Catching fire: What goes viral and why? With Jonah Berger, PhD episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 25, 2026 · 41 MIN

Catching fire: What goes viral and why? With Jonah Berger, PhD

from Speaking of Psychology · host American Psychological Association

Why do some ideas, products, news stories and trends spread like wildfire, while others disappear? Jonah Berger, PhD, discusses the science of what catches on; the psychological forces that drive word of mouth, including social currency and high-arousal emotions like awe and anger; whether online and offline sharing differ; and what his research can tell us about the spread of misinformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 25, 2026

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Catching fire: What goes viral and why? With Jonah Berger, PhD

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