Psychology in Everyday Life: The Psych Files

Michael Britt
  • 4.2 (288)
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Learn how theories in psychology affect you in everyday life. Upbeat and interesting podcasts from experienced psychology teacher Michael Britt give you a bit more insight into you and your life.

  1. 2d ago

    Does Your Cat or Dog Need Closure? Pet Grief and the Psychology of Loss

    We hear the word "closure" everywhere — in true crime shows, in news coverage of trials, and in the well-meaning advice of friends after a loss. But where did this idea come from, and does the research actually support it? In this episode I trace the surprising history of closure, from the Gestalt psychologists of the 1920s, to Arie Kruglanski's research on the "need for cognitive closure," to its takeover by talk shows, the victims' rights movement, and even the funeral industry in the 1990s. Along the way we look at what the science really shows: the craving for answers is real and measurable, and confirming the reality of a death does help people grieve. But sociologist Nancy Berns, family therapist Pauline Boss (who coined the term "ambiguous loss"), and a striking study comparing homicide survivors in death penalty and life-sentence states all point to the same conclusion — grief doesn't have a finish line, and expecting one may do more harm than good. And then there's my cat. After I brought one of my cats to be euthanized, several people asked whether I'd brought my other cat along "so she could have closure." That question sent me into the research on animal grief: recent studies show that surviving dogs and cats really do change their behavior after a companion dies — seeking attention, eating less, even searching the house for their missing friend. But the one study that looked directly at whether viewing the body makes a difference found no effect at all. So is pet closure real science, or are we projecting a contested human concept onto our animals? Listen in and decide — and then ask yourself who that goodbye ritual is really for.

    26 min

  2. 4d ago

    Home Alone: The Hidden Cost of Remote Work

    I've worked from home for about fifteen years, and I like it. I'm a writer, I'm fine being on my own, and I've got the cats for company. But there's one thing I miss, those little water-cooler conversations with colleagues, and a new study published in the journal Science speaks to exactly that. Economist Natalia Emanuel and her colleagues at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York set out to answer a deceptively simple question: what does remote work actually do to our mental health? The catch is that you can't ethically grab a thousand workers and order half of them to stay home for two years, so they had to get clever about how they studied it. In this episode I walk through that workaround, comparing "remotable" jobs to "non-remotable" ones, and what they found about isolation, anxiety, and well-being. I also put my skeptic hat on, because there's a real question hiding underneath the findings. Maybe working from home makes people lonelier, or maybe people who are already a bit more solitary are the ones who gravitate toward jobs they can do alone, in which case it's personality doing the work, not the office setup. That's the self-selection problem, and it's the reason random assignment matters so much in research. Along the way we get into why losing daily human contact can affect not just your mood but your immune and cardiovascular health, why I think community theater is part of what keeps my own solitude from tipping into isolation, and what both employers and remote workers might do about all of this.

    12 min

  3. Mar 27

    "I'm Getting Old" — And That Thought Might Be Killing You

    Do you catch yourself saying "I'm getting old" more than you'd like to admit? Turns out, that habit might be doing more damage than you think. Psychologist Becca Levy of Yale has spent decades studying how our aging mindset — the beliefs we hold about what getting older actually means — shapes how we physically and cognitively age. In a study following more than 11,000 older Americans over twelve years, nearly half showed improvement in either cognitive or physical function, a story that gets completely buried when you only look at averages. Her earlier research found that people with a positive aging mindset lived 7.5 years longer on average than those with negative views — a bigger effect than the difference between having high or normal cholesterol. The mechanism behind this is a process called stereotype embodiment: the cultural messages we absorb about old age become self-fulfilling prophecies through three pathways — psychological, behavioral, and physiological. That last one involves chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels that, over time, actually shrink the hippocampus and accelerate biological aging. I also look at Ellen Langer's famous Counterclockwise study, one of psychology's most striking demonstrations of the mind-body connection, and what the concept of neuroplasticity tells us about our capacity for growth at any age. Plus, I talk honestly about my own complicated feelings about getting older — and what the research suggests we can actually do about them.

    18 min

  4. Feb 24

    Actors Don't Really Memorize Lines!

    Why do some people remember things effortlessly while others repeat information over and over and still forget it? In this episode, Michael looks at what research on actors reveals about how memory really works. Drawing on studies by psychologists Helga and Tony Noice and the remarkable story of John Basinger — who memorized all 10,565 lines of Milton's Paradise Lost starting at age 58 — we look at why understanding something beats repeating it every time. If you're a student, a performer, or just someone who wishes they could remember things better, this episode will change how you think about learning.

    10 min

  5. 10/15/2025

    Latest Research: Anthropomorphism and Dementia

    In this episode of The Psych Files, I explore anthropomorphism—our tendency to attribute human characteristics to non-human entities—drawing from Justin Gregg's new book "Humanish." I discuss both helpful and harmful examples of anthropomorphism, from Soviet dolphin-assisted births to Japanese raccoon imports inspired by anime, and explain how this connects to Theory of Mind, our ability to attribute mental states to others. Gregg, an expert on animal cognition, argues that anthropomorphism isn't necessarily bad if used reflectively, citing Jane Goodall's approach of using intuition as a research starting point rather than proof. I examine surprising findings about animal cognition, particularly in reptiles like crocodiles who display play and social relationships, and discuss the important distinction between biological consciousness in animals and non-conscious AI processing. The episode addresses the fundamental question of animal consciousness and Gregg's precautionary approach: when uncertain about whether animals can suffer, we should assume they can rather than risk causing harm. I also talk about the latest research on the use of puzzles and their effect on dementia.

    18 min

  6. 09/24/2025

    The Surprising Psychology Behind Effortless Line Memorization

    When I receive a new script, my first step surprises people. I create an audio recording of every scene I’m in – not just my lines, but everyone’s lines. Using apps like LineLearner, I record each cue line followed by my response, all delivered in completely monotone voice with zero inflection or emotion. This approach might make acting coaches cringe, but it connects directly to Sanford Meisner’s teaching philosophy. Meisner had students rehearse lines in monotone specifically to prevent them from “setting” a line reading too early. The goal? When you’re actually performing, you can react naturally to whatever happens in the moment and deliver your lines however feels right. But there’s a deeper psychological reason this works so well.

    10 min

  7. 06/25/2025

    Why Are We So Polite to AI?

    When we say "please" or "thank you" to ChatGPT, we're witnessing the remarkable power of human social psychology in action. Our brains have developed such deeply ingrained social scripts over millions of years that they automatically activate whenever we encounter conversational situations—even with machines. Through social scripts, attribution theory, and automatic processing, we treat AI interactions just like human conversations, complete with politeness and courtesy. This isn't a flaw or embarrassing quirk; it's actually a testament to how fundamentally social we are as humans. Our ancient social instincts are so robust that they extend even to artificial entities that can't reciprocate our politeness. Rather than making us naive about technology, maintaining these social habits with AI might actually help preserve our humanity and social skills in an increasingly digital world, showing that even as technology advances, our evolved cooperative nature remains beautifully consistent.

    11 min

  8. 05/11/2025

    The Song "Yesterday," Manhood, and the Fear of Vulnerability

    In this episode of The Psych Files, I explore the fascinating intersection between music, psychology, and gender roles through subtle lyric changes in Paul McCartney’s timeless song, “Yesterday.” I focus specifically on why iconic male singers like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Marvin Gaye altered the lyric from “I said something wrong” to “I must have said something wrong.” I suggest that this small but meaningful change reflects a deeper cultural discomfort with male vulnerability, connecting it to the psychological concept of “precarious manhood”—the idea that men often feel compelled to protect their masculinity by appearing strong and infallible. Drawing upon psychological research, including Joseph Vandello’s influential studies, I highlight how seemingly minor cultural signals, such as these lyric adjustments, reinforce restrictive gender norms. While admitting mistakes or expressing vulnerability might seem risky for men, psychological evidence shows these behaviors can actually strengthen relationships and emotional well-being. Ultimately, I encourage listeners to challenge traditional ideas about masculinity, embracing authenticity and emotional openness as true indicators of strength.

    12 min
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Learn how theories in psychology affect you in everyday life. Upbeat and interesting podcasts from experienced psychology teacher Michael Britt give you a bit more insight into you and your life.

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