goals within tasks to stay motivated and get more done. The post Time, Attention, and How To Get Things Done appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

There’s a lot going on below the surface when it comes to what we reveal and conceal. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke, talk about a few perplexing dimensions of the psychology of transparency. The post Transparency appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Some of our behaviors tend to get in the way of goals we would like to achieve or even the lives we want to live, but changing our behavior can be more complicated than we think. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke, talk about the psychology of […] The post Abstinence vs. Moderation appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

In April, we celebrate National Poetry Month, and in honor of this beautiful commemoration, we wanted to revisit our show on writer’s block! That phrase might induce panic and a recollection of a familiar experience. It’s a widespread phenomenon. So what is it? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explain […] The post How To Crush Writer’s Block appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A classic study found that individuals eat less soup when they have a visual cue of how much they have eaten, thus demonstrating the power of external cues about eating. However, this research, done by Brian Wansink and his colleagues in 2005, was called into question by the lead researcher’s demonstrations of scientific misconduct. A […] The post The Soup Study Revisited appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Nobel laureate and behavioral psychologist Daniel Kahneman passed away on March 27th, 2024, at the age of 90. Kahneman was not only a giant in the fields of psychology and economics, but as Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head he was also kind, generous, open-minded, and […] The post Remembering Daniel Kahneman appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Building in hedges to a sentence is a natural thing most of us do without thinking too much about it, but when we can’t form a sentence without “really” or “like ya know” it might be time to take a pause. That said, as we explore in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, […] The post Hedges and Crutches appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Dr. Art Markman explains how he advises organizational leaders about critiquing behavior. The post Bonus: Art’s XYZ Approach to Behavior Change appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Many psychological elements go into the idea of changing or remaking oneself, so Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke decided to record a series on the psychology of change. Our third and final episode delves into the words we use to describe ourselves and others and why and how they matter. The post Change: The Fundamental Attribution Error appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Many psychological elements go into the idea of changing or remaking oneself, so Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke decided to record a series on the psychology of change. Our second episode in the series looks at what we believe about who can change, how people change, and why it matters. The post Change: Belief Systems appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Many psychological elements go into the idea of changing or remaking oneself, so Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke decided to record a series on the psychology of change beginning with the different intellectual lines on the idea of personal change. The post Change: Nature via Nurture appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

There is a lot of psychology that goes into how, when, and why we part with our money, and to be sure marketers know this very well. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of the freebie and how to take control of what we spend. The post Freebies appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Have you ever wondered about something but didn’t ask about it because you thought it was something you should already know about? You may have worried someone might think less of you for not knowing. It turns out that that happens more often than we’d like to admit mainly because of subtle judgments we may […] The post A Case For Curiosity Part II appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Being a curious person and finding out about things that interest us is a wonderful element of what it means to be human. In the first part of our look at the psychology of curiosity with Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about why we should be open to curiosity, and […] The post A Case For Curiosity Part I appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

How we understand, assess, and determine what risks we are willing to take can change depending on many variables, but what we might not consider is that much of this is happening below our conscious awareness. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke conclude their series on risk by looking […] The post Risk Assessment appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

How we understand, assess, and determine what risks we are willing to take can change depending on a variety of variables, but what we might not consider is that much of this is happening below our conscious awareness. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss the influence desire has […] The post Desire and Risk appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

How we understand, assess, and determine what risks we are willing to take can change depending on a variety of variables, but what we might not consider is that much of this is happening below our conscious awareness. With this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke begin our series on the […] The post The Psychology of Risk appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

According to the According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of Americans say tipping is expected in more places today than it was five years ago. It seems everywhere you make a transaction the swiveling iPad is urging you to choose a percentage to tip before you sign. This cultural shift This cultural shift in […] The post Tipping appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Have you ever wanted to tell a friend about a book you just discovered by saying, “I’m reading…” then you have to qualify that by saying, “Actually I am listening to it.” Maybe you feel a bit like a cheat or an imposter? Well, you should not! Listening is different than reading because our brains […] The post How Our Brains Process Reading Vs. Listening (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A lot of times when we think of or refer to common sense it is because we think someone may be lacking it. However, for our society to function we need to have some consensus, but how do we learn and teach this, and what exactly is common sense? In this episode of Two Guys on […] The post Common Sense appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Grades serve as a proxy to measure if we’ve learned what we need to learn, but emphasizing the grade over the value of learning is done more often than not to our detriment. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the importance of teaching the value of learning. The post Teaching The Value of Learning appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Many times we think that if we set up the correct consequences for negative behavior children will learn to do the right thing, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about as we continue our series on the psychology of teaching with Two Guys on Your Head, it’s not that simple. The post Teaching a Moral Code appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

There are many elements of being in a classroom that are difficult to navigate. It’s not only tough to teach, it’s hard to be an attentive student in an environment where we are stuck in our chairs for most of the day. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about […] The post Teaching and Behavior appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Why is it hard to have just one of those delicious slices of pound cake over the holidays? Well, it turns out it has less to do with the creamy butter and more to do with the way our brains react to those sweet white grains of sugar. In this edition of Two Guys on Your […] The post Sugar and The Brain (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We may all count on our fingers, but we are not all counting on them the same way. In a 2012 issue of Cognition, German researchers Andrea Bender and Sieghard Beller argue that the extent of cultural diversity in finger-counting has been hugely underestimated. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head,  Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca […] The post The Psychology of Finger Counting appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It can be really stressful to try to make the holidays a happy time. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about what psychological ingredients can help ensure more meaningful connections. The post Creating Happy Holidays appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When it comes to theories about behavior change if it seems too good to be true it probably is. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the popular “Nudge” theory and why it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. The post Nudge Theory appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

There is playoff fever around the country and things are particularly hot here in Texas. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the psychology of why playoffs are so engaging. The post Playoffs appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Studies of charisma suggest that there are two key dimensions of a charismatic person that researchers have called “affability” and “influence.” Affability reflects how likable someone is and influence relates to people’s leadership ability and likelihood of motivating others to do something. We know not everyone possesses such traits but what is less obvious is that […] The post Charisma appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Some new research suggests that there is a lot more we consider when deciding to tell a fib or not. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about what’s on “the lying brain” and why it matters. The post The Lying Brain appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A midlife crisis is a time of transition when we might question what we’ve accomplished, done, or not done, and ask things like the Talking Heads do of our “Once in a Lifetime.” But what is a midlife crisis psychologically? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and […] The post The Midlife Crisis appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The way we respond to deadlines varies quite a bit. Some people fall apart when they’re up against a deadline while for others deadlines help them focus, and then there are those for whom deadlines don’t seem to matter at all. So, as with most things in science, the answer to the question about if […] The post Are We Motivated By Deadlines? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Feeling a bit nervous before an exam is normal and sometimes can even help to focus your attention. But as Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, test anxiety, can interfere with your test-taking performance, and hence not really demonstrate your aptitude for […] The post Test Anxiety appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When it comes to taking tests, like college prep tests for example, why does how fast you complete the test matter? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about why speed matters when taking tests, but also why it’s not the best way to […] The post Speed and Test Taking appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Recognition is important, but it can be a double-edged sword if it’s not thoughtful and honest. In fact, it might often be counterproductive when trying to cultivate self-motivation. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. The post Intrinsic & Extrinsic Reward appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Recognition is a big deal. When we are not recognized for the things we do that are important to us we can feel invisible. However, there are many elements to recognition that we might not, well, recognize. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk […] The post Recognition and Expectation appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We have so many wonderful apps and gadgets that help us stay on track with our lives and goals so why would anyone still use a piece of paper and pen to make a list? It turns out there is a lot more to list-making than meets the eye. In this edition of Two Guys […] The post Why Do We Make Lists? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

In psychology, the “Dark Triad” refers to narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. How do we identify those who are “high in the Dark Triad” and why is it important? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss the Dark Triad. The post The Dark Triad (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We might feel like we’ve been duped when we believe a lie someone has told us, and we may want to crawl into a hole when we share “fake news” on Facebook. But in actuality, we have evolved to trust vs. to question, which is why our tendency toward credulity is easily taken advantage of. […] The post Gaslighting (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Making judgments based on merit is a common practice in our society, but how do we determine what counts when it comes to merit, and is it the best way to judge skills and ability? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy ask if there […] The post Merit appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Why don’t we lie to get what we want? We may think that if we are in a situation where we need something we don’t have we would do almost anything to get it, including lying, but as Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about in this episode of Two Guys on […] The post Scarcity and Lying appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Self-Determination Theory suggests that there are three fundamental psychological needs humans have in order to thrive: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. But what do those things mean in terms of our day-to-day lives? In the third and final installment of our Two Guys on Your Head series on Self-Determination, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy […] The post Self-Determination Theory: Relatedness appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Self-Determination Theory suggests that there are three fundamental psychological needs humans have in order to thrive: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. But what do those things mean in terms of our day-to-day lives? In part II of our Two Guys on Your Head series on Self-Determination, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy discuss competence. The post Self-Determination Theory: Competence appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Some people may feel constrained, unmotivated, or alienated, while others are curious, and feel vital and self-motivated. It turns out that these differences are not just biological but have a lot to do with social context. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy discuss Autonomy; part […] The post Self-Determination Theory: Autonomy appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When it comes to assessing risk and preventing calamity, as humans, we’re not so great. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke, we talk about why it’s important to structure our environment in a way that protects us from ourselves. The post Risk and Prevention appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

In part one of our exploration of values-alignment interventions Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke of Two Guys on Your Head discussed a recent study by Dr. David Yeager, Dr. Cintia Hinojosa, and Dr. Christopher Bryan that demonstrates how interventions that attach certain behaviors to already existing values held by participants can be very […] The post Values-Alignment Interventions Part II appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Changing behavior and forming new habits can be difficult, however as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head a recent study by Dr. David Yeager, Dr. Cintia Hinojosa, and Dr. Christopher Bryan demonstrates how interventions that attach certain behaviors to already existing values held […] The post Growth Mindset and Values-Alignment Interventions appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.