Opinion Science Podcast

07/11/2022

Episode 66! Efrén Pérez shares how the quirks of a language can shape you people come to their opinions on political issues. For example, some languages are highly gendered, assigning gender to everyday objects. Other languages don't weave gender throughout their grammar. Does this distinction affect people's perspective on gender equality?

Efrén's new book--coauthored by Margit Tavits--is called "Voicing Politics" and is out now. In it, they summarize their work on how language can shape opinions on gender parity, climate change policy, ethnic inequality, and politics more generally.

Join me for this great conversation! We literally ran out of time--I was having such a good time talking to him about his fascinating research.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fK8qMY
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3hk5Iye
Web: https://buff.ly/3DRYTwx

10/10/2022

Episode 65! In what I think is the first in-person interview to air on Opinion Science, I talk with my BSU colleague Tom Holtgraves about his career-spanning program of research on (mis)communication. He shares the basic insight of "speech act theory," which is that we use language to do things. The trick, though, is that the things we intend to do with words aren't always interpreted correctly by others.

We talk about how communication goes wrong, why our concern for other people's social image gets in the way of direct communication, and how emoji help and hurt digital conversation.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3rJ9tPv
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3CLexco
Web: https://buff.ly/3ysSi8C

26/09/2022

We're back! Episode 64 features my conversation with Robb Willer on his career, his research on using moral arguments in political persuasion, and a brand new, giant study that just came out of his lab that tested different strategies for reducing polarization and enhancing people's commitments to democracy.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fnr2St
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3Rgzujo
Web: https://buff.ly/3Sv80IB

29/08/2022

How can social scientists meaningfully contribute to political discussion? John Sides is a political scientist who co-founded "The Monkey Cage," an independent blog that is now published by The Washington Post. He shares the value of having social scientists apply their expertise to understanding current events and what makes for a compelling article.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3R09lWL
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3PYmqhW
Web: https://buff.ly/3PuONFg

22/08/2022

Is TikTok an untapped opportunity for science communication? This week for , I talk with Steve Rathje, who has managed to rack up more than a million followers on TikTok while pursuing his PhD in social psychology. He shares quick videos about key insights from psychological science that are reaching an entirely new audience.

Steve fills me in on the finer points of TikTok, how he approaches each video, and why TikTok's format is a unique opportunity for .

Apple: https://buff.ly/3dOcGK3
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3PGFqSd
Web: https://buff.ly/3BbfVEQ

15/08/2022

Alie and Micah Caldwell run the popular YouTube channel, Neurotransmissions, which covers neuroscience and psychology in an engaging way. This week on , I share my conversation with these top-notch science communicators. You'll learn how their channel got started, and what they've learned many videos and 178K subscribers later.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3BbeMgw

08/08/2022

Last week on , Jesse Thorn shared his insights on the craft of interviewing based on his experience interviewing actors, comedians, and musicians. But is there anything unique about interviewing *scientists* about their work and making the conversation accessible to non-scientists?

Tim Houlihan and Kurt Nelson host the podcast "Behavioral Grooves," which shares conversations with behavioral scientists. I talked with Tim and Kurt about how they decided to start the podcast and the advice they have for budding podcasters about having engaging conversations with behavioral scientists.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3ASpB7i

01/08/2022

A lot of science communication involves interviewing experts. Particularly in the age of podcasting, these interviews are broadcast directly to listeners as the vehicle for sharing science-based insights. But what does it mean to host a compelling interview?

This week on , I interview an interviewing expert! Jesse Thorn is the host of "Bullseye" on NPR, where he interviews actors, comedians, and musicians. A few years ago, he hosted a special podcast series--"The Turnaround"--where he interviewed a bunch of esteemed interviewers about their process.

So it's pretty obvious who I would talk to about the craft of interviewing. Jesse gives me his take on the essence of a good interview, the value of being prepared, and how to wrap up a conversation.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3PVAtFZ
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3PVAud1
Web: https://buff.ly/3uOfTPe

25/07/2022

More and more academic scientists are writing books for the public. How and why should they go about connecting their work to a general audience?

On this week's , Dr. Vanessa Bohns shares with me why she decided to write her book "You Are More Influential Than You Think," how she went about pitching and writing the book, and what it's like to make the rounds promoting it.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3or13L2
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3ozkRf7
Web: https://buff.ly/3yDc2py

18/07/2022

A great episode of this week! Bestselling author Daniel Pink shares his process for writing books that bring science-based insights to the masses. When I talked to Dan last year, he had just finished writing his new book, "The Power of Regret." He walked me through the process of coming up with the idea, combing through the research, organizing his ideas, and writing out the final manuscript.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3OgDfE3
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3cgaeuR
Web: https://buff.ly/3O9r8sz

11/07/2022

How can you simply convey complicated research findings about sensitive topics to the public?

This week on , Evelyn Carter shares her journey from an academic social psychologist to a speaker, trainer, and consultant who uses behavioral science to help people and organizations boost their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3uDYB7y
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3uDUkAX
Web: https://buff.ly/3nW4ZmW

04/07/2022

This week on , I am excited to share a conversation with Taylor Scott on communicating social science to policymakers. Taylor co-directs the "Research-to-Policy Collaboration" at Penn State, which is an innovative program that connects researchers and policymakers to allow science to inform public policy. In the podcast, we talk about best practices in science communication, the different cultures of science and government, and how empirical data can improve science communication.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3ulfm7h

27/06/2022

Brand new episode of is ready for your ears! The Op-Ed guru Dave Nussbaum shares his own background and walks us through the process of pitching and writing Op-Eds in major outlets that bring social science to bear on what's in the news. We also talk about an amazing new organization he's created--Psychgeist Media (https://buff.ly/3u5dDmk)--which serves to help bring social science to the public conversation.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3Nnb6eg
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3bw58uh
Web: https://buff.ly/3HUKZdj

20/06/2022

This week on , social science journalist and all-around interesting guy David McRaney shares how he got started covering topics in psychology, wrote the very popular book "You Are Not So Smart" and started a podcast of the same name. (He also has a brand-new book out, "How Minds Change," which you should absolutely check out.)

We talk about his general approach to science communication and how to make a human connection through thoughtfully reporting on findings in psychology.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3xv3H6y

13/06/2022

This week on , I talk with podcast producer extraordinaire Meryl Horn. She's a producer for the incredible podcast "Science Vs," which considers popular claims in light of scientific evidence.

In our conversation, Meryl shares how she went from neuroscience PhD student to professional science communicator, how episodes are pitched, written, and produced at Science Vs, and what you can do to be a more effective communicator.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3NZTiqo
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3xNduGF
Web: https://buff.ly/3H7IHY4

06/06/2022

The first episode of is here! Each week this summer, I'm releasing interviews with top-notch science communicators about their work and how it can help you become a more effective communicator and bring findings in social science to public audience.

This week, video journalist Joss Fong shares how she and her team produce creative and compelling science videos for Vox. We dive deep into a recent video she produced that takes a unique approach to presenting graphs and data, mixed with stories and expert interviews to shine a light on political polarization during the COVID pandemic.

Check it out! And subscribe to the podcast Opinion Science to get the whole summer series as soon as episodes are released.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3mk8wKS
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3xnZwLc
Web: https://buff.ly/3wSi7xp

30/05/2022

Hey, everyone! Big, fun news to report. Starting next week, I'll be releasing a weekly summer podcast mini-series on science communication. I've talked with video journalists, podcast producers, authors, print journalists, consultants, etc. who do amazing scicomm work.

Unlike a lot of existing science communication resources, the podcast emphasizes *social science* communication. Of course, a lot of it is relevant to science communication in general...and really, just *communication* in general...but social science topics have their own assets and challenges that deserve some attention.

You can find more information and trailer for the series here:

This science communication miniseries will be presented by my podcast Opinion Science, so subscribe to that so you can get all of this summer's scicomm episodes as soon as they're released! You can find the podcast and links to major platforms here: https://buff.ly/2yaC73P

Hot SciComm Summer! A special podcast mini-series for the summer of 2022. A few previous guests on Opinion Science have specialized in science communication, but I wanted to do a deep dive. In particular, I wanted to talk to a bunch of people who have become experts at communicating research outside...

23/05/2022

Episode 63! Data journalist and election forecaster G. Elliott Morris shares how he got into this line of work, what he's learned about communicating polling results to the public, and why polls are central to democracy. His book "Strength in Numbers" comes out July 12.

Also, in the show's opener, we hear from TV meteorologist Andrew Kozak who explains the challenges of predicting the weather. Is forecasting the weather and conveying those predictions to the public much different from predicting election outcomes?

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3MK4eYL
Spotify: https://buff.ly/38f8a4U
Web: https://buff.ly/3Lo51wY

09/05/2022

Episode 62! Dr. Robin Nabi shares how messages that evoke emotions such as fear, anger, and amusement can serve to persuade people to change their minds and take action.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3kRg6Mn
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3LSc7Lj
Web: https://buff.ly/3sdni9A

25/04/2022

Episode 61! Dr. Linda Skitka shares her work on "moral conviction." What happens when we view our own opinions as reflections of our core moral principles? Linda and her lab have been studying this question, and we talk about what moral convictions are, why they're often so strong, and what emotion has to do with it.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3KdJy9m
Web: https://buff.ly/36Mpdum

11/04/2022

Episode 60! Are people really unaware of their implicit biases? I talked with Adam Hahn about his research on the "unconscious" aspects of implicit attitudes. He's been finding that people *can* report biases that show up on classic implicit bias tests. We talk about those findings and what they mean for the concept of unconscious bias.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3JwmuT8
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3jrfUTb
Web: https://buff.ly/3v1w4Io

28/03/2022

Episode 59! I talk with Mark Brandt about how thinking of people's belief systems as networks of connected beliefs, opinions, and identities provides a unified way of understanding lots of findings in psychology and political science.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3tLkbqI
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3tLbBbn
Web: https://buff.ly/3tIJLg4

14/03/2022

Episode 58! Very excited to share my conversation with David McRaney, author and host of the "You Are Not So Smart" podcast. David shares how he got wrapped up in sharing research in psychology, and we talk about his new book, "How Minds Change."

Also, at the top of the show you'll hear about some cool new research from Adam Mastroianni about how people don't realize how public opinion has (or hasn't) changed over time.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3w3BvZq
Spotify: https://buff.ly/360svJQ
Web: https://buff.ly/3I8NgAf

28/02/2022

Episode 57! Can entertainment be leveraged to promote social tolerance? Dr. Sohad Murrar shares her research on how media and social norms can affect prejudice and inclusion.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3sW1Kh6

14/02/2022

Episode 56! Julia Minson studies conflicts that break out over differences of opinion. By looking at what makes people receptive to other views, her work gives us a glimpse into what it takes to have civil conversations when we disagree. In our conversation, she shares the winding path that led her and her colleagues to understand what it takes to be receptive and how we can communicate our own receptiveness to others.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3gKmMd5
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3gQIWdv
Web: https://buff.ly/34xOqrr

31/01/2022

Episode 55! This week I talk to Chris Petsko about his research on stereotyping. Stereotypes can be a simple guide in forming quick impressions of people. But each of us belong to many social groups, each with their own stereotypes. So which stereotypes do people turn when forming judgments?

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3reXj1j
Web: https://buff.ly/3KWXbeL
More Places to Listen: https://buff.ly/3cZKqxG

17/01/2022

Episode 54! Zoe Chance shares the path that led her to become a marketing professor at a business school, the hugely popular class she developed for MBA students, and the insights about persuasion and being influential that she shares in her upcoming book "Influence Is Your Superpower."

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3IfFzZE
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3FyV7pp
Web: https://buff.ly/3qfYZqR

03/01/2022

Episode 53! Influence expert Brian Ahearn shares how he translates basic principles of persuasion psychology to boost people's influence in the real world.

Apple Pods: https://buff.ly/3Hx3S4Q
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3eLn8zi
Web: https://buff.ly/3FjTkp4

30/12/2021

What a year 2021 was for my podcast, Opinion Science! Didn't have time to make a "best of" episode this year, but seriously just listen to any of these amazing people, and you'll learn a lot about how opinions work and the psychology of persuasion and influence.

Big, giant thank you to the wonderful people who appeared on the show this year (in order of appearance): Lara Aknin, Michael Schein, Jay Van Bavel, Matt Rocklage, Ana Gantman, David Melnikoff, Ken DeMarree, Iris Schneider, Kwame Christian, Robert Cialdini, Nazita Lajevardi, Chris Bail, Alie and Micah Caldwell, Neil Lewis Jr, Richard Nisbett, Greg Maio, Tom Pettigrew, Linda Tropp, Shreya Bhattacharya, Salma Mousa, Larisa Heiphetz, Ashley Amaya, Jesse Graham, Daniel Pink, Josh Compton, Noam Slonim, Harish Natarajan, Dan Zafrir, Noa Ovadia, and Melina Palmer!

You can find all episodes of Opinion Science on the website: https://buff.ly/31actLf

Lots more on the way for 2022...

20/12/2021

Happy Holidays! To give everyone at Opinion Science headquarters (i.e., me) time to spend with family, I'm taking the week off and replaying a favorite and timely episode from last year.

What do we get from giving gifts and how do givers and receivers think differently about what makes a good gift? Hear from psychologists Lara Aknin, Jeff Galak, and Julian Givi and my friends Laura and Bethany Sanders.

I'll be back with new episodes in 2022, but in the meantime, take some time to enjoy the season and the people you love.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3EthVaw

06/12/2021

Episode 52! Melina Palmer of The Brainy Business uses insights from behavioral economics to help companies thrive. We talk about how she translates behavioral science into actionable strategies for business.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3HOFSef

22/11/2021

Episode 51! On the last episode, I covered an amazing piece of technology that can debate humans. But debate is an ancient, thrilling intellectual activity. So I dug back into my conversations with Harish Natarajan, Dan Zafrir, and Noa Ovadia. They have each gone up against an AI debater, but in this episode we hear more about their own histories with debate, what they think the value of debate is, and what skills come from being a well-practiced debater.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/32awHof

08/11/2021

Episode 50! Is persuasion fundamentally human? One of newest projects from IBM Research is "Project Debater," an AI system that can debate humans. In this episode, we explore how the project developed and how it has fared in head-to-head live debates against expert human debaters.

I talk with lead engineer Noam Slonim, debaters who have sparred against the system (Harish Natarajan, Dan Zafrir, and Noa Ovadia), a neuroscientist who studies the brains of persuaders (Elisa Baek), and best-selling author Daniel Pink.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/2yaC73P

25/10/2021

Episode 49! Dr. Josh Compton shares his research on "inoculation theory," which explains how people can become more resistant to persuasion. Drawing extensively on a metaphorical comparison to medical vaccines, inoculation theory has a range of important applications, from political communication to health communication to combating online misinformation.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/2yaC73P

11/10/2021

Episode 48! Really excited to share this conversation with best-selling author Daniel Pink. We talk about tips for persuasion from research in psychology, but mostly I pick Dan's brain to learn about his writing process.

How do you go from a basic idea for a book to reading reams of social science research to distilling it all in a coherent, readable, and practical final piece? Dan's a master at this, and you'll want to listen to hear how he does it.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3BitCiI

28/09/2021

Episode 47! Jesse Graham gives an overview of Moral Foundations Theory and how it can help us understand politically divisive issues.

Apple Pods: https://buff.ly/3ufeKyK
Spotify: https://buff.ly/3ug3MZZ
Web: https://buff.ly/39JjS4Q

13/09/2021

Episode 46! When you hear about the latest polls in the news, where do those numbers come from? This week I talk to Ashley Amaya--senior survey methodologist at Pew Research Center--about the process of conducting a high-quality survey of a population's opinion.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web:https://buff.ly/2XwxEoA

30/08/2021

Episode 45! Larisa Heiphetz shares her research on how kids make moral judgments, how kids and adults differ in how they think about a person's "essence," and why studying human development helps us think about the big questions.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3xKyx9j

16/08/2021

Episode 44 is a big one! We dive deep into the "contact hypothesis" -- one of the most studied methods for reducing prejudice. I talk to four experts to get to the bottom of what the contact hypothesis is and whether it actually works.

Experts include Thomas Pettigrew, Linda Tropp, Shreya Bhattacharya, and Salma Mousa.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3B1e9nf

02/08/2021

Episode 43! Greg Maio talks about the psychology of human values, how they shape our views, and how open they are to change.

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3fTwmZr
Spotify: https://buff.ly/2zK5vyT
Web: https://buff.ly/3saOhkG