We’ve all had that awkward moment where we recognise someone instantly, but their name has completely vanished.

Why does that happen? And are we really worse with names than faces, or does it just feel that way?

In this episode, Grace is joined by Chartered Psychologist Dr Jo Kandola explore one of the most relatable mysteries of human memory. From everyday social slip-ups to the psychology of recognition and recall, they unpack why names can be so difficult to remember and what that reveals about how memory actually works.

Along the way, they delve into research on metamemory and the brilliantly named “Butcher on the Bus” phenomenon, revealing why our intuitions about memory are not always as reliable as they seem.

If you’ve ever smiled confidently at someone while silently panicking over what they’re called, hopefully this episode will make you feel a little less embarrassed.

References

• Jenkins, R., Murray, A., & Dowsett, A. J. (2021). "I recognise your name but I can't remember your face": Name recognition outperforms face recognition. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74(12), 2157–2165.
• Jenkins, R., Dowsett, A. J., & Burton, A. M. (2018). How many faces do people know?
• Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 285(1888), 20181319.
• Bruce, V., & Young, A. (1986). Understanding face recognition. British Journal of Psychology, 77(3), 305–327.
• Burke, D. M., MacKay, D. G., Worthley, J. S., & Wade, E. (1991). On the tip of the tongue: What causes word finding failures in young and older adults? Journal of Memory and Language, 30(5), 542–579.
• Mandler, G. (1980). Recognizing: The judgment of previous occurrence. Psychological Review, 87(3), 252–271.

A podcast exploring the psychology behind current events, daily decision-making, and the ideas that frame our thinking.

Brought to you by the expert team of chartered business psychologists at Pearn Kandola LLP.

Find out more at pearnkandola.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest in history — but beyond the viewing figures and commercial spectacle, what does it do to us psychologically?

In this episode, Grace is joined by Chartered Psychologist Professor Binna Kandola OBE to explore the psychology behind the world's biggest sporting, and emotional, event.

Drawing on research from the 2018 FIFA World Cup, they examine how expectation gaps shape supporter wellbeing, why moderate hope tends to produce healthier emotional outcomes than either blind optimism or low expectations, and how football can influence our mood without fundamentally changing overall life satisfaction.

A conversation that reveals more about human psychology than you might expect from a football tournament.

References:

• Robinson, M. A., Davis, M. C., & Unsworth, K. L. (2023). Expectation-achievement gaps and satisfaction in World Cup football supporters: a quasi-experiment. European Sport Management Quarterly, 23(5), 1304–1327. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2021.2007278

A podcast exploring the psychology behind current events, daily decision-making, and the ideas that frame our thinking.

Brought to you by the expert team of chartered business psychologists at Pearn Kandola LLP.

Find out more at pearnkandola.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past decade, words like 'triggered' have become part of everyday speech, and the psychology behind that shift is more significant than it might seem.

In this episode, Grace is joined by Chartered Psychologist James Meachin to explore why the language we use to describe our emotions can profoundly shape how we experience them and, in turn, undermine our resilience.

Drawing on insights from ancient Greek philosophy through to modern psychology, they examine how our internal dialogue often has more influence over our emotional responses than the situations themselves. Along the way, they identify the thinking patterns that can keep us stuck and explain why recognising them is the crucial first step towards building genuine, lasting resilience.

References

• Ellis, A. The revised ABC's of rational-emotive therapy (RET). J Rational-Emot Cognitive-Behav Ther 9, 139–172 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01061227

A podcast exploring the psychology behind current events, daily decision-making, and the ideas that frame our thinking.

Brought to you by the expert team of chartered business psychologists at Pearn Kandola LLP.

Find out more at pearnkandola.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're more divided than ever – and mostly avoiding the conversations that could change that.

Research shows that a single civil conversation reduces polarisation more than people expect. Not a debate. Not a lecture. Just a chat.

In this episode, Grace is joined by Chartered Psychologist Louise Weston to explore the psychology behind polarisation. Together, they unpack the "online disinhibition effect", the algorithms that reward outrage over nuance, and the new research that proves talking across difference works to depolarise attitudes.

They close with four ground rules for how to have challenging conversations effectively and move towards a less divided society.

References:

• Suler, John. (2004). The Online Disinhibition Effect. Cyberpsychology & behavior : the impact of the Internet, multimedia and virtual reality on behavior and society. 7. 321-6. 10.1089/1094931041291295.
• Kardas, M., Nordgren, L., & Rucker, D. (2026). Unnecessarily divided: Civil conversations reduce attitude polarization more than people expect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 130(2), 187–214. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000469

A podcast exploring the psychology behind current events, daily decision-making, and the ideas that frame our thinking.

Brought to you by the expert team of chartered business psychologists at Pearn Kandola LLP.

Find out more at pearnkandola.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you really know when you're being lied to?

Most of us believe we do, but research suggests we're far worse at detecting deception than we'd like to think.

This week, Grace is joined by Chartered Psychologist Stuart Duff to explore the fascinating psychology of lying. Together they examine what we mean by lying, the line between a white lie and calculated manipulation, and what personality can reveal about how, and why, people deceive.

Drawing on the latest behavioural science, they also challenge the biggest myths around lie detection and uncover what research actually says about spotting a liar.

References

• Cantarero, K., Van Tilburg, W., Szarota, P. (2018) Differentiating everyday lies: A typology of lies based on beneficiary and motivation. Journal of Personality and Individual Differences Volume 134, November 2018
• Dr Julia Shaw How to actually catch a liar, according to the new science of lie detection. BBC Science Focus. December, 2025
• Luke, T. et al. (2025) What have we learned about cues to deception? A survey of expert opinions. Psychology, Crime and Law. Vol. 31, 2025

A podcast exploring the psychology behind current events, daily decision-making, and the ideas that frame our thinking.

Brought to you by the expert team of chartered business psychologists at Pearn Kandola LLP.

Find out more at pearnkandola.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've never had more ways to entertain ourselves. So why are so many of us more bored than ever?

This week, Grace sits down with Chartered Psychologist Dr Jo Kandola to explore the paradox of modern boredom: how the very devices designed to keep us entertained are rewiring our brains to crave constant stimulation and are ultimately making the problem worse.

From the way social media is fuelling a boredom epidemic, to the point at which scrolling stops being a distraction and starts becoming an addiction, to the impact of boredom on our mental health and wellbeing, this conversation might just change the way you think about reaching for your phone.

References:

• Dora, J., van Hooff, M., Geurts, S., Kompier, M., & Bijleveld, E. (2020). Fatigue, boredom, and objectively-measured smartphone use at work (preprint). Radboud University. Date taken from manuscript (May 1, 2020).
• Tam, K. Y. Y., & Inzlicht, M. (2024). People are increasingly bored in our digital age. Communications Psychology, 2, 106.
• Tam, K. Y. Y., & Inzlicht, M. (2024). Fast-forward to boredom: How switching behavior on digital media makes people more bored. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.

A podcast exploring the psychology behind current events, daily decision-making, and the ideas that frame our thinking.

Brought to you by the expert team of chartered business psychologists at Pearn Kandola LLP.

Find out more at pearnkandola.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind the glitz and glamour of Eurovision lies one question – how fair is the voting?

This week, Grace is joined by Professor Binna Kandola OBE ahead of this year's event to explore the science behind the scores.

Together, they unpack what the data reveals about recurring voting patterns, how ‘framing effects’ shape the way we judge performances, and what Eurovision ultimately tells us about the way people think, feel, and connect across countries.

Whether you're a lifelong Eurovision fan or a first-time viewer, this episode will change the way you watch the scoreboard.

References:

• Ginsburgh, V. and Moreno-Ternero, J.D. 2023. The Eurovision Song Contest: voting rules, biases and rationality. Journal of cultural economics. 47(2), pp.247–277.
• Mantzaris, A.V., Rein, S.R. and Hopkins, A.D., 2017. Examining collusion and voting biases between countries during the Eurovision Song Contest since 1957. arXiv preprint arXiv:1705.06721.

A podcast exploring the psychology behind current events, daily decision-making, and the ideas that frame our thinking.

Brought to you by the expert team of chartered business psychologists at Pearn Kandola LLP.

Find out more at pearnkandola.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I can't remember where I heard this, but…”

We've all said it, and it seems harmless, but losing that context is precisely how unreliable information becomes believable.

The sleeper effect is a common psychological phenomenon: over time, we retain the message but lose the memory of where it came from. Without the context, our brains accept it as fact, regardless of the source's credibility.

In this episode, Grace is joined by Chartered Psychologist James Meachin to unpack why this happens and what we can do about it. Together, they explore how we assess the credibility of information, why source memory matters more today than ever before, and practical ways to counteract this mental shortcut.

In a world where we're inundated with information from hundreds of channels, this episode gives you the tools to think more critically and share more responsibly.

References:

Kumkale, G. T., & Albarracín, D. (2004). The Sleeper Effect in Persuasion: A Meta-Analytic Review. Psychological Bulletin, 130(1), 143–172.

A podcast exploring the psychology behind current events, daily decision-making, and the ideas that frame our thinking.

Brought to you by the expert team of chartered business psychologists at Pearn Kandola LLP.

Find out more at pearnkandola.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.