Rebecca McInroy

You don’t need to be wildly witty or irresistibly charming to give a great talk; you just need to be yourself. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke share why authenticity matters most, along with a few practical tips that can take your speaking skills to the next level.”

How do you bring human-centered design into systems that weren’t built with humans in mind?
In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore how small, thoughtful changes, even in complex, rigid systems, can prevent problems and demonstrate that people matter.

Have you ever been forced to sit through hours of training because someone in another department made a mistake that has nothing to do with you? This “fire hose” approach that organizations sometimes take to address problems is surprisingly common. In our first episode of a series on the psychology of human-centered design,  Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy look at how well-meaning administrative decisions can miss the mark, waste time, and forget that people are, well, human.

If threatening punishment is not an effective way to change behavior or motivate people, why do we continue to do it? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy wrap up their exploration of the psychology of punishment by examining why we rely on threats and why they still don’t work.

Not all punishment is created equal. While punishment can serve many purposes, it’s not always effective when it comes to changing behavior, especially if the goal is simply to avoid getting punished. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy continue their exploration of the psychology of punishment, focusing on its signal value and what that means for behavior change.

In the moment, threatening punishment to see behavior change might seem like a good idea, but does it work? It turns out it depends on your goal. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the psychology of punishment and reveal why scolding, threats, and consequences might get short-term results but rarely lead to lasting change.

It can be frustrating to be in conversations that get you nowhere, often because one party knows what they want already and is not interested in hearing the other side. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore the all too common practice of reasoning from the desired conclusion.

Our culture, personal reflection, and life experiences shape how we understand our value within larger systems, and this, in turn, affects how we see our role in creating change. In the third and final installment in our Two Guys on Your Head series on the psychology of apathy, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy discuss how our value systems influence apathy, motivation, and our sense of connection or isolation—and why it matters.

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When the weight of the world feels overwhelming, tuning out can feel like the only option. But what happens when apathy becomes a habit, and how do we break free from it?

In this episode, the second in our Two Guys on Your Head series on the psychology of apathy, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy shift from understanding why apathy takes hold to exploring how we can overcome it.

When life feels like a nonstop barrage of problems we can’t fix, it’s natural to want to shut down. But apathy doesn’t make the problems go away, and it can leave us feeling even more stuck.

In this episode—the first in our Two Guys on Your Head series on the psychology of apathy—Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore the concept of learned apathy, why it takes hold, and how we can start to build the confidence and motivation to re-engage with the world around us.

Spring is in the air in Austin, Texas, and on this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke talk about why–psychologically–it’s important to enjoy the beauty of this moment.

Conversations change our minds. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke explore the psychology of why and how that happens.

Emotions are sometimes good to listen to when you’re trying to make a decision, but sometimes, they’re not so good. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, the more you know about how your brain works and what certain feelings may indicate, the more tools you have to act.

There is a lot of misinformation out there, and we might think that we just need more correct and factual information to combat it. While that can be true, it turns out that how and when we get information plays a huge role in what we believe. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke explore the psychological concept of “bypassing.”

Bypassing versus correcting misinformation: Efficacy and fundamental processes. by Javier Granados Samayoa and Dolores Albraracín.

When it comes to deciding what is valued and what is not, we often proceed with an illusion of objectivity instead of an evaluation system that can showcase expertise and quality. So, what does it really mean to be “the best,” and who gets to decide? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke explore how culture shapes our understanding of merit, fairness, and success and why it matters.

One misconception about giving up is that it takes less energy, motivation, or stamina than sticking to something. However, in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke discuss the agency and energy it takes to stop doing something and change course.

When we hear someone say they’re giving up, it’s not usually met with congratulations. However, on this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke explore why perhaps it should be.

Why do we wait for big milestones to celebrate when the little wins matter just as much? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore the psychology behind celebration, gratitude, and achievement—revealing why our brains are wired to thrive on recognizing progress along the way.

Our producer, Rebecca McInroy, spent a lot of time in Greece as an undergraduate studying and living there; she adores the country and the language. On one of her first trips there, a Greek man accused her of being from a country of “barbarians” because in the English language, there is only one word for love, whereas in Greek, there are at least eight words that express different kinds of love.

This prompted a question: what is the importance of having words to express our feelings? On this special Valentine’s Day edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman and Bob Duke explore the psychology of words.

Disappointment is unpleasant, and many times, when we’ve experienced past disappointments, we adjust our expectations so we don’t have to go through that again. Still, sometimes, that isn’t the best way to navigate our emotional lives. In the third and final episode of our series on the psychology of disappointment, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy discuss how past traumas can influence our expectations.