CircuitEpisodes
Short episodes on the biases and forces that steer a choice before you notice. 42 episodes so far, with a new one each week.
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42 episodes
Latest episode31 Oct 2026 · 6:40
Illusion of control
Have you ever believed that a ritual, a number, or a specific move could change an outcome that was completely random? This episode is about the illusion of control.
Lost in the Mall experiment
How reliable are your memories? And could you be remembering something that never actually happened?
Barnum-Forer effect
Why do personality descriptions sometimes feel like they understand us better than we understand ourselves?
End-of-history illusion
Why do we recognise how much we've changed in the past, yet struggle to imagine how much we'll change in the future?
Harlow's monkey experiments
What do we really need to thrive — and is having our basic needs met enough?
Peak-end rule
Why do we remember some experiences as wonderful — or terrible — even when most of the time in between tells a different story?
Hot coffee experiment
Can something as simple as holding a warm cup of coffee change how we feel about another person?
Scarcity effect
Why do we suddenly want something more when we’re told we might not be able to have it?
Chameleon effect
Have you ever noticed yourself picking up the habits, expressions, or attitudes of the people around you?
Broken windows theory
Why can one small sign of disorder make an entire place feel like nobody cares?
Gambler's fallacy
If something has happened several times in a row, do we start believing it’s bound to change?
Phone-in-the-room study
Can simply having your phone nearby make it harder to give something your full attention?
White bear experiment
Why is it that the harder we try not to think about something, the more it seems to take over our minds?
Foot-in-the-door technique
Why do people agree to big requests after saying yes to a small one?
Curse of knowledge
Why is it so difficult to remember what it’s like not to know something?
Scar experiment
Why does what we believe about ourselves change the way other people seem to treat us?
Decoy effect
Why do our preferences change just because a third option is added?
Identifiable victim effect
Why do we feel a surge of compassion for one person’s story — yet stay emotionally flat when thousands are suffering?
Outcome bias
Why do we judge decisions by how they turn out - rather than how they were made?
Fundamental attribution error
Why do we blame people's character for their actions - but excuse our own behaviour as "just the situation"?
Hindsight bias
Why do events feel obvious after they've already happened?
Pratfall effect
Why does making a small mistake sometimes make someone more likeable?
Moral licensing
Why are we more inclined to make a bad choice after doing something good?
False consensus effect
Why do we assume that most people think the same way we do?
Spotlight effect
Why do we feel like everyone is watching us - even when they probably aren't?
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Why do our expectations so often become our reality?
Halo and devil effect
Why does one good trait make someone seem completely brilliant - while one flaw makes them seem entirely flawed?
Zeigarnik effect
Why do unfinished tasks stick in our minds long after we've stopped working on them?
Loss aversion
Why does losing something hurt more than gaining the same thing feels good?
Temporal discounting
Why do we choose short-term rewards even when we know waiting would be better?
Framing effect
Does the way information is presented change how we decide - even when the facts stay the same?
Dunning-Kruger effect
Why do people with the least experience often feel the most confident - while true expertise comes with doubt?
Progress principle
Why does making even small progress feel so motivating — and why do setbacks drain us so quickly?
Confirmation bias
Why do we search for evidence that supports our opinions while overlooking anything that challenges them? Through Wason's famous number sequence experiment, we explore Confirmation Bias and our tendency to favour information that…
Anchoring bias
How can a completely random number influence your judgement? Anchoring Bias describes our tendency to rely heavily on the first piece of information we encounter when making judgements.
Availability heuristic
Are plane crashes really as common as you think they are? The Availability Heuristic explains how we estimate the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind.
Rat Park
What if addiction isn't simply about the substance itself, but also about the environment surrounding us? Bruce Alexander's Rat Park experiments explored the relationship between social environments, isolation and drug consumption.
Priming
Can something you barely notice influence what you do next? Priming explores how exposure to one stimulus can influence our responses to another.
Stanford Prison Experiment
Can ordinary people behave differently simply because they're placed in a particular social situation? Philip Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experimnt attempted to investigate the influence of social roles and environments on behaviour.
Bystander effect
If someone needs help in a crowded room, surely more people means a greater chance someone will intervene? Surprisingly, that isn't always the case. The Bystander Effect explores how the presence of other people can reduce an…
Asch conformity experiments
If everyone around you insists that an obviously incorrect answer is right, would you stick to your own judgement? Solomon Asch's famous conformity experiments investigated how group pressure can influence even our most straightforward…
Milgram obedience experiments
How far would you go if someone in authority instructed you to do something you believed was wrong? Stanley Milgram's famous obedience experiments investigated the influence of authority on human behaviour.
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