Ego/Id: The Psychology of Everything

Everyone knows the line from intro psych: eyewitness memory is unreliable. Dr. John Wixted thinks that line is incomplete, and that getting it wrong has put innocent people in prison.Wixted spent two decades on the basic science of memory, mathematical models, signal detection theory, single-neuron recordings in the human hippocampus, and flatly refused to touch eyewitness research. A colleague wore him down. What he found once he looked reframed a field: on a first, fair memory test, an eyewitness’s confidence is genuinely informative. By the time of trial, months or years later, it often isn’t, because memory has been quietly contaminated in the interim.His conclusion is uncomfortable. The problem isn’t that eyewitness memory is unreliable. It’s that the legal system listens to it at the wrong time.We get into why forgetting is the threat everyone understands and contamination is the one nobody feels, why a photo lineup should be treated like a crime scene you cordon off the same night, what the hippocampus actually does, why simultaneous lineups beat sequential ones, and the death penalty case that has kept Wixted up at night for years.Key takeawaysMemory faces two threats, not one. Forgetting is the one we all learn about from experience. Contamination is the one we never feel happening, and gets no corrective feedback.Your brain blends memories on purpose. It’s building general knowledge to predict the future, not preserving a verbatim record for a courtroom two years later.The first identification test is the uncontaminated sample. Every test after it is testing a memory the previous test already changed.High confidence on a fair first test is a strong signal of accuracy. High confidence at trial often isn’t.Nobody goes back to a crime scene a year later to collect DNA. Wixted’s argument is that memory evidence deserves the same treatment.Links and resources mentionedDr. Wixted’s workWixted Memory Lab / UCSD faculty profile — https://psychology.ucsd.edu/people/profiles/jwixted.htmlPublication list — https://profiles.ucsd.edu/john.wixtedHis TEDx talk (mentioned at 01:24:31)“The new science of eyewitness memory,” TEDxUCSanDiego, May 2025 (18 min) — https://www.ted.com/talks/john_wixted_the_new_science_of_eyewitness_memoryThe Nature feature (mentioned at 01:24:57)R. J. Mackenzie, “Memory on trial: the new science of when to trust eyewitness testimony,” Nature 653, 998–1000 (27 May 2026) — https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01618-1Nature podcast discussion of the same piece — https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01736-wCase discussedKevin Strickland, exonerated 2021 after 43 years — https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/24/us/kevin-strickland-exonerated-triple-murder-trnd/index.htmlConnectNew episodes of Ego/Id every two weeks. More at egoid.org, and follow @ego.over.id on Instagram.

Why do people sometimes see another group’s struggle as connected to their own and other times see that same group as a competitor?In this episode, I sit down with political psychologist Dr. Efrén Pérez, Professor of Political Science and Psychology at UCLA, to explore the psychology of race, identity, political solidarity, and coalition-building.We talk about racial and ethnic groups as if shared experiences naturally translate into shared politics. But Dr. Pérez’s research shows a much more complicated picture. Black, Latino, Asian American, and other communities contain substantial political and psychological diversity, and solidarity between groups is neither automatic nor inevitable.Instead, we explore the psychological processes that can expand our sense of “us.”One of the ideas I kept coming back to throughout our conversation is that our identities can be remarkably stable while the boundaries of the groups we identify with can still expand.The larger psychological question may be this:How do we learn to make the circle of “us” bigger without erasing the differences within it?About Dr. Efrén PérezDr. Efrén Pérez is a Professor of Political Science and Psychology at UCLA and a leading scholar in political psychology. His research examines racial and ethnic politics, group identity, interminority relations, political cognition, language, and public opinion. He directs UCLA’s Race, Ethnicity, Politics & Society (REPS) Lab and co-directs its Intergroup Relations Lab.Learn more about Dr. Pérez:Efrén Pérez — Official WebsiteUCLA Faculty ProfileRace, Ethnicity, Politics & Society (REPS) LabDr. Pérez’s PublicationsFollow @ego.over.id for more conversations exploring the psychology behind how we think, behave, and make sense of ourselves and the world around us.

What actually makes us feel close to another person?Is chemistry enough to build a lasting relationship? Do opposites really attract? Is conflict a sign that something is wrong? And can someone genuinely love us while still failing to make us feel loved?In this episode of Ego Over Id, we sit down with renowned relationship scientist Dr. Harry Reis, Dean’s Professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester and co-author of How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most.Drawing from more than five decades of research on social interaction and close relationships, Dr. Reis shares with us what relationship science actually tells us about intimacy, chemistry, compatibility, vulnerability, listening, conflict, attachment, and love.One of the central ideas of our conversation is surprisingly simple: being loved and feeling loved are not necessarily the same thing.For intimacy to develop, we need more than another person’s good intentions. We need to experience them as someone who understands us, appreciates us, and cares about us—a concept relationship researchers call perceived partner responsiveness.How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters MostDr. Reis is the co-author, with happiness researcher Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky. The book explores a deceptively important distinction: many people are loved but don't consistently feel loved.Learn more about the book, explore its resources, and take the authors’ quiz: How to Feel Loved — Official WebsiteResourcesDr. Harry Reis — University of RochesterFaculty Profile & ResearchHow to Feel LovedOfficial Book WebsiteMore on Dr. Reis's relationship researchUniversity of Rochester — Relationship Science & Online DatingResearch: Perceived Partner Responsiveness & Well-BeingOxford AcademicMore from the authors on feeling lovedGreater Good Science Center — Five Ways to Feel More LovedFollow Ego/IdIf you enjoyed this conversation, follow Ego/Id for more conversations that separate pop psychology from what the science actually tells us.📸 Instagram: @ego.over.id💼 LinkedIn: Ego/Id: The Psychology of EverythingFollow the show, share this episode with someone you care about, and join us for the next conversation on Ego Over Id.

What if getting dressed each morning is one of the most psychological decisions you make all day?In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Carolyn Mair, behavioral psychologist, founder of the Psychology of Fashion programs at the London College of Fashion, and author of The Psychology of Fashion. Together, we explore the fascinating intersection of psychology, identity, confidence, and consumer behavior.Far from being about trends or luxury brands, fashion is a powerful psychological tool that shapes how we see ourselves, how others perceive us, and even how we think and behave. Dr. Mair explains why clothing influences confidence, how unconscious biases drive first impressions, the psychology behind fashion trends, and how we can build a healthier, more intentional relationship with what we wear.Whether you've never thought much about fashion or you're fascinated by the science of human behavior, this conversation will change the way you think about the clothes in your closet.Dr. Carolyn Mair is a behavioral psychologist specializing in the psychology of fashion. She founded both the Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in Psychology of Fashion at the London College of Fashion and has spent years researching how clothing influences identity, well-being, consumer behavior, and social interaction.She now works internationally as a consultant, helping organizations apply psychological science to create more ethical, sustainable, and human-centered approaches to fashion.Connect with Dr. Mair:The Psychology of Fashion (Second Edition)LinkedIn: Carolyn Mair, PhDInstagram: @psychologyforfashionEnjoying Ego/Id?If you enjoyed this episode:Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode.Leave a rating or review. It really helps us reach more listeners.Share this episode with someone who loves psychology, fashion, or understanding human behavior.Follow @ego.over.id on Instagram for more evidence-based psychology content.

In this episode, we explore the complex relationship between psychology and financial decision-making with Dr. Adrian Furnham, a renowned psychologist from Oxford and expert in the field. Discover how personality influences money habits, the myths surrounding wealth and happiness, and practical tips to improve your financial well-being.Topics Covered:How personality traits and cultural background shape our perceptions of moneyThe impact of early socialization and taboo around discussing financesBehavioral economics concepts like heuristics, anchoring, and decoy effects in everyday financial choicesThe role of delayed gratification in building wealth and happinessMyths about money, intelligence, and happiness debunkedStrategies for fostering open conversations about money in relationships and organizationsThe importance of monitoring finances regularly for successCheck out Dr. Furnham's Book:The New Psychology of Money by Dr. Adrian Furnham on AmazonConnect with Dr. Adrian Furnham:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-furnham-8472a82ba/Website: https://adrianfurnham.com/