Under the Cortex

Navigating Divisive Conversations: Why We Underestimate the Benefits

Why do we shy away from discussing divisive topics like politics and religion? Are our fears of negative reactions justified or off-base?  

 

In this episode, APS's Özge Gürcanlı Fischer Baum speaks with Kristina Wald from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Wald shares findings from a recent research article published in Psychological Science, which shows that people often underestimate the benefits of talking about divisive topics, even with those who disagree. The conversation offers insights into why we prefer talking with those who agree with us, and how we can better approach polarized discussions. 

 

If you're interested in learning more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org. 

 

Send us your thoughts and questions at  underthecortex@psychologicalscience.org 

Friendship and Diversity: A Path to Stronger Communities?

Why do we gravitate towards friends who share our background and identity? How does this affect our sense of community and well-being? 

In this episode, APS's Özge Gürcanlı Fischer Baum speaks with Miguel Ramos from the University of Birmingham to discuss his recent study on social cohesion and well-being, published in Psychological Science. They dive into the concepts of homophily and heterophily, exploring how our preferences for similarity and diversity impact our social networks and overall happiness. Tune in as they discuss the implications of embracing diversity and what it means for creating stronger, more cohesive communities.   

If you're interested in learning more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org . 

 

Send us your thoughts and questions at  underthecortex@psychologicalscience.org 

What Type of Templates Do We Use for Visual Processing? Caricatures Might Be the Answer

In this episode, Zekun Sun and Chaz Firestone from Johns Hopkins University join Under the Cortex to discuss their new paper in Psychological Science titled “Caricaturing Shapes in Visual Memory.” The conversation with APS’s Özge G. Fischer Baum reviews how our visual system uses templates and exaggerates the basic features of objects in memory. The authors describe a series of experiments that show how visual memory is more complex than previously thought and that visual details in memory are not always lost. 

 

If you're interested in learning more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org. 

 

Send us your thoughts and questions at underthecortex@psychologicalscience.org.

The Integrity of Psychological Research: Uncovering Statistical Reporting Inconsistencies

Accurate reporting in psychological science is vital for ensuring reliable results. Are there statistical inconsistencies in scientific articles?  

 

In this episode, APS's Özge Gürcanlı Fischer Baum speaks with Michele Nuijten from Tilburg University to examine how overlooked errors in statistical reporting can undermine the credibility of research findings. Together, they discuss Nuijten’s research published in Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science and examine practical strategies to enhance the quality of psychological research. 

 

If you're interested in learning more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org. 

 

Send us your thoughts and questions at underthecortex@psychologicalscience.org.

The Benefits of Everyday Math for Kids

APS’s Özge Gürcanlı Fischer Baum chats with Melissa Libertus from University of Pittsburgh about her new article about interventions to increase math learning in children. They discuss various strategies parents can use to reinforce the development of math skills in everyday life like at the grocery store or using board games. 

If you're interested in learning more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org. 

Send us your thoughts and questions at  underthecortex@psychologicalscience.org.

 

Racial Disparities in Drug Intervention: Culturally Inclusive Approaches

In this episode, APS’s Özge Gürcanlı Fischer Baum discusses culturally sensitive and inclusive treatments with experts William Stoops from the University of Kentucky Medical Center, along with his colleagues Jardin Dogan-Dixon and Danelle Stevens-Watkins from the University of Kentucky, Paris Wheeler from the University of Cincinnati, and Krystal Cunningham from Boston College.  

Together, they examine evidence-based drug treatment studies, highlighting racial disparities in treatment effectiveness, especially how Black participants often experience worse outcomes than White participants. The discussion includes the impact of systemic racism, the opioid versus cocaine overdose epidemics, and the differences between culturally tailored and universal interventions. 

If you're interested in learning more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org. 

Send us your thoughts and questions at  underthecortex@psychologicalscience.org 

When Versus Whether: Gender Differences in Leadership

In contemporary society, there is a significant rise in the number of women assuming leadership positions compared to past generations. Nevertheless, this raises the question: Do these growing numbers equate to equal access to opportunities? What are the common gender disparities seen in professional environments? 

 

APS’s Özge Gürcanlı Fischer Baum chats with Hannah Bowles from Harvard Business School about her new article reviewing under what conditions differences between men and women might emerge. They discuss how ambiguity and stereotypes can function to exacerbate or minimize differences between men and women. 

 

If you're interested in learning more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org. 

 

Send us your thoughts and questions at  underthecortex@psychologicalscience.org 

 

Tools to Bolster Executive Function Skills in Kids

In this episode, Philip Zelazo and Ellen Galinsky join Under the Cortex to discuss their new paper in Current Directions in Psychological Science titled “Fostering Executive-Function Skills and Promoting Far Transfer to Real-World Outcomes: The Importance of Life Skills and Civic Science.” The conversation with APS’s Özge G. Fischer Baum reviews the many ways executive functioning skills are used throughout daily life. The authors describe the process they used to involve the community to determine what skills they focused on in their intervention and the intervention’s success. 

To learn more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org.

Send us your thoughts and questions at  underthecortex@psychologicalscience.org.

 

Navigating Regret in Decision-Making

In this episode, Under the Cortex features William Ryan from UC Berkeley and Stephen Baum from Washington University in St. Louis who recently published an article on this topic in APS’s journal Psychological Science. 

APS’s Özge Gürcanlı Fischer Baum chats with Ryan and Baum about their new article on how regret impacts risk taking and financial decision making. They also discuss what researchers mean when they talk about logical decisions and how that differs from how it is colloquially used. 

If you're interested in learning more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org. 

Send us your thoughts and questions at  underthecortex@psychologicalscience.org.

Is Everyone Out to Get Me? Paranoia in Social Interactions

In this episode, Under the Cortex hosts Michal Hajdúk from Comenius University Bratislava, Sohee Park from Vanderbilt University, and Amy Pinkham from The University of Texas, Dallas about their new paper in Clinical Psychological Science titled “Paranoia: From Passive Social-Threat Perception to Misattunement in Social Interaction.” The conversation with APS’s Özge G. Fischer-Baum starts with what paranoia is in a clinical context and how it differs from the use of paranoia in an everyday context. They also discuss proposed improvements for how to clinically test the social impacts of paranoia. 

If you want to know more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org. 
Send us your thoughts and questions at  underthecortex@psychologicalscience.org.