If you pay attention to the headlines, it seems like we just can’t escape stories of evil and evil do-ers, and if you’re like me, you might find yourself wondering – "how the hell did society let that happen?" or, “what led that person to engage in such acts?" Tune in to this episode and join us as we peer into the Psychology of Evil with Dr. Scott Roberts, UMD's resident expert and not-so-evil professor of psychology.

Will listening to Mozart really make your kid a genius? Does music training actually make you smarter? And, what about listening to music while studying for that exam -- is that a good idea? In this episode Bob Slevc breaks down some common beliefs about music. Which are myth and which are fact? Turns out it's complicated ... kinda.

In this episode, we tackle the controversial claim that Tylenol causes Autism. But,does it really? How strong is the evidence and might there be alternative explanations for this observation? In this episode, Dr. Desi Jones breaks down what the research actually says, what it doesn't say, and why such claims can be detrimental.

Suggested Readings

• Meta-analysis showing no relationship between acedemphin and Autism Spectrum Disorder: https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(25)02106-9/fulltext
• The discussed qualitative synthesis used to argue for a relation is here: https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0
• The Swedish population-based study showing no relationship after controlling for siblings is https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2817406.
• Opinion Piece by Dr. Jones in the Baltimore Sun is ⁠here⁠ : https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/09/27/trump-autism-tylenol/?share=yp2puwmwwwromrmptuom

Got a buck burning a hole in your pocket and wondering what you could buy that would make you feel good? Think again, because if you're looking to do something for yourself, maybe it's better to make it about someone else. Tune into this episode to learn about how spending your money on someone else can actually make you feel better. We review a few studies that looked into the topic of prosocial spending and found that it's not how much money you have, but how you spend it that matters the most. And, if you want do actually experience the thrill of helping others, join in on Oct 8th 2025 by participating in PSYC Good Deed Day. Learn more by visiting our PSYC Good Deed Website.

(paywalled, sorry!) Aknin LB, Dunn EW, Proulx J, Lok I, Norton MI. Does spending money on others promote happiness?: A registered replication report. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2020 Aug;119(2):e15-e26. doi: 10.1037/pspa0000191. Epub 2020 Apr 6. PMID: 32250135.

Have you ever wondered why you feel a little better after doing something nice for someone else? Turns out there's a legit reason! In this episode, Abi and Mike dive into the research on kindness and how being kind can improve your own mental wellness. But how can we move beyond science and actually leverage this research to change the world through action? Here's a thought: How about we organize a national day of good deeds to promote acts of kindness and good deeds! Tune in to learn about the science of kindness and about PSYC Good Deed Day. If that sounds cool, but you don't want to hear us drone on about science, then go to our good deed ⁠website⁠ to learn more. And, if you're down with the science and want to read more, you can find today's featured articles at the links below:

Naclerio, M., Lazar, L., Hornstein, E. A., & Eisenberger, N. I. (2025). Exploring the effects of prosocial and self-kindness interventions on mental health outcomes. Emotion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001577 (it's not open access, so you may need to ask APA to send this to you, or contact the authors (at) ucla.edu).

(open access) Cregg, D. R., & Cheavens, J. S. (2022). Healing through helping: an experimental investigation of kindness, social activities, and reappraisal as well-being interventions. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 18(6), 924–941.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2022.2154695⁠

Relationships are an important part of the human experience, and especially for kids. In this episode, we dive into the role of relationships in early childhood education with Dr. Jude Cassidy. Jude shares insights from her decades of research on parent-child relationships and how her newest research taking place in schools throughout three counties in Maryland aims to create a new approach to early childhood education.

By some estimates, nearly 8% college students have ADHD, a neuropsychological condition marked by an inability to sustain attention, difficulty with planning and time management, and disorganization. Despite its prevalence and the impact of ADHD on important life outcomes like GPA, college completion, and earning potential, many universities lack services dedicated to serving this population and helping them realize their superpowers. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Andrea Chronis-Tuscano, a world-renouned ADHD researcher and founder of UMD's SUCCEEDS program -- a program dedicated to providing academic, social, and emotional support for college students with ADHD. Tune in to learn more about the unique challenges of managing ADHD in college and how her program is filling the breach to enable students to succeed in college and life.

You can read more about the SUCCEEDS program by visiting umdadhd.org. This program is entirely self-supported and depends on the generous donations of good people like you! If you'd like to support the SUCCEEDS program, you may do so by visiting this link or by reaching out to department chair Michael Dougherty at mdougher@umd.edu or the SUCCEEDS director Andrea Chronis-Tuscano at achronis@umd.edu.

For many people, there can be few ways in which the fine arts apply to modern day psychological science. Not so for Dr. Jude Cassidy, who immediately saw the interaction between mother and child as a dance full of movement and emotion, telling stories of both romance and tragedy. Tune in to this episode to learn about Jude's winding road from English major to Maryland, with a stop in Manhattan where she realized a childhood dream.