web02.fireside.fm Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:09:20 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Two Psychologists Four Beers - Episodes Tagged with “Motivation” https://www.fourbeers.com/tags/motivation Mon, 07 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0400 Two psychologists endeavor to drink four beers while discussing news and controversies in science, academia, and beyond. en-us episodic Yoel Inbar, Michael Inzlicht, and Alexa Tullett Two psychologists endeavor to drink four beers while discussing news and controversies in science, academia, and beyond. yes psychology, beer, academia, science, controversy Yoel Inbar, Michael Inzlicht, and Alexa Tullett fourbeerspod@gmail.com Episode 121: A New Paradigm for Psychology? https://www.fourbeers.com/121 a1e67e69-dedb-4d2a-9da5-059648e9b841 Mon, 07 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0400 Yoel Inbar, Michael Inzlicht, and Alexa Tullett 121 A New Paradigm for Psychology? full Yoel Inbar, Michael Inzlicht, and Alexa Tullett Yoel is joined by a mysterious pseudonymous due called Slime Mold Time Mold, who are proposing a new paradigm for psychology. Using principles from cybernetics, can we explain emotion, motivation, personality, mental illness, and more? 1:23:52 yes Yoel is joined by a mysterious pseudonymous duo called Slime Mold Time Mold, who are proposing a new paradigm for psychology based on principles from cybernetics. This means thinking of the behavior as the result of "governors" (think drives) that are trying to reduce the distance between a set point and the state of the world by motivating you to do stuff. So when you are thirsty, you are highly motivated to drink, and when you need to pee, you are highly motivated to find a toilet. Those are simple examples, but can we use the same principles to explain more complex phenomena like emotion, motivation, personality, mental illness, and more? That is what my guests on this episode are proposing. Special Guest: Slime Mold Time Mold. cybernetics, paradigms, motivation, emotion Yoel is joined by a mysterious pseudonymous duo called Slime Mold Time Mold, who are proposing a new paradigm for psychology based on principles from cybernetics. This means thinking of the behavior as the result of "governors" (think drives) that are trying to reduce the distance between a set point and the state of the world by motivating you to do stuff. So when you are thirsty, you are highly motivated to drink, and when you need to pee, you are highly motivated to find a toilet. Those are simple examples, but can we use the same principles to explain more complex phenomena like emotion, motivation, personality, mental illness, and more? That is what my guests on this episode are proposing.

Special Guest: Slime Mold Time Mold.

Sponsored By:

Links:

]]> Yoel is joined by a mysterious pseudonymous duo called Slime Mold Time Mold, who are proposing a new paradigm for psychology based on principles from cybernetics. This means thinking of the behavior as the result of "governors" (think drives) that are trying to reduce the distance between a set point and the state of the world by motivating you to do stuff. So when you are thirsty, you are highly motivated to drink, and when you need to pee, you are highly motivated to find a toilet. Those are simple examples, but can we use the same principles to explain more complex phenomena like emotion, motivation, personality, mental illness, and more? That is what my guests on this episode are proposing.

Special Guest: Slime Mold Time Mold.

Sponsored By:

Links:

]]> Episode 109: RE-RELEASE: Against Mindfulness https://www.fourbeers.com/109 e7fb0e36-9af7-46ac-ab86-9c9c3fc1124b Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:00:00 -0400 Yoel Inbar, Michael Inzlicht, and Alexa Tullett 109 RE-RELEASE: Against Mindfulness full Yoel Inbar, Michael Inzlicht, and Alexa Tullett Yoel and Mickey push back against the hype to mount an argument against mindfulness meditation. 1:23:45 yes Playing devil's advocate, Yoel and Mickey mount a criticism against the scientific study of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can we measure it? Is mindfulness-based therapy effective? Can mindfulness improve the quality of attention beyond the meditation cushion? Are effects of mindfulness mostly placebo effects produced by motivated practitioners and adherents? Should we be impressed by mindfulness meditation’s supposed effects on conceptions of the self? Is mindfulness, in all its complexity, amenable to scientific study? Bonus: Is the value of diversity and inclusivity a core part of open science? This is a re-release of an episode first released on August 7, 2019. mindfulness, meditation, attention, the self, Tango dancing, motivation, placebo Playing devil's advocate, Yoel and Mickey mount a criticism against the scientific study of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can we measure it? Is mindfulness-based therapy effective? Can mindfulness improve the quality of attention beyond the meditation cushion? Are effects of mindfulness mostly placebo effects produced by motivated practitioners and adherents? Should we be impressed by mindfulness meditation’s supposed effects on conceptions of the self? Is mindfulness, in all its complexity, amenable to scientific study?

Bonus: Is the value of diversity and inclusivity a core part of open science?

This is a re-release of an episode first released on August 7, 2019.

Links:

]]> Playing devil's advocate, Yoel and Mickey mount a criticism against the scientific study of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can we measure it? Is mindfulness-based therapy effective? Can mindfulness improve the quality of attention beyond the meditation cushion? Are effects of mindfulness mostly placebo effects produced by motivated practitioners and adherents? Should we be impressed by mindfulness meditation’s supposed effects on conceptions of the self? Is mindfulness, in all its complexity, amenable to scientific study?

Bonus: Is the value of diversity and inclusivity a core part of open science?

This is a re-release of an episode first released on August 7, 2019.

Links:

]]> Episode 27: Against Mindfulness https://www.fourbeers.com/27 38c18c65-22ee-4607-9b31-dceae41ea470 Wed, 07 Aug 2019 05:00:00 -0400 Yoel Inbar, Michael Inzlicht, and Alexa Tullett 27 Against Mindfulness full Yoel Inbar, Michael Inzlicht, and Alexa Tullett Yoel and Mickey push back against the hype to mount an argument against mindfulness meditation. 1:16:58 yes Playing devil's advocate, Yoel and Mickey mount a criticism against the scientific study of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can we measure it? Is mindfulness-based therapy effective? Can mindfulness improve the quality of attention beyond the meditation cushion? Are effects of mindfulness mostly placebo effects produced by motivated practitioners and adherents? Should we be impressed by mindfulness meditation’s supposed effects on conceptions of the self? Is mindfulness, in all its complexity, amenable to scientific study? Bonus: Is the value of diversity and inclusivity a core part of open science? mindfulness, meditation, attention, the self, Tango dancing, motivation, placebo Playing devil's advocate, Yoel and Mickey mount a criticism against the scientific study of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can we measure it? Is mindfulness-based therapy effective? Can mindfulness improve the quality of attention beyond the meditation cushion? Are effects of mindfulness mostly placebo effects produced by motivated practitioners and adherents? Should we be impressed by mindfulness meditation’s supposed effects on conceptions of the self? Is mindfulness, in all its complexity, amenable to scientific study?

Bonus: Is the value of diversity and inclusivity a core part of open science?

Links:

]]> Playing devil's advocate, Yoel and Mickey mount a criticism against the scientific study of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can we measure it? Is mindfulness-based therapy effective? Can mindfulness improve the quality of attention beyond the meditation cushion? Are effects of mindfulness mostly placebo effects produced by motivated practitioners and adherents? Should we be impressed by mindfulness meditation’s supposed effects on conceptions of the self? Is mindfulness, in all its complexity, amenable to scientific study?

Bonus: Is the value of diversity and inclusivity a core part of open science?

Links:

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