Psychology in Everyday Life: The Psych Files

Michael Britt

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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20 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes20

Newest first

Mixed Feelings About AI: Cognitive Dissonance and the Stories We Tell Ourselves
Most of us who use AI tools live with a quiet contradiction: the tools are genuinely useful, and using them raises real ethical problems — work that might have gone to a person, the energy and water that data centers consume, and models trained on...
Thursday · 23 min
Why Nobody Pushed the Button: The Psychology Behind a Subway Tragedy
Why did more than a dozen people walk past Steven McCluskey as he lay trapped in a Boston subway escalator? On the surface it seems to refute the newest research on bystander intervention — Richard Philpot's cross-national CCTV study showing that at...
July 6 · 14 min
Why People Step Out of the Plane — and Go Back Up the Next Day
Why would anyone step out of an airplane — and why, after a fatal accident, would they go back up the very next day? In this episode I talk through that question using a recent New York Times feature on a brutal weekend in extreme sports, paired...
June 26 · 10 min
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...
June 12 · 25 min
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...
June 10 · 12 min
"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...
March 27 · 17 min
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...
February 24 · 9 min
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,...
Oct 15, 2025 · 18 min
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...
Sep 24, 2025 · 10 min
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...
Jun 25, 2025 · 10 min
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...
May 11, 2025 · 11 min
Study Hack: Use ChatGPT to Ace Your Exams! | Self-Explanation Effect
Discover how to leverage ChatGPT and other AI tools to dramatically improve your learning and test performance! In this video, I explain a powerful study technique called the "self-explanation effect" and show you exactly how to combine it with AI for...
Feb 7, 2025 · 4 min
Lost in the Click: Exploring the Browser Doorway Effect
The Blank Tab Effect: A Modern Doorway Phenomenon Have you ever switched to a new browser tab, only to find yourself staring at a blank page and wondering why you opened it in the first place? This common experience is strikingly similar to what...
Oct 18, 2024 · 3 min
Beck's Cognitive Distortions: An AI-Powered Learning Activity
In my recent exploration of artificial intelligence, I stumbled upon a fascinating article entitled, “Instructors as Innovators: a Future-focused Approach to New AI Learning Opportunities, With Prompts" which introduced the concept of goal-play...
Jun 24, 2024 · 3 min
Paralyzed by Fear: Exploring Tonic Immobility in Sexual Assault
In this episode of "The Psych Files," we delve into the complex and sensitive topic of sexual assault, focusing particularly on the phenomenon of tonic immobility, often referred to as "frozen fright." This involuntary response can leave victims...
May 11, 2024 · 10 min
Cloning Voices: Scary Maybe, But Also Therapeutic?
I'm about as worried as anyone else about how the new tools for cloning voices could be used by "bad actors" to clone the voices of politicians to make them say things they never said and possibly further polarize our country before an important...
May 6, 2024 · 11 min
The Psychology of Music: The Role of Expectations and Minor Chords
How does music affect us emotionally? Why do minor chords sound so sad? In this episode of The Psych Files I explore ideas from Daniel Leviton's fascinating book, Your Brain on Music, especially those ideas concerned with what composers do to draw you...
Apr 29, 2024 · 43 min
My 3 Favorite Psych Articles This Week - March 8, 2024
In this episode of The Psych Files, host Michael Britt explores three fascinating new psychology studies. First, research found that making hospital alarms more musical could help prevent dangerous mistakes caused by alarm fatigue. Next, studies on...
Mar 8, 2024 · 4 min
From Insane Asylum to Psychiatric Center: A Brief History
When we look back at the history of psychiatric care, it’s evident that practices and treatments have evolved tremendously over the years. Dr. Roger Christenfeld, the Research Director of the Hudson River Psychiatric Center, provides a unique...
Jan 20, 2024 · 32 min
Episode 104: Can Positive Affirmations Improve Your Self Esteem?
Can positive affirmations help raise your self esteem? People use daily affirmations and money affirmations to help them feel more confident, build their self esteem and bring positive events into their lives. But do they really work? If not, then...
Jan 18, 2024 · 20 min

Psychology in Everyday Life: The Psych Files

Mixed Feelings About AI: Cognitive Dissonance and the Stories We Tell Ourselves

Why Nobody Pushed the Button: The Psychology Behind a Subway Tragedy

Why People Step Out of the Plane — and Go Back Up the Next Day

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

Home Alone: The Hidden Cost of Remote Work

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

Actors Don't Really Memorize Lines!

Latest Research: Anthropomorphism and Dementia

The Surprising Psychology Behind Effortless Line Memorization

Why Are We So Polite to AI?

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

Study Hack: Use ChatGPT to Ace Your Exams! | Self-Explanation Effect

Lost in the Click: Exploring the Browser Doorway Effect

Beck's Cognitive Distortions: An AI-Powered Learning Activity

Paralyzed by Fear: Exploring Tonic Immobility in Sexual Assault

Cloning Voices: Scary Maybe, But Also Therapeutic?

The Psychology of Music: The Role of Expectations and Minor Chords

My 3 Favorite Psych Articles This Week - March 8, 2024

From Insane Asylum to Psychiatric Center: A Brief History

Episode 104: Can Positive Affirmations Improve Your Self Esteem?