Are you on a diet? Have you got a shelf full of books to help you shed the pounds and get that summer beach bod or are you considering a weight loss jab such as Ozempic or Mounjaro? When the world seems to focus on the need to have a fit and firm body, what is this doing to people’s self-esteem and body image?
 
With me on this episode are Dr Joanna Silver, a leading psychologist specialising in eating disorders, body image & mental health; and Matt White, author of The Snack Monkey: How to Stop Eating the Whole Packet.

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Guests

You can find more about Dr Joanna Silver on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-joanna-silver/
Or at Orri, the eating disorder clinic: https://www.orri-uk.com/team/dr-joanna-silver/

You can buy your copy Matt's book, The Snack Monkey, on Amazon or visit https://therealsnackmonkey.com/

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Other resources

Get a copy of the book 'Self-Help Without The Hype' by Robert Epstein as a paperback here or as an eBook on Amazon.

Share your email with me to have the chance of getting a physical copy of my new book, Behaviour First, when it comes out in October. Visit behaviourfirst.co.uk

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In a world of screens, social media, climate anxiety, and mental health awareness, what does the future of childhood and education look like?

With me to discuss the psychology of childhood are Sue Roffey, founder of Growing Great Schools Worldwide and one of the UK's foremost voices on student, school, and community wellbeing, and Charlie Lewis, Professor of Psychology at Lancaster University, whose research spans child development, autism, the influence of advertising on children, and the future of childhood.

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Guests

More about Sue Roffey:
https://www.sueroffey.com/
https://www.growinggreatschoolsworldwide.com/

Sue's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Sue-Roffey/author/B001HPB3TY?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1782313230&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

ASPIRE Culture Cards: http://www.atmybest.com/aspire

More about Charlie Lewis
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/psychology/about-us/people/charlie-lewis

Charlie has co-written the book 'Developmental Psychology: A Sociocultural Approach‘ available from Sage Publishing in 2027.

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What kind of person is James Bond? What do audiences want from a Bond actor? What traits make someone convincing as the world's most famous spy? And how realistic is James Bond when compared to the psychological make-up of real-life spies?

With me to discuss the psychology of James Bond are Calvin Dyson, one of the world's leading Bond commentators and the creator of one of YouTube's most-watched 007 channels, and Professor Adrian Furnham, Professor of Psychology and co-author of The Psychology of Spies and Spying.

https://www.youtube.com/@calvindyson⁩ 

https://adrianfurnham.com/

https://amzn.eu/d/0aJcBKil

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In season two, I'll be chatting with some fascinating guests about topics such as the psychology of childhood, the psychology of Harry Potter, the psychology of weight loss, and, by popular demand after last season’s episode on cats, the psychology of dogs.

And this time, I need your help. If you have a question you’d like to ask a psychologist about any of the topics I’ve just mentioned, you can leave a voicenote which I’ll then play out on the episode. 

To leave a voicenote, just visit speakpipe.com/everythingspsychology

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Every year, on the first Monday of May, something extraordinary happens. 450 of the world's most powerful, most beautiful, most photographed people climb a set of steps in Manhattan — and the internet collectively loses it’s mind.

The Met Gala is billed as an exclusive charity fundraiser where tickets cost seventy-five thousand dollars. And yet somehow, it reaches billions of people sat at home in their tracksuits, who have never been within a mile of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

So, what’s going on? What does fashion communicate? Why do we feel so entitled to judge a celebs outfit? Why does a look that ‘understood the assignment’ give us a little hit of dopamine, while one that ‘played it safe’ feels like a personal disappointment?

With me to discuss the psychology of the Met Gala and fashion is Professor Carolyn Mair, a cognitive psychologist and author of The Psychology of Fashion.

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You can buy Carolyn's book, The Psychology of Fashion here >> https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Fashion/Mair/p/book/9781032712529

And follow Carolyn on Instagram here >>  https://www.instagram.com/psychologyforfashion/

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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. 😻

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• 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-crosby

The Behavioral Investor (Amazon): https://amzn.eu/d/b4ginLa

The Soul of Wealth (Amazon): https://amzn.eu/d/aN5qEY1

Daniel's podcast, “Standard Deviation” (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1uQPuBpfpomaUNkwY7SkcH?si=ce80c36049934500

Follow Daniel on X: https://x.com/danielcrosby

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• 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-gardner

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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?

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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.

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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.

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