Does America Want to Watch an Execution? | Shrink Space E.82

Did Democrats win, or did Trump lose? The 2026 Midterm Elections delivered unexpected results, raising questions about why voters changed course.Psychologists David Colarossi and Rob Patterson discuss the surprising shifts, including in traditionally Republican states like Texas, and what they reveal about voter behavior, political loyalties, and the mood of the American public.

Can relationships between parents and adult children be repaired after years of conflict and estrangement? How do families rebuild trust, and should every relationship be repaired?Psychologists David Colarossi and Rob Patterson discuss Colin Gosselin and Amy Acton, exploring family estrangement and the complexities of reconciliation.

Does America want to watch an execution?Pete Hegseth's plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter, raise questions about capital punishment and whether executions should be made public. Why would Hegseth want to livestream an execution, and what are the potential consequences of making it a public event?In this episode of Shrink Space, psychologists Dave and Rob discuss the drawbacks and potential benefits of public executions, including the risks of broadcasting an execution and whether greater transparency and accountability could serve the public interest.

In this episode of Shrink Space, David and Rob take on the Cornell 7 case, the allegations of a sexual assault at a Cornell fraternity party, through a psychological lens. We get into:• Why most sexual assault is acquaintance assault, not the stranger-in-the-garage scenario• Why a "we're fine" text two days later isn't evidence of consent, and why many survivors don't label what happened right away• What the Milgram experiments tell us about how one dissenting voice changes a room• How objectification in a group chat creates distance from the human being upstairs• The debate over naming the accuser vs. the accused (and the Richard Jewell lesson)• Why the case has split along political lines, and the DA's decision not to charge #Cornell7 #BystanderEffect #ConsentCulture #ShrinkSpace #Psychology⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses sexual assault in detail. Please take care of yourself while listening. If you or someone you know needs support, RAINN's hotline is 1-800-656-4673 (rainn.org).All parties are referred to as alleged; no charges have been filed as of recording.⏱️ Chapters0:00 Cold open: why it's not the bystander effect5:39 Today's topic: the Cornell 76:10 Timeline of the night9:33 First reactions11:36 Talking about Jane Doe without victim blaming14:09 Why perpetrators rarely see it as assault15:41 The group chat18:59 Bystander effect vs. pluralistic ignorance25:10 What Milgram teaches us29:14 Culture, empathy, and entitlement36:17 Megyn Kelly's take37:19 Should we know the names?40:08 The Richard Jewell lesson41:06 "It was fine": what her text does and doesn't mean43:57 Why is this political?48:40 The police interview and the DA's decision53:11 David vents about the legal standard54:50 The special prosecutor57:04 Rob pushes back: 43 vs. 7🎧 Follow Shrink Space everywhere: @ShrinkSpaceShowLike, subscribe, and tell us what you think in the comments.

Macklemore vs. Ed Sheeran has reignited the debate over whether musicians and other public figures should speak up about politics.Rob and Dave discuss the expectations placed on celebrities to share their political opinions, the potential benefits and drawbacks of speaking out, and the pressure public figures can face when they choose to take a stand. They also explore whether entertainment should be political at all, or whether artists should simply be able to entertain without having an agenda.

Why are we so fascinated by serial killers?Inspired by a traveling serial killer exhibit, Dave and Rob explore the psychology behind our fascination with murderers and the growing interest in murderabilia. What draws people to true crime exhibits, artifacts, and objects connected to notorious killers? And when does curiosity become something more?A conversation about true crime, serial killers, murderabilia, and the psychology behind our fascination with murder.

Why are we so obsessed with true crime?In this episode of Shrink Space, Dave and Rob explore the psychology behind our fascination with true crime and why stories about real crimes and criminals can be so compelling.From documentaries and podcasts to following high-profile cases, what keeps us coming back to true crime?

The Lindsay Clancy trial has raised so many difficult questions. Was she psychotic? Is she responsible for what happened? Did she know what she was doing?In this episode, psychologists Dave and Rob discuss the key events of the Lindsay Clancy trial and explore some of the psychological questions surrounding the case.

Would you like a song less if you found out it was made entirely by AI?Why can learning that something was created with AI change how we feel about it, even when we still enjoy the final product?In this episode of Shrink Space, Dave and Rob explore the psychology of AI, authenticity, creativity, and effort. We look at why the person behind a creation matters to us, why we can feel frustrated or even angry about AI-generated content, and how knowing something's origin can change the way we experience and value it.What does the creator have to do with the creation? And why does knowing whether something was made by a human or AI matter so much to us?

Content Warning: This episode discusses self-harm and self-harming behaviors. If this type of content may be triggering or upsetting for you, please take care of yourself and consider skipping this episode.What can drive someone toward self-harm, and why might someone engage in these behaviors? In this episode of Shrink Space, David and Rob examine the psychology behind Perez Hilton’s recent public incident and explore the factors that may contribute to self-harming behavior.