Two Guys on Your Head

Writer’s block! That phrase might induce panic and a recollection of a familiar experience. It’s a very common phenomenon. So what is it? When in the beginning stages of undertaking a new writing project, a writer might find themselves blocked – stuck in front of a blank page or screen with no thoughts coming to […]

Figuring something out intellectually can be a struggle, but when you finally get there, you feel a sense of accomplishment, maybe even joy. That joy is a big part of learning, and it comes from challenges that are hard but still within reach; it’s similar to working out and bodybuilding. In this episode of Two […]

We deal with annoyances every day, but why do some things annoy us a lot more than others? In part two of this two-part Two Guys on Your Head series on the psychology of annoyance, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore the role that pain, expectations, and stories play in how […]

Why is it that some things really annoy us while others we couldn’t care less about? It turns out it has a lot to do with predictability and attention: we get annoyed when something we didn’t choose or anticipate intrudes on our attention, or when we are stuck paying attention to something we would rather […]

In the moment, threatening punishment 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 […]