You might have noticed that the seasons don’t quite behave like they used to. In some places, fall and spring seem to fly by, while winter and summer are much longer and feel more intense. This shift is known as season creep, where the timing of the seasons starts to shift.
This phenomenon is mostly due to climate change creating temperature imbalances and throwing weather patterns off kilter year-round. And it can cause problems for plants and animals as their natural cycles fall out of sync. But what does it mean for human behavior?
Seasonal Affective Disorder, often called seasonal depression, tends to hit during the cold, dark winter months. But as the seasons start changing more quickly and unpredictably, the shift could have a wide range of effects on us that we’re only just beginning to understand.
SciFri guest host Rachel Feltman is joined by Dr. Michael Varnum, social psychology area head and associate professor at Arizona State University, to discuss these questions.
Further Reading
- Read more about how the seasons affect our psychology via Psychology Today.
- Explore research on the role seasons play in human psychology via Perspectives on Psychological Science.
Segment Guests
Michael Varnum
Dr. Michael Varnum is the Social Psychology Area Head and an associate professor at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.
Segment Transcript
The transcript of this segment is being processed. It will be available within one week after the show airs.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Andrea Valeria Diaz Tolivia
@AndreaValeriaDTAndrea Valeria Diaz Tolivia is a radio production fellow at Science Friday. Her topics of interest include the environment, engineering projects, science policy and any science topic that could make for a great sci-fi plot.
About Rachel Feltman
Rachel Feltman is a freelance science communicator who hosts “The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week” for Popular Science, where she served as Executive Editor until 2022. She’s also the host of Scientific American’s show “Science Quickly.” Her debut book Been There, Done That: A Rousing History of Sex is on sale now.