The Psychology of Values: How Your Beliefs Shape Your Life Choices

Why do you do what you do? Why do you think the way you think, speak the way you speak, or spend your time the way you do? In this episode ofThe Psychology of Us, Professor RJ Starr explores the deep psychological forces that shape our motivations—often without our awareness.

Fromintrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation (Deci & Ryan, 1985) to the role ofcognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957) andbehavioral conditioning (Skinner), we break down the unconscious scripts that guide our decisions. Is yourwhy truly yours, or is it the product of inherited beliefs, social conditioning, and external expectations?

Through compelling case studies, personal reflections, and psychological theory, this episode will challenge you to rethink the motivations behind your everyday actions. Discover howlanguage shapes self-perception (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis), whyintrojected beliefs may be dictating your path, and how you can usemetacognition and existential authorship to take back control of your life’s narrative.

If you’ve ever felt like you were moving through life on autopilot, this episode is your wake-up call. It’s time to reclaim yourwhy—to define it, own it, and live it with intention.

🎙Listen now and take the first step toward understanding the psychology behind your motivations!

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