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.

Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

217 episodes
Updated Yesterday

Episodes217

Newest first

Nov 12, 2021 · 1 hr 21 min
What is conversation analysis and ethnomethodology?, with Saul Albert
A talk with social scientist Saul Albert (saulalbert.net) about conversation analysis — the scientific analysis of talking — and the wider field of ethnomethodology. Topics discussed: what conversation analysis (CA) is and how it's done; some of the interesting findings in CA; Saul's own research; the complexity and difficulty of communication; the role of silence in conversation; transcription/notation methods used; and more. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium su
Oct 28, 2021 · 48 min
Tracking people over land, aka "sign cutting," with Rob Speiden
An interview of Rob Speiden, an expert in sign cutting, which is the tracking of humans or animals over the ground using clues of physical disturbance. Rob's site is at www.trackingschool.com. Topics discussed include: common methods of tracking; how tracking is used in search and rescue scenarios; debunking some misconceptions about what's possible with tracking; the importance of being fully aware and open to all sensory input; and interesting stories from his career. Support the showTo get ad
Oct 14, 2021 · 53 min
What research finds about social media effects on polarization, with Emily Kubin
A talk with Emily Kubin, who recently, with her co-researcher Christian Von Sikorski, did a comprehensive review of 121 studies on social media effects on political polarization. We talk about her research, why polarization is a problem, the different types of polarization (affective vs ideological), our psychology tendency to become us-versus-them in our thinking, her own opinions on what social media is doing to us, and the mechanisms by which social media may be amplifying polarization. Suppo
Oct 3, 2021 · 53 min
How a pro musician uses psychology and reads behavior, with Ben Tyler
An interview with Ben Tyler, a professional musician and musical educator based in Portland, Oregon, about reading and understanding people in the musical world. Topics include: reading fellow band members' gestures and eye contact in jazz and other musical performances; being able to tell when audiences are having a good time or not; how practicing improvisation can make us more flexible; and the social aspects of the musical world. Ben's personal musical project is called Small Skies. Support
Sep 16, 2021 · 1 hr
The psychology of nostalgia and the allure of the past, with Jannine Lasaleta
A talk with Jannine Lasaleta, who has researched the psychological effects of nostalgia, including how nostalgic feelings make people more loose and uncaring with money. We talk about the connection between our desire for nostalgia and our desire to engage in old-fashioned or ancient or "authentic" activities . We talk about how our attraction for these things might be connected to our search for meaning, our desire to have a consistent and stable sense of self, and our attempt to fend off exis
Sep 8, 2021 · 1 hr 14 min
Is it okay to ignore politics? Is it okay to not vote? | a talk with Chris Freiman
If you're someone who pays a lot of attention to politics, but feels that doing so makes you miserable, this may be an important listen. What if someone were to tell you that paying attention to politics is not a morally correct way to spend your time and energy? Political philosopher Chris Freiman is the author of Why It's OK to Ignore Politics. He makes a case that paying a lot of attention to politics is often a waste of time, and may even be immoral compared to other ways you could be spendi
Aug 31, 2021 · 1 hr 7 min
Why Democrats should care about election integrity, with Jennifer Cohn
Jennifer Cohn is an attorney and election integrity advocate. Since 2016 she has been drawing attention to problems with U.S. election security and was frustrated during the Trump admin years to see the GOP block efforts to improve security. Now that GOP has become the party of "the election is illegitimate", things have swung the other way and it is Democrats who seem unwilling to acknowledge flaws that many on that side were willing to talk about up until recently. We talk about how politics a
Aug 18, 2021 · 45 min
"The media" isn't some strange external force: it's just people | with Elizaveta Friesem
Elizaveta Friesem thinks and writes about media and how we relate to it. Her recent book is called "Media Is Us" and it examines the idea that media is not something "out there" but more something that is part of us, something that happens internally, similar to any other human communication. And perhaps this means that acting as if "media" of various sorts is to blame for various problems is a simplistic way to view the world. We talk about the need for personal responsibility for how we consum
Aug 11, 2021 · 1 hr 8 min
How a poker pro thinks about poker tells, with Dara O'Kearney
An interview with professional poker player Dara O'Kearney about poker tells (behavioral patterns in poker). We talk about how useful tells are compared to strategy, what are some of the tells he's used, how his opinion about tells has changed over time. We also discuss poker more generally, including its complexity, game theory optimal topics, how running long distance may have helped him with poker, and more. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To lea
Aug 7, 2021 · 1 hr 11 min
A politically liberal cop talks George Floyd and police violence issues (part 2)
The second of two interviews with James Mitchell, a recently retired police captain who worked in Prince George's County, Maryland. We attempt to understand the factors behind the problem of American cops having a high rate of shootings and other forms of excessive force. Factors discussed include: the role of guns, racism, the fact that juries seldom convict cops, police unions, and cops living in the communities they police. (In the first interview, other factors, like mental health and appro
Jul 28, 2021 · 1 hr 4 min
Do some people just want to watch the world burn?, with Kevin Arceneaux
An interview with Kevin Arceneaux, a researcher on the “need for chaos” research project, which found that a surprising number of people, around 40% of those polled, seem to have antisocial views about society in that they either agreed with or did not disagree with statements like “When I think about our political and social institutions, I cannot help thinking 'just let them all burn'?” We talk about what the study entailed, and what the factors could be that help explain this surprising find.
Jul 25, 2021 · 31 min
What is football quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's tell?, with Jon Hoefling
A talk with sports analyst and broadcaster Jon Michael Hoefling, who writes for Deadspin. We discuss a recent story about Steelers quarterback Roethlisberger and an apparent tell he has, where his foot position indicates whether he'll run or pass. We also discuss some other tells in football and sports in general, including the story about Andre Agassi having a read on Boris Becker, and some tells in baseball. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To lear
Jul 17, 2021 · 1 hr 15 min
Is gender identity theory creating gender dysphoria?, with Carey Callahan
An interview with Carey Callahan, a therapist who writes about gender dysphoria and transgender issues, with a focus on medical and healthcare aspects. Topics include: why well meaning attempts at discussing transgender topics can inspire so much anger; how polarization on this topic relates to polarization in other areas; controversy around how many obstacles there should be for someone who wants to transition; criticisms of gender identity theory; the idea that gender identity theory itself ma
Jul 14, 2021 · 49 min
How might we better connect with people?, with Ted Brodkin and Ashley Pallathra
How might we connect better with each other? An interview with Ashley Pallathra and Edward Brodkin, co-authors of Missing Each Other: How to Cultivate Meaningful Connections. We talk about the obstacles we face in our attempts to form better connection with others. 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.
Jun 26, 2021 · 25 min
Reading tells in the video game Apex Legends, with Brandon Singer, aka Nocturnal
An interview with professional gamer Nocturnal (OhNocturnal on Twitch), about reading opponent behavior in Apex Legends. We also talk about the financial aspects of being a pro video gamer. 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.
Jun 4, 2021 · 1 hr 2 min
Psychology and behavioral "tells" in professional tennis, with tennis coach Carlos Goffi
An interview about the role of psychology and understanding behavior in tennis, with experienced tennis player and coach Carlos Goffi. Goffi has coached tennis for more than 30 years, has coached John McEnroe, and is the author of the well known tennis book Tournament Tough. We talk about reading opponents' physical tells and their mood, about psychological strategizing, and about the impact of personal life factors on a player's ability to compete. We also talk about Andre Agassi's claim that
Apr 19, 2021 · 1 hr 28 min
A politically liberal police captain talks George Floyd and police violence (part 1)
First of two interviews with James Mitchell, a retired police captain who worked in Prince George's County, Maryland. We talk about the U.S. problem of excessive police violence, with the goal of understanding some of the factors that can lead to unjustified and too aggressive police responses. Issues include: George Floyd's death and how the cops handled that; how mental health issues relate to police response issues; how cops can escalate a situation whether they mean to or not, and more. In
Apr 14, 2021 · 1 hr 6 min
Living with anxiety, with Scott Stossel, national editor of The Atlantic
I interview Scott Stossel, who is the national editor of the magazine The Atlantic, and the author of the book My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind. That book is a history of humanity's understanding and treatment of anxiety, and also a personal history in which Scott recounts honestly and openly his own struggles with extreme, debilitating anxiety. I talk to Scott about what he's learned in his research and personal life about the factors behind anxiety and how
Mar 27, 2021 · 1 hr 4 min
Psychological and environmental factors in so-called schizophrenia, with Nathan Filer
An interview with Nathan Filer, author of the non-fiction book 'The Heartland: Finding and Losing Schizophrenia' and the fiction book 'The Shock of the Fall'. We talk about environmental, experiential factors in schizophrenia, about the understandable pushback there can be to examining these areas, about the uncertainty around these topics, and about the power of language and the namings we give things. I also talk about the mental issues I struggled with as a young man. Support the showTo get
Feb 25, 2021 · 17 min
An 8-year-old kid talks about magical creatures, games she likes, and reading adults
In this episode, I interview an 8-year-old. We talk about such topics as: how she knows other kids want to be her friend, how she knows adults are upset with her, tricks she uses to watch more TV, the etiquette around Infection Tag (one of her favorite games), and her thoughts on various supernatural beings, including Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy.Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podca

People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast

What is conversation analysis and ethnomethodology?, with Saul Albert

Tracking people over land, aka "sign cutting," with Rob Speiden

What research finds about social media effects on polarization, with Emily Kubin

How a pro musician uses psychology and reads behavior, with Ben Tyler

The psychology of nostalgia and the allure of the past, with Jannine Lasaleta

Is it okay to ignore politics? Is it okay to not vote? | a talk with Chris Freiman

Why Democrats should care about election integrity, with Jennifer Cohn

"The media" isn't some strange external force: it's just people | with Elizaveta Friesem

How a poker pro thinks about poker tells, with Dara O'Kearney

A politically liberal cop talks George Floyd and police violence issues (part 2)

Do some people just want to watch the world burn?, with Kevin Arceneaux

What is football quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's tell?, with Jon Hoefling

Is gender identity theory creating gender dysphoria?, with Carey Callahan

How might we better connect with people?, with Ted Brodkin and Ashley Pallathra

Reading tells in the video game Apex Legends, with Brandon Singer, aka Nocturnal

Psychology and behavioral "tells" in professional tennis, with tennis coach Carlos Goffi

A politically liberal police captain talks George Floyd and police violence (part 1)

Living with anxiety, with Scott Stossel, national editor of The Atlantic

Psychological and environmental factors in so-called schizophrenia, with Nathan Filer

An 8-year-old kid talks about magical creatures, games she likes, and reading adults