The Science of Personality Podcast

In the latest episode of the The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake to talk about values and culture fit and why it’s so crucial, particularly when it comes to executive selection. At Hogan we talk a lot about values. In fact, we think SO highly of values that we introduced an assessment that measures one’s values all the way back in 1996. Fast forward to 2025 and they are just as important, and arguably much more important, today that they’ve ever been. This is a topic that Ryne and his industry-leading data science team have focused on a lot...

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake celebrate the podcast’s five-year anniversary with a look back at some of the most impactful conversations to date. From exploring the dark side of personality to digging into careers and the broader impact of personality, this special episode features clips from standout moments across each season, including:

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Melvyn Payne, Commercial Director at Advanced People Strategies out of the UK, to talk about potential to performance. The word potential gets thrown around a lot in HR and talent management circles, but potential on its own really means nothing if it doesn’t translate to performance. As the commercial director of one of Hogan’s top international distributors at APS, few people in the world of Hogan know more about this topic than Melvyn. 

In the latest the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake talk about authenticity. We’ve all heard the saying before: “Be your authentic self.” In fact, common wisdom for years has suggested that authenticity is a good thing, and few have doubted the merits of that “wisdom.” But what if we were to tell you this might actually be the opposite and could actually hurt your career? Ryne and Blake address that and so much more in this episode.

In this special episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake interview guests in person at the 2025 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Conference in Denver. Featured guests include:

-  Rob Kaiser, President, Kaiser Leadership Solutions

o   Topic: Using Hogan in private equity

-  Ellen Lovell, PhD, Principal Workforce Transformation Consultant, Perceptyx

o   Topic: Trends in organizational wellbeing 

-  Jessie McClure, Senior Consultant, Hogan Assessments

o   Topic: Trends in organizational wellbeing

-  Rebecca Feder, Principal Consultant, Princeton HR Insight

o   Topic: Should th...

In that latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Jackie Sahm, Hogan’s Vice President of Integrated Solutions, to talk about what activates your dark side. With Jackie being one of the world’s foremost experts in interpreting Hogan scales and facilitating Hogan feedback sessions, not to mention her previous role as a consultant for numerous Fortune 500 companies and Hogan’s Director of Global Learning, she's the perfect guest to explore this aspect of the dark side.

In this special episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake interview guests in person at the 2025 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Conference in Denver. Featured guests include:

-  Ty Fezzey, PhD Student, University of Alabama

o   Topic: Competitiveness

-  Bradley Brummel, PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of Houston

o   Topic: Leader identity

-  Pradnya Parasher, PhD, Managing Director, ThreeFish Consulting

o   Topic: Leadership emergence in India

-  Georgi Yankov, PhD, Principal Research Scientist, Development Dimensions International

o   Topic: Pe...

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by  Trish Kellett, Hogan's executive advisor for strategic initiatives and former director of the Hogan Coaching Network, Rebecca Feder, principal consultant at Princeton HR Insight, and Rebecca Ghanadan, PhD, founder and principal at Aspis Coaching Group, to talk about Domino Derailers. This is a relatively new concept when it comes to Hogan terminology and was actually coined by Trish during her time as director of the Hogan Coaching Network. And, because Rebecca F. and Rebecca G. are also members of the Hogan Coaching Network, we t...

In this special episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake interview guests in person at the 2025 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Conference in Denver. Featured guests include:

-  Brian J. Ruggeberg, Consultant, Spencer Stuart

      o   Topic: Using Hogan tools for executive assessment and development

-  Comila Shahani-Denning, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Hofstra University

      o   Topic: Benefits of graduate students getting Hogan certified

-  Nadine Maliakkal, PhD, Talent Analytics Consultant, Hogan Assessments

      o   Topic: Creativity in leadership

-  Kevin Mitchell, PhD, Talent in Organizationa...

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake talk about toxic employees and the affect they have on organizations across the globe. We’ve all experienced it: the colleague who brings the mood down, the boss who thrives on chaos, or the team member whose negativity drains the energy from the room. These "everyday" toxic behaviors create stress, hamper productivity, and leave us feeling demoralized. But what may not be immediately apparent is the significant hidden cost they carry.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Zsolt Feher, Hogan's vice president of business development, to talk about charisma in politics. For centuries, charismatic politicians have had a significant advantage when it comes to assuming leadership roles. They enamor us with their confidence and the ability to tell us exactly what we want to hear. In this episode, we’ll talk about some of the more notable charismatic politicians throughout history, what personality characteristics they have in common, and whether they actually are effective leaders. 

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Douglas Kenrick, PhD, professor of psychology at Arizona State University, to talk about evolutionary psychology. What are its primary concepts? What implications does it have? And why is it such a controversial topic to so many people? Dr. Kenrick has spent decades researching and lecturing on this topic and is viewed by his peers as one of the leading experts in this area. 

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake discuss a topic that everyone has at least been subjected to, if not been a victim of, and that is scammers. Whether by phone, email, or other means, scammers use a variety of methods to access sensitive data or to make a quick buck. So, the question is: why do people fall for these schemes? What makes us so vulnerable to these vultures who seem to seek us out on an almost daily basis? 

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by world-renowned personality psychologist and good friend of the podcast, Adrian Furnham, PhD, to talk about a recent paper he authored on the personality characteristics of people who prefer to work from home. So many people across the globe found themselves working from home once the Covid pandemic shook the world of work, and many continue to do so five years later due to the popularity of it. But why was it so popular? Why did so many people cling to it long after most...

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Allan Church, PhD, cofounder and managing partner at Maestro Consulting and former SVP of global talent management at PepsiCo, to talk about the impact of personality on careers. A legend in the field of I-O Psychology, Allan has seen the impact of personality on literally thousands of workers throughout his prestigious career.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake continue their annual, end-of-year tradition by breaking down the top derailers of the year. Who made the list in 2024? Give it a listen to find out.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Krista Pederson, Hogan's managing director of Asia Pacific, to talk about the recent launch of Hogan’s Global Leadership Effectiveness Study, a groundbreaking research study aimed at identifying the characteristics shared among effective leaders. Are these characteristics the same regardless of geographic or cultural differences? Are any of the characteristics shared among emergent leaders? We  explore all of that and so much more in this episode.

Learn more about Hogan's Global Leadership Effectiveness Study here: https://hubs.ly/Q02-ySm30

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake talk about social influence and why people change their behaviors because of social interactions. We’ve all been guilty at some point in our lives of allowing others to influence our decisions, whether consciously or subconsciously. But what underlying psychological factors are at play? Why do we allow these external forces to change the way we think, feel, and behave? 

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Ty Wiggins, PhD, the lead of Russell Reynolds Associates’ CEO & Transitions Practice, to talk about CEO transitions and his latest book, The New CEO. Although there might be numerous people out there who might consider themselves experts on this topic, Ty is one of only a handful of people globally who actually has a PhD in senior leadership transitions. So, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone with more knowledge and expertise on this particular subject.

Order The New CEO here: https://www...

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...

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Zlatan Krizan, PhD, professor of psychology at Iowa State University, to talk about the psychology of nightmares. If you’re a loyal listener of the podcast, you know that each October we like to change things up a bit and produce episodes that are fitting for the spooky season. Well, we’re back at it again this year and we hope you enjoy this year's first spooky season episode. Cheers, everybody!

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake talk about a newer topic that is on the minds of many Hogan clients, partners, and distributors, and that is the issues that could arise from a “nice” corporate culture and how to combat them. In theory, having a nice culture sounds ideal on the surface, but does it really deliver results and is it the best model in today’s world? 

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Kyle Cermak, director of business development on Hogan's solutions partners team, to talk about team development in the modern age. It should come as no surprise that work has changed significantly in recent years, as many more of us have transitioned to a hybrid working model or working from home entirely. But that doesn’t mean teams have disappeared. It just means that they must operate differently, and team development is ultimately the key to overall team effectiveness and performance in this new world of...

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Allan Church, PhD, cofounder and managing partner at Maestro Consulting and former SVP of global talent management at PepsiCo, at the 2024 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual conference, to talk about how personality impacts careers.

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Rob Kaiser, president of Kaiser Leadership Solutions, at the 2024 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual conference, to talk about leadership versatility.

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Andrew Blake, PhD, assistant professor of management at Texas Tech University, at the 2024 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual conference, on the similarities between organized crime members and entrepreneurs. 

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Bradley Brummel, PhD, professor and director of the University of Houston’s Industrial/Organizational Psychology program, to talk about using employee engagement as a strategy or, in some cases, doing the opposite successfully. 

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Larry Martinez, PhD, the A. Dale Thompson Endowed Chair of Leadership at the University of Texas at Arlington, at the 2024 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual conference, where we talk about partnerships between researchers and community organizations. 

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Jennifer Tackett, PhD, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, at the 2024 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual conference to talk about Northwestern's X-Factor Program, which involves Hogan.

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Robert Hogan, PhD, president & founder of Hogan Assessments, at the 2024 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual conference to discuss the topic of revolutions.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake discuss a topic that applies to pretty much everyone, and that is learning from failure. Let’s face it, nobody’s perfect, and we’ve all failed at some point throughout life. But failure, as bad is it might make us feel at the time, actually can be a positive if we learn and get better as a result of it. 

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Alise Dabdoub, PhD, director of product innovation at Hogan Assessments, and Anne-Marie Paiement, PhD, regional manager at Hogan Assessments, where we talk about them winning the SIOP 2024 Best International Paper award. 

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Tyler Fezzey, a PhD at the University of Alabama, at the 2024 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual conference to talk about Queen Bee Syndrome.

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Nikita Mikhailov, chief neuroticism officer at Goodness of Psychology, at the 2024 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual conference to talk about whether AI is today's version of an ink blot test.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryan and Blake are joined by Trish Kellett, director of the Hogan Coaching Network, and Jackie Sahm, Hogan’s VP of integrated solutions, to talk about their new book, Coaching the Hogan Way. For our loyal listeners, you probably remember us having Jackie on previously to talk about assessment-based coaching. In this episode, we will talk more specifically about using Hogan’s assessments as part of your coaching practice, and how coaching the Hogan way can truly unlock the potential of leaders everywhere.

Purchase Coaching the Hogan Way here...

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Peter Harms, PhD, a Frank Schultz Professor of the Department of Management at the University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Business, at the 2024 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual conference to discuss the psychology of underdogs.

In this special, mini episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake sit down with Deborah Lee, PhD, senior director of global talent management for PepsiCo, at the 2024 Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology annual conference to discuss how PepsiCo uses Hogan.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake speak with Jean Twenge, PhD, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, about managing Gen Z in a special live episode of the podcast. It is easy to assume that baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z all differ significantly from each other as each generation entered the workforce under much different conditions. However, when it comes to personality, age often plays a powerful role in how individuals behave at work. Now that Gen Z is firmly established within the global workforce, does the same...

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Rong Su, PhD, Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship and Mahoney Fellow at the University of Iowa, to talk about career successes and inequalities. It’s no secret that there is very broad spectrum of career outcomes. Some successfully climb the corporate ladder and attain significant wealth along the way while others find themselves struggling to make ends meet in jobs with nearly unlivable wages. But what really determines who is successful and who is not? 

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake talk about the differences between IQ and EQ. From a historical perspective, the term IQ, short for intelligence quotient, was coined in 1912 by psychologist William Stern. Conversely, the term EQ, short for emotional quotient or the more commonly used emotional intelligence, wasn’t really popularized until 1995 when Daniel Goleman released his book titled Emotional Intelligence. But that’s just the history of the terms. In all actuality, IQ and EQ have existed for all of human history. In this episode, Ryne and Blake dig a little deeper into...