Five Best Psychology Podcasts Of 2024

 Psychology podcasts tend to attract several distinct host types. We have the celebrities who have made a name for themselves in TV or radio, such as Dr. Phil or Dr. Drew, actual psychologists who use the show to dispense their warped worldview of society, and those podcast hosts who sincerely want to dispense valuable information to their listeners.

As I've mentioned before, Ear Worthy uses a panel of people from around the U.S., from Texas to California, New Jersey to Oregon, and Alabama to New Hampshire. Also, we do not choose the low-hanging fruit of podcasts with high visibility because of marketing by their podcast network. Just because a podcast has thousands of downloads does not make it a quality, ear-worthy show.

 In no particular order, here are Ear Worthy's Five Psychology Podcasts of 2024.

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 Speaking Of Psychology

Speaking of Psychology is an audio podcast series highlighting some of the latest, most important, and relevant psychological research being conducted today.

Produced by the American Psychological Association, the objective of these podcasts is to help listeners apply the science of psychology to their everyday lives.

The host of the podcast is Kim Mills, who is the senior director of strategic external communications and public affairs for the American Psychological Association (APA), where she has worked since 2007. 

What makes this podcast accessible to listeners without a psychology degree boils down to Kim Mills as the host, transforming academic blabber into understandable language, and the objective of the podcast, which seems to be using psychology as a valuable tool to interpret and manage our lives.

Episodes of note this year include topics such as why people quit religion, the psychology behind our political divide, how noise pollution harms our health, and how video games can help kids learn and grow.

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All In The Mind

Have you ever had a brain fart? Or, if you prefer, a brain cramp? If so, why does that happen? If any psychology podcast has any chance of answering that age-old question, it's The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) podcast All In The Mind.

The show's host is Sana Qadar, whose resonant voice is soaked with empathy and a desire to inform in a cadence that sounds like each spoken word is carefully curated before being uttered.

All In The Mind doesn't have a novel structure or memorable narrative flow. But it's so good at delivering fresh insights into each episode topic. In addition, Qadar acts as the narrative glue here, giving voice to well-chosen guests and then summarizing their conclusions.

Ear-worthy episodes this year include  can we trust our memories, what we get wrong about attachment styles, animal consciousness, and the skills of supercommunicators.  

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Big Brains

Unlike some universities that have a podcast or two, The University Of Chicago has a podcast network, and their podcasts are informative, which you'd expect, entertaining, which might surprise you, and insightful, which you'd demand.

 Big Brains is an award-winning podcast that features stories about the pioneering research and pivotal breakthroughs by scholars at the University of Chicago and leading universities across the country. The show was the winner of CASE “Grand Gold” award in 2022, Gold award in 2021, and named Adweek’s “Best Branded Podcast” in 2020.

Recent episodes to sample are about the benefits of music, the health costs of air pollution, solving societal and economic inequality, the importance of gut health, and how home ownership shaped race in America.

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Something You Should Know

 While not strictly a psychology podcast, Something You Should Know tackles psychology topics almost every week, such as regret, the unconscious mind, the psychology of crowds, and solitude versus loneliness.

Something You Should Know is a successful podcast that began as a radio show more than 20 years ago. Host Mike Carruthers describes the show this way: “The podcast offers me the opportunity to dive deeper into some fascinating topics. I really enjoy being able to pass along fascinating and useful intel to listeners that they can actually put to use in their lives.” 

In every episode, Carruthers, a smooth, experienced host and adept interviewer, discusses two topics, usually with authors marketing their latest book.

Topics of note this year include why humility is a superpower, how our brains experience taste, the two keys to your happiness, and human biases that shape our thinking.

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Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain may be the gold standard for excellence in psychology podcasts. Creator/host Shankar Vedantam became a social science correspondent for NPR and appeared in a recurring segment on Morning Edition. Hidden Brain began as a podcast in 2015 and became a radio show in 2017.

What, exactly, is the "hidden brain"? It’s a term Vedantam created to describe a range of influences that manipulate us without our awareness. Some aspects of the hidden brain have to do with mental shortcuts or heuristics; others are related to errors in the way memory and attention work. Some deal with social dynamics and relationships. 

Filled with powerful personal stories and drawing on new insights in psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, Hidden Brain offers a fascinating tour of what it really means to be human. Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.

This year's episodes that stand out include the benefits of mixed emotions, befriending our inner voice, the curious science of cravings, and where do feelings come from.
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Honorable mention goes to The Happiness Lab, No Stupid Questions, Therapy For Black Girls, and Blue Sky.