#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 SuperPsyched 00:28 Why Spaces Feel Good 00:47 Meet Dr Lediy Klotz 02:09 Arrive Early Hack 03:16 The Research Behind It 04:38 Five Years to Write 05:56 Spaces Shape Psychology 07:06 Small Tweaks Big Control 09:04 Subtract to Improve Space 10:04 Eat Outside Reframe 12:08 Designing Outdoor Space 12:56 Office Choices and Agency 15:33 Defining Agency in Space 16:55 Soccer and Agency Lessons 18:31 Goalie Mindset and Space 20:18 Owning the Penalty Area 22:22 Agency Life or Death Study 24:18 Mandela Garden Agency 25:40 Churchill Shapes Commons 26:49 Designing Serendipity 30:01 Digital vs Real Space 31:17 Space Before Screen 32:41 Grief and Boundaries 35:18 Josies Way Memorial 38:50 Spirit Lives in Stories 40:22 Josie Joke Punchline 43:49 Miracle Skill Reaction 46:25 Closing Thanks Farewell Helpful Links: Lediy Klotz, PhD Lediy Klotz, PhD Linked In In a Good Place Book