The Psychology of Search Engines (Archive Episode)

The most popular episode of 2025 was about the psychology of cats 😻Dr Claude Béata, animal behaviouralist and author of The Interpretation of Cats, emphasises cats dual role as both predator and prey and how this distinction can help us understand these most wonderful creatures. Go order a copy of Dr Béata's book, The Interpretation of Cats and Their Owners. It's a fascinating, enjoyable, and enlightening book for all cat lovers. 😻Send us Fan MailYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

How do your behavioural biases impact investment decisions?Are financial advisers affected by these psychological biases?What practical steps are there for individuals looking to improve their investing strategies or just get started?More about Daniel Crosby: https://orion.com/thought-leader/daniel-crosbyThe Behavioral Investor (Amazon): https://amzn.eu/d/b4ginLaThe Soul of Wealth (Amazon): https://amzn.eu/d/aN5qEY1Daniel's podcast, “Standard Deviation” (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1uQPuBpfpomaUNkwY7SkcH?si=ce80c36049934500Follow Daniel on X: https://x.com/danielcrosbySend us Fan MailYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Do habits really take 66 days to form? Should you rely on willpower? How does a psychologist approach overcoming their own bad habits and starting good ones?Professor Ben Gardner leads me through the intricate world of habits, exploring their definitions, the distinction between habits and routines, and the psychological mechanisms behind habitual behaviour. Find out more about Ben's work at: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/people/benjamin-gardnerSend us Fan MailYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Going back to the very first episode of Everything's Psychology, where I talk with Professor Robert Epstein about the psychological techniques Google employs in its search engine. Are you being manipulated by search engines?What is Google's policy on human manipulation?What can you do to protect yourself?Send us Fan MailYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

My final short story on behavioural biases. This week, the story focuses on the power of today over tomorrow by looking at present bias.Present bias describes our tendency to give greater weight to rewards available now, while undervaluing the costs those choices impose on our future. And, in this story, I try to take this idea to its extreme.I hope these little psychological stories have been enjoyable for you. I'm taking a little break now to organise and record more interviews. Coming up in Season Two of Everything's Psychology will be: The psychology of the menopause, the psychology of watches, and the psychology of dogs as well as many more.Over the next few weeks, I'll re-upload the most popular episodes from Season One and then be back in the spring with Season Two.Send us Fan MailYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Another short story involving a behavioural bias. This week, the bias is revenge.Maybe not considered by behavioural scientists as one of the core cohort of behavioural biases, revenge certainly fits the bill. It makes people act irrationally and often behave against their own self-interest.While I did write this week's story, it is a retelling of Roald Dahl's short story "William & Mary." I used Dahl's original story to practice my own writing, using the narrative of the original as scaffolding for my modern adaptation. If you have never read the original, I urge you to buy the book “Kiss Kiss” where this, and many other wonderfully imaginative stories, were originally published.Thanks for listening.Send us Fan MailYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Happy New Year! Have you set yourself a resolution? If so, in this episode, I share how a behaviourist psychologist would approach sticking to them and sailing past Quitters Day on January 17th.The principles are taken from a book called Self-Help Without The Hype by Professor Robert Epstein. I was honoured to have written the foreword to the new edition last year, in which I reflect on how the world has changed since the book's original release in 1996, yet the general lessons within the book remain unchanged.The new edition is currently on offer for the new year.Grab a copy for your Kindle on Amazon.Amazon (UK): https://amzn.eu/d/flAlEYlAmazon (US): https://a.co/d/6naeckROr you can buy a printed version here: https://books.by/pauldaviesSend us Fan MailYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Something different for Christmas. I share a short story based on a behavioural bias.This week, the story is called Spaghetti Sauce and is about choice overload. Choice is a paradox. We convince ourselves that we want it, and certainly rebel when it’s taken away from us, but when we get too much of it, we regularly struggle to make a choice. This story follows a young girl in Atlanta as she struggles with the choices of daily life, with dire consequences.Spaghetti Sauce was written by me, Paul Davies, and forms part of a book I'm writing called ‘Bias: Twelve Tales of Influence’.Would I love your feedback? Hmm? If it's positive or constructive, then I think so. If you don't like it, that's of course fine, but please keep it to yourself and don't break the little writing confidence I have. More interview episodes will be coming in the New Year.Send us Fan MailYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

In this episode of Everything’s Psychology, I sit down with Richard D. Gross, author of The Psychology of Time, to unpack how our minds construct the very thing we live inside of: time. From internal body clocks and ‘mind time’ to cultural attitudes and our awareness of mortality, we explore why time can race, crawl, or seem to stand still.You’ll learn why your brain is always half a second late, yet your experience still feels live and continuous.You’ll hear how extreme situations – from car crashes to psychedelic trips – can make seconds feel like minutes, and why the memory of an event, not the event itself, often stretches time.You’ll discover why age, culture, and even gender can reshape your sense of time – and what that means for how you plan and live your life.Grab a copy of The Psychology of Time here:From Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Time/Gross/p/book/9781032696195From Amazon (UK): https://amzn.eu/d/gwqdR92From Amazon (US): https://a.co/d/b3MSis7This episode is sponsored by At My Best: www.atmybest.comUse code Everything10 to get 10% off all At My Best tools.Send us Fan MailYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology

Was the moon landing mankind’s giant leap, or was it Hollywood's greatest special effect? Was the global vaccine rollout an elaborate scheme by Bill Gates to implant microchips in all of us? And do the condensation trails you see behind aeroplanes in the sky contain chemicals to keep the population docile?Let's be honest, a small part of us loves a good conspiracy theory. They’re exciting. They make the world feel a little less random. But why are these ideas so sticky? What makes us want to believe the unbelievable, and is there a fine line between enjoying a wild theory and falling down a rabbit hole of misinformation?With me to discuss the psychology of conspiracy theories is Professor Jan-Willem van Prooijen, who is Head of Social Psychology at Free University Amsterdam. The second edition of his book, The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories is out in December published by Routledge.LinksOrder The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories – https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Conspiracy-Theories/vanProoijen/p/book/9781032868585Find out more about Professor Jan-Willem Van Prooijen – https://www.janwillemvanprooijen.com/Play the online fake news game – https://www.getbadnews.comSend us Fan MailYou can watch the video of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingsPsychology