Behavioral Grooves: Behavioral Science Explained

Why would a CEO’s casual comment send a business scrambling? This week, we’re exploring how power, identity, and accountability shape the way we work and connect with others. Leadership coach and author Aiko Bethea joins us to unpack the gap between impact and intention, create safer workplaces where people can grow and make mistakes, and share practical ways to slow down, examine our values, and listen for connection. Topics [0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Aiko Bethea [10:08] Is accountability the same as punishment? [16:22] Power, identity, and the accountability gap [25:01] How to understand the impact we have on others [32:13] The ham story: Why do we keep doing things this way? [37:53] Why pumping the brakes takes more energy [43:08] Critical curiosity as a form of accountability [50:07] Kintsugi: Repairing relationships with gold [55:52] Desert island picks [59:14] Grooving session: What we learned about power ©2026 Behavioral Grooves Links About Aiko Anchored, Aligned, Accountable by Aiko Bethea Join us on Substack! Join the Behavioral Grooves community Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube Support Behavioral Grooves Music Links Dolly Parton - 9 To 5 Prince - Fury

Why are we becoming more divided, and how are AI and social media changing the way we relate to one another? Social psychologist Jay van Bavel, co-author of The Power of Us, explores the psychology of outrage, AI sycophancy, social identity, and the hidden costs of digital connection. Discover how leaders and organizations can rebuild trust, strengthen relationships, and create healthier social norms. Topics [0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Jay van Bavel [13:12] Why Are We So Mean to Each Other Online? [18:17] How Social Media Algorithms Reward Outrage [22:31] How Online Behavior Changes Our Perception of Social Norms [27:59] Is AI Making Us Worse at Relationships? [34:41] The Hidden Social Costs of Remote Work and AI [39:16] Why Individual Solutions Aren’t Enough [43:46] Can We Push Back Against Technology’s Influence? [46:45] What Leaders Can Do to Rebuild Human Connection [50:56] The Time Jay Taught a Class From a Stuck Elevator [56:00] Desert Island Music [1:01:34] Grooving Sessions: Group Identity and Authenticity ©2026 Behavioral Grooves Links About Jay The Power of Us by Jay van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer Join us on Substack! Join the Behavioral Grooves community Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube Support Behavioral Grooves Music Links Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil Radiohead - Burn the Witch

"My vote doesn't count." Or does it? Millions of people vote when the odds of their individual vote are a drop in the bucket, so why do we feel the need to do it? In this special mini-episode ahead of the US Midterm Elections, we explore the science behind voter turnout and the surprising power of social pressure. So, how much of our decision to vote comes from what we believe, and how much comes from the groups we belong to and the expectations of those around us? We unpack what this reveals about human behavior and why the same social forces influence everything from volunteering to recycling. The last day to vote is Tuesday, November 3rd. Make sure your voice is heard.  

Happy Halloween! We're throwing it back as we dive into the spooky science of superstition—why we knock on wood, wear lucky socks, and believe in things that defy logic. From the psychology of control and uncertainty to research on how superstition both stresses and strengthens us, we mix science, humor, and a dash of Stevie Wonder to show why “superstition ain’t the way.” Topics [0:00] Happy Halloween from Behavioral Grooves! [2:08] Common superstitions and their rationality [6:40] Psychological and cultural aspects of superstitions [9:13] Superstitions: The positives and negatives [14:36] The hidden wisdom of Stevie Wonder [16:14] Why we should be curious about our rituals ©2025 Behavioral Grooves Links Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition Delacroix, Eva & Valérie Guillard. (2008). Understanding, defining and measuring the trait of superstition.  Join us on Substack! Join the Behavioral Grooves community Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube Music Links Stevie Wonder - Superstition  Nightmare Before Christmas - This Is Halloween

Behavioral Grooves HQ is busy this week, so please enjoy a continuation of our recent conversation on habits with a throwback episode with Monica Reinagel. Please enjoy, and we'll be back with new content soon! What if the secret to healthier habits has less to do with willpower and more to do with your surroundings? If you’ve ever hidden Oreos from yourself or struggled to stick to a diet, nutrition expert Monica Reinagel joins Kurt and Tim to explain why your environment may be sabotaging your goals, and how small changes can make healthy choices easier. ©2026 Behavioral Grooves Topics [0:00] Oreo habits and environmental adjustments [9:22] Introduction and speed round [13:50] Are New Year’s Resolutions bad? [20:08] Eating, emotions, and environment [24:32] From opera singer to nutritionist – finding your passions [31:35] How we can look at nutrition through behavioral science [38:30] Tracking nutrition with the Nutrition GPA App [45:00] Desert island music [51:32] Grooving Session: influencing behavior by changing your environment ©2026 Behavioral Grooves Links Behavioral Grooves Facebook Group! Nutrition GPA app Monica on Instagram Change Academy Podcast Music Links Bach - Spirits of Meditation - Suite #5 Aria Mozart - Symphony No. 40 in G minor

What if violence is contagious? Dr. Gary Slutkin argues that violence spreads like an epidemic, and that public health strategies can help stop it. We explore social pain, belonging, violence interrupters, and the science behind preventing violence before it spreads. Topics [0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Dr. Gary Slutkin [8:23] Why Do We Treat Violence as a Moral Problem? [11:25] What Happens When Our Diagnosis Is Wrong? [20:00] Exposure, Susceptibility, and the Pain of Violence [25:12] Can Belonging Stop the Cycle of Violence? [31:26] Finding the Warning Signs Before Violence Happens [37:44] Why Community Health Workers Matter [41:30] How to Cool Down a Potentially Violent Situation [47:54] How Communities Can Build Systems to Prevent Violence [49:00] Grooving With Gary: Music, Guitar, and Leonard Cohen [54:13] Grooving Session: Breaking the Cycle Through Connection ©2026 Behavioral Grooves Links About Dr. Gary Slutkin Cure Violence Global The End of Violence by Dr. Gary Slutkin Join us on Substack! Join the Behavioral Grooves community Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube Support Behavioral Grooves Music Links Dire Straits - So Far Away John Coltrane - Locomotion

What does it really take to change a habit? Charles Duhigg, journalist and author of The Power of Habit, joins us to explore how our understanding of habits has evolved and why lasting change may start with changing how we see ourselves. From the “habit window” and keystone habits to habit chaining and identity shifts, we challenge long-held assumptions about willpower and explore how small changes in behavior and perspective can lead to lasting transformation. Topics [0:00] The Food Noise and GLP-1s [10:47] Speed Round with Charles Duhigg [16:50] The Habit Loop: What We Get Right and Wrong [22:34] The Hidden Cues Behind Our Habits [27:23] Keystone Habits, Habit Chaining, and Identity [35:51] Temptation Bundling and Making Habits Easier [40:07] How GLP-1 Medications Change Our Relationship With Willpower [49:02] Why Researchers Should Work With Businesses [55:09] Desert Island Music: The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones [59:34] Groove Session: Why Your Actions Shape Your Identity ©2026 Behavioral Grooves Links About Charles The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Join us on Substack! Join the Behavioral Grooves community Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube Support Behavioral Grooves Music Links The Beatles - A Hard Day’s Night The Rolling Stones - Beast of Burden

Have we misunderstood two of psychology’s most famous experiments? We revisit the Stanford Prison Experiment and the Robbers Cave experiment with science historians Thibault Le Texier and Gina Perry, who uncovered a much messier story behind the research we learned about in school. What can these experiments actually tell us about human behavior, and what happens when researchers become more invested in a specific conclusion than challenging their own assumptions? Topics [0:00] Two Famous Experiments, One Bigger Problem [6:47] Part One: The Stanford Prison Experiment [12:26] Were the Guards Coached to Be Cruel? [18:14] Is the Real Lesson About Leadership? [19:22] Part Two: The Robbers Cave Experiment [24:04] The Forgotten Middle Grove Experiment [28:38] Engineering the Robbers Cave Experiment [32:38] What Can We Actually Learn From These Experiments? [36:09] When the Story Gets in the Way of the Science [41:36] What Happens When a Story Sounds Too Tidy? ©2026 Behavioral Grooves Links Investigating the Stanford Prison Experiment: History of a Lie by Thibault Le Texier About Gina Perry Join us on Substack! Join the Behavioral Grooves community Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube Support Behavioral Grooves

Why do we do what we do? Behavioral Grooves explores the science of human behavior with researchers, authors, and thinkers who help us make sense of ourselves, each other, and the world around us.

Horse meat, kidneys, prostitution. What happens when the things people want to buy, sell, and trade collide with what society has deemed “off-limits”? Nobel Prize-winning economist Alvin “Al” Roth joins us to explore the behavioral science behind controversial markets, from repugnance and social norms to black markets, incentives, and informed consent. We also dig into his work redesigning the kidney exchange market and how asking a different question can open up new possibilities for solving seemingly impossible problems. Topics [0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Alvin “Al” Roth [9:21] What Is a Market? [13:10] Repugnance vs. Disgust [20:00] How Social Norms Shape Markets and Morality [24:12] Do Laws Change Morality, or Does Morality Change Laws? [28:25] Drugs, Hitmen, and the Social Support Behind a Ban [34:23] Rethinking the Market for Prostitution [38:12] Can Money Be Coercive? [46:12] Redesigning Kidney Donation With Incentives [50:42] What Do We Do When the Data Can't Change Minds? [52:47] “Ought Implies Can” and the Limits of Moral Rules [1:03:05] Grooving Session: What We Learned From Al Roth ©2026 Behavioral Grooves Links About Alvin E. Roth Join us on Substack! Join the Behavioral Grooves community Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube Support Behavioral Grooves Music Links Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al Leonard Cohen - I’m Your Man