The Salem Witch Trials: What Were They Thinking?

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Larry Martinez, PhD, associate professor of psychology and the A. Dale Thompson Endowed Chair of Leadership at the University of Texas at Arlington, to talk about the psychology behind the Salem Witch Trials. For those in the US and beyond, this is probably something you’re somewhat aware of, but did you know that it’s highly likely that those accused of and executed for crimes of witchcraft in early American history actually weren’t witches at all? So, what happened? What was going on in the psyche of early-day American settlers that led them to believe the “offenders” were witches? We cover this and so much more in the second and final spooky season episode of 2024.