Football Fever: The Psychology of the World Cup

Football Fever: The Psychology of the World Cup

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 [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 [https://pearnkandola.com/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Is Getting 'Triggered' Destroying Your Resilience?

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 [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 [https://pearnkandola.com/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Beyond the Divide: Can We Reverse Polarisation?

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 [https://pearnkandola.com/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Can You Really Spot a Liar? The Psychology of Deception

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 [https://pearnkandola.com/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Why You’re Always Bored: Digital Overstimulation Explained

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 [https://pearnkandola.com/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.