#321 In a Good Place | Lediy Klotz, PhD

Dr. Adam Dorsay hosts University of Virginia behavioral scientist and engineering/architecture professor Dr. Lediy Klotz to discuss Klotz’s book In a Good Place on how spaces affect psychology and how people can thrive by making small, actionable changes. They explore habituation and the idea that subtracting (removing obstacles, noise, or clutter) can improve environments, including using available outdoor space differently (like eating outside). Klotz emphasizes agency as a core psychological need, citing a nursing home study where residents allowed to customize their rooms were 50% more likely to be alive 18 months later, and discusses regaining agency when it’s constrained (e.g., sealed hotel windows). They examine space and dominance in negotiation and sports (goalkeepers, Emiliano Martínez), intentional design to foster interaction (Pixar), “space before screen,” and Klotz shares the loss of his daughter Josie and creating “Josie’s Way” as a memorial space.00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched00:28 Why Spaces Feel Good00:47 Meet Dr Lediy Klotz02:09 Arrive Early Hack03:16 The Research Behind It04:38 Five Years to Write05:56 Spaces Shape Psychology07:06 Small Tweaks Big Control09:04 Subtract to Improve Space10:04 Eat Outside Reframe12:08 Designing Outdoor Space12:56 Office Choices and Agency15:33 Defining Agency in Space16:55 Soccer and Agency Lessons18:31 Goalie Mindset and Space20:18 Owning the Penalty Area22:22 Agency Life or Death Study24:18 Mandela Garden Agency25:40 Churchill Shapes Commons26:49 Designing Serendipity30:01 Digital vs Real Space31:17 Space Before Screen32:41 Grief and Boundaries35:18 Josies Way Memorial38:50 Spirit Lives in Stories40:22 Josie Joke Punchline43:49 Miracle Skill Reaction46:25 Closing Thanks FarewellHelpful Links:Lediy Klotz, PhDLediy Klotz, PhD LinkedInIn a Good Place Book