PsychCrunch

Ep 47: What's next for voice hearing therapies? Jun 12, 2026 33:53 In this episode of PsychCrunch, join our host, Tabby Taylor Buck, as she explores cutting-edge and historical approaches to voice hearing therapies. Come along for an insider look at the hallucination-mimicking AVATAR2 trial as Tabby sits down with Trial Coordinator Dr Clementine Edwards, then take a tour of the Mental Health Museum in Wakefield with her, Museum Curator Jane Stockdale, and Museum

Ep 46: Crime and compassion: How do we stop people offending? Apr 27, 2026 38:05 When people hear 'forensic psychology' they might think of true crime documentaries or Silence of the Lambs – but the reality is much more about people, the systems they live in, and chances to change. In this episode, Ella Rhodes speaks to forensic psychologists Dr Rachel Worthington and Dr Geraldine Akerman to talk about how people end up in prison, why reoffending happens, what actually helps p

Ep 45: Psychology needs a … revolution! Feb 19, 2026 22:10 We all love psychology, but it feels safe to say that most of us probably would love it more if it did some things differently. For many, psychology would benefit from a revolution (or two). In this episode, we share hot takes on the matter from the expert contributors to the March 2026 issue of our magazine, The Psychologist. What do they believe needs a revolution within the discipline? And shou

Ep 44: Doing something when nothing can be done: Working with Huntington's disease Dec 12, 2025 29:40 Living with a life-limiting condition comes with a plethora of psychological consequences. When the condition is rare, having psychologists in your corner can mean even more. This episode, we speak with Dr Sarah Gunn, Lecturer at the University of Leicester and expert on the psychology of Huntington's disease, about her research journey and how her work supports those with the condition. Join her

Ep 43: Psychology on the Menu Oct 17, 2025 29:48 Join Dr Jon Sutton and Dr Andrea Oskis (Food Writer and Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University, London) for a research-packed feast, through which they navigate the deep and meaningful connections between us and the food we eat. From appetiser to dessert, every dish opens the door to exploring fascinating studies and discoveries. This is Episode 43 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psych

Ep 42: What makes hobbies healing? Aug 18, 2025 19:54 In this episode of PsychCrunch, Tabby Taylor Buck delves into the world of unconventional therapeutic activities, guided by the latest psychological research and insights from practitioners in the field. She explores how innovative approaches are reshaping what therapy can look and feel like. Tabby begins with a spot of climbing therapy, and then turns to the imaginative world of structured rolepl

Ep 41: What makes a successful transition to school? Jul 18, 2025 22:39 Most of us remember what it was like to start school. Intimidating new places, being unsure of the schedule, lots of new potential friends — and maybe a few foes. It's a huge moment for kids, and their families, that brings with it a lot of big, complex challenges. In this episode, Jon Sutton chats with Professor Claire Hughes, Deputy Director of the Centre for Family Research at the University of

Ep 40: Kink, community, and transformation Apr 30, 2025 38:12 The massive variety of human sexual interests is a little mind-boggling. As what we consider to be sexually typical continues to be expanded and shaped by the internet and popular culture, psychologists are making efforts to research kinks and members of the kink community like never before. Join Ella Rhodes in conversation with Liam Wignall (Senior Lecturer at Brighton University and committee me

Ep 39: Why it's worth embracing uncertainty Dec 10, 2024 31:05 There's no question that we find ourselves in uncertain times. Looking at current events and wondering about what the future may hold can leave us feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed, to say the least. But uncertain times aren't always the ominous force we make them out to be. In fact, research suggests that they can create unique opportunities for growth and transformation that we wouldn'

Ep 38: Nothing about us without us Jun 14, 2024 30:10 In years gone by, the norm for psychological research was to design studies from the outside looking in. Acting as observers of particular populations, there was generally an expected separation between the researcher and the researched. More recently, however, there's been a shift. For decades, the rallying cry "nothing about us without us" has been used by the disability rights movement to commu

Ep 37: Talking with patients about sad, bad and difficult things May 16, 2024 42:08 This is Episode 37 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. [Content warning: This episode centres around cancer. As such, it makes references to medical events and themes that some listeners may find disturbing. Listener discretion is advised.] In the face of significant medical challenges, we would all hope for compass

Ep 36: The secrets of dreams and nightmares Mar 14, 2024 30:59 This is Episode 36 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Why do we dream? And what business does a good dream have turning into a nightmare? In this episode, Ella Rhodes embarks on an exploration of our non-waking life. In it, she speaks with Director of the Swansea University Sleep Laboratory, Professor Mark Blagrove

Ep 35: Why do we enjoy playing with fear? Oct 26, 2023 19:40 This is Episode 35 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. From haunted houses to scary movies, many of us find a thrill in a good scare. But… isn't that a bit counter-intuitive? In this episode, we ask why so many of us are drawn to things that should make us run a mile, and whether we can use fear to help us better co

Ep 34: How do you make friends as an adult? Jun 16, 2023 19:11 This is Episode 34 of PsychCrunch, the podcast of the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Despite it being easier than ever to communicate, so many of us find it challenging to make new friends – especially as we get older. Opening up conversations with strangers can leave us feeling like a bother, and fizzle into nothing more than a one-off interac

Ep 33: Have you experienced the unseen other? Feb 23, 2023 33:49 Have you ever had the feeling that there was someone – or something – nearby? Perhaps you were in bed falling asleep when you suddenly became convinced that a person was standing next to you, even though you couldn't actually 'see' or 'hear' anyone at all. Or maybe you were out in the wilderness, with no-one for miles around, and couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following you. In this e

Ep 32: How to face grief Feb 15, 2023 26:01 Grief is a universal experience, but one which affects every individual differently. A grieving person might feel guilty, listless, frightened, or angry. And at a time when they most need support, the bereaved may find other people turning away from them, not really knowing how to talk to them about their feelings and the person they've lost. So how can we learn to better cope with grief in oursel

Ep 31: How to better understand your cat Sep 6, 2022 22:09 We've lived side-by-side with domestic cats for thousands of years, yet they maintain an aura of mystery and a reputation for aloofness and even outright disdain for humans. But are cats really so enigmatic – or are we only just beginning to understand them? In this episode, Ella Rhodes, journalist for The Psychologist, speaks to two experts who are working to help us to understand cats. They disc

Ep 30: The psychology of superstitions May 13, 2022 20:46 From carefully avoiding cracks in the pavement to saluting every magpie that you meet, superstitious behaviour is really common. But why do we have superstitions? Where do they come from? And are they helpful or harmful? To find out, our presenter Ginny Smith talks to Stuart Vyse, former professor of psychology at Connecticut College and author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Supersti

Ep 29: Why do people share false information — and what can we do about it? Jan 26, 2022 20:45 Why do people share false information? In this episode, our presenters Ginny Smith and Jon Sutton explore the psychology of misinformation. They hear about the factors that make people more or less likely to share misinformation, discuss strategies to correct false information, and learn how to talk to someone who is promoting conspiracy theories. Our guests, in order of appearance, are Tom Bu

Ep 28: Why songs get stuck in our heads Oct 15, 2021 24:59 Why do some songs get stuck in our heads? In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith explores the psychology of earworms. Ginny hears about the possible evolutionary reasons for why we experience the phenomenon, learns what earworms can teach us about memory — and finds out how to get rid of them. Our guests, in order of appearance, are Kelly Jakubowski, assistant professor of music psychology

Episode 27: The Psychologist presents… at Latitude Festival 2021 — Child food poverty Aug 16, 2021 50:55 This is Episode 27 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. At Latitude Festival in Suffolk in July, The Psychologist Editor Dr Jon Sutton hosted a conversation in The Listening Post with Greta Defeyter, Professor of Developmental Psychology and founder and Director of the "Healthy Living" Lab at Northumbria Universit

Ep 26: How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected our mental health? Aug 3, 2021 21:10 This is Episode 26 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. What impact has the pandemic had on people's mental health? In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith talks to researchers who have been conducting work throughout the pandemic to understand the toll that it has taken on our wellbeing. Ginny learns about the

Ep 25: How to change your personality May 18, 2021 26:12 This is Episode 25 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Are our personalities set in stone, or can we choose to change them? In this bonus episode, Matthew Warren talks to former Research Digest editor Christian Jarrett about his new book Be Who You Want: Unlocking the Science of Personality Change. Christian discu

Ep 24: How Children Learn Through Play Apr 13, 2021 21:48 This is Episode 24 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. What role does play have in child development? In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith talks to some top play researchers to find out how children learn new skills and concepts through play, and explores what teachers and parents can do to encourage this ki

Ep 23: Whose psychology is it anyway? Making psychological research more representative Jan 21, 2021 13:34 This is Episode 23 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest. In this episode, Emily Reynolds, staff writer at Research Digest, explores modern psychology's relationship with race and representation. It's well-known that psychology has a generalisability problem, with studies overwhelmingly using so-called "WEIRD" participants: those who are Western and e

Ep 22: Drifting Minds — Maladaptive Daydreaming And The Hypnagogic State Nov 3, 2020 16:24 This is Episode 22 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. In this episode, Ella Rhodes, Journalist for The Psychologist, explores the boundaries between wakefulness and dreaming. What can we can learn about consciousness from the strange transition period between being awake and asleep, known as hypnagogia? And why

Ep 21: How To Stay Connected In The "New Normal" Sep 2, 2020 21:03 This is Episode 21 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. What can we do to stay connected in the middle of a pandemic? We've all played our part in fighting COVID-19, and for many of us that has meant staying away from our friends and families. In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith explores how this unpreceden

Episode 20 Mar 2, 2020 19:55 This is Episode 20 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. What can psychology teach us about dealing with pain? Our presenter Ginny Smith learns that swearing can have a pain-reducing effect, and puts the theory to the test with an experiment on editor Matthew Warren. Ginny also hears about how virtual reality could

Episode 19 Jan 28, 2020 16:46 This is Episode 19 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Do we worry too much about screen time? The issue of screen use by children and teenagers is rarely out of the headlines, and institutions including the World Health Organization have recommended specific limits on screen time for the youngest age groups. But

Episode 18 Sep 9, 2019 20:02 This is Episode 18 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology help us become more creative? Our presenter Ginny Smith learns how we can develop our creativity with practice, and discovers that our best "Eureka" moments often come when we step away from the task at hand. She also investigates how members of

Episode 17 Jul 23, 2019 21:54 This is Episode 17 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology help make running more enjoyable? Our presenter Christian Jarrett speaks to several experts about various strategies including "cognitive reappraisal" and the benefits of taking part in organised runs. He also hears how some of us are genetical

Episode 16 (bonus episode) May 3, 2019 29:29 Ella Rhodes, journalist for The Psychologist magazine, delves into the growing body of research exploring aphantasia – a condition she has personal experience of. While most people can see images formed in their minds people with aphantasia draw a blank, what might this mean for autobiographical memory, face perception and imagination? Our guests, in order of appearance, are: Zoe Pounder at the U

Episode 15 Mar 19, 2019 14:46 This is Episode 15 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Mindfulness is everywhere these days, but is it really as beneficial as it's often made out to be? Our presenter Ginny Smith hears from clinical psychologist Dr Catherine Wikholm(co-author of The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You?); she visits the Cambri

Episode 14 Nov 7, 2018 14:20 This is Episode 14 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology help your cooking taste better? Our presenter Ginny Smith hears about the importance of food presentation, pairing and sequencing, and how our perception of food is a multi-sensory experience. She and her friends conduct a taste test using "soni

Episode 13 Aug 29, 2018 13:01 This is Episode 13 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology help us to learn better? Our presenter Christian Jarrett discovers the best evidence-backed strategies for learning, including the principle of spacing, the benefits of testing yourself and teaching others. He also hears about the perils of over

Episode 12 Jun 27, 2018 17:50 This is Episode 12 of PsychCrunch the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Download here. Can psychology help us to be funnier? Our presenter Ginny Smith hears how a key ingredient of humour is "incongruity" and the surprise of unexpected meanings. Individual words too can be amusing, but actually most of the time we laugh not because

Episode 11 Feb 21, 2018 14:02 This is Episode 11 of PsychCrunch the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology help us get a better night's sleep? Our presenter Ginny Smith hears how worry about sleep is sometimes more of a problem than lack of sleep itself. She gives us some evidence-backed sleep tips and finds out about "sleep engineering" – deliberatel

Episode 10 Nov 1, 2017 13:19 It's been a while coming, but this is Episode 10 of PsychCrunch the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology help us avoid procrastinating and get on with the important things we know we should be doing? Our presenter Christian Jarrett hears about what causes procrastination, how to stop it, and whether it has any upsides.

Episode 9 Feb 21, 2017 14:19 This is Episode 9 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology help us work together better in teams? Our presenter Christian Jarrett hears about the benefits of appointing a "meta-knowledge champion" for the team, making sure everyone has contact with the team's "extra miler", and why you should think caref

Episode 8 Nov 7, 2016 10:14 This is Episode 8 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can we trust psychological studies? We speak to Brian Earp, of Oxford University and Yale University, about how to respond when we're told repeatedly that the veracity of eye-catching findings, or even cherished theories, has come under scrutiny. Brian also tal

Episode 7 Aug 9, 2016 11:39 This is Episode Seven of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Can psychology give you a competitive edge in sport? Our presenter Christian Jarrett learns about the importance of having the right competitive mindset, and how to use self-talk and positive imagery to boost your sporting performance. Our guests, in order

Episode 6 Jun 13, 2016 10:26 This is Episode 6 of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Have you ever sent a sarcastic email or text message and discovered to your horror that the recipient thought you were being literal? If so, this episode is for you! Research Digest editor Christian Jarrett speaks to Dr Ruth Filik (University of Nottingham), le

Episode 5 Mar 30, 2016 12:18 This is Episode Five of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, sponsored by Routledge Psychology. In this episode we explore whether psychology can help us learn a new language.We hear about research showing the benefits of music training to language learning, and how it may be possible to boost your learning of foreign words while you sleep. Our present

Episode 4 Dec 16, 2015 12:24 This is Episode Four of PsychCrunch, the podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest. In this festive episode we explore whether psychology can help us with gift giving. Our presenter Christian Jarrett and his guests discuss the benefits of giving "giver-centric" gifts; how recipients like to receive gifts on their wish lists; why ethical or pro-social gifts are sometimes not

Episode Three Bonus Material Oct 19, 2015 12:48 On October 1, 2015 Dr Christian Jarrett (Editor, BPS Research Digest) met with Dr Jon Sutton (Editor, The Psychologist magazine) to debate Michael Jackson's legacy. This is their full argument! Excerpts from their debate about MJ appear in Episode Three of PsychCrunch, which explored whether psychology can help you to win an argument.

Episode Three Oct 19, 2015 12:56 This is Episode Three of PsychCrunch, the new podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest. In this episode we explore whether psychology can help you to win an argument. After our presenter Christian Jarrett tries his luck with an argument about Michael Jackson's legacy, we find out why convincing people of your point of view is so difficult, and we hear about a paradoxical te

Episode Two Jun 18, 2015 11:46 This is Episode Two of PsychCrunch, the new podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest. In this episode we speak to psychology researchers in the field of habit change to see if their findings can provide real-life tips for people hoping to break bad habits or form new healthy ones. We can't promise you a life of health and success as some self-help authors do, but we might b

Episode One Feb 13, 2015 09:36 This is Episode One of PsychCrunch, the new podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest. In this episode we speak to researchers in the field of personal attraction to see if their findings can provide real-life tips for people on a romantic date. Our guests, in order of appearance, are Adam Pazda (University of Rochester), Coren Apicella (University of Pennsylvania) and Sally

PsychCrunch Trailer Feb 11, 2015 39 PsychCrunch, the new podcast coming soon from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest. Trailer credits: Presented by Christian Jarrett. Producer Lorna Stewart. Music and mixing Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler.

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