Behavioral Grooves Podcast

What if luck has less to do with chance and more to do with understanding the systems around us? We talk with Judd Kessler about the hidden markets shaping opportunities in everything from concert tickets and jobs to relationships and organ transplants. Together, we explore why so many systems feel unfair, how behavioral economics can improve them, and why learning the rules behind these invisible structures may be the key to getting a little luckier in life.

Topics
[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Judd Kessler

[13:18] The Hidden Markets Behind Organ Donation

[18:30] Market Design in Medicine

[29:13] How Incentives Work

[35:30] TSA PreCheck, Scarcity, and Making Better Systems

[40:14] The Ticketmaster Problem

[46:20] The Ticketmaster Solution

[53:34] Hidden Markets in Podcasts and Beyond

[59:18] “The Room Where it Happens” with Lin-Manuel Miranda

[1:05:30] Desert Island Music Picks

[1:08:00] Grooving Session: Creating Luck Wherever You Go

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

Links
About Judd

Lucky by Design by Judd Kessler

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Musical Links
Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

The Beatles - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Why do some spaces energize us while others drain us? This week, Leidy Klotz joins us to explore how our homes, workplaces, and everyday environments shape our behavior, creativity, and well-being. Drawing from his new book, In a Good Place, Leidy explains why humans crave agency, competence, and connection, and how the spaces around us can either support or suppress those needs.

Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Leidy Klotz

[11:01] The Concept of “Good Place”

[18:26] Psychological Needs and Space

[26:44] Making Purposeful Decisions for Spaces

[34:02] Designing Spaces for Growth and Belonging

[45:09] Creating Groovy Spaces

[50:03] Grooving Session: Practical Tips for Designing Better Spaces

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

Links
About Leidy Klotz

In a Good Place by Leidy Klotz

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Musical Links
Bruce Springsteen - Racing in the Street

Bruce Springsteen - No Surrender

In this throwback episode, we're determined to be happy. Psychologist Shige Oishi joined us to explore the three dimensions of a fulfilling life: happiness, meaning, and psychological richness. He shared insights from decades of research into subjective well-being and revealed how personality traits, life experiences, and cultural contexts shape what we consider a “good life.” From challenging the “happiness trap” to embracing life’s rich diversity, this conversation is a roadmap for deeper self-reflection and greater fulfillment.

Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Shige Oishi

[10:28] The Happiness Trap

[18:38] Eudaimonic and Hedonic Approaches to Happiness

[27:30] The Correlation Between Psychological Richness and Personality

[35:00] Gratitude and Social Connection

[44:10] What Makes a Happy Society?

[48:00] Desert Island Music

[1:05:25]  Grooving Session: How to Pursue a Fulfilling Life

©2025 Behavioral Grooves

Links
About Shige

Life in Three Dimensions by Shigehiro Oishi

Happiness is Everything, or Is It?

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Musical Links
Charlie Parker - Honeysuckle Rose

Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Joy Spring

Why do we avoid talking to strangers when connection is exactly what we need most? This week, Nick Epley returns to explore the psychology of “under-sociality” and why we consistently underestimate how rewarding social interaction can be. Nick explains why even small moments of openness, from conversations with strangers to deeper honesty with the people around us, can dramatically improve happiness, trust, and belonging. Turns out, the biggest social risk often isn’t reaching out, it’s staying quiet.

Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Nick Epley

[10:40] The Paradox of Being Social

[19:12] Experiments and Findings

[26:20] How Being Social Impacts Your Health

[32:27] The Challenges of Being Social - Political Divides

[46:00] Introverts, Extroverts, and What Maslow Got Wrong

[54:30] Loneliness, Survival, and the Need to Belong

[1:02:18] Grief, Adoption, and the Power of Connection

[1:12:56] Desert Island Music

[1:15:42] Grooving Session: Leadership, Conversation, and Connection

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

Links
About Nick

A Little More Social by Nick Epley

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Musical Links
Matt Kearney - Ships in the Night

Rufus Wainwright - Across the Universe (Cover)

In this 500th episode celebration, we reflect on eight years of behavioral science insights, from habits and decision-making to why we so often misunderstand each other. Joined live by Nick Epley, we run a real-time experiment that reveals the gap between what we expect from conversations and what actually happens, and why asking better questions can transform how we connect.

Topics
[0:00] Eight Years, 500 Episodes, and Counting!

[6:28] Introducing Nick Epley

[11:24] Understanding Social Cognition

[15:32] Strategies for Improving our Communication

[21:36] Live Experiment - Talking to Strangers

[37:34] Lessons Learned from 8 Years Podcasting

[43:45] The Importance of Social Connections and Compassionate Curiosity

[51:00] Coming Soon to Behavioral Grooves

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

Links
Join us on Substack!

Join the Behavioral Grooves community

Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube

Support Behavioral Grooves

Musical Links
Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun