PsychTalks: Modern life explored by psychology experts
PsychTalks: Modern life explored by psychology experts
2026 marks PsychTalks’ fifth season, and our hosts Associate Professor Cassie Hayward and Professor Nick Haslam are thrilled to bring you another stellar line up of psychology experts – from within the University of Melbourne and beyond.
How are our judgments (and those of the AI tools we’ve created) affected by implicit bias? What role does impulsivity have on our likelihood to drink? And how can we ensure our children with disability are psychologically safe and included?
Where to listen
New episodes are releasing fortnightly from mid-July. Read more about them below, or stream now on your favourite podcast platform - and don't miss our bonus episode released earlier this year, featuring Professor Mahzarin Banaji (Harvard University) in conversation about her work with implicit bias and AI.
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Apple Podcasts Spotify
S5E12: Is alcohol dependence about more than willpower?
Alcohol is a normal part of life for many Australians. But why do some people develop problems with drinking while others don't?
Dr Antoinette Poulton unpacks the link between impulsivity and hazardous drinking, and explains why our decisions around alcohol are shaped by much more than willpower.
From personalised feedback to smartphone-based interventions, we explore how researchers are finding new ways to help people better understand their drinking and make lasting changes.
S5E1: Why are Australians so addicted to sports betting?
Online sports betting is now part of everyday life in Australia. But how do betting apps actually work, and why are they so hard to ignore?
In this episode, Dr Daniel Bennett explores the psychology behind modern betting products, and how they are designed to keep people hooked. He explains how features like in-play betting, cash-out options and constant advertising shape our behaviour – often in ways we don't notice. Dr Bennett also discusses the risks of gambling, including who is most affected and why, and what can be done to reduce harm.
If you or anyone you know needs support or help for gambling, please contact Gambling Help Online (or on 1800 858 858).
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Transcript and shownotes
Bonus episode: Hidden biases in humans and machines: Can we really be fair?
We like to think we’re fair. But what if our minds and our machines don’t always agree?
In this special bonus episode of PsychTalks, hosts Professor Nick Haslam and Associate Professor Cassie Hayward are joined by Professor Mahzarin Banaji (Harvard University), one of the world’s leading researchers on implicit bias.
Drawing on decades of research across psychology, neuroscience and artificial intelligence, Professor Banaji explains how bias can shape judgments and decisions without our awareness – even when we genuinely value fairness and accuracy. She explores how these hidden processes affect everyday life, social institutions and the technologies we are increasingly relying on.
Recorded during Professor Banaji’s visit to the University of Melbourne as a Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Fellow, this conversation asks what it really means to take responsibility for bias and how a clearer understanding of the human mind might help us build a more just and accountable world.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to our fantastic production team, who helped create Season 5 of the PsychTalks podcast.
- Hosts: Cassie Hayward and Nick Haslam
- Producers: Mairéad Murray, Gemma Papprill and Celia Harvey
- Sound engineer: Phil Shaw
- Music composer: Chris Falk