KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
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.”
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.
Disappointment is unpleasant, but we rarely take the time to reflect on the social dimensions of the feeling. In the second episode of our series on the psychology of disappointment, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the role of disappointment as discipline.
Feeling disappointment is not pleasant, but rarely do we take the time to reflect on how re-calibrating our expectations can help us navigate disappointment more constructively. In the first episode of our series on the psychology of disappointment, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the role of expectations.
It’s the start of the new year, and for many of us, it’s a time to plan projects and events or set goals. However, even with the best-laid plans, why do we have difficulty accomplishing all we set out to do or feel a sense of relief rather than joy when we complete big tasks? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy, take a moment to step back and explore the psychology of planning.
*This episode contains artificially generated audio content.
As humans, understanding what is “real” vs. what is “artificial” is something we are continuously coming to terms with. Feeling duped by something you thought was something else can be disconcerting. As part of The University of Texas Year of AI, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy, with special help from Michael Baker, explore what it means psychologically to interact with the artificial.
When we see experts in action, there can be something mysterious about how they work; they seem to just “know” what to do. That process of knowing is no accident, but trying to explain that process is almost impossible. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy discuss the psychology of explaining intuition.
When we see true experts in action, there can be something mysterious about how they work; they seem to just “know” what to do. That process of knowing is no accident. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the psychology of educating intuition.
We often hear the term “critical thinking” but may take for granted that we don’t think critically about what it means. In this fourth and final episode of our series on critical thinking, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore the psychology of emotions.
We often hear the term “critical thinking” but may take for granted that we don’t think critically about what it means. In this third episode of our four-part series on critical thinking, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore what critical thinking is and what it isn’t.
We hear the term “critical thinking” often but may take for granted that we don’t think very critically about what it means. In this second episode of our series on critical thinking, Two Guys on Your Head, Art Markman, Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the role of expertise.