Opinion Science

Emma Levine is a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. One of the main things she studies is the ever-present tension between honesty and kindness. Is it morally right to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Or is it our moral obligation to consider other people’s well-being, which sometimes means lying to protect them from hurt?
Also on the show: AJ Jacobs, writer and self-experimentation expert. He joins us to talk about his experiments in radical honesty, which he first wrote about in a 2007 article for Esquire. You can subscribe to his free Substack, Experimental Living with AJ Jacobs.
Join me over at the Opinion Science Patreon for a video of extra clips from my conversation with Emma, and in a couple of weeks, you can find a bonus video episode there featuring the rest of my conversation with AJ.
Join me over at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OpinionScience
Learn more about Opinion Science and catch up on all the episodes at http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/.

On a special bonus episode, we welcome back Dr. Vanessa Bohns, professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University. She recently released her second book, "Should I Say Something?: The Science of What to Share--And What to Keep to Yourself."
This episode is from the series of bonus video podcasts I've been doing over at Patreon. But this month, everyone gets the whole episode in the main feed. You can watch the video over at Patreon, though. These have been fun, casual conversations with behavioral scientists and interesting people.
Paid supporters of Opinion Science ($5/mo.) on Patreon get these bonus episodes every month. But you can also join as a free member and still get access to other bonus content + the chance to engage me and other listeners.
Check it out at: https://patreon.com/OpinionScience
Join me over at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OpinionScience
Learn more about Opinion Science and catch up on all the episodes at http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/.

Dr. Joshua Conrad Jackson uses a bunch of creative research tools to tackle big questions about psychology, culture, and history. By examining historical records, modern writing, and global surveys (among other things), he and his colleagues can trace the trajectory of cultures over time. 
In our conversation, he helps me understand what "cultural evolution" means, how cultures have gotten more different (not more similar), and how historical records can shed light on the psychology of prejudice.
Join me over at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OpinionScience
Learn more about Opinion Science and catch up on all the episodes at http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/.

Rhia Catapano studies what happens when people think of an opinion in terms of what they support versus what they oppose. It turns out that this simple difference carries important implications. Even if we're talking about the same basic opinion, something shifts when it's about support than opposition. In our conversation, Rhia shares her findings and what it means for people who want to communicate more effectively.
At the top of the show, I discuss Issue 1 in Ohio from 2023. Most of the background details for that were drawn from this NYT article.
Join me over at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OpinionScience
Learn more about Opinion Science and catch up on all the episodes at http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/.

Demi Oba is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Harvard Business School. He studies the nature of communication. In our conversation, Demi shares some recent research on the different types of "hedges" people make when expressing uncertainty in a claim. These types of uncertainty matter for how persuasive a person can be. In fact, sometimes, being the right kind of uncertain can be more influential than expressing confidence.
Join me over at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OpinionScience
Learn more about Opinion Science and catch up on all the episodes at http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/.