Pyromania vs revenge – why do people light fires?

Pyromania vs revenge – why do people light fires?

Author: ABC Australia July 5, 2025 Duration: 29:42
Australians know the devastation of bushfires all too well. So why would anyone deliberately light a fire? In this episode of Criminal Psychology, our new four-part series on unusual crimes and unusual minds, we're exploring the psychology of arson. Answering questions like, how does it relate to pyromania? What do we know about the profile of a typical arsonist? And how do investigators track down the source of a blaze? Guests: Dr Paul Read Climate criminologist Dr Nichola Tyler Senior lecturer, forensic psychology Swinburne University of Technology Richard Woods Director, Wildfire Investigations and Analysis Adjunct Associate Lecturer, Wildfire Investigation, Charles Sturt University Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Emrys Cronin Extra information: Adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who deliberately set fires: A systematic review The truth about Australia's fires — arsonists aren't responsible for many this season Some Coalition MPs say that arson is mostly to blame for the bushfire crisis. Here are the facts Deliberately lit vegetation fires in Australia Clinical characteristics of child and adolescent psychiatric outpatients engaging in fireplay or arson: a case–control study What are the differences between children and adolescents who deliberately light fires? The Acquisition of Fire

Ever wondered what's really happening inside your head? Each week, All In The Mind from ABC Australia ventures into the complex landscape of human thought and feeling. This isn't just a dry science lecture; it's a thoughtful exploration of the experiences that shape us, hosted by curious minds who know how to tell a compelling story. You'll hear conversations that bridge the gap between scientific research and the messy reality of daily life, delving into topics as diverse as the mechanisms of memory, the challenges of breaking an addiction, or the ethical puzzles posed by artificial intelligence. The discussions are grounded and accessible, making the inner workings of the brain relevant to anyone interested in health, behaviour, or simply understanding themselves a little better. By tuning into this podcast, you join a community considering how our mental universe influences everything from our personal fitness to our social connections. It’s a weekly opportunity to pause and reflect on the fascinating forces-both biological and psychological-that drive what we do and who we are. The production brings together expert insights with genuine human stories, creating a space where complex ideas about the mind and behaviour are unpacked with clarity and depth.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

All In The Mind
Podcast Episodes
How to catch a liar (it's harder than you think) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:10
Rebecca figured out a brilliant way to catch her partner in a lie. It led to a career in forensic psychology… These days, Rebecca studies lie detection, and it turns out, people generally overestimate their ability to te…
Dealing with emotionally immature parents? We want your questions! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58
You might remember Dr Lindsay Gibson from our 2021 episode titled 'The damage done by emotionally immature parents (and how to heal)' — it was our most popular episode ever! Turns out a lot of you have emotionally immatu…
Confessing to a crime you didn't commit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:15
Imagine police are interrogating you over a crime you didn't commit. If you're innocent, you're safe, right? Wrong. Sometimes, being innocent can make you more likely to confess. How is that possible? In part two of our…
Can criminal profiling identify a killer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:50
Criminal profiling promises a lot — being able to piece together a picture of a suspect through clues, intuition and psychology sounds great. But how reliable is it? In our first episode of Forensic, a four-part series u…
INTRODUCING — Forensic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08
Forget everything you’ve learned from crime dramas. Forensic is a new podcast series from All in the Mind on ABC Radio National that takes you behind the psychological tools used to solve crimes. Across four episodes, we…
Our millennia-long obsession with immortality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:05
Would you want to live forever? The rich and powerful certainly do. There are numerous examples throughout history of people going to extreme lengths in search of immortality. These days, it's Silicon Valley tech bros, t…
Pretty privilege, surgery stigma and the cosmetic procedure paradox [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:35
Cosmetic procedures aren't reserved for celebrities anymore - they're becoming more and more accessible for every day people. So if we're able to alter our looks or avoid the appearance of aging altogether, what impact d…
The psychology behind our moral outrage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:37
Politics, war, abortion, gun control — why do some topics make us so outraged? One theory is that our preoccupation with preventing harm is to blame. So today, we examine how humans developed morality, why we differ in w…