People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast

Zachary Elwood

This show will help you understand human behavior and psychology so you can better navigate your personal and professional life and better connect with people. The host Zachary Elwood, known for his Reading Poker Tells trilogy of books, talks with a wide range of guests who have unique real-world insights, including: law enforcement professionals, behavior and psychology researchers, sports analysts, visa officers, jury consultants, political researchers, mental health experts, and many more. What drives this show is the idea that truly understanding people requires patience, nuance, and a willingness to question simplistic ideas and assumptions. There are more than 200 episodes. To learn more details, see transcripts, and sign up for updates, go to www.behavior-podcast.com.

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217 episodes
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Episodes217

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May 20, 2020 · 1 hr 18 min
What brain scans reveal about trauma, suffering, and therapy benefits
A talk with Dr. Rob Tarzwell about his research using SPECT neuroimaging to find indicators of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This work was voted by Discover Magazine as one of the top 20 science stories of 2015. Also discussed is Tarzwell's research on finding neuroimage indicators of the effects of talk therapy. Topics: brain imaging, neuroscience, psychology, PTSD, therapy. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription.
Mar 25, 2020 · 1 hr 9 min
Rock Paper Scissors tells and manipulations, with Master Roshambollah
A talk with Jason Simmons (aka Master Roshambollah), an experienced Rock Paper Scissors player. Simmons discusses how serious RPS players try to read and influence the behavior of their opponents. Topics: Rock Paper Scissors (RPS), games, strategy, behavior, tells, manipulation. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitter at @apokerplayer. See a summary of my work.
Mar 20, 2020 · 41 min
Reading the streets: How a bus driver analyzes driver and pedestrian behaviors
A talk with Brendan Bartholomew, a San Francisco bus driver and writer. Brendan talks about how understanding human behavior plays an important role in his duties as a city bus driver. Topics: bus driving, transportation, understanding and predicting passenger and driver behaviors. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitter at @apokerplayer. See a summary of my work.
Dec 28, 2019 · 1 hr 12 min
What are polygraphs actually reading? A deep dive into skin conductance.
A talk with Dr. Christopher Moyer, PhD, about measuring skin conductance, also called electrodermal activity (EDA) and galvanic skin response (GSR): what it is, what it's thought to measure, and how it's been used in psychology research, including his own research. Dr. Moyer is a counseling psychologist who has published research on the anxiety-reducing effects of massage therapy and the neurological effects of meditation. Topics: electrodermal activity, galvanic skin response (GSR), psychologic
Nov 1, 2019 · 46 min
Spotting the liar in Secret Hitler, Werewolf, and other social deduction games
A talk with Polina Vorozheykina, a software engineer based in Portland who is skilled at social deduction games like Secret Hitler, Werewolf/Mafia, Resistance, and Avalon. We do a quick review of the rules of the game Secret Hitler, and Polina talks about common behaviors/tells that give away information. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitter at @apokerplayer. See a summary of my wor
Aug 4, 2019 · 1 hr 1 min
Spotting fake Amazon product reviews, with language analyst Olu Popoola
A talk with Olu Popoola, who is a forensic linguistic analyst, deception researcher, and fraud investigator. We talk about the science of using "coherence relations" (i.e., how the phrases and sentences in a text relate to each other and form a coherent structure) to detect indicators of deception. We spend most of the time talking about Popoola's work on finding indicators of deceptive Amazon book reviews, including his analysis of reviews for Hillary Clinton's recent book. Support the showTo g
Aug 2, 2019 · 1 hr 37 min
Prison culture, slang, and survival: Benjamin Moots talks about his 15 years in prison
A talk with Benjamin Moots, who served 15 years in prison for second degree murder, mostly in maximum security settings. Topics include: his story of what led to his murder conviction, descriptions of prison life, prison slang, sexual and physical assault dynamics, how prison encourages aggression, how poker games work in prison, and more. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitter at @ap
Jun 1, 2019 · 1 hr 22 min
Behavioral indicators of good and bad relationships, with Brandi Fink
A talk with Dr. Brandi Fink, a psychology researcher who has done work analyzing the interpersonal dynamics of couples and families, including couples and families having physical abuse and drug/alcohol abuse issues. We talk about: the reasons why researchers and therapists attempt quantification of interpersonal behavior; how some analysis/coding systems work; the challenges in coding behavior; common physical and verbal patterns that can point to interpersonal problems; brain scan research on
May 15, 2019 · 1 hr 18 min
Mind games and social manipulation in door-to-door sales
A talk about how understanding psychology and behavior can play a role in successful door-to-door sales. Host Zach Elwood interviews two experienced door-to-door salespeople: Conrad Smith, who was a top salesman for a well-known home security system company, and David Mock, who did door-to-door sales for a large, well-known home remodeling company. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitt
Apr 20, 2019 · 1 hr 3 min
Restaurant psychology you've never noticed, with service industry pro Robin Dibble
A talk with Robin Dibble, an experienced service industry professional who has worked all sides of the restaurant business, from waiting tables, to cooking, to managing restaurants and nightclubs. Topics: the role of psychology and perception-manipulation in the restaurant and service industries. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitter at @apokerplayer. See a summary of my work.
Mar 18, 2019 · 1 hr 3 min
Choke-holds and mind games: MMA pro Robert Drysdale talks psychology and behavior
A talk with Robert Drysdale, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts expert and world champion, on the roles psychology and predicting opponent behavior can play in professional fighting. Topics: the role of psychology, mental preparation, and action-anticipation in MMA and jiu-jitsu. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitter at @apokerplayer. See a summary of my work.
Mar 9, 2019 · 1 hr 17 min
The mind games behind the sword: Using psychology in fencing | Seth Baldwin
A talk with Seth Baldwin about the sport of fencing and the roles that psychology and predicting opponent behavior can play in the sport. Baldwin is an experienced fencer who, at the peak of his game, got 3rd at the 2004 U.S. National Championships. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitter at @apokerplayer. See a summary of my work.
Jan 10, 2019 · 52 min
Reading people like a hacker: How social engineers get past security | Jenny Radcliffe
A talk with Jenny Radcliffe, an expert in social engineering: the manipulation of people to gain access to information or materials. Radcliffe talks about her work infiltrating companies as a paid security consultant, and discusses some of the psychological and behavioral aspects of that work. Radcliffe has her own podcast about psychology and security: The Human Factor. Her website is www.JennyRadcliffe.com. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn
Dec 14, 2018 · 1 hr 22 min
The hidden psychology of interrogations, with David Zulawski
A talk with David Zulawski, an expert in interrogation/interview techniques. Zulawski is co-owner of Wicklander Zulawski and Associates (w-z.com), a firm specializing in interview and interrogation consulting and education. Zulawksi is co-author, with Wicklander, of the respected and widely-used book "Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation." We talk about interrogation techniques, with a focus on psychological and behavioral aspects. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, g
Sep 24, 2018 · 1 hr 20 min
How lawyers read minds: Jury selection strategies, with Christina Marinakis
A talk with Dr. Christina Marinakis, J.D., Psy.D., jury selection and voir dire expert. Marinakis is the Director of Jury Research at Litigation Insights, a large trial consultancy firm. Dr. Marinakis answers questions about: how the jury selection process works; strategies used to expose potential juror bias; and how psychology, stereotyping, and human behavior can play a role in that work. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the sh
Sep 7, 2018 · 53 min
What do they really mean? Anaylzing statements for hidden meanings | Mark McClish
An interview of Mark McClish, an expert in analyzing written and verbal statements. McClish is a former U.S. Marshal and law enforcement trainer on interview and interrogation techniques. He's the author of two books on Statement Analysis®: "I Know You Are Lying," and "Don't Be Deceived." Topics discussed in this episode include: common deceptive patterns, why people find it difficult to straightforwardly lie, and discussion of some criminal cases, including the Chris Watts case, Steven Avery, O
Aug 21, 2018 · 54 min
Reading audience reactions as a standup comic, with Alex Falcone
An interview with Portland, Oregon-based comedian Alex Falcone about the role of understanding and using human psychology and behavior in stand-up comedy. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitter at @apokerplayer. See a summary of my work.

People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast

What brain scans reveal about trauma, suffering, and therapy benefits

Rock Paper Scissors tells and manipulations, with Master Roshambollah

Reading the streets: How a bus driver analyzes driver and pedestrian behaviors

What are polygraphs actually reading? A deep dive into skin conductance.

Spotting the liar in Secret Hitler, Werewolf, and other social deduction games

Spotting fake Amazon product reviews, with language analyst Olu Popoola

Prison culture, slang, and survival: Benjamin Moots talks about his 15 years in prison

Behavioral indicators of good and bad relationships, with Brandi Fink

Mind games and social manipulation in door-to-door sales

Restaurant psychology you've never noticed, with service industry pro Robin Dibble

Choke-holds and mind games: MMA pro Robert Drysdale talks psychology and behavior

The mind games behind the sword: Using psychology in fencing | Seth Baldwin

Reading people like a hacker: How social engineers get past security | Jenny Radcliffe

The hidden psychology of interrogations, with David Zulawski

How lawyers read minds: Jury selection strategies, with Christina Marinakis

What do they really mean? Anaylzing statements for hidden meanings | Mark McClish

Reading audience reactions as a standup comic, with Alex Falcone