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Almost daily, the news is full of stories of high school and college seniors missing out on their graduation ceremonies,

and of people being unable to see and touch their loved ones who are suffering from COVID-19.

Some of the more heartbreaking accounts feature families having to bury loved ones without funerals or formal mourning.

The coronavirus is keeping us from experiencing some of the deepest and most

meaningful rituals of our lives. What is this doing to us psychologically? How important are

rituals to our mental health and well-being? What new rituals might we be creating? Welcome to

Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American

Psychological Association that explores the links between psychological science and

everyday life. I'm Kim Mills. Our guest today is Dr. Michael I. Norton, a professor

of business administration at the Harvard Business School, and a member of Harvard's

Behavioral Insights Group. His research covers a gamut of

fascinating topics from money to daydreaming, from greed to deception, but I asked him here today

to talk primarily about rituals in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Welcome to speaking of psychology,

Dr. Norton. Thank you so much for inviting me. I think we probably all have an idea of what rituals are, but it always helps to have a common

language. Is it, for example, a ritual to take a coffee break every day at 1015, or is that

...