Episode 80 Dr. John W. Reich OCT 14, 2012

Dr. Reich was educated at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Colorado. First engaging in psychological research, the then moved to teaching, first at the University of Oklahoma but then moving to the University of Arizona. He is now Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Arizona and the Associate Dean for Research at that institution’s College of Public Programs. His research interests include using social psychology theory to investigate adult interactions and relationships. He is the author previously of Experimenting in Society: Issues and Examples in Applied Social Psychology and the co-editor of two books on the psychology of adult resilience. We asked Dr. Reich to join us to discuss his brand new book Radical Distortion: How Emotions Warp What We Hear. Quite timely given the state of our public discourse in the world today, Dr. Reich’s new book discusses how “radical hearing” and radical speech trigger our emotions resulting in a reduced capacity for clear-headed decision making and belief-formation, retention, and modification. Want to think critically? You have to understand the obstacles in our innate cognitive psychology to doing so. Join us!