Looking for a new way to understand the human mind without doing too much reading?
Podcasts have become a very popular way to learn. Even health professionals are now using them as a medium to share their knowledge with the world. Thus, it is no surprise that many psychology and science experts have flourished online.
But when it comes to psychology podcasts, how do you know which ones provide the best information? How do you choose the ones that can help you understand yourself and other people better?
In this article, we have gathered the seven best psychology podcasts for the coming year. If you want to expand your knowledge of how the human mind works, tune in and start learning!
1. All in the Mind with Lynne Malcolm
Hosted by Lynne Malcolm and broadcasted by the Australian Broadcast Company (ABC), All in the Mind podcast explores the mind in its entirety—the brain and how its activities affect our attitudes and personalities. It unravels the truth behind human behavior and explains the different sides of human psychology.
As the title communicates, things appear to us as our brains perceive them. It really is all in the mind—your social interactions, unexplained obsessions, changing relationships, etc. There is a scientific explanation for just about everything.
Lynne Malcolm is an ABC Radio broadcaster with a background in science and psychology. She believes in the power of radio broadcasting to help people understand life better, and hopes that her podcast will do just that for you.
2. The Psychology Podcast with Dr. Barry Kaufman
As a humanistic psychologist, Dr. Barry Kaufman is devoted to exploring the human mind and its potential. He uses his research to help other people live happy, fulfilling lives full of creativity and excitement. Dr. Kaufman believes that each person has a unique personality that needs to be explored to maintain a satisfying and successful life.
The Psychology Podcast is a product of Dr. Kaufman’s dreams and aspirations for society. Here, he provides his insights into the human mind, and its effect on attitude. Likewise, he delivers information about creativity and productivity that listeners can apply to their daily lives. Every episode offers an expert guest that can help you understand yourself, other people, and society.
Dr. Kaufman is also an author. Some of his famous works include “Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind” and “Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined.” In 2015, he was listed by Business Insider as one of the “50 groundbreaking scientists who are changing the way we see the world.”
3. Hidden Brain with Shankar Vedantam
Hidden Brain is produced by National Public Radio (NPR) and hosted by Shankar Vedantam, NPR’s social science correspondent. Vedantam has authored several books, including “The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives.”
The podcast is about how the human mind works, and how people can better understand themselves and the world they are living in. It unfolds the “unconscious patterns that drive human behavior” and the “biases that shape our ideas.”
This podcast integrates psychology with other fields of study like neurobiology, sociology, and anthropology. At its core, it aims to provide insights into how people behave at work, at home, and anywhere else they may find themselves.
4. The Psych Files with Michael Britt
This psychology podcast is hosted by Michael Britt, PhD He started it in 2007, and it is now one of the longest-running psychology podcasts. In a nutshell, The Psych Files is about human behavior. Some of the topics that are discussed include ethics, personal development, gender and sexuality, and motivation. If you are a psychology professor or student, this is a great podcast to listen to, particularly because Britt was previously a professor of psychology.
5. The Three Questions with Andy Richter
This is another relatively new yet noteworthy podcast that focuses on people and the way they act, think, and behave. Andy Richter asks The Three Questions of his guests: Where do you come from? Where are you going? What have you learned?
These are very simple questions, yet Richter believes that, if they are answered truthfully, they will provide a clear and complete picture of who a person is and what his principles are in life. The answers from the guests show listeners how people differ with respect to their thinking and behavior.
Paul Andrew Richter is a well-known actor, writer, comedian, and late-night talk show host. Some of his most notable guests on this podcast are Jane Lynch, Seth Green, and Jimmy Pardo.
6. Becoming Unrivalled with Mac Rundle
Becoming Unrivalled provides you with useful information about health, vitality, and longevity. It expands your knowledge by sharing the latest evidence-based scientific research that can bring out the best in you. Host Mac Rundle aims to help you reach your highest potential.
Mac Rundle is a peak performance coach. He has expertise in nutritional medicine, DNA testing, and fitness performance. Most of his episodes are focused on health and nutrition, but he also connects them to psychological health. He believes that a physically fit body plays a significant role in achieving a healthy state of mind.
7. Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain is one of this generation’s most famous YouTubers. In 2018, she won the Streamy Award for Breakout Creator for being exceptionally prominent in the online world. Time Magazine has even included her in its annual list of the Top 25 Most Influential People on the Internet.
In 2020, she launched Anything Goes (a rebrand of her old podcast Stupid Genius), another breakthrough revolution. Technically, it is not primarily a psychology podcast. As the name implies, Emma talks about various topics from relationships to being a cat mom and everything in between.
Relatively new yet very entertaining, Anything Goes has received positive reviews and commendable ratings. A lot of listeners have said that they learned more than they expected to.
Final Thoughts on the Best Psychology Podcasts
The human mind is one of the most intriguing and interesting subjects we can examine. It works in ways we may not always understand, because it is constantly changing and growing. But if we are able to comprehend why it works in such ways, we might find it easier to become aware of our thoughts and actions.
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