Behavioral Grooves Podcast

The Cure - Pictures of You

Music Links

Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence

What Happened to the Person I Knew? Why Relationships Change

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0600

Relationships change because people change. In this episode, we explore what it means when someone you love no longer feels like the person you once knew. Using behavioral science, we examine why personality shifts over time, why growth does not always happen in the same direction, and how to decide whether to reconnect, recalibrate, or let go.

Topics

[0:00] Understanding Relationship Changes

[7:07] Relationship Changes Over Time

[13:28] Self-Expansion Theory and Michelangelo Phenomenon

[22:08] Growth vs. Escape: What’s Really Driving the Change?

[29:49] How to Navigate Relationship Changes

[34:00] Updating the Story of “Us”

[43:01] The Importance of Compassion

[46:00] Regret, Loss, and What to Do Next

Links

The All-or-Nothing Marriage: How the Best Marriages Work by Eli Finkel

Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know

Music Links

Flora Cash - You’re Somebody Else

Why Does Jet Lag Hit so Hard? | Daniel Forger

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0600

What if your mood, focus, and energy aren’t random—but driven by internal clocks you rarely think about? This week, circadian rhythm expert Daniel Forger explains why jet lag hits so hard, why sleep timing may matter more than sleep duration, and what your wearable data actually means. If you’ve ever questioned your “sleep score” or wondered whether you’re a morning person by design, this conversation will change how you understand your body’s timing system.

Topics

[0:00] Psychologist Off the Clock!

[1:55] Intro and Speed Round with Daniel Forger

[5:44] Why Crossing Time Zones Messes You Up

[10:07] What Are Biological Rhythms?

[13:03] Is Your Apple Watch Accurate?

[22:44] How Your Biological Rhythms Impact Mood and Performance

[27:17] Could Humans Adapt to a 25-Hour Day?

[36:31] Circadian Rhythms and Happiness

[44:39] The Three Most Important Lessons About Biological Timing

[49:32] Bach, Pipe Organs, and Mathematical Patterns

[53:41] Grooving Session: The Intersection of Biology and Happiness

Links

About Daniel

Biological Rhythms by Daniel Forger

Primal Dating by Tim Ash and Dr. Limor Gottlieb

Musical Links

Best of Bach

Finding Common Ground: When Persuasion Fails and Belief Takes Over

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0600

In this special Grooving session, we unpack what happens when shared facts collapse and preferred beliefs take their place. Sparked by Kurt's firsthand experience during unrest in Minneapolis, this conversation explores why people reject lived experience, how identity defense and motivated reasoning shut down dialogue, and when it’s rational to stop trying to persuade altogether. Drawing on behavioral science, persuasion research, and real-world encounters, we examine how to choose your battles, why stories succeed where arguments fail, and what it actually takes to find common ground in a belief-first world.

Primal Dating: What Modern Romance Gets Wrong | Tim Ash

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0600

Dating in 2026 feels broken. The apps promise infinite choice, rom-coms on our screens promise “the one”, and yet frustration, ghosting, and mismatched expectations seem to be more normal than anything actually working out. This week, Tim Ash, author of Primal Dating, joins us as we explore why dating in the modern world feels so unstable and why many of today’s relationship struggles aren’t personal failures, but predictable outcomes of our ancient instincts clashing with modern environments and expectations.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Tim Ash

[7:52] Behavioral tendencies and evolutionary psychology

[18:09] The role of life stages in dating

[26:17] The impact of cultural norms on dating

[30:51] The economic of dating

[35:48] The role of tech in dating

[48:33] The importance of empathy in dating

[56:58] Music talk with Tim and Tim

[1:00:45] Grooving Session: Modern dating for primordial (?) minds

Links

About Tim

How Not to Die Alone by Logan Ury

Music Links

Steely Dan - FM

Chet Baker - Almost Blue

Throwback Thursday: The Myth of the "Relationship Spark" | Logan Ury

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0600

Love is in the air this Valentine's Day...or is that science? Today, we're throwing it back to 2021, when we had the privilege of chatting with Logan Ury, Director of Relationship Science at Hinge, about the challenges people face in modern dating. From getting ready for a first date to maintaining a relationship long term, Logan gives us valuable insights and advice on how to overcome common hurdles and make the most out of each stage or the dating life.

So, the question of the day is - are you a maximizer, satisficer, or romanticizer? Tune in to find out.

Links

About Logan

Music Links

Hamilton - Satisfied

Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book

What Dating Apps Miss About Attraction | Paul Eastwick

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0600

You think you know what you want in a partner, but behavioral science says attraction doesn’t work that way. Relationship scientist Paul Eastwick breaks down why dating apps and checklists fail, how attraction actually forms, and why real compatibility grows through interaction, timing, and shared history.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Paul Eastwick

[8:21] Why dating checklists and apps fail us

[14:45] The myth of universal attractiveness

[21:03] How attraction develops over time

[27:29] Is “love at first sight” a lie?

[38:13] The ‘best’ way to meet people

[47:04] The Stroop effect

[54:50] Attraction, identity, and history

[1:01:11] Desert island music picks

[1:03:55] Grooving session: trust, attraction, and relationships beyond dating

Links

Paul Eastwick

Love Factually

Bonded by Evolution by Paul Eastwick

Nobuo Uematsu - One Winged Angel

Music Links

Pink Floyd - Hey You

How Small Phrases Make Big Impacts | James Geary

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0600

Why do certain phrases stay with us for life? In this episode, were joined by James Geary, author of The World in a Phrase, to explore how aphorisms shape judgment, decision-making, and meaning. From fortune cookies to philosophy, they unpack why short sayings act as cognitive heuristics, how they guide thinking without giving answers, and why the aphorisms that serve us best often change over time, just as we do.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with James Geary

[7:30] The Laws of Aphorisms

[13:45] Finding Wisdom in Unexpected Places

[21:07] Aphorisms as Cognitive Heuristics

[29:51] The Role of Aphorisms in Decision-Making

[35:00] How Aphorisms Can Match Life Stages

[42:30] How We Can Apply Aphorisms to Daily Life

[48:06] What Do Aphorisms Mean for Me?

[59:00] Grooving Session: The World in a Phrase

Links

About James

The World in a Phrase

Paul Simon - Everything Put Together Falls Apart

Musical Links

Leonard Cohen - Anthem

Finding Common Ground: A Conversation About Minneapolis

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0600

This Grooving Session feels personal for us. We’re combining our own experiences with behavioral science to explore why civil discourse seems so fragile right now. Over the weekend, tensions rose as ICE activity increased in Minneapolis, and Kurt’s neighborhood was deeply affected. When political tension is high, factors such as fear, proximity to events, and social identity can worsen polarization. It’s easy to forget that we have more in common than we think.

We’re here to support you, and we hope this episode gives you practical ways to engage. By slowing down, avoiding online dogpiles, and starting with the question, “What do we agree on?” We can start rebuilding a sense of shared reality.

Links

Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid

Just Neighbors

Music Links

Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Minneapolis

Why Rational People Make Irrational Choices | Alex Imas

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0600

Why do smart people keep making predictably bad decisions? Behavioral economist Alex Imas joins us to unpack The Winner’s Curse, loss aversion, and the persistent biases that shape markets, policy, and everyday choices. We explore why classic economic models fall short and what behavioral economics reveals about how humans really decide.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and speed round with Alex Imas

[11:55] The Winner’s Curse and its implications

[21:13] Behavioral economics and standard economic matters

[28:01] Loss aversion and decision-making

[35:04] Behavioral economics in policy and law

[41:00] Tom Sawyer economics

[47:30] Social media, attention, and exploitation of bias

[56:38] The importance of cooperation and social systems

[58:40] New music in 2026

[1:07:53] Grooving session: framing, preferences, and happiness

Links

The Winner’s Curse by Richard Thaler and Alex Imas

About Alex

Fontaines DC - I Love You

Musical Links

ALEXSUCKS - The Gutter

January Blues? How to Rest, Reflect, and Restart

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0600

January often feels like a letdown instead of a fresh start. In this episode, we explain the behavioral science behind the January slump, why motivation drops after the holidays, and how reflection, recovery, and smaller milestones can help individuals and teams regain energy and momentum.

Topics

[0:00] Are you feeling that January Slump?

[3:34] Reflecting and recharging

[4:56] What leaders can do

[8:00] Milestones for motivation

[11:42] Final thoughts and next steps

Links

A Psychologically Rich Life: Beyond Happiness and Meaning

Why We Get Bored | Erin Westgate

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0600

Boredom feels unpleasant, but that may be the point. Psychologist Dr. Erin Westgate joins us to explain why boredom is a signal rather than a flaw, how meaning and attention shape it, and what it can teach us about work, burnout, and living a psychologically rich life.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Erin Westgate

[8:05] Do we think for pleasure?

[13:11] Why men would rather shock themselves than be bored

[15:50] The MAC model

[25:23] Is boredom useful?

[29:07] Enjoyable vs. interesting experiences

[31:51] Can a boring life still be a good life?

[39:58] Boredom and burnout at work

[49:39] Is boredom good or bad?

[52:38] Designing better environments for bored people

[58:31] Desert island music

[1:02:17] Grooving Session: Boredom and meaning in life

Links

About Erin

Patty Scialfa - Rumble Doll

Musical Links

Beethoven - Symphony No.7 in A major op.92 - II, Allegretto

Throwback Thursday: The Surprising Power of One Word | Jonah Berger

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0600

It’s Throwback Thursday at Behavioral Grooves, and we’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations with bestselling author Jonah Berger on the surprising power of words. Tiny shifts in language can shape behavior, influence relationships, and even change how others see us. Jonah reveals the “magic words” that captivate, motivate, and persuade, and shares practical tips for turning actions into identities, priming behavior with language, and making every word count.

Topics

[3:27] Welcome and speed round questions.

[5:09] Why asking for advice makes us actually seem smarter.

[7:17] Using abstract vs. concrete language.

[12:42] How Jonah researched the use of language.

[16:49] How can our language affect our relationships.

[19:31] Turning actions into identities.

[22:47] Priming behavior with language.

[25:00] Do the lyrics of songs help explain their success?

[28:27] Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt on why words matter.

Links

About Jonah

Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way by Jonah Berger

Suzanne Vega, DNA - Tom's Diner

Music Links

RUN DMC - Walk This Way (ft. Aerosmith)

The Productivity Myth That’s Burning You Out | Natalie Nixon, PhD

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0600

What if the key to better work isn’t doing more, but moving more, resting better, and thinking differently? Dr. Natalie Nixon joins us to unpack her Move, Think, Rest framework and explain why creativity thrives when we step away from hustle culture. From walking meetings and daydreaming to embracing ambiguity and redesigning how we work, this episode offers a powerful reframe for anyone feeling burned out or stuck.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and speed round with Natalie Nixon

[10:20] Burnout, hustle culture, and redesigning how we work

[16:12 Productivity myths from the Industrial Revolution

[20:34] Movement hygiene and the benefits of walking

[26:39] The Move, Think, Rest model

[30:27] How to embrace ambiguity instead of fighting it

[38:27] The importance of scaling rest

[44:38] How Natalie finds her groove

[48:25] Grooving Session: Reframing productivity and creativity

Links

MTR Challenge

Natalie Nixon

Move. Think. Rest. By Natalie Nixon, PhD

Life in Three Dimensions – Shigehiro Oishi

Music Links

Check out Natalie Nixon's Playlist for:

Move

Think

Rest

Best Behavioral Science Books of 2025 (According to us)

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0600

In this annual “best of the best” episode, we revisit the behavioral science books that most influenced our thinking this year. Rather than ranking titles, we explore what made each book impactful; from happiness and psychological richness to leadership, teams, and behavioral economics, and why these ideas continue to challenge how we think, work, and live.

Topics

[0:00] Can we really rank “best” books?

[2:08] Book Giveaway - How to join

[3:34] Psychological richness and happiness

[5:50] Redefining wealth beyond money

[7:21] The illusion of self-derived beliefs

[8:25] Getting out of your own way

[11:11] The power of mattering at work

[13:21] Rethinking happiness

[15:01] Behavioral science in the real world

[16:45] Behavioral economics

[19:52] Behavioral science in marketing and advertising

[20:19] Closing thoughts and community invite

Links

The Soul of Wealth – Daniel Crosby

The Knowledge Illusion – Steven Sloman

Detach – Bob Rosen

The Collective Edge – Colin Fisher

The Power of Mattering – Zach Mercurio

What We Value – Emily Falk

Beyond Happy – Mark Fabian

The Doors You Can Open – Rosalind Chow

The Housefly Effect – Eva van den Broek & Tim den Heijer

The Winner’s Curse – Richard Thaler & Alex Imas

Meditations for Mortals – Oliver Burkeman

Hacking the Human Mind – Richard Shotton

Groovy Listening 2025 Playlist

Music Links

Why Is It So Hard to Stick to Our Resolutions? | Ayelet Fishbach (Republish)

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Happy New Year, Groovers! This week, we're taking some time-off and sharing an oldie but a goodie - our conversation with Ayelet Fishbach.

The start of a new year often brings fresh motivation...and then we burnout. But why? In this recast, we are joined by Dr. Ayelet Fishbach to explore why willpower-driven resolutions fail and how behavioral science offers a smarter way to set goals that last. Through an examination of her research, we unpack meta-motivation, the problem with "the middle" and how you can design your goals better so that they carry momentum through January and beyond.

Topics

[0:00] Motivation and Willpower - a New Perspective with Ayelet Fishbach

[3:19] The Marshmallow Test and Its Misinterpretation

[7:52] Meta Motivation and Its Implications

[14:28] The Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

[18:17] Problems Around Goal Achievement

[32:41] The Important of Aspirational Goals

[42:58] Strategies for Overcoming the Problem of "the Middle"

[48:33] Key Takeaways

Links

About Ayelet

Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation

Music Links

Best of NPR Tiny Desk

Why We Gather: The Psychology of Holiday Rituals

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Why do holiday rituals matter so much to our happiness and sense of connection? In this pre-Christmas special, we unwrap (ho ho ho…) the behavioral science behind gatherings and traditions—from Thanksgiving dinners to baking cookies and watching favorite holiday movies. Learn how rituals differ from habits, why they help reduce anxiety, and how small, intentional moments can strengthen belonging, refresh traditions that feel stale, and make the holiday season feel more meaningful and enjoyable.

Topics

[0:00] Understanding the Importance of Gatherings and Rituals

[5:19] The Role of Multiple Groups in Identity

[8:06] Defining Rituals

[14:13] Maintaining the Meaning of Rituals

[19:00] Practical Ways to Add Intention to the Holidays

[22:15[ A Question for Your Next Gathering

Links

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

Musical Links

Tim Minchin - White Wine in the Sun

The Secret Ingredient of High-Performing Teams | Vanessa Druskat

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Individual emotional intelligence matters — but teams thrive when EI is built together, not carried by a few well-developed individuals. In this episode, Vanessa Druskat explains why high-performing groups rely on shared norms that create psychological safety, trust, and collaboration. We talk through her research-backed framework for turning work groups into emotionally intelligent teams, how leaders can shape better environments, and why optimism is a surprisingly powerful tool for motivation and change.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Vanessa Druskat

[7:08] What is Team Emotional Intelligence?

[13:02] Leader Behavior vs Team Norms

[18:24] The Discovery of “the Nine Norms”

[26:34] Engaging Stakeholders Beyond the Team

[33:19] Belonging Needs and Conformity

[42:01] Optimism As a Leadership Tool

[47:21] Coaching for Hope vs Problems

[50:42] Desert Island Music

[54:14] Grooving Session: A+ Teams vs A+ Individuals

Links

About Vanessa

The Emotionally Intelligent Team

Van Morrison - Days Like This

Musical Links

John Prine - In Spite of Ourselves

Why Great Leaders Still Get Stuck | Muriel Wilkins

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Executive coach and author Muriel Wilkins joins us to unpack the invisible beliefs that quietly shape how we lead. We explore why curiosity is the starting point for self-awareness, the common internal blockers she sees in leaders, and why leadership growth is less about changing who you are and more about expanding your mindset. Muriel breaks down how hidden scripts formed early in life can limit our impact later on, and how shifting our beliefs can help us move from stress and suffering to clarity, range, and ease at work.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and speed round with Muriel Wilkins

[9:33] Are limiting beliefs protective?

[15:40] Where limiting beliefs come from

[20:00] Why we’re not taught self-reflection

[27:04] The problem with glorifying stress

[33:44] Changing vs expanding your mindset

[39:23] Redefining success

[44:47] How Muriel Wilkins finds her groove

[54:50] Grooving Session: Curiosity, self-awareness, and expanding your mindset

Links

About Muriel

Leadership Unblocked by Muriel Wilkins

Café Bustelo

Musical Links

Vivaldi - Four Seasons

How Expectations Shape Who We Become

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this special episode inspired by questions from our Facebook Community, we explore why big change feels intimidating even though most transformation happens quietly in our daily lives. Kurt and Tim dig into the micro-shifts we overlook, the powerful role expectations play in shaping our confidence and identity, and why surrounding yourself with people who expand your sense of possibility truly matters. They also revisit classic and modern goal-setting research — from Kurt Lewin’s “levels of aspiration” to today’s best evidence — to show how balancing past performance with future dreams helps you find the motivating sweet spot that keeps you moving forward.

A Note From Our Team: This show exists because of the community around it — the questions you ask, the curiosity you bring, and the support you’ve given us. If you’d like to help us keep producing independent, ad-free behavioral science content, we’d be grateful for your support on Substack. Your contribution sets the expectation that this work matters — and helps us keep delivering it. Support us here.

Topics

[0:00] Change and Its Implications

[4:00] The Impact of Incremental Change on Personal Growth

[8:41] The Pygmalion Effect

[16:14] Goal Setting: Past Performance vs Future Dreams

[25:39] Incremental Goals vs. Aspirational Goals

[29:11] Our Facebook Community: Coffee or Tea?

Links

Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence

Why Split-Second Thinking Fuels Violence | Jens Ludwig

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Is violence caused by “bad people,” too many guns, or something deeper? In this episode, University of Chicago researcher Jens Ludwig reveals why most violent acts stem not from evil intent but from ordinary people in unforgiving situations. We explore how behavior, context, metacognition, and split-second decision-making shape violent outcomes — and why small, scalable interventions like pocket parks, foot traffic, and reflective thinking can dramatically reduce harm. If you care about safer communities, more innovative policymaking, or just want to understand human behavior better, our conversation with Jens will forever reshape how you view violence.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Jens Ludwig

[10:18] Bad People vs Bad Situations

[15:55] The 10-Minute Window

[22:50] Dog Attacks and Tunnel Vision

[31:15] Eyes on the Street and Environment Shaping Behavior

[38:50] How Pocket Parks Reduce Crime

[47:27] In-Group/Out-Group Psychology and Neighborhood Conflict

[52:20] Metacognition, Education, and Preventing Violence

[1:00:57] Poker, Tilt, and Decision-Making Under Stress

[1:06:51] Desert Island Music Picks

[1:11:21] Grooving Session: Interventions and a Solution to Violent Crime

Links

About Jens

Chappell Roan - Red Wine Supernova

Musical Links

AC/DC - Hell’s Bells

The Science of Being Thankful

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Why does gratitude feel so easy to feel yet so hard to say? In this Thanksgiving grooving session, we unpack the psychology behind our awkwardness around expressing appreciation—from miscaliberated assumptions to the belief that people can “just tell” how grateful we are. Drawing on research from Nick Epley and others, we explore how gratitude rewires the brain, boosts well-being, and strengthens relationships, and we share simple, science-backed nudges to help you connect more deeply with the people you love this holiday season.

A Note From Our Team:

This Thanksgiving, support the science you love. Behavioral Grooves is independent, ad-free, and listener-powered. If our episodes bring you insight or inspiration, consider subscribing or becoming a member—it makes a huge difference.

Topics

[0:00] What is Gratitude?

[1:51] Barriers to Expressing Gratitude

[3:44] Nudges for Practicing Gratitude

[6:54] The Power of In-Person Gratitude

[8:30] Closing Thoughts: Happy Thanksgiving!

Links

Support Behavioral GroovesSupport Behavioral Grooves

Musical Links

Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant

Vintage Thanksgiving Playlist

The Leadership Wake-Up Call | Margaret Andrews

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Harvard instructor Margaret Andrews joins us to explore why effective leadership starts with self-awareness. We discuss blind spots, emotional intelligence, team norms, and the internal work leaders must do to better understand their impact. Margaret offers practical tools for developing people and navigating organizational context, showing how self-understanding reshapes culture, communication, and long-term leadership success.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Margaret Andrews

[7:10] What Managers Get Wrong

[16:59] Challenges of Leading Others

[21:42] Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

[27:20] The “Best Boss” Exercise

[35:54] Leading for the Long Term

[39:56] Advice for New Managers

[44:19] Desert Island Music

[49:38] Grooving Session: Self-Awareness, Biases, and Leadership Takeaways

Links

About Margaret

Manage Yourself to Lead Others by Margaret C. Andrews

Rod Stewart - Have You Ever Seen the Rain?

Music Links

Nina Simone - Feeling Good

Why the Gender Revolution Stopped | Corinne Low

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0600

What if the gender revolution never finished? Economist Corinne Low joins us to unpack why women have transformed the workforce while men’s roles at home have barely changed. Drawing on insights from her book Having It All, Corinne reveals why so many families are stretched thin, caught between data, social pressure, and outdated norms. Together, we explore what it means to “have it almost,” and how smarter boundaries, parental leave, and fairer divisions of labor could finally help us reach true balance at home and at work.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Corinne Low

[8:30] Gender Roles in Parenting

[18:58] Behavioral and Social Norms in Parenting

[27:32] Economic Models and Marriage

[38:29] Paternity Leave and Gender Roles

[44:18] Structural Changes and Workforce Adaptations

[52:49] Desert Island Music

[55:26] Grooving Session: Finding Balance at Home and at Work

Links

About Corinne

Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours by Corinne Low, PhD

The Beatles - Now and Then

Music Links

Pearl Jam - Even Flow

Is the American Dream Dead? | Mark Matson

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Financial advisor and author Mark Matson joins Behavioral Grooves to explore what the American Dream means today—and whether it’s truly attainable for everyone. We dig into his view that fulfillment comes from mindset, not money, and examine how behavioral biases can sabotage our financial decisions. But as we discuss the tension between personal responsibility and systemic headwinds, we also ask: can discipline and optimism alone really guarantee success?

Topics

[0:00] A quick word with Kurt and Tim - Struggling with the American Dream

[5:08] Speed Round with Mark Matson

[9:20] Cognitive Biases in Investing

[16:00] Victimhood vs Agency

[23:58] Why Investors Are Their Own Worst Enemy

[27:12] Behavioral Economics and Bad Decisions

[38:45] The Three Rules for Smarter Investing

[44:58] Defining “Enough”

[51:13] How to Find Purpose and Find Your Groove

[58:50] Desert Island Music Picks

[1:01:12] Grooving Session: Nuance, Privilege, and Perspective

Help Behavioral Grooves stay independent and science-focused by becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation.
Support our work

Links

About Mark

Experiencing the American Dream: How to Invest Your Time, Energy, and Money to Create an Extraordinary Life by Mark Matson

Billy Joel - We Didn’t Start the Fire

Musical Links

Morgan Wallen - I Got Better

The Trick That Shapes Every Choice You Make | Mikael Klintman

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0600

How does framing influence the way we think, feel, and act? Sociologist and author Mikael Klintman joins us to explore how framing shapes nearly every part of life — from art and politics to health and everyday conversations. We discuss how subtle shifts in language and context can change our perceptions, why framing itself is neutral but powerful, and how expanding or contracting our frames can unite or divide us. Tune in for practical insights on recognizing framing in action and using it to see the world differently.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Mikael Klintman

[6:29] Framing: A Double-Edged Sword?

[13:02] The Art of Social Influence

[17:07] Rough and Smooth Framing

[22:54] Frame Expansion and Contraction

[30:12] Behavioral Economics and Framing

[36:25] Framing in Everyday Life

[41:23] Music and Framing

[48:04] Grooving Session: Using Framing to Reframe Your Own Mindset

Help Behavioral Grooves stay independent and science-focused by becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation.
Support our work

Links

About Mikael

Framing: The Social Art of Influence by Mikael Klintman

U2 - I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

Musical Links

Randy Crawford - Rio de Janeiro Blue

Freaky Friday: Grooving on Scary Biases

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Happy Halloween from Behavioral Grooves! In the spirit (OoooOoo) of the holiday, we're resharing one of our old episodes exploring the spooky side of biases - why we have them, and how we can overcome them. Tune in while you're painting your face for that halloween party, or maybe play it on the speakers outside to really scare the kids with some cold hard science.

No tricks, just treats — and by treats, we mean thoughtful behavioral science stories told without ads or sponsors.

Help Behavioral Grooves stay independent and science-focused by becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation.
Support our work

The Science of Superstition: Why Our Brains Believe in Magic

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0600

This Halloween, we dive into the spooky science of superstition—why we knock on wood, wear lucky socks, and believe in things that defy logic. From the psychology of control and uncertainty to research on how superstition both stresses and strengthens us, we mix science, humor, and a dash of Stevie Wonder to show why “superstition ain’t the way.”

Topics

[0:00] Happy Halloween from Behavioral Grooves!

[2:08] Common superstitions and their rationality

[6:40] Psychological and cultural aspects of superstitions

[9:13] Superstitions: The positives and negatives

[14:36] The hidden wisdom of Stevie Wonder

[16:14] Why we should be curious about our rituals

Links

Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition

Delacroix, Eva & Valérie Guillard. (2008). Understanding, defining and measuring the trait of superstition.

Stevie Wonder - Superstition

Music Links

Nightmare Before Christmas - This Is Halloween

The Lies We Believe About Control | Dr. Wolfgang Linden

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 01:00:00 -0600

Psychologist and author Dr. Wolfgang Linden joins us to explore why so much of our stress comes not from events themselves, but from our attempts to control them. Drawing on 40+ years of research and clinical experience, he breaks down the “illusion of control” and argues that we only truly have power over two things: how we respond and where we direct our energy. We dive into his emotion–thought–behavior framework, the dangers of suppressing emotions, and how small shifts in attention and behavior can interrupt toxic cycles. From relationships to health to life goals, Wolfgang shows how letting go can actually give us more peace, more agency, and a clearer path forward—sometimes even by knowing when to quit.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Dr. Wolfgang Linden

[6:08] Emotions: friend or foe?

[13:38] Behavior change and depression

[17:51] When to persist vs. when to quit

[26:23] Stress, values, and life priorities

[31:39] Saying yes to opportunities

[36:05] What to do when stuck in a rut

[43:37] Desert Island music

[48:36] Grooving session: attention, focus, and letting go

Links

About Dr. Wolfgang Linden

The Illusion of Control: A Practical Guide to Avoid Futile Struggles by Wolfgang Linden

Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath

Musical Links

Franz Schubert - Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished)

Eight Years Grooving: How to Decide | Annie Duke (Republish)

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0600

This October, we’re celebrating 8 years of Behavioral Grooves! To mark the occasion, we’re digging into our archives and re-sharing some of our most popular and thought-provoking conversations every Thursday for the next two months.

The celebration builds to our Anniversary Event on October 16th in Minneapolis, where fan favorite Nick Epley will lead the audience in a live social experiment and conversation about the science we all love.

🎉 Space is limited—grab your tickets now through the link in the show notes and join us for an unforgettable night of behavioral science, connection, and fun!

And for our final throwback...

Annie Duke returns to discuss her book How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices, a practical guide that helps readers apply decision-making strategies in everyday life. Annie walks us through concepts like the Archer’s Mindset, Free Rolls, and the surprising benefits of negative thinking, all designed to improve goal-setting and outcomes. Blending behavioral science with her signature clarity—and even a few musical shoutouts to Jack White—Annie offers listeners concrete tools to make smarter decisions and, ultimately, happier lives.

Links

How to Decide by Annie Duke

Music Links

Jack White - Archbishop Harold Holmes

Why Who You Know Still Matters | Toby Stuart

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0600

We explore the hidden forces of status and anointment with Professor Toby Stuart, author of Anointed: How Status Shapes Our Lives. Status influences careers, relationships, and how we perceive art, yet as AI blurs traditional markers of merit, society is increasingly relying on shortcuts like pedigree and recognition. We examine the risks, opportunities, and compounding effects of status, revealing how small advantages snowball into lifelong impacts and challenging listeners to rethink how status shapes their world.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Toby Stuart

[8:43] Status-based Bias

[13:49] Status in Art, Music, and Science

[26:34] The Power of Anointment and Status Transfer

[39:39] Status Hierarchies, Networks, and Social Groups

[43:23] The Cosmic Lottery

[48:06] The Future of Status in an AI World

[58:47] What is the Matthew Effect?

[1:01:50] Grooving Session - What Does Status Really Mean?

Links

Behavioral Grooves Live in Minneapolis!

More About Toby

Anointed by Toby Stuart

Duke Ellington - Take the “A” Train

Music Links

Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Eight Years Grooving: Why People Succeed | Bob McKinnon (Republish)

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Space is limited—grab your tickets now through the link in the show notes and join us for an unforgettable night of behavioral science, connection, and fun!

And now - our throwback of the week!

Bob McKinnon—host of the Attribution podcast and author of America’s Dreaming—joins us to unpack the stories we tell about success and failure. Bob challenges the “fundamental attribution error,” showing how luck, privilege, and social connections shape life outcomes far more than we often admit. Together, we explore the ethics of marketing, the hidden role of systemic barriers, and how reframing our narratives can foster empathy and bridge divides. With storytelling, history, and even music woven in, this conversation reveals how compassionate curiosity can help us see both ourselves and others more clearly.

Links

America's Dreaming by Bob McKinnon

Music Links

Neil Diamond - I am…I said

Tracy Chapman - Fast Car

You’re Right - Meetings Are the Worst | Don Kieffer

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Don Kieffer, co-author of There’s Got to Be a Better Way, shares why “common sense” often misguides leaders and how dynamic work design helps organizations thrive. From calling meetings the worst form of organizational abuse to showing why managers can become their own obstacles, Don explains how making work visible and partnering with people closest to the work can unlock both adaptability and efficiency.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Don Kieffer

[7:14] What Leaders Consistently Get Wrong

[10:29] Dynamic Work - What Is It?

[18:42] The Hot Stove Problem

[22:56] When the Boss Becomes the Problem

[28:18] The Power of Whiteboards

[36:01] Meetings: The Worst Form of Organizational Abuse

[42:46] Jazz, Improv, and Better Work Design

[45:44] Grooving Session - Handoffs, Huddles, and Making Work Work

Links

There’s Got to Be a Better Way by Nelson Repenning and Donald Kieffer

About Don Kieffer

John Coltrane - My Favorite Things

Music Links

Pandora Jazz Station

Eight Years Grooving: Delighting in Death | Jodi Wellman (Republish)

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Space is limited—grab your tickets now through the link in the show notes and join us for an unforgettable night of behavioral science, connection, and fun!

And now - this week's episode!

Jodi Wellman, author of You Only Die Once, joins us for a lively and irreverent conversation on how facing our mortality can motivate us to live more fully. Together, we explore why life should be about more than routines and to-do lists, and how prioritizing joy, gratitude, and connection can help us make the most of the limited Mondays we have left. Blending humor with inspiration, Jodi challenges us to be more intentional with our time and to embrace the art of truly living.

Links

You Only Die Once by Jodi Wellman

Music Links

Dave Matthews Band - Satellite

The Cure - Friday I’m in Love

The Secret Psychology Behind 17 Iconic Brands | Richard Shotton

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Richard Shotton joins us to reveal the behavioral science secrets behind 17 iconic brands — from Guinness and Snickers to Apple and Dyson. He explains how psychological biases like concreteness, trigger moments, and the illusion of effort drive real-world success, and why making things easy often beats motivation.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and speed round with Richard Shotton

[7:52] The single bias every marketer should know

[13:09] Guinness and the power of the pratfall effect

[19:32] Snickers, trigger moments, and habit formation

[26:51] Apple’s “1,000 songs in your pocket” and concreteness

[34:32] Dyson, the illusion of effort, and AI’s challenge

[43:25] Lessons on testing vs. relying on survey claims

[46:38] Desert island music

[49:41] Grooving session: key takeaways

[1:09:12] Event announcement

Links

Behavioral Grooves LIVE in Minneapolis

About Richard

Hacking the Human Mind

The Wonder Stuff - The Size of a Cow

Musical Links

CMAT - When a Good Man Cries

Eight Years Grooving: The Psychology of Scams | Dan Simons and Chris Chabris (Republish)

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Space is limited—grab your tickets now through the link in the show notes and join us for an unforgettable night of behavioral science, connection, and fun!

And now - this week's episode!

In this episode of Behavioral Grooves, psychologists Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris—creators of the famous Monkey Business Illusion and authors of Nobody’s Fool—unpack why we so often fall for fraud, scams, and flashy but misleading science. They explain how our biases and love of appealing stories make us vulnerable, and why blanket skepticism isn’t practical. Instead, they share tools for spotting deception, insights into fixing flawed research incentives, and a simple but powerful rule of thumb: trust the people who admit when they’re wrong.

Links

Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It by Daniel Simons & Chris Chabris

The Monkey Business Illusion

Music Links

Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime”

Ani Difranco “Both Hands”

Wax Tailor “Come With Me”

Bjork “Human Behaviour”

The #1 Driver of Employee Wellbeing | Mark Crowley

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Employee engagement scores have been stuck for decades—but belonging and wellbeing might be the missing pieces. We talk with Mark Crowley about why emotions drive behavior, how rituals create culture, and why leading with heart is actually the smartest path to performance.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and speed round with Mark Crowley

[9:05] Why leaders dismiss engagement scores

[11:28] The power of asking “How do you feel?”

[16:50] Reciprocity and authentic care

[20:08] Belonging as the greatest driver of wellbeing

[24:55] Why old leadership myths persist

[28:20] Positive emotions as “emotional currency”

[31:51] Balancing care with accountability

[35:05] Rituals that build culture (and candy stories)

[42:11] Advice for new managers

[46:24] Mark’s desert island music picks

[48:39] Grooving session takeaways

Links

The Power of Employee Well-Being by Mark Crowley

About Mark

Van Morrison - Days Like This

Music Links

George Harrison - Any Road

Eight Years Grooving: Our Quest to Feel Significant | Arie Kruglanski PhD (Republish)

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Space is limited—grab your tickets now through the link in the show notes and join us for an unforgettable night of behavioral science, connection, and fun!

Now, onto the episode!

Distinguished psychologist Arie Kruglanski joins us to unpack his groundbreaking research on motivation and the human quest for significance—the drive that fuels our thoughts, emotions, and actions. We explore how goals serve motivational needs, why intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are more connected than they seem, and how the universal desire for significance can be channeled in both positive and destructive ways. Arie also shares insights from his influential 3N Model of Radicalization, offering a hopeful perspective on how education and alternative pathways can redirect this powerful drive toward more constructive ends.

Links

Behavioral Grooves Live Event!

About Arie

Music Links

Bach - Air on G String

Miles Davis - So What

The Hidden Cost of Your Values | Steve Sloman

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Cognitive scientist Steve Sloman joins us to discuss The Cost of Conviction, exploring how sacred values shape our decisions and why they often lead to polarization. From zealotry to the social roots of belief, Steve reveals why convictions are more borrowed than built—and what this means for hot-button debates in politics, public health, and business. Most importantly, he shares how reframing conversations can reduce outrage, build humility, and open the door to better dialogue across divides.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Steve Sloman

[7:49] How Your Community Shapes Your Beliefs

[13:05] Sacred Values vs. Consequentialism

[19:25] The Psychology of Convictions

[24:48] Do We Only Trust In-Group Experts?

[33:59] The “Sacred Value Trap”

[40:35] How Framing Shifts Consumer Behavior

[47:45] Desert Island Music

[51:59] Grooving Session: How Can We Reframe Our Sacred Values?

Links

About Steve

The Cost of Conviction by Steve Sloman

Neil Young - Rockin’ in the Free World

Music Links

Paul Simon - The Boxer

Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin’

Eight Years Grooving: The Theory of Boredom | George Loewenstein (Republish)

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Space is limited—grab your tickets now through the link in the show notes and join us for an unforgettable night of behavioral science, connection, and fun!

Now, onto the episode!

In this episode of Behavioral Grooves, we sit down with behavioral economics pioneer George Loewenstein, whose groundbreaking research has shaped our understanding of decision-making, risk, incentives, emotions, and so much more. Though not a household name, George is a legend in the field—so much so that Richard Thaler dedicated his book Misbehaving to him. Our conversation explores his latest work on boredom, a surprisingly understudied emotion, and what it reveals about attention, productivity, and even workplace meetings. Along the way, we touch on curiosity, music, and why boredom itself may hold the key to unlocking deeper flow and focus.

Links

About George

Perfectionism Is Holding You Back | Bob Rosen

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Psychologist and author Dr. Bob Rosen joins us to discuss his book Detach and how hidden attachments—like perfectionism, control, and success—often masquerade as virtues while quietly holding us back. We explore practical strategies for self-awareness, facing fears, and transforming attachments into aspirations so you can thrive in work and life.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Bob Rosen

[9:28] Western vs Eastern Psychology

[12:00] Overcoming Attachments and Building Self-Awareness

[21:23] Leadership and Trust in Hybrid Work

[31:48] Internalized Agesim and What It Means

[35:41] Embracing the Ups and Downs of Life

[41:18] Attachment to Life, Loss, and Building Connection

[49:49] Desert Island Music

[52:46] Grooving Session: Focus and Reflection for a Better Life

Links

Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade of Pale

Music Links

Laura Branigan – Gloria

Eight Years Grooving: They Thought We Were Ridiculous - Part 2 (Republish)

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Space is limited—grab your tickets now through the link in the show notes and join us for an unforgettable night of behavioral science, connection, and fun!

Now, onto the episode!

The notion of merging psychology with economics initially faced staunch skepticism, with errors perceived as random rather than systematic. However, everything changed when psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky joined forces, armed with groundbreaking ideas about human decision-making. Their meticulous research not only introduced a fresh perspective on understanding people’s choices but also ignited the flames of Behavioral Economics. Through collaboration with other influential figures in the field, including Richard Thaler, their work spearheaded a transformative movement that challenged conventional economic assumptions, propelled novel ideas forward, and seamlessly integrated psychological theories into economic theory and practice.

Why Most Teams Fail (and How to Fix Them) | Colin Fisher

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Colin Fisher, author of The Collective Edge, reveals why teams—not lone geniuses—drive innovation, how group identities invisibly shape our behavior, and why structure beats process when it comes to collaboration. With lessons drawn from Harry Potter, jazz improvisation, and decades of research, this episode explores the hidden power of teams and how to unleash it.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction: Your Invited to a Behavioral Grooves Celebration!

[3:46] Speed Round with Colin Fisher

[9:02] Who was the real villain in Harry Potter?

[15:45] The Myth of "The Lone Genius"

[22:30] What Jazz Can Teach Us About Group Collaboration

[33:10] The Hidden Power of Being a Team

[37:40] The Role of Structure in Team Performance

[42:35] Belonging and Group Membership

[50:21] Jazz and Team Synergy

[53:17] Grooving Session: The Importance of Team Cohesion

Links

Behavioral Grooves LIVE!

About Colin

The Collective Edge by Colin Fisher

Miles Davis - Freddie the Freeloader

Musical Links

Miles Davis - So What

Steely Dan - Do It Again

Eight Years Grooving: Value of an Open Mind | Jonathan Malesic (Republish)

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

🎉 Space is limited—grab your tickets now through the link in the show notes and join us for an unforgettable night of behavioral science, connection, and fun!

Now, onto our first episode in the countdown - Value of an Open Mind with Jonathan Malesic!

Writer and philosopher Jonathan Malesic explores the dangers of “knowingness”—our tendency to act like we already understand something when we don’t—and how it stifles learning, politics, and even science communication. Drawing on his experience teaching writing, Jonathan argues that writing is not just about words on a page but about cultivating empathy and moral imagination. We also dive into the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and why, despite their usefulness, they can’t replace the human capacity to truly connect with an audience. Together, we unpack what it means to stay humble, keep learning, and communicate more meaningfully in a noisy world.

Links

The End of Burnout: Why Work Drains Us and How to Build Better Lives by Jonathan Malesic

Music Links

Neil Young “Harvest Moon”

Fiona Apple “Criminal”

Everything You’ve Heard About Screen Time Is Wrong | Jay Vidyarthi

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Jay Vidyarthi blends Silicon Valley design expertise with mindfulness practice to show how you can “fight design with design” and create a healthier, more joyful relationship with your tech. Instead of guilt or digital detoxes, he offers strategies for reframing boundaries into rituals, focusing on what’s good about your devices, and making intentional use easy by shaping your environment.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Jay Vidarthi

[9:40] Reconciling Tech and Mindfulness

[15:26] Practical Strategies for Managing Tech

[25:00] The Importance of Tech Design

[32:28] The Impact of AI

[38:18] Self-Awareness to Prevent Burnout

[47:00] Embracing Uncertainty

[50:39] Desert Island Music

[56:28] Grooving Session - Using Tech Joyfully

Links

Behavioral Grooves LIVE Show!

More About Jay

Reclaim Your Mind

The White Stripes - Blue Orchid

Music Links

All Them Witches - Real Hippies Are Cowboys

King Buffalo - Mammoth

How to Stay Grounded When Life Feels Chaotic

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

When life feels chaotic, how do we stay grounded? In this bonus episode, we reflect on a few years of personal upheaval and explore how temporal uncertainty affects our decision-making and well-being. We share behavioral science tools—like micro-anchors, cognitive reframing, and environmental cues—that can help us stay centered when life refuses to slow down.

Topics

[0:00] Intro: What’s Going on with Tim?

[4:29] Impacts of Temporal Uncertainty

[9:50] Cognitive Overload and Decision Fatigue

[13:04] Strategies for Managing Uncertainty

[23:02] Social Connections and Support

[28:55] Final Thoughts and Advice

Links

Behavioral Grooves LIVE Show!

Tribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together by Michael Morris

Why Do Culture Wars Happen? | Michael Morris

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Why do we instinctively form groups, follow leaders, and defend traditions—even when it hurts us? Columbia professor Michael Morris joins us to explore the three tribal instincts—peer, hero, and ancestor—that shape how we cooperate and clash. From case studies at GM and Reddit to the surprising origins of Thanksgiving, we uncover how culture evolves—and how understanding it can make us better leaders, change-makers, and collaborators.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Michael Morris

[6:19] Understanding the Importance of Tribes

[15:05] Peer Instinct and Early Human Coordination

[21:09] Hero Instinct and Status-Seeking Behavior

[29:50] Bottom-up vs. Top-down Cultural Change

[37:58] Case Studies: GM and Reddit

[52:30] Desert Island Music

[56:49] Grooving Session: Applying Tribal Instincts to Leadership

Links

More About Michael

The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil

Music Links

Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone

Get Real About Money | Daniel Crosby

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Dr. Daniel Crosby joins us to explore the soul of wealth — and why your bank account isn’t the best measure of a meaningful life. We dig into behavioral finance, how to align spending with your values, and the power of behavioral judo: using your psychological biases to your advantage.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and speed round with Daniel Crosby

[8:00] What does it mean for wealth to have a “soul”?

[17:00] Consumerism, comparison, and the myth of liquid happiness

[25:10] What is behavioral finance, really?

[30:20] The four big biases: ego, emotion, attention, conservatism

[37:30] Moral spending and voting with your dollars

[48:00] Good Vibrations, theremins, and musical genius

[52:00] Desert island music

[54:00] Grooving Session: The soul of wealth and behavioral judo

Links

More About Daniel

The Soul of Wealth: 50 Reflections on Money and Meaning

Brian Wilson - God Only Knows

Music Links

Radiohead - Creep

TURNSTILE - SEEIN’ STARS

How to Silence Self-Doubt | Rosi Greenberg

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

When author and leadership facilitator Rosi Greenberg found herself overwhelmed by self-doubt, she did something unexpected: she gave her inner critic a name — Sam — and drew him into a whimsical, deeply personal book that blends creativity, vulnerability, and behavioral insight. In this episode, Rosi shares how visualizing and engaging with that critical voice helped her build emotional resilience and lead with more empathy. Together, we explore how naming your inner critic can reframe fear, unlock creative expression, and reshape how we show up for ourselves and others.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Rosi Greenberg

[8:22] The birth of Sam

[11:00] From depression to creative healing

[16:50] How self-soubt shows up in leadership

[24:08] Working with leaders on self-doubt

[35:35] Reframing the Inner Critic

[47:00] Letting go of “shoulds”

[50:28] Desert island music

[52:00] Grooving Session: framing, leadership, and self-talk

Links

Everyone Has a Sam by Rosi Greenberg

The Inner Critic on YouTube

About Rosi

Life in Three Dimensions by Shigehiro Oishi

Music Links

This is Me - Ke$ha

The Happiness Secret You’ve Been Missing | Shige Oishi

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Psychologist Shige Oishi joins us to explore the three dimensions of a fulfilling life: happiness, meaning, and psychological richness. He shares insights from decades of research into subjective well-being and reveals how personality traits, life experiences, and cultural contexts shape what we consider a “good life.” From challenging the “happiness trap” to embracing life’s rich diversity, this conversation is a roadmap for deeper self-reflection and greater fulfillment.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Shige Oishi

[10:28] The Happiness Trap

[18:38] Eudaimonic and Hedonic Approaches to Happiness

[27:30] The Correlation Between Psychological Richness and Personality

[35:00] Gratitude and Social Connection

[44:10] What Makes a Happy Society?

[48:00] Desert Island Music

[1:05:25] Grooving Session: How to Pursue a Fulfilling Life

Links

About Shige

Happiness is Everything, or Is It?

Charlie Parker - Honeysuckle Rose

Musical Links

Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Joy Spring

How Grocery Stores Trick Your Brain

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0600

From candy at checkout to calm music and “limit 4” signs, grocery stores are packed with subtle nudges that influence your behavior. In this month's bonus groove, we uncover the psychological tricks behind supermarket design and how to shop more intentionally.

Topics

[0:00] Intro: The Psychology of Supermarkets

[3:54] Techniques to Make You Buy

[9:47] Checkout Lane Temptations

[11:34] How Music Influences What You Buy

[13:44] Free Samples!

[15:01] Final Takeaways and Practical Tips

Links

In-store Music Affects Product Choice

Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value by William Poundstone

Meaningful Work by Wes Adams and Tamara Myles

Science-Backed Tips to Make Work Worthwhile | Wes Adams & Tamara Myles

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Wes Adams and Tamara Miles join the show to share their 3 C’s framework—Community, Contribution, and Challenge—for creating more meaningful workplaces. Backed by large-scale research and packed with practical leadership advice, this episode explores how small moments, like a thank-you or an empowering gesture, can spark a virtuous cycle of engagement and growth.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Wes and Tamara

[7:40] The Three C’s Framework

[12:44] How Leaders Can Enhance Meaningful Work

[20:26] The Benefits of Meaningful Work

[34:10] The Three C’s in Practice

[41:42] Everyone Follows the Bride

[46:56] Desert Island Music

[51:42] The Importance of Authentic Leaders

Links

About Wes

About Tamara

VIA Character Strengths

Marisa Monte - Ainda Lembro (Portas Ao Vivo)

Musical Links

Taylor Swift - Delicate

Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone

Guns N’ Roses - Sweet Child O’ Mine

Why Brands That Get Personal Win Big | Ken Hughes

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Global behavior expert Ken Hughes joins us for a fast-paced, funny, and thought-provoking conversation about creativity, brand loyalty, and what it really takes to build emotional connections in a digital world. From painting his toenails to drinking his own urine (seriously), Ken shares lessons from a year of trying something new every day—alongside sharp insights on how companies can break out of routine thinking, embrace vulnerability, and create customer experiences that truly matter.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Ken Hughes

[10:44] Efficiency vs. Creativity: Why Getting Lost Matters

[14:54] Creativity in the Workplace

[24:38] Emotional Loyalty and Brand Intimacy

[30:40] Brand Intimacy Examples: United and Virgin Airlines

[39:48] Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

[45:57] Advice for Leaders on Navigating Change

[48:13] Desert Island Music

[51:01] Grooving Session: The Role of Diversity and Creativity at Work

Links

About Ken

Sting - Shape of My Heart

Musical Links

U2 - Vertigo

Why Do We Struggle to Talk About Money? | Abby Davisson

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Abby Davisson, co-author of Money and Love, joins us to discuss why life’s biggest decisions—from careers to relationships—require both emotional insight and rational thinking. She shares her 5C framework for making confident choices, reveals how love and money are more connected than we think, and offers practical tools to navigate values, identity, and financial conversations—no matter your relationship status.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Abby Davisson

[7:59] What Factors Influence Relationship Satisfaction

[13:05] The 5C Framework for Decision Making

[22:46] Applying 5C to Different Life Stages

[32:23] Balancing Finanvial Decisions and Relationships

[39:00] Desert Island Music

[45:00] Grooving Session: Identity, Emotion, and Applying 5C to Your Life

Links

More About Abby

Money and Love: An Intelligent Roadmap For Life’s Biggest Decisions by Myra Strober and Abby Davisson

Beyoncé - American Requiem

Music Links

The Beatles - Come Together

The Real Reason Remote Work Works | Raj Choudhury

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Raj Choudhury joins us to explore how “Work From Anywhere” is more than a trend—it’s a research-backed blueprint for improving productivity, well-being, and talent access. From managing time zones to building culture without offices, Raj breaks down what it takes to make remote work really work.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Raj Choudhury

[4:16] Benefits of Work From Anywhere

[12:14] Challenges and Solutions to Remote Work

[18:50] Real Company Examples: Zapier, Cisco, Atlassian

[24:00] Why Leaders Resist Remote Work

[35:15] Bringing WFA to Traditional Organizations

[42:30] What’s Changed since 2020

[44:00] Desert Island Music Picks

[46:00] Grooving Session: Rethinking How We View Work

Links

About Raj

The World is Your Office by Raj Choudhury

Tulsa Remote Program

Make My Move - Remote Work

Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love

Musical Links

Tagore - Unending Love

Why Do Superstitions Feel So Good?

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Are you like Kurt, stuck wearing a pair of 'lucky socks' every time your team plays, no matter what the outcome of the game turns out to be? In this month's bonus, we explore why we hold onto superstitions, like lucky socks, even when we know they don't work. From BF Skinner's pigeons to social identity theory, we unpack the behavioral science behind our game-day rituals, however irrational, and discuss the sense of agency, control, and belonging that they create.

Topics

[0:00] Intro: Kurt's Lucky Socks

[3:38] The Placebo Effect

[7:27] Mistaking Correlation for Causation

[11:58] Social Identity and Group Belonging

[16:34] The Psychological Benefits of Superstitions

Links

Join our Substack!

Your Product Design Is Biased—Here’s How to Fix It | Alexis Mook PhD

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0600

UX leader Alexis Mook joins us to talk about breaking bias in product design, defending the role of behavioral research inside corporate structures, and making the leap from academia to tech. From wrongful convictions to third-party testing, this conversation reveals why saying “no” might be a researcher’s greatest superpower.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Alexis Mook

[7:50] Alexis’s Role and Journey at IBM

[20:58] Challenges and Biases in UX Research

[22:03] Impact of Research on Product Development

[31:49] The Shift from Academia and Career Satisfaction

[43:10] Grooving Session: Reducing Bias and Challenging Overconfidence

Links

Alexis on LinkedIn

Blink-182 - All the Small Things

Musical Links

Miley Cyrus - Flowers

The Five Words That Change Lives | Zach Mercurio

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 09:43:06 -0600

Zach Mercurio joins us to discuss the power of mattering—why it's a foundational human need and how it can be cultivated through small but meaningful interactions. From leadership strategies to personal stories, we explore how feeling seen, heard, and valued changes everything.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Zach Mercurio

[3:31] Why Mattering Matters

[11:29] Purpose, Meaning, and Mattering: What’s the Difference?

[16:21] Mattering as a Survival Instinct

[26:14] “If It Wasn’t For You…”

[35:22] The Importance of Mattering in Leadership

[40:55] The Role of Mattering in Organizational Culture

[45:37] The Impact of Mattering on Employee Engagement

[49:50] Desert Island Music Picks

[52:42] Grooving Session: Mattering is Common Sense, Not Common Practice

Links

More About Zach

The Power of Mattering by Zach Mercurio

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Won’t Back Down

Music Links

Foo Fighters - The Pretender

Can You Change Your Personality? | Olga Khazan

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0600

What if your personality isn’t fixed? Olga Khazan shares how she deliberately set out to become more extroverted, agreeable, and emotionally stable—using improv, mindfulness, and science-backed strategies. Based on her book Me, But Better, this conversation explores how real change happens, and why connecting with others may be the key to becoming who you want to be.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Olga Khazan

[5:59] Experiment: Can I Change My Personality?

[9:59] Results: What Changed, What Didn’t?

[17:43] Nature vs. Nurture in Personality

[21:46] Personality Traits as Tools for Life

[29:31] Can Older Adults Still Change?

[38:39] Solitude vs. True Connection

[43:45] Olga’s Music Playlist

[45:46] Grooving Session: Working on the Personality We Want

Links

About Olga

Me, But Better by Olga Khazan

Big 5 Personality Test

Nathan Hudson’s Research

ODESZA - The Last Goodbye

Musical Links

Chapell Roan - Good Luck, Babe

Lessons on Life From Hospice Patients | Jordan Grumet

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Hospice doctor, podcaster, and author Jordan Grumet joins us to explore why the traditional idea of “finding your purpose” might actually be making us miserable. Drawing from his work with patients at the end of life, Jordan challenges the pressure to chase big, lofty goals—or what he calls “big P” Purpose—and instead invites us to embrace “little p” purposes: the simple, joyful activities that ground us and connect us to others. From childhood passions to quiet regrets, Jordan shares practical ways to identify what truly lights you up and how to build a life that feels meaningful—without overhauling everything.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Jordan Grumet

[7:01] Why Is Purpose So Important?

[10:52] Why Big P Goals Can Cause Anxiety

[16:43] Childhood Joys, Baseball Cards, & Writing

[19:32] You Can’t Fail Little P Purpose

[24:09] Overcoming Barriers to Purpose

[34:41] Regret vs. Disappointment

[46:25] Grooving Session: Creativity, Cadence, and Purposeful Context

Links

More About Jordan

Earn & Invest Podcast

The Purpose Code by Jordan Grumet

Public Enemy - Don’t Believe the Hype

Musical Links

Third World - Underdog

How to Get Unstuck: Behavioral Science Strategies

Thu, 29 May 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this monthly bonus episode, we tap into insights from our Facebook community to explore what keeps us feeling stuck in our habits and goals. With help from behavioral science, we unpack the hidden forces behind inertia, fear, and comfort zones — and share practical strategies to break free. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and get back in your groove, this one’s for you.

Topics

[0:00] Behavioral Boot Camp!

[2:15] Insights from Groove Questions

[6:34] Self-Confidence

[10:03] Risk Aversion and Community Support

[13:25] Final Thoughts - Trust Your Instincts!

Links

Behavioral Grooves on Substack

What We Value by Emily Falk

The Top Reason You Make Bad Decisions - And How to Stop | Emily Falk

Mon, 26 May 2025 00:00:00 -0600

How do our brains choose what’s important to us? Emily Falk, neuroscientist and author of What We Value, joins us to decode what goes on behind the scenes with our decisions - everything from what to eat for breakfast to how to respond to trolls on social media - and how emotional, rational, and social information is integrated by the brain to guide our choices.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Emily Falk

[8:29] Understanding Value Calculations

[12:58] Research Methods and fMRI

[18:01] Self-Relevance and Social Relevance Systems

[28:41] Defensiveness and Social Norms

[40:49] The Importance of Being "In Sync"

[58:17] The Role or Music in Self/Social Relevance

[1:07:45] Grooving Session: Communication, Social Norms, and Behavioral Science at Work

Links

About Emily

Communication Neuroscience Lab

Dar Williams - As Cool As I Am

Music Links

Indigo Girls - Galileo

Our Best Hope for Global Change | Faisal Naru

Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Faisal Naru traces the explosive growth of behavioral science in policy from 2010 to today, highlighting how Global South nations are using it to address complex problems like poverty and public health. He makes the case for embedding behavioral science teams into organizations long-term—moving from quick “silver bullet” fixes to enduring “golden nuggets” of insight.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Faisal Naru

[6:42] Behavioral Science Policy Units and Global Trends

[15:23] Global Approaches - North vs. South

[24:33] How Different Systems Support Behavioral Science

[36:25] The Golden Nuggets of Behavioral Policy

[48:55] Desert Island Music

[51:22] Grooving Session: The Future of Behavioral Science

Links

About Faisal

OECD

Bob Marley - Is This Love

Musical Links

Dizee Rascal - Baseline Junkie

6 Ways Questions Can Transform Your Life | Elizabeth Weingarten

Mon, 12 May 2025 00:00:00 -0600

What if the key to growth isn’t finding better answers, but asking better questions? In this episode, Elizabeth Weingarten shares insights from her book How to Fall in Love with Questions, exploring how embracing uncertainty can lead to greater self-awareness, resilience, and connection. Blending personal stories, behavioral science, and wisdom from poet Rilke, she introduces the idea of a “questions practice” — a mindset shift that helps us navigate life’s toughest moments with curiosity and clarity.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Elizabeth Weingarten

[11:04] The Power of Loving Questions

[15:50] The Biological Need for Certainty

[21:48] The Role of Patience in Asking Questions

[39:18] Questions and the Role of Behavioral Science

[47:57] Desert Island Music

[50:38] Grooving Session: The Value of Sitting With Questions

Links

More About Elizabeth

Better Life Lab

How to Fall in Love with Questions

Torch Leadership

Chapell Roan - Pink Pony Club

Music Links

Steely Dan - Do It Again

The #1 Reason You Aren’t Happy - Yet. | Mark Fabian

Mon, 05 May 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Economist and philosopher Mark Fabian joins the show to explore how we can move beyond the pursuit of happiness toward a deeper, values-driven life. Drawing from behavioral science, philosophy, and his new book Beyond Happy, Mark challenges the idea of happiness as an end goal and introduces the concept of “generalized flow.” From escaping the hedonic treadmill to cultivating self-awareness and community, this episode is a guide to rethinking what it means to live well.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Mark Fabian

[8:56] Concept of Well-Being and Happiness

[15:45] How to Live a Valuable Life

[25:19] How to Discover Your Core Self

[32:54] Self-Actualization and Community

[42:42] The Role of Flow and Zest in a Good Life

[51:05] Desert Island Music

[56:18] Grooving Session: Zest, Identity, and Reframing Happiness

Links

More about Mark

Beyond Happy by Mark Fabian

Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi’s research on Flow

The Weeknd - House of Balloons

Musical Links

Yuzo Koshiro - Streets of Rage

Hamilton - Wait For It

4 Powerful Ways to Make Conflict Less Stressful | Dr. Joel Salinas and Bob Bordone

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0600

What if we stopped trying to win or avoid conflict—and instead built the resilience to grow through it? In this episode, neurologist Joel Salinas and conflict resolution expert Bob Bordone offer a powerful reframe on disagreement, showing how neuroscience and self-awareness can help us break old patterns and build stronger relationships.

Topics

[0:00] BG Special Announcement!

[1:15] Intro and Speed Round with Joel and Bob

[6:29] What is Conflict Resilience?

[10:41] The Neuroscience Behind Conflict

[18:35] Understanding Our Reflexive Conflict Responses

[25:03] Practical Applications and Examples

[32:15] Neuroplasticity and Changing How We Handle Disagreement

[42:15] Building a Culture of Conflict Resilience at Work

[49:45] Dolly Parton: A Model for Growth?

[53:15] Desert Island Music Picks

[55:15] Grooving Session: Conflict Resilience at Work and Beyond

Links

Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In

More About Joel Salinas

More About Bob Bordone

Billie Eilish - Birds of a Feather

Music Links

Lady Gaga - Abracadabra

Philip Glass - Prophecies

Kelly Clarkson - Because of You

The Most Effective Way to Change People's Minds | David McRaney (Republish)

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this special republish episode science journalist David McRaney joins us to explore the surprising science behind belief, persuasion, and why minds change. We discuss tribal truth, perceptual differences (remember the dress?), and why Step Zero—examining why you want to change someone’s mind—is essential for meaningful dialogue.

Topics

[4:18] Welcome and speed round questions.

[11:18] How minds change vs. how to change minds.

[14:35] How is elaboration different from learning?

[27:27] Mini Grooving Session on the difference between beliefs, opinions and attitudes.

[34:09] Why do you want to change someone’s mind?

[41:03] The moment David realized he should question why, not just how to change minds.

[52:55] Mini Grooving Session on why to change minds.

[57:27] Why some see the dress as gold & white and some see it as blue & black.

[1:18:28] Mini Grooving Session on the dress and the crocs.

[1:22:15] Truth is tribal.

[1:35:33] Mini Grooving Session on having a social safety net.

[1:40:38] What was the catalyst for David becoming interested in conspiracy theories?

[1:46:19] How to get people off the conspiratorial loop?

[1:51:23] What musical artists would David take to a desert island?

Links

How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion by David McRaney

Want to Close the Gender Gap? Start Here | Kweilin Ellingrud

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Kweilin Ellingrud, McKinsey’s Global Chief of Diversity and Inclusion, joins us to discuss The Broken Rung—the missed first promotion that derails many women's careers before they even begin. She shares how to build “experience capital,” why soft skills matter more than we think, and how the right first moves can lead to long-term equity and empowerment. With practical advice for women and leaders alike, this episode is a call to action to fix the ladder from the bottom up.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Kweilin Ellingrud

[5:39] What is the “Broken Rung”?

[12:00] Strategies for Overcoming the Broken Rung

[20:36] Building Skills to Future-Proof Careers

[30:39] Addressing Biases and Cognitive Biases

[35:47] Personal Health and Financial Well-being

[41:10] Desert Island Music

[43:19] Grooving Session - Networking, Bias, and Building Experience Capital

Links

The Broken Rung - by Kweilin Ellingrud, Lareina Yee, and Mareia del Mar Martinez

More About Kweilin

Ed Sheeran - Shape of You

Musical Links

Shakira - La Tortura

Are You Being 'Reasonable' -- Or Just Privileged? | Dr. Rosalind Chow

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Dr. Rosalind Chow joins us to explore how status, power, and perspective shape what we view as “reasonable”—and why marginalized voices are often held to a different standard. From stalled DEI efforts to the illusion of objectivity among dominant groups, Rosalind challenges us to rethink who gets to define what counts as change.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Speed Round

[6:26] The difference between sponsorship and mentorship

[10:13] Why corporate relationships are important

[16:05] Why DEI efforts often stall

[27:00] The moral cost of assimilations

[31:20] Well-meaning allies

[46:56] Desert Island music

[50:15] Grooving Session - The importance of Mentorship

Links

About Rosalind Chow

The Doors You Can Open - by Rosalind Chow

The Social Psychology of Inequality - CUNY Graduate Center

Your Stone Age Brain in the Screen Age

Music Links

Rent - La Vie Boheme

Beatles - Revolution

Reclaim Your Brain and Escape Digital Chaos | Richard Cytowic

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Neuroscientist Richard Cytowic takes us on a journey through the world of synesthesia and how it reveals the fascinating ways our brains interpret reality. But that’s just the beginning. We dive into the challenges of our Stone Age brains in the digital age, busting the multitasking myth, exploring the cognitive costs of social media, and discovering why silence and imagination are more crucial than ever. Tune in to reclaim your focus and rethink your relationship with technology.

Topics

[0:00] Intro: Synesthesia and Richard Cytowic

[4:11] Speed Round: Nature vs Nurture?

[10:06] Social Media - Necessary evil?

[17:52] The myth of multitasking

[28:54] The importance of boredom

[37:06] Why silence is essential

[45:32] Emotional intelligence and resilience

[52:31] Grooving Session: Digital media, mental health, and what lies ahead

Links

About Richard Cytowic

Synesthesia

The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy
Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon Mackenzie
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

Musical Links

Babbling Brook - Background Noise for Work

Forest and River Sounds - Relaxing Background Noise

How to Spark Creativity in Work & Life | Matt Arnold and Adam Hansen

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Creativity isn’t reserved for the select few—it’s in all of us. This episode explores the science behind innovation with experts Matt Arnold and Adam Hansen, uncovering why we doubt our creative abilities and how to overcome the cognitive barriers that stifle new ideas. From breaking free of negativity bias to embedding innovation into workplace culture, this conversation is packed with insights to help you unlock your full creative potential.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction - Are We Natural Innovators?

[6:57] What Blocks Innovations

[12:28] The Power of Brain Breaks

[19:34] Leadership and Fostering Innovation

[29:44] The Interaction of Behavioral Science and Innovation

[40:20] Practical Tips to Foster Creativity

[49:10] How Organizations Can Utilize Innovation

[58:15] How to Overcome Negativity and Bias in Brainstorming

[1:08:09] Innovation Challenges at Big Companines

[1:17:00] Psychological Safety in Innovation

[1:34:45] Why Businesses Struggle with Long-Term Innovation

[1:42:15] Practical Steps for Bringing Innovation to Work

[1:47:30] Grooving Session: Innovation, Science, and How to Manage

Links

Contact Matt Arnold

Contact Adam Hansen

Start Making Sense by Dr. Steve Heine

Music Links

Billie Holiday - Blue Moon

Woody Guthrie - Tear the Fascist Down

Your Behavioral Science Questions (and more!) Answered.

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

It’s about time we put Kurt and Tim in the hot seat! This week, we’re turning the tables and making them answer your questions. Pulling from our recent listener survey, they sit down with their producer to tackle everything from the making of Behavioral Grooves to insights on behavioral science—and, of course, the all-important question of what they’d do with a hippo-sized corgi. Tune in for a fun, behind-the-scenes bonus episode!

Check out our YouTube for a video version of this episode!

Topics

[0:00] New to BG - Ask Us Anything!

[2:03] How Kurt and Tim Met

[4:24] Inspiration to Join Behavioral Science

[8:08] Behavioral Grooves’ Origin Story

[19:28] Behavioral Science Myths and Misconceptions

[30:04] Adopting Behavioral Science in Workplaces

[43:15] Fields That Need Behavioral Science

[47:34] Rhino or Corgi?

Have a Question?

Fill out this survey for a chance to be featured on our next AMA!

The Existential Playbook: How to Make Sense of Your Life | Dr. Steve Heine

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Dr. Steve Heine, cultural psychologist and author of Start Making Sense, joins us to explore the psychology of meaning. We discuss the four essential connections that shape a fulfilling life, why existential anxiety is on the rise, and how nostalgic reflection and storytelling help us make sense of our experiences. Plus, we dive into his “meaning audit” tool—a practical way to strengthen purpose and connection.

Topics

[0:00] Intro - Did Kurt take a psychology class?

[5:24] Speed Round with Dr. Steve Heine

[8:54] Was Sisyphus actually happy?

[10:37] The importance of process over destination

[19:48] Cultural differences in meaning-making

[25:10] Why we rationalize our life choices

[31:17] How storytelling shapes our identity

[42:46] Practical tips for building a meaningful life

[48:42] Grooving session: Building community and connecting with each other

Links

More about Dr. Steve Heine

Joseph Campbell's The Hero’s Journey

Iris Bohnet’s book: Make Work Fair

Music Links

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime

The Beatles - Don’t Let Me Down

Work Isn’t Fair—Here’s How to Fix It | Iris Bohnet

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Can we design workplaces to be truly fair? Behavioral economist Iris Bohnet joins us to explore how implicit biases, stereotypes, and in-group preferences shape decision-making in the workplace—and what we can do about it. From the impact of blind auditions to the power of small structural changes, we dive into science-backed strategies for fostering more equitable organizations.

Topics

[0:00] Episode Intro - Can We Make Work Fair?

[5:58] Speed Round with Iris Bohnet

[7:29] The Hidden Impact of In-Group Bias

[14:35] Implicit Bias and the IAT Test - Explained

[18:44] Nature vs. Nurture in Bias

[24:45] Case Study: NYC Fire Department and Hiring Reform

[35:41] The Power (and Pitfalls) of Incentives and Fairness

[41:35] Desert Island Music

[45:23] Grooving Session: The Impact of In-Group Bias on Organizations

Links

Take the Implicit Association Test (IAT)

Study on NYC Fire Department’s hiring process

About Iris Bohnet

Music Links

Adele - Make You Feel My Love

Bob Marley - Is This Love

Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer

The 10 Conversations You Need to Master at Work | Melody Wilding

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Managing up isn’t about sucking up—it’s about taking control of your career. This week, executive coach and author Melody Wilding joins us to break down the ten essential workplace conversations that help you set boundaries, advocate for yourself, and navigate office dynamics with confidence. From understanding communication styles to negotiating your worth, Melody shares practical scripts and psychological insights that can help you work smarter—not just harder.

Topics

[00:00] Introduction to Melody Wilding

[01:15] Redefining Managing Up: What It Really Means

[02:52] The 10 Conversations That Matter Most at Work

[04:47] How You Teach People How to Treat You

[10:32] Communication Styles: The Key to Navigating Workplace Dynamics

[22:25] The Money Conversation: How to Ask for a Raise the Right Way

[28:15] How to Push Back Diplomatically on Low-Value Tasks

[33:50] The Role of Visibility and Navigating Office Politics

[41:58] The "Me Manual": Understanding & Asserting Your Own Style

[50:16] Finding Your Groove: Melody's Career Journey

[57:35] Grooving Session: Managing Up

Links

Melody Wilding's Website

Managing Up (Book)

Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts

Musical Links

Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body

Why Self-Improvement Is Holding You Back | Oliver Burkeman

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Oliver Burkeman joins us to explore the power of imperfectionism and why waiting for the “perfect moment” is a trap. We discuss how perfectionism, productivity myths, and self-improvement frameworks can hold us back—and why embracing uncertainty is the key to doing meaningful work. Whether you’re looking to improve daily habits or rethink your approach to time and purpose, this conversation will inspire you to take action despite life’s inevitable messiness.

Topics

[00:00] Introduction & Why We Wait for the Perfect Moment

[4:15] Meet Oliver Burkeman: Author of Meditations for Mortals

[9:40] The Illusion of Control & The Productivity Trap

[15:30] What “Imperfectionism” Really Means

[22:45] Why Life Isn’t a Problem to Be Solved

[30:10] How Small Actions Create Big Meaning

[38:00] The Power of Letting Go & Taking the First Step

[45:50] Oliver’s Music Picks & The Importance of Everyday Moments

[1:00:00] Grooving Session: Final Takeaways & How to Apply This Philosophy Today

Links

Oliver Burkeman

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

The Divine Comedy - To The Rescue

Musical Links

Fountains of Wayne - Someone To Love

Lin Manuel Miranda - Surface Pressure

Groove Jams: What's Your Vice?

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0600

If you could remove one vice from your life, what would it be? In this month's Groove Jams, Tim and Kurt are joined by friend of the show Brad Shuck to explore the vices that hold us back. From overworking to doomscrolling, the trio unpacks what they struggle with giving up.

Except for Tim, who somehow avoids the question.

From tacos to self-doubt, tune in for an eye-opening look at the fine line between indulgence and discipline.

Lost Touch? How to Rebuild Friendships and Strengthen Your Social Life | Adam Dorsay

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Dr. Adam Dorsay joins us to explore what it truly means to connect in a digital age. From the four key types of connection—self, others, the world, and something greater—to rekindling friendships and embracing technology for deeper bonds, this episode is packed with insights on building a more fulfilling life. Plus, we (of course) discuss the power of music, social comparison, and why sometimes, all it takes to make someone's day is a simple phone call.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction to Dr. Adam Dorsay
[5:41] Speed Round: Instruments, Languages, and Coffee
[22:36] The Four Types of Connection
[37:12] The Psychology of Savoring and Gratitude
[45:24] Why Are Modern Friendships So Hard?
[1:00:25] - The Driveway Test for Relationships
[1:03:45] - The Power of Music and Live Experiences
[1:12:00] - Key Takeaways on Connection and Joy
[1:30:02] - Closing Thoughts

Links

Learn more about Dr. Adam Dorsay

Super Psyched by Adam Dorsay

Super Psyched Podcast

Mumford & Sons - Lover of the Light

Musical Links

George Michael - Faith

Sigur Rós - Sæglópur

Fact-Checking Love: The Truth About Romance Movies | Eli Finkel and Paul Eastwick

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0600

How accurate are rom-coms when it comes to love? Relationship scientists Paul Eastwick & Eli Finkel, co-hosts of Love Factually, put movie romance under a scientific lens, separating fact from fiction and revealing how Hollywood shapes our real-life expectations about love.

Topics

[0:00] Intro & Welcome to Paul Eastwick & Eli Finkel

[2:00] Coffee, Unicycles, and Speed Round Fun

[6:40] Introducing Love Factually: A Relationship Science Podcast

[10:05] Do Movies Teach Us About Love or Just Reflect Culture?

[15:35] The Rom-Com Myths That Hollywood Keeps Selling

[22:50] What Movies Get Surprisingly Right About Relationships

[30:10] The Power of Micro-Cultures in Romantic Relationships

[35:40] Relationship Science & The Challenges of Studying Love

[41:00] Personal Insights & Favorite Movies from Paul & Eli

[47:45] Music Preferences: The Soundtrack to Love & Life

[49:57] Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Love Factually

Links

Listen to Love Factually

Follow Paul Eastwick

Follow Eli Finkel

The All-or-Nothing Marriage by Eli Finkel

Musical Links

Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes

Pearl Jam - Daughter

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

The Science of a Thriving Relationship | Rachel Glik

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Can love alone sustain a relationship? Probably not. In this pseudo-Valentine’s Day episode, therapist Rachel Glik explores the pillars of a soulful marriage: personal growth, prioritization, and shared purpose. We unpack the “duck effect” of social media’s relationship illusions, the value of embracing friction for deeper connection, and how self-responsibility and communication can turn struggling relationships into thriving ones. Plus, Rachel shares insights from Kabbalah and psychotherapy—because love is in the air, and so is science!

Topics

[0:00] Relationships, Social Media, and the Duck Effect

[6:00] Speed Round with Rachel Gilk

[8:46] Exploring the Four Pillars of a Soulful Marriage

[15:40] Embracing Friction: Why Conflict is a Growth Opportunity

[22:00] The Role of Kabbalah in Relationships

[35:00] Practical Tips for Enhancing Relationships

[40:50] The Love Seat Method

[50:13] Music Preferences

[1:00:00] Grooving Session: Love, Communication, and Personal Growth

Links

Rachel Glik

A Soulful Marriage: Healing Your Relationship with Responsibility, Growth, Priority, and Purpose

Duck Syndrome

Musical Links

Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi

Maggie Rogers - Fallingwater

Angus & Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane

Why Is Everyone So Angry? The Science of Outrage | Kurt Gray

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Why do we see some people as victims and others as villains? Kurt Gray joins us to explore moral typecasting, the prey vs. predator mindset, and why harm is at the heart of all moral debates—whether it’s immigration, free speech, or gun rights. We uncover how our evolutionary instincts shape outrage and polarization and discuss practical strategies for bridging moral divides with personal stories instead of statistics.

Topics

[0:00] Moral Typecasting and Its Implications

[6:47] Intro to Kurt Gray and Speed Round

[10:30] Understanding Outrage and Moral Foundations

[18:30] Evolutions of Moral Psychology and Harm

[30:55] Moral Typecasting and Its Impact

[37:30] The Power of Personal Stories

[46:00] Practical Tips for Navigating Moral Discussions

[53:27] Grooving Session: Empathy, Understanding, and Discussing Divides

Links

Kurt Gray

Outrage: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground

Behavioral Grooves YouTube Channel

Join our Groove Community on Facebook!

Musical Links

Daft Punk – Tron Legacy Soundtrack

My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

Bach - Trumpet Voluntary

Turn a Negative Trait into Your Greatest Strength | Jenny Wood

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0600

What if personality traits deemed “negative” were actually the key to success? In this captivating conversation, former Google exec and author of Wild Courage, Jenny Wood, challenges us to redefine traits like “weird,” “selfish,” and even “manipulative” into powerful strengths. Discover how “nosiness” can spark meaningful connections, “brutal honesty” can establish essential boundaries, and strategic “window-gazing” can unlock breakthroughs in work and life. With humor, actionable tips, and even a surprising oatmeal cookie recipe, this episode will help you embrace your unique path to success.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction

[2:07] Speed Round with Jenny Wood

[4:34] Jenny’s experience with Wild Courage

[16:52] Challenging Traditional Definitions of Traits

[23:03] Practical Applications of Traits in the Workplace

[39:38] The Importance of Being Brutal

[43:23] Playing to Win

[50:34] Grooving Session: The Role of Language and Cultural Shifts

Links

Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It by Jenny Wood

Jenny Wood

Musical Links

Lin-Manuel Miranda - The Room Where It Happens

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars

Pink Floyd - The Great Gig in The Sky

Groove Jams: Inside the Creation of Rock’s Greatest Albums

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0600

If you’ve ever wondered what puts the “Groove” in Behavioral Grooves, this episode has the answer!

We’re diving headfirst into the mesmerizing world of music with the legendary John Bargh to tackle the ultimate question: If you could sit in on the recording of any album in history, which one would you choose?

From the legendary sessions at Island Records to the eternal brilliance of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven, we explore the artistry, spontaneity, and sheer magic behind music’s most iconic moments. Whether you’re a die-hard classic rock fan or just curious about the creative process, this episode will take you straight to the heart of music’s golden age.

We Made a Playlist for You!

Check out all the artists we discussed this week, here

The Data and Influence Behind Your Digital Footprint | Sandra Matz

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0600

What if every digital interaction you had—every like, purchase, or GPS ping—could be used to create a detailed map of who you are? Sandra Matz, a leading behavioral scientist and data researcher, joins us to explore the fascinating world of behavioral residue, the digital traces we leave behind, and their profound impact on our lives.

This episode is a deep dive into the intersection of psychology, technology, and ethics, offering thought-provoking ideas for anyone interested in the future of data and its role in shaping our behavior and society.

Topics

[0:00] - Introduction to Sandra Matz and the concept of behavioral residue.

[4:46] - Speed Round with Sandra Matz

[10:20] - Algorithms vs. human predictions of behavior.

[28:11] - How marketing firms adopted psychological profiling.

[34:56] - Personalized ads: A 55% increase in purchases.

[40:04] - Using data to improve savings habits and mental health.

[44:52] - The concept of echo chamber swaps to reduce polarization.

[49:30] - What lies ahead: Regulation, data co-ops, and taming the digital storm.

[55:18] - Desert Island Music

[57:59] - Grooving Session: Asking for more control over personal data.

Links

Sandra Matz

Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior

The Open Data Institute

Check Your Digital Footprint!

Musical Links

Taylor Swift - Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)

Kolektiv Turmstrasse - Sorry I Am Late

Linkin Park - The Emptiness Machine

Behavioral Science Hacks for Everyday Life | Eva van den Broek and Tim den Heijer

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0600

How can a tiny fly in an airport urinal transform human behavior?

This week, we sit down with Eva van den Broek and Tim den Heijer, authors of The Housefly Effect, to uncover how subtle environmental cues can shape our decisions in powerful and surprising ways.

With Eva’s expertise in behavioral economics and Tim’s background in advertising, they reveal the fascinating impact nudges have on our daily lives. From casino design to placebo crosswalk buttons, the world around us is filled with real-life applications of behavioral science that influence our behavior—even when we know they’re at play.

Join us for practical tips, captivating stories, and thought-provoking insights into how these small interventions can make a big difference in your life. So sit back, relax, and discover the invisible forces of behavioral science all around you.

Topics

[0:00] Intro - Flies in Urinals?

[6:57] Speed Round with Eva and Tim

[10:58] Exploring the House Fly Effect

[22:07] Why Knowing About Nudges Doesn’t Stop Them

[32:20] Regulating Nudges in Online Casinos

[41:36] Personal Applications of Behavioral Science

[50:37] Desert Island Music

[56:17] Grooving Session: The Bigger Picture of Behavioral Science

Links

The Housefly Effect: How Nudge Psychology Steers Your Everyday Behaviour

Illusion of control: Why the world is full of buttons that don’t work

Have You Been Nudged?

Musical Links

David Bowie - Space Oddity

Prince - When Doves Cry

Arooj Aftab - Mehram

Benjamin Britten - Mozart: Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K.183 - 1. Allegro con brio

Kickstart the New Year and Achieve Your Goals | Ayelet Fishbach

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Happy New Year, Groovers!

The start of a new year often brings fresh goals, ambitious resolutions, and a renewed sense of motivation. But what’s the psychology behind this goal-oriented mindset? In our first episode of the year, we’re joined by Dr. Ayelet Fishbach, a renowned expert in behavioral science, to explore the science of achieving goals and rethink the traditional belief that success is all about willpower.

Whether you’re a leader looking to energize your team, a professional pursuing career aspirations, or someone striving to stay on track with personal resolutions, this episode will inspire you to think differently about motivation. Discover how to align your efforts with purpose, make progress more enjoyable, and build lasting momentum to achieve meaningful goals in the year ahead.

Topics

[0:00] Motivation and Willpower - a New Perspective with Ayelet Fishbach

[3:19] The Marshmallow Test and Its Misinterpretation

[7:52] Meta Motivation and Its Implications

[14:28] The Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

[18:17] Problems Around Goal Achievement

[32:41] The Important of Aspirational Goals

[42:58] Strategies for Overcoming the Problem of "the Middle"

[48:33] Key Takeaways

Links

Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation

Motivation Isn’t About Being Strong, It’s About Being Wise

Understanding the Power of Intrinsic Motivation

NIH: Intrinsic Motivation

Building Better Conversations | David Robson [Republish]

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Happy Holidays from Behavioral Grooves!

We're taking a week off to get ready for all the new and exciting content we have in store for our listeners coming in 2025. If you'd like to help us make next year's show amazing please help us by filling out the Behavioral Grooves survey here!

In the meantime, please enjoy this republish of one of our favorite episode this year, enjoy!

How can we turn disagreements into opportunities for growth and connection?

In this episode, Kurt and Tim dive into the science of meaningful conversations with David Robson, author of The Laws of Connection. Together, they explore how to deepen our understanding and build stronger connections with the people around us. Disagreements don’t have to signal the end of a conversation. Instead, with compassionate curiosity and a willingness to listen, we can turn them into constructive dialogues that bridge divides.

Topics

[0:00] A message from Tim

[3:05] Welcome back, David!

[5:27] Intro and speed round

[10:05] Misconceptions about connecting with strangers

[16:59] The importance of social connections

[25:43] The art of successful conversation

[31:09] Creating a shared reality

[34:44] Effective communication strategies for disagreements

[38:42] Using personal experience to persuade others

[42:17] Effective feedback delivery

[53:55] Grooving session: Building connections, overcoming fear, and improving relationships

Links

Kwame Christian’s “Compassionate Curiosity” approach

Trotsky’s principle on empathy and statistics

The Laws of Connection

David Robson

Music Links

Judy Collins - Spellbound

Taylor Swift - Fortnight

West Side Story - America

2024's Best Books to Transform Work, Life, and Thinking

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Want to help us improve Behavioral Grooves? Take our listener survey here!

Looking for your next great read? We’ve got you covered!

It’s time for our annual Best Books episode, where we share the standout reads that inspired and informed us this year. We’ve organized our picks into four categories—Leadership, Work Life, Relationships, and Critical Thinking—to help you find the perfect book for your personal or professional journey.

Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas, practical insights, or even a last-minute gift, this curated list has something for everyone. Join us as we explore the year’s most impactful reads and get ready to turn the page on some life-changing ideas!

Topics

[0:00] Welcome back to Best Books!

[2:37] Best Books for Leadership

[11:56] Best Books for Work Life

[19:23] Best Books for Relationships

[30:05] Best Books for Critical Thinking

[43:18] Wrap up - Happy Holidays from Behavioral Grooves!

Links

Both and Thinking by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis

The Friction Project by Huggy Rao and Robert Sutton

Likable Badass by Alison Green

Is Your Work Worth It? by Christopher Michaelson and Jennifer Tosti-Kharas

Burnout Immunity by Kandi Wiens

The Ritual Effect by Mike Norton

Tightwads and Spendthrifts by Scott Rick

The Laws of Connection by David Robson

12 Questions for Love by Topaz Adizes

May Contain Lies by Alex Edmonds

You Only Die Once by Jody Wellman

Third Millennium Thinking by Saul Perlmutter, Robert M. Coon, and John Campbell

A Year of Living Constitutionally by AJ Jacobs

Musical Links

Kurt's Song of the Year: Ren - Money Ties

Tim's Song of the Year: Lake Street Dive - Nick of Time

Groove Jams: Hypothetical Hangouts – Who Would You Choose?

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

If you could spend a whole day with any historical figure, who would it be—and why? In this solo-sode of Groove Jams, we dive into this fascinating question, blending philosophy, psychology, and a bit of fun as we unpack our companion picks.

From deep questions to unexpected lessons, we explore the impact of history’s iconic figures and the timeless wisdom they could offer. Who would you choose? Tune in for a playful and thought-provoking journey into the "what ifs" of history.

Check out the video version of this episode on YouTube!

Want to win a free book? Write us a review, screenshot it, and send it to our producer caroline@behavioralgrooves.com for your chance to win!

Toxic Productivity Is Sabotaging Your Success | Israa Nasir

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

What happens when the pursuit of productivity begins to harm your health, relationships, and happiness? In this episode, Israa Nasir joins us to discuss Toxic Productivity—the unhealthy obsession with achievement that can take a toll on your well-being. She outlines key warning signs, like disengagement and emotional dysregulation, and explores how societal pressures perpetuate this cycle. But it’s possible to break free. Israa shares practical strategies for reconnecting with your motivations, setting boundaries, and cultivating a healthier, more balanced relationship with productivity.

Want to win a free book? Write us a review, screenshot it, and send it to our producer caroline@behavioralgrooves.com for your chance to win!

Topics

[0:00] Introduction and a Behavioral Grooves giveaway!

[6:59] Speed Round with Israa Nasir

[12:36] Red Flags of Toxic Productivity

[18:04] Slowing Down to Speed Up

[24:47] Generational and Social Influences

[30:07] Myths of Productivity

[35:00] Emotional Awareness and Self-Reflection

[45:23] Practical Advice for Avoiding Toxic Productivity

[53:01] Desert Island Music

[57:50] Grooving Session: Awareness, slowing down, and finding balance

Links

Take the Behavioral Grooves Survey!

More About Israa

Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Emotional Energy in a World That Always Demands More

The Spotlight Effect and Social Anxiety

Let’s End Toxic Productivity

Musical Links

Ella Fitzgerald - Summertime

John Mayer - Free Fallin’

Ghazal Music - Rafta Rafta Wo Meri

What If There’s a Better Way to Solve Your Hardest Problems? | Wendy Smith

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Have you ever felt stuck between two seemingly opposite choices or found yourself seeing the world in absolutes? This week, we’re joined by Dr. Wendy Smith, author of Both/And Thinking, to uncover how embracing paradoxes can help us tackle life’s toughest problems. Wendy shares how shifting from an “either/or” to a “both/and” mindset can unlock better decision-making, foster creativity, and provide solutions to today’s complex challenges—from personal dilemmas to organizational leadership.

In our Grooving Session, we dive deeper into the concept of “both/and” thinking and explore its applications in leadership, personal decision-making, and workplace dynamics. We examine the evolutionary roots of black-and-white thinking and discuss why embracing nuance is more important than ever in our interconnected world. Whether you’re navigating hybrid work policies, parenting challenges, or major life decisions, this perspective offers a fresh lens to solve problems both big and small.

The easiest choice you’ll make today? Saying yes to this episode! Join us for an insightful conversation with Wendy and find out why even ice cream dilemmas are worth a second thought.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction - Ice Cream Dilemmas and Both/And Thinking

[6:14] Speed round with Wendy Smith

[14:22] Understanding Paradoxes and Both/And Thinking

[23:19] Practical Applications of Both/And Thinking

[33:25] Challenges and Emotional Complexity

[40:12] Using Both/And Thinking in Leadership and Personal Life

[45:58] Desert Island Music

[47:42] Grooving Session: How to Embrace Both/And Thinking in Your Everyday Life

Links

Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems

Wendy Smith, PhD

Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman

What is Both/And Thinking?

Musical Links

The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go

Wicked - Defying Gravity

The Influence Equation: Simple Steps to Persuade Better | Steve Martin

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

How can the science of persuasion reshape your workplace?

This week, we sit down with Steve Martin to discuss the principles behind his latest book, Influence at Work, and unpack the “influence equation”—a powerful framework that blends evidence, economics, and emotion to drive ethical and effective persuasion. Steve shares actionable strategies for crafting influence, highlighting how small tweaks in incentives and timing can lead to surprising and meaningful behavioral shifts.

We also dive into why behavioral insights shouldn’t be confined to a single department. Steve argues for embedding these principles across an organization, emphasizing how doing so can elevate decision-making, foster collaboration, and drive positive outcomes at every level.

Whether you're leading a team, managing a project, or navigating workplace dynamics, this conversation is packed with actionable wisdom to help you integrate behavioral science into your day-to-day decisions and harness the power of influence for good. Tune in to learn how understanding and applying these insights can transform not just your organization, but your role within it.

Topics

[0:00] Intro: The Power of Influence in Behavioral Science

[3:51] Speed Round with Steve Martin

[10:56] The Influence Equation and its Applications

[17:12] Everyday Applications of Behavioral Science

[35:41] The Role of Emotion and Timing in Influence

[42:35] Desert Island Music

[46:21] Grooving Session: Influence, the Importance of Incentives, and the Future of Behavioral Science

Links

Influence At Work: Capture attention, connect with others, convince people to act

About Steve Martin

Global Association of Applied Behavioral Scientists

Influence by Robert Cialdini

Musical Links

ELO - Mr. Blue Sky

New Order - Blue Monday

The Beatles - Come Together

Stress-Busting Tips for the Holidays (and Beyond!)

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Between job uncertainty, political tension, holiday anxiety, and the general state of the world, stress and emotional exhaustion are at an all-time high. In this special ‘emergency episode’ ahead of the holidays, we break down why humans often unintentionally create stress through perception—and how our brain’s negativity bias amplifies it.

As you prep your holiday meal, tune in for science-backed strategies to reduce stress, from naming emotions and reframing self-talk to cultivating gratitude. We’ll also explore the power of healthy habits like sleep, exercise, and digital detoxes, plus how social connections—whether with loved ones or strangers—can help build resilience.

Later in the episode, producer Caroline shares her inspiring journey fostering rescue dogs and how it strengthened her sense of purpose and self-efficacy during tough times.

Join us for this timely discussion, and connect with the Groove Community on Facebook to share your own stress-busting tips. Wishing you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Topics

[0:00] Emotional exhaustion and stressors

[5:25] Coping with stress and emotional awaredness

[15:27] Gratitude and journaling practices

[26:08] Healthy habits and reducing stress

[34:58] Social connection and purpose

[39:51] Volunteering and personal growth

[45:12] Conclusion: Managing stress and finding community

Links

Daily Shift Journal

Join our Groove Community!

“A Life Worth Breathing” by Max Strom

Follow Caroline’s Foster Journeys!

The Simple Shift That Transforms Employee Engagement | Brad Shuck

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

What makes a workplace truly thrive? This week, Brad Shuck returns to share how practicing gratitude as an intentional discipline can transform employee engagement and appreciation. We dive into Brad’s three key factors driving workplace culture and productivity, exploring real-world examples illustrating how companies can breathe new life into struggling cultures.

Brad challenges the traditional approach to workplace morale—hint: pizza parties won’t cut it. He emphasizes that culture isn’t a top-down directive; it grows from the ground up. While managers and team leaders may not control the entire organizational culture, their influence at the team level is powerful. They play a vital role in fostering belonging and purpose for employees.

If you’re ready to spark a workplace revolution—one where employees feel safe to speak up, innovation thrives, and gratitude becomes second nature—tune in to hear Brad’s firsthand strategies for transforming your company culture today.

Topics

[0:00] Intro - Gratitude in corporate culture

[5:35] Speed Round with Brad Shuck

[10:54] The role of gratitude in organizational success

[14:42] What role do leaders play in shaping culture?

[22:31] The challenges of cultivating gratitude in a fast-paced work culture

[37:18] Desert Island Music

[41:02] Grooving Session: Work, gratitude, and psychological safety

Links

Brad Shuck

Studies by Brad (et al…)

Above the Line vs Below the Line Leadership

What is Psychological Safety?

Musical Links

Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah

Mumford & Sons - Ghosts That We Knew

Woody Guthrie - Tear the Fascists Down

Groove Jams: Immortality–Blessing or Curse?

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

What would you do differently if you could live for 1,000 years? In this episode of Groove Jams, we’re joined by fan-favorite Annie Duke to dive headfirst into the wild possibilities of a much longer life. The conversation kicks off with a controversial babysitting prank that sparked Annie’s lifelong fear of death, leading to a lively debate about how immortality could reshape society. Would 80-year-old presidents be no big deal? Would archaeology become the most boring subject ever? Join us as we unravel ethical dilemmas, debate questionable life choices, and find out if Annie can finally conquer her fear of mortality.

Don’t wait 1,000 years to tune in—hit play now while it’s still relevant!

The Downside of Dream Jobs | Jennifer Totsi-Kharas

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

This week, we continue exploring jobs, careers, and callings with Jen Totsi-Kharas, co-author of Is Your Work Worth It? For a deeper dive into this topic, check out our conversation with Jen’s co-author, Christopher Michaelson, on last week’s episode!

We sit down with Jen to explore the complex nature of work and how it can be defined as a job, career, or calling, with a particular focus on the potential downsides people face when they try and pursue their “callings”. While having a strong calling can boost engagement and life satisfaction, it also has its risks, including over-commitment, burnout, and a disconnection from the practical realities of one’s career.

Discover who has stronger work satisfaction - orchestral musicians or prison guards, and explore how expectations and daily demands shape well-being across professions. Together with Jen, we discuss how calling can change over time and the importance of self-discovery in aligning work with personal values and aspirations. There is value in finding meaningful work, even if it’s not a perfect calling, and Jen helps us explore the need for a balanced approach that considers both passion and practicality in our career choices.

Topics

[0:00] Intro: Dream job or prison guard?

[4:44] Speed Round with Jen Totsi-Kharas

[10:17] Happiness in “callings” vs. “jobs”

[15:27] The benefits and downsides of callings

[29:46] The difference between callings and jobs

[34:42] The role of callings in different professions

[40:44] The importance of finding meaningful work

[46:37] Grooving session: understanding the nuances of work satisfaction

Links

Jennifer Tosti-Kharas

Is Your Work Worth It?: How to Think About Meaningful Work

Zookeepers, Callings, and the Double-edged Sword of Deeply Meaningful Work

Musical Links

Indigo Girls Closer to Fine

Tori Amos Cornflake Girl (Live)

The Truth About Work and Life Balance | Christopher Michaelson

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Is Your Job a Calling or a Burden?

This week, we jump into the deep and sometimes challenging question: what role does work play in a meaningful life? Christopher Michaelson, one of the co-authors of Is Your Work Worth It? joins us to explore the philosophical and practical aspects of how we view work—as a job, a career, or a calling—and the impacts each perspective can have on our sense of purpose and fulfillment. While a calling can give us profound motivation, Christopher warns that it can also lead to burnout and even exploitation.

One of the most poignant moments in our conversation reflects on research from 9/11, which reveals that for two-thirds of the victims, work was not a defining element in their life stories. This insight reminds us of the importance of balancing work with other meaningful aspects of life. Christopher also shares insights from his personal family history and invites us to redefine success beyond professional or financial achievements.

Together, we consider how our “90-year-old self” might view the decisions we make about work and purpose today, and how these choices impact our journey toward a balanced life. Join us as we dig into the importance of examining our relationship to work to ensure it truly aligns with our broader life goals and values.

Topics

[0:00] Intro

[4:11] Speed round

[12:32] Exploring the nature of work

[22:40] Is having “a calling” a bad thing?

[36:24] Redefining success

[48:30] Desert island music

[53:48] Grooving Session: Work-life balance and living in the moment

Links

Is Your Work Worth It?: How to Think About Meaningful Work

Christopher Michaelson

9/11 Portraits of Grief Project

Musical Links

Phillip Glass “Prophecies”

Allison Russell “Nightflyer”

Boy Genius “Not Strong Enough

Democracy at the Crossroads: Beyond Party Lines

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Has Behavioral Grooves turned into a political podcast?

Not really (ok, maybe kinda it has - but for just a few weeks, we promise ). With the 2024 election days away, however, it’s felt nearly unavoidable for many people, including us. Attending the Norms and Behavior Change Conference (NoBeC), titled, Democracy Under Threat, sparked some essential thoughts and insights that we feel compelled to share.

Democracy relies on fragile social norms that are under serious threat right now. From startling statistics about the rise of autocracies worldwide to the surge in misinformation, it’s clear that a renewed commitment to democratic norms is needed now more than ever. So, here’s a crucial question for all of us to consider: Is party loyalty more important than the stability of our democracy?

Join us to rethink democracy—not just as a system but as a collective responsibility – bound together by shared beliefs. Your voice matters, your vote is essential, and together, we can help fortify democracy. If you don’t have a plan for where and when you’re going to vote, put one together. Get a friend to vote with you. You may feel disenfranchised or fatigued or angry or sad…just make sure you vote. And put a happy spin on your voting experience: celebrate the fact that we can vote by baking an election cake (or election pie or even election cookies) to bring to the polls! Democracy is fragile, please treat it with respect.

Special Thanks to: Cristina Bicchieri, Kaushik Basu, Diana Mutz, Gretchen Helmke, Horacio Larreguy, Christoph Abels, Ryan Enos, Robert Talisse, Giulia Maimone, Erik Groenendyk, Nikos Nikiforkis, Cesar Nuñez, Karine Nyborg, Jan Voelkel and Ryan Enos for their participation in NoBeC and their fascinating research!

Topics

[0:08] Understanding Democracy and Social Norms

[3:07] The Fragility of Democracy

[9:34] Polarization and Media Influence

[17:43] The Role of Political Elites

[19:55] Gratitude and Closing Thoughts

Links

Find Your Polling Place

Polarization Series

Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics

Get Out and Vote!

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

A special message from Kurt and Tim, all the way from Philadelphia:

November 5th is fast approaching, and now, more than ever, participating in democracy matters. Casting your vote isn’t just a civic duty—it’s a way to find your groove in American democracy. Tune in to this short episode for practical advice and inspiration to make your vote count, and join in celebrating the great American experiment!

Groove Jams: We're Throwing Out the US Constitution!

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 08:02:36 -0600

What if you could give the U.S. Constitution a makeover?

Ahead of the 2024 U.S. election, AJ Jacobs joins Kurt and Tim to dive into the lighter side of politics, taking a playful look at what really needs fixing in America’s founding documents (hint: it starts with grammar).

While the spelling of Pennsylvania is no longer up for debate, the trio tackles plenty of other things that could — and maybe should — be changed for the better. What does the 2nd Amendment really mean? Should cabinet members have veto power? Are we missing out on some much-needed retirement parties for Supreme Court justices? Tune in to Groove Jams for a lively conversation and share your thoughts!

After all, it’s a free country!

Want to watch along? Check out the video version on YouTube

How Can We Revive Our Democracy? | AJ Jacobs

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Ahead of the 2024 US Election, Kurt and Tim sit down with bestselling author and serial experimenter AJ Jacobs to discuss his latest project, The Year of Living Constitutionally. AJ spent a year living life according to the principles of the U.S. Constitution, adopting 18th-century customs along the way. From wearing tricorn hats and writing with quill pens to exploring the deeper philosophical underpinnings of democracy, AJ brings history to life while reflecting on the balance between rights and responsibilities, a concept that feels more urgent than ever today.

AJ also shares his mission to revive one of America’s sweetest (and largely forgotten) traditions—Election Cakes! In the 1700s, Election Day was a festival of civic pride, complete with parades, music, and community-baked cakes shared at the polls. In true AJ fashion, he’s on a quest to bring this tradition back, reminding us that democracy can be both a serious and joyful act.

Throughout the episode, AJ, Kurt, and Tim dive into the importance of ‘epistemic humility’ - aka, the acknowledgment that we don’t have all the answers and must remain open to learning. From Benjamin Franklin’s introspection to modern-day challenges of misinformation, AJ challenges listeners to approach life and democracy with curiosity, gratitude, and a willingness to improve both ourselves and our society. So grab a slice of election cake (or pie!) and join us for this thought-provoking, timely conversation on what it means to live constitutionally.

Need help finding a voting location near you? Check here!

Topics

[0:00] Election day traditions

[4:25] Speed round with AJ Jacobs

[9:44] Living Colonially: What I learned

[18:56] Epistemic humility and political perspectives

[23:52] Constitutional originalism

[36:29] How do we frame the constitution?

[40:40] Election cakes and celebrating democracy

[48:52] Embracing experimentation in everyday life

[52:56] Grooving session: open-mindedness, civic duty, and cake recipes

Links

Join our Facebook Group!

AJ’s Substack

The Year of Living Constitutionally

More about AJ

The History of Election Cakes

The US Constitution

Musical Links

Royal American Medley - Songs of the Revolutionary War

Yankee Doodle

The Loneliness Epidemic: Why Are We Avoiding Social Interactions? | Nick Epley

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Why do we avoid the very thing that could bring us more joy—connecting with others?

In this episode, behavioral scientist and human interaction expert Nick Epley returns to the podcast to help Kurt and Tim explore the paradox of social connection. Despite living in a time often described as a loneliness epidemic, many of us still choose to limit our social interactions and shy away from new experiences. While we’re hardwired to thrive on positive connections, anxiety and inaccurate assumptions often hold us back. Nick sheds light on why we consistently underestimate how enjoyable social interactions will be—and how this leads to missed opportunities for meaningful connection.

Drawing from his research at Chicago’s Mindworks facility, where people from all walks of life participate in behavioral experiments, Nick shares fascinating insights into our social nature. His team’s real-world studies have uncovered how our expectations and assumptions can prevent us from fully engaging in new social experiences.

Tune in to learn how our beliefs can shape our social lives and how curiosity and openness can transform any interaction into something rewarding. Nick offers practical advice on how behavioral science can help us lead more connected, fulfilling lives. And hey, next time you’re getting your morning coffee, say hi to the barista—you never know where that small interaction might lead!

Topics

[0:00] Intro: Connecting with strangers

[9:50] Nick Epley and Mindworks research facility

[23:16] Experiments at Mindworks

[30:55] Insights from social interaction experiments

[39:34] The role of expectations in social interactions

[47:01] How to create positive interactions

[51:18] Grooving session: Curiosity, compassion, and engaging with strangers

Links

Mindworks

About Nick Epley

Mistakenly Seeking Solitude

Join our Facebook Group!

Groove Jams: History’s Biggest What-ifs

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Ever wondered what it would be like to snag a backstage pass to history’s biggest moments? In Groove Jams' maiden voyage, Kurt, Tim, and special guest Christian Hunt take on the ultimate bucket list item: time travel. Prepare for a wild ride that’s part history lesson, part “what could possibly go wrong?”

Tune in for a rollercoaster of laughs, deep thoughts, and ethical dilemmas as we explore the slippery slope of time-hopping. What are the risks and rewards? Could curiosity lead to chaos? And most importantly, could we save the Beatles from Yoko Ono?

Top Secrets to Customer Success | Arsanas Savas and Dave Norton

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Co-hosts, meet co-creation! This week, Kurt and Tim are joined by special guests Aransas Savas and Dave Norton, hosts of the Experience Strategy Podcast. Together, they take on one of the biggest challenges companies face: truly understanding what their customers want and need.

Data can be valuable, but how useful is it if you don’t fully grasp the “what” or “why” behind those numbers? Aransas and Dave explain why co-creating with customers is a more effective approach than relying solely on data or assumptions. They dive into how blending behavioral science with experience strategy can create lasting value for both customers and companies, while also breaking through common barriers like internal fears, egos, and dreaded groupthink (shudder).

Listen in to discover how experience strategy complements behavior change and why clinging to past successes can lead to blind spots in a rapidly evolving market.

Ready to take your customer experience strategy to the next level? Tune in and join the conversation—because the future of your business depends on truly understanding your customers. And share your thoughts with Kurt and Tim in our new Facebook Group!

Book a time to talk to Tim about Behavioral Grooves here

Topics

[0:00] Introduction: Customer needs and preferences

[3:14] Housekeeping: BG Updates!

[5:29] Speed Round

[9:35] Customer trends and the importance of outside perspectives

[20:51] Challenges in engaging customers and the role of behavior change

[26:42] Common pitfalls to avoid

[30:30] Grooving session: customer engagement, listening, and considering needs

Links

The Experience Strategy Podcast

Subscribe to our YouTube for Groove Jams!

Join our Groove Community!

Coming Soon: Groove Jams!

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0600

And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for (even if you didn’t know you were waiting)...

Introducing Groove Jams! Tim and Kurt are launching an exciting new video-first mini-series where they dive into wild hypothetical scenarios and tackle thought-provoking questions about human behavior—and so much more. With help from some fan-favorite guests, each episode kicks off with an intriguing question that pushes the limits of imagination and reveals fresh perspectives on the world. Get ready for laughs, “aha” moments, and maybe even a few WTFs, every few weeks starting this October!

Subscribe on YouTube to be the First to See Groove Jams!

Top Tips to Transform Your Business | Scott Young

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 00:05:00 -0600

Now…back to work!

We’re back to the weekly grind this week on Behavioral Grooves and exploring a topic Kurt and Tim know like the back of their hands - Behavioral Science in the workplace. Joined by Scott Young, a seasoned behavioral science practitioner with years of experience in the private sector, they dive into how we can improve work environments by tweaking work policies rather than replacing them entirely.

Scott shares insights from his work and a recent paper he authored for the Behavioral Science Policy Association about the real-world challenges behavioral science practitioners face when working with large corporations. From defining behavior change to navigating organization resistance, the trio explore the challenges of their work and offer practical solutions to overcome these barriers.

Throughout the conversation, Scott walks listeners through a multi-step process for workplace success, focusing on defining goals, understanding content, ideating interventions, and rigorously testing solutions. Tune in for a roadmap for business leaders on how to leverage these concepts effectively by aligning them with existing challenges and integrating them into everyday operations.

Topics

[0:00] Intro and Behavioral Grooves announcements!

[7:39] Speed round with Scott Young

[11:41] Behavioral science in the real world

[15:10] Potential of behavioral science in business

[21:41] Challenges to applying behavioral science in the real world

[31:02] How to frame behavioral science to business leaders

[36:50] Solutions and looking to the future

[41:59] Desert Island music

[46:18] Grooving Session: Integrating behavioral science into organizations

Links

Bridging the Divide - Scott's Paper

BeScy.org

BASF commercial

BSPA

Join our Facebook Group!

Join the Patreon!

Musical Links

Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing

Counting Crows - Hanginaround

Breaking the Cycle of Polarization: What You Can Do for the 2024 Election

Sat, 05 Oct 2024 08:26:55 -0600

So…is there hope? Kurt and Tim think so!

In this wrap-up of our polarization series, Kurt and Tim reflect on how much the political landscape has changed since they started recording last December. With the presidential campaign in full swing and November’s election approaching, it’s more important than ever to critically evaluate the news and information we consume.

In this quick, engaging episode, they revisit the most impactful ideas from their conversations with researchers. From “nut-picking”—focusing on extreme examples of the opposing side—to the challenge of living in a fragmented reality, Kurt and Tim discuss how we can push back against the media’s efforts to keep us divided. Instead, they urge us to focus on bridging divides and coming together for the sake of democracy.

Polarization is powerful, but it’s not unbreakable. So, stay informed, talk to each other, and most importantly—register to vote!

Links

Ep. 434 – What’s Really Driving Political Polarization? The Science Explained

Ep. 435 - Are We Acting Differently Because of Politics? Here’s What the Research Shows

Ep. 436 - A Less Polarized Future: Real Solutions to Heal Our Divided World

A Less Polarized Future: Real Solutions to Heal Our Divided World

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0600

In the final episode of the polarization series, Kurt and Tim delve into "affective polarization," where emotional distrust, rather than ideological differences, has deepened the divide between political parties. Drawing on insights from the recent MIT conference, they explore how these negative feelings have escalated over time. Stanford postdoc Jan Voelkl shares eye-opening research showing a marked decline in positive feelings across party lines over the past few decades.

But there's hope on the horizon! Kurt and Tim explore proven interventions aimed at reducing polarization by fostering cooperation and shared identities. Through game-based approaches and collaborative strategies, they demonstrate that cross-party cooperation is not only possible but achievable. Featured researcher Josh Green explains how his game-based method helps bridge the partisan divide, offering an optimistic outlook for improving political discourse.

The duo also speaks with Kati Kish Bar-On, a postdoc at MIT, who provides a philosophical perspective on polarization and how we engage with one another, while Yph Lelkes offers historical context and a dose of optimism for the future based on the 2022 election results.

The series concludes with a compassionate, forward-thinking conversation, offering practical strategies to critically assess polarized messaging and steps toward healing the growing political divide.

Topics

[0:00] Introduction: A final look at polarization

[4:07] Hope for American democracy - Jan Voelkl

[12:23] Game-based interventions - Josh Greene

[20:28] Polarization: a philosophical perspective - Kati Kish Bar-On

[28:28] History and hope: Yph Lelkes

[31:54] Grooving session - America, democracy, and critical thinking

[41:30] BONUS TRACK: Young scientists look at polarization - Miles and Isaac Rand

Links

Are We Acting Differently Because of Politics? Here’s What the Research Shows

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Why do we so easily form ‘us vs. them’ mentalities, and how does it impact our society?

In the second part of this series, Kurt and Tim dive into the psychological roots of polarization, starting with the famous Robbers Cave Experiment. They explore how easily group identities and loyalties form, even among strangers, and how this translates into in-group loyalty and out-group hostility.

The discussion expands to cover the role geography plays in shaping political views, as explained by researchers like Ryan Enos from Harvard. There’s also a compelling conversation with Ryan about whether polarization is truly worsening or if we’re just more aware of it due to better data.

Kurt and Tim then turn to economists who have studied how our political identities drive us to make decisions that sometimes go against our own interests. Kwabena Donkor from Stanford and Andrea Robbett from Middlebury College tee up studies to disentangle our preferences from our beliefs and they use clever, money-based studies to do so.

Eugen Dimant, from the University of Pennsylvania, examines the societal impact of polarization, from trust and cooperation to the functioning of democratic institutions. The conversation underscores the complexity of polarization and the diverse approaches needed to fully understand and address its consequences. Tune in for deeper insights into the forces shaping our divided world.

Topics

[0:00] Robbers Cave Experiment

[2:42] MIT’s PolarizationSeries

[3:48] Geography and Polarization: Ryan Enos

[14:46] Beliefs and Preferences: Kwabena Donkor

[23:07] The Comorbidities of Polarization: Eugen Dimant

[34:44] Affective Polarization: Andrea Robett

[39:15] Grooving Session: Understanding the gap between what we say and what we do

Links

Want More Behavioral Grooves?

Join our Facebook Group!

What’s Really Driving Political Polarization? The Science Explained

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Are we more divided than ever? How can people see past their differences and come together for the greater good?

In this three-part series, Kurt and Tim explore the psychology behind the rise of political polarization in the United States. Tracing its roots back to the late 60s and 70s, they examine how the advent of cable news has played a pivotal role in shaping today’s divisive landscape.

With insights from researchers around the globe, this episode highlights key findings from interviews conducted at MIT’s Polarization and Politicization conference. Experts from around the world discuss the critical role of perception and how digital platforms can either foster constructive dialogue or deepen the divide between opposing sides.

Polarization is complex—it’s a persistent and growing trend we can no longer ignore. If you’re curious about understanding not only the nature of polarization but also how to combat it, this episode offers a hopeful perspective on promoting cooperation and a shared sense of reality.

Tune in next week for Parts 2 and 3 of this thought-provoking series!

Topics

[0:00] History of Polarization

[2:25] MIT’s Polarization Conference

[6:00] Understanding Polarization: Sandy Pentland

[15:39] Misinformation: David Rand

[27:45] Meta-perceptions and propaganda: Mina Cikara

[36:10] Why do we lack a shared reality? Yph Lelkes

[40:32] The danger of political elites: Josh Greene

[46:28] Grooving Session: How do we create respectful dialogues?

Links

Sandy Pentland’s Media Lab

David Rand - Debunk Bot

Mina Cikara - The Gravity of Groups

Yph Lelkes - Polarization Research Lab

Josh Greene - Josh and the Cooperation Game

Want More Behavioral Grooves?

Join our Facebook Group!

Healthy Habits Made Simple | Monica Reinagel

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Do you struggle with maintaining healthy eating habits?

Are you, like Kurt, stashing Oreos in the basement to avoid temptation? Believe it or not, making small changes to your environment can be more effective for managing your health than relying on willpower alone.

This week, Kurt and Tim are joined by nutrition expert Monica Reinagel—an opera singer turned nutritionist and podcaster. Monica shares her unique insights on weight management and what really matters when starting your personal health journey.

Context is everything when it comes to health decisions. In this episode, they dive into how simple tweaks to your environment, both public and private, can have a big impact on your overall well-being. Tune in for practical tips, expert advice, and the encouragement you need to start making healthier choices that work for you.

Book a time to talk to Tim about Behavioral Grooves here.

Topics

[0:00] Oreo habits and environmental adjustments

[9:22] Introduction and speed round

[13:50] Are New Year’s Resolutions bad?

[20:08] Eating, emotions, and environment

[24:32] From opera singer to nutritionist - finding your passions

[31:35] How we can look at nutrition through behavioral science

[38:30] Tracking nutrition with the Nutrition GPA App

[45:00] Desert island music

[51:32] Grooving Session: influencing behavior by changing your environment

Links

Nutrition GPA app

Monica on Instagram

Change Academy Podcast

Behavioral Grooves Facebook Group!

Musical Links

Bach - Spirits of Meditation - Suite #5 Aria

Mozart - Symphony No. 40 in G minor

The Secret Lives of Cows | Gregory Berns

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Get ready for a moo-ving conversation! This week, Kurt and Tim sit down with Gregory Berns, a psychology professor at Emory University, to explore the secret world of cows. Gregory shares his journey from academic to accidental farmer during the COVID-19 pandemic and how a group of miniature cows changed his life.

There’s moo-re to cows than meets the eye, and Gregory reveals how his farming adventure turned into a real-life exploration of cow psychology, unveiling behaviors that challenge common assumptions. In today’s world, there’s often a disconnect between urban dwellers and livestock, and the trio discusses how we can reconnect with farm life and our food sources to become more conscious consumers.

But that’s not all—tune in to hear how Gregory’s innovative “bud box” techniques show how understanding cow psychology can lead to stress-free handling and trust-building on the farm and beyond. Whether you’re a city slicker or a country dweller, this episode will expand your perspective and leave you with a newfound appreciation for the complex inner lives of the animals around us.

Book a time to talk to Tim about Behavioral Grooves here

Topics

[0:00] A different type of episode!

[2:44] Intro and speed round

[4:49] How does a behavioral scientist start raising cows?

[12:21] Understanding cow personalities

[18:38] Psychology of animal relationships

[27:59] Cow psychology and handling techniques

[36:51] Music and cows

[42:25] Grooving session - understanding our relationship with animals

Links

Gregory Berns

Cowpuppy: An Unexpected Friendship and a Scientist's Journey Into the Secret World of Cows

Psychology Today: Cows

Musical Links

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama

The Band - Don’t Do It

The Beach Boys - Kokomo

Crack the Code: How Women Can Win Big at Work | Alison Fragale

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Do women in the workplace have to choose between being likable and assertive?

This week, Alison Fragale, author of The Likable Badass joins Kurt and Tim to look at the challenges women face in the workplace and how they can overcome. With her powerful concept of the “likable badass”, Alison teaches listeners the art of blending warmth with assertiveness to achieve success without sacrificing authenticity.

Alison unpacks and explores the historical disadvantages women have faced due to gender and stereotypical characteristics that often hinder success. She highlights how women can overcome these traditional obstacles by balancing confidence and kindness, offering practical strategies like positive self-talk, and building an “army of promoters” to elevate their status. Throughout their discussion, Alison emphasizes how small, incremental improvements and effective communication can help women build a strong reputation.

In their grooving session, Kurt and Tim dive deeper into the concept of the likable badass, providing listeners with tangible insights on how small, consistent efforts can significantly impact workplace success and beyond. By focusing on building status rather than seeking power, listeners of all genders can gain valuable insights into self-promotion and confidence in the workplace.

Topics

[0:00] Empowering women in the workplace

[4:20] Introduction and speed round

[8:21] What is a “likable badass”?

[12:20] Challenges faced by women in the workplace

[16:12] How communication helps build status

[27:14] Why we need to self-promote

[30:12] Dangers of self-deprecation

[39:32] Practical tips for becoming a likable badass

[46:12] Desert Island music

[51:20] Grooving Session: the importance of small, incremental improvements and promoting your own success

Links

Likable Badass - How Women Get the Success They Deserve

Join the Behavioral Grooves Newsletter!

Alison Fragale

Linda Babcock - The No Club

Musical Links

Zach Brown - I Remember

Bon Jovi - It’s My Life

Why Generational Labels Are Holding Your Company Back | Jessica Kriegel

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Are generational labels dead weight?

This week—after many technical difficulties and a nearly-forgotten anniversary—Kurt talks with organizational culture expert Jessica Kriegel about generational divides and why they are ultimately pointless and unproductive for both personal and professional growth. Jessica introduces her “culture equation” framework, revealing three critical elements that drive revenue growth and how missing these elements can lead to stagnation.

A key focus of the conversation is the damaging impact of generational stereotypes in the workplace and how ageism, in any form, prevents us from recognizing people’s unique talents. Through compelling examples, Jessica explains how these stereotypes dangerously influence workplace practices—and what we can do to avoid them.

Tim is back from anniversary-dinner bliss for this week’s grooving session, where he and Kurt reflect on the key themes from Kurt’s conversation with Jessica. The duo offers insights on the power of thoughtful communication and how being intentional with our words can shape organizational culture.

Whether you’re a Boomer, Gen Z’er, or anything in between (sorry Gen X and Milennials), this episode has all you need to challenge stereotypes and start bridging those generational gaps.

Topics

[0:00] Generational stereotypes and corporate culture

[6:20] Speed round with Jessica Kriegel

[9:10] Generational labels: a perspective

[23:25] The “Culture Equation” and it’s impact on success

[28:41] The importance of leadership for shaping culture

[36:52] How to align purpose, strategy, and culture

[42:25] Grooving Session: Bridging generational divides with leadership

Links

Unfairly Labeled: How Your Workplace Can Benefit From Ditching Generational Stereotypes

How to get people to give a sh*t | Jessica Kriegel | TEDxStGeorgeStudio

Is Generational Prejudice Seeping into Your Workplace?

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Musical Links

Atmosphere - “Sunshine"

The Beatles - "Eight Days a Week"

The Real Reason Some People Succeed | Bob McKinnon

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0600

This week, we dive into a thought-provoking conversation with Bob McKinnon, host of the Attribution podcast and author of America's Dreaming. Bob unpacks the complex factors that determine success and failure, drawing from his own experiences and broader societal influences. He challenges the "fundamental attribution error," where we often credit personal effort over external factors, and how this bias can distort our perceptions of ourselves and others. Through powerful stories, Bob discusses how systemic barriers and limiting beliefs shape life outcomes, emphasizing the need to recognize the roles of luck, privilege, and social connections in our narratives.

Bob, Kurt and Tim explore the ethics of marketing, the overlooked influence of luck in success, and how reframing our stories can foster empathy. With insights into everything from historical injustices to the power of music and storytelling, Bob offers listeners a fresh perspective on the importance of compassionate curiosity in bridging social divides by creating more inclusive conversations. Tune in to discover how understanding attribution can change the way we see the world—and ourselves.

Topics

[0:00] Intro

[6:03] Speed round

[9:18] Factors contributing to success/failure

[13:53] Attribution and how it affects perceptions and behaviors

[19:21] Attribution error and its impact on behavior and success

[29:30] Success, privilege, and race in America

[35:00] Land grants, race, and attribution

[46:35] Empathy, storytelling, and judging less to improve relationships

[54:00] Music, identity, and belonging

[1:00:29] Grooving session: Attribution and luck in success

Links

The Monopoly Experiment

The Random Factor by Mark Rank

America’s Surprising Views on Inequality

American Dream Score - Bob’s Quiz

America’s Dreaming - Bob McKinnon

Musical Links

Neil Diamond - I am…I said

Tracy Chapman - Fast Car

Luke Combs - Fast Car

The Habit Blueprint: Breaking Bad (Habits)

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:05:00 -0600

Double the Episodes, Double the Insights! This week, Kurt and Tim are back at it, diving deeper into the world of habits, rituals, and routines. In this special double episode, they take us on a journey through the fascinating neuroscience of habit formation, unpacking how the basal ganglia in our brains can shape our behaviors—for better or worse (cue ominous music…).

The discussion moves beyond the basics, examining how our habitual actions can both enhance and sometimes limit our ability to fully experience life’s spontaneous pleasures. Kurt and Tim explore the delicate balance between the comfort of routine and the thrill of novelty, offering fresh perspectives on how to be more intentional about the habits we cultivate.

But it’s not all theory—this is Behavioral Grooves, after all! The hosts dish out practical strategies for breaking bad habits, like adding friction to disrupt automatic behaviors and swapping out old routines for new, more desirable ones. They also remind us that the road to healthy habits is paved with patience, self-compassion, and a steady focus on personal growth.

Topics

[0:00] How we form good and bad habits

[5:09] Do habits and routines impact life's novelty?

[11:04] Breaking bad habits and creating new ones

[16:58] Habits, routines, and rituals for personal growth

Links

Habits: Why We do What We Do

James Clear: Habit Tracker

Brain/Shift Journal

Habits vs Routines

The Habit Blueprint: How Routines and Rituals Shape Our Lives

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Ever wonder why some habits stick effortlessly while others feel impossible to maintain?

In this episode, Kurt and Tim explore the powerful forces of habits, routines, and rituals that shape our daily lives. They dig into what habits are, how they form, and why they're so hard to change. From understanding the role of cues and rewards to distinguishing between habits and routines, Kurt and Tim break down the science and strategies behind these everyday behaviors. They also discuss the importance of starting small, aligning habits with your values, and the often overlooked difference between habits and rituals.

Whether you're looking to kick an old habit or start a new one, this episode offers practical advice and thought-provoking insights. And stay tuned for part two, where they’ll tackle the tricky topic of ending unwanted habits!

Topics

[0:00] Welcome to a solo-sode with Kurt and Tim!

[4:17] Habits and routines: The nuance

[10:45] What differentiates a habit from a routine?

[17:19] Habits, routines, and rituals

[24:36] How to create motivation and achieve goals

[31:32] Creating new habits

[35:07] The key to consistency, grace, and personal growth

Links

Charles Duhigg - The Power of Habit

Wendy Wood - Good Habits, Bad Habits

Brain/Shift Journal: Habits and Goals

Delighting in Death | Jodi Wellman

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0600

“Here is a small fact: You are going to die.” – Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

This week, Kurt and Tim confront death. Well - they confront death and Jodi Wellman, author of “You Only Die Once” in a lively discussion on how we can use mortality as a motivator for living life to the fullest. Wellman bring an irreverent humor to the conversation, as well as inspiring insights on how we can prioritize joy and find meaning in our daily lives.

The trio dives into the heart of Wellman’s philosophy and explores the idea that life is about more than ticking off a to-do lists or sticking to routings. With a mix of anecdotes and insights, they explore how we can shake things up and be more intentional with our time. After all, we only have so many Mondays left to live!

In their grooving session, Kurt opens up about how a brush with death can remind us of life’s preciousness. As they wrap up, they emphasize how the power of gratitude and the importance of connecting with loved ones can help us do more than just breathe - but actually live. Whether it’s finding joy in the everyday or reaching out to someone you’ve lost touch with, the episode is a reminder that living fully means being present, purposeful and - at times - a little irreverent.

Topics

[0:00] How often do you think about death?

[4:33] Introduction and speed round

[10:11] The importance of intentional living

[15:13] Identifying goals and prioritizing personal desires

[22:58] Breaking free from autopilot

[28:17] Near-death experiences

[38:00] Vitality, meaning, and well-being

[43:53] Finding meaning and purpose through self-reflections

[56:20] Confronting death and prioritizing life

Links

Why Some People Love Sad Music

You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets

Four Thousand Mondays

Musical Links

Jason Isbell “If We Were Vampires”

Dave Matthews Band “Satellite”

The Cure “Friday I’m in Love”

Building Better Conversations | David Robson

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0600

How can we turn disagreements into opportunities for growth and connection?

While facts alone may not sway emotions, personal stories can be far more persuasive than statistics. By integrating personal connections into our interactions, we can enhance both personal and professional relationships. Approaching conversations with honesty, precision, and a focus on growth not only improves our communication but also enriches our connections, potentially transforming every aspect of our lives.

Topics

[1:10] Welcome back, David!

[3:32] Intro and speed round

[8:10] Misconceptions about connecting with strangers

[15:04] The importance of social connections

[23:48] The art of successful conversation

[29:14] Creating a shared reality

[32:49] Effective communication strategies for disagreements

[36:47] Using personal experience to persuade others

[40:22] Effective feedback delivery

[52:00] Grooving session: Building connections, overcoming fear, and improving relationships

Links

Kwame Christian’s “Compassionate Curiosity” approach

Trotsky’s principle on empathy and statistics

The Laws of Connection

David Robson

Musical Links

Judy Collins - Spellbound

Taylor Swift - Fortnight

West Side Story - America

Willpower Myths Busted: How to Truly Reach Your Goals [Republish]

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Mythbusters or Behavioral Grooves? This week, we step back in time with Kurt and Tim (2023) to tackle the common belief that willpower alone is enough to achieve your goals. They delve into the critical roles that environment and routines play in goal attainment. Through engaging real-life examples, they demonstrate how small adjustments in your physical and social surroundings can simplify desired behaviors and reduce the need for sheer willpower.

Routines are essential for success, providing the structure needed to support your goals. Tim and Kurt offer practical strategies for minimizing friction and sustaining motivation. By establishing effective routines, you can make goal-oriented behaviors more automatic and less reliant on willpower.

In this republished episode, listeners get to join Kurt and Tim as they groove on the topic, offering actionable advice and insights on creating an environment and routine that support your goals. Tune in to learn how to set yourself up for success with these expert tips.

Topics

[1:25] Willpower is a muscle

[4:12] Making your environment work for you

[7:39] Clutter is distracting

[11:36] Routines and habits

[16:06] Routines that help us achieve our goals

Links

Brain/Shift Journal

Mazuch & Rona (2005), “Creating healing environments: humanistic architecture and therapeutic design”

McMains & Kastner (2011), “Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex”

Wendy Wood, “Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick”

Katy Milkman, “How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be”

Unmasking AI | Ben Manning

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Is AI about to take over the world, or is it simply…misunderstood?

Tim takes on a solo-sode with guest Ben Manning, a PhD candidate at MIT who is currently writing a thesis on the fascinating world of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. They explore the intricacies of AI, defining key terms, and discussing the hierarchy within AI, machine learning, and large language models. From spell check to ChatGPT, the world of AI is diverse and ever-expanding, and Ben explains the potential of AI to assist fields like behavioral science and beyond.

From healthcare to finance, AI has the potential to benefit various fields, but it’s not without it’s limitations. There’s a certain way we can all embrace this technology and understand where and how is the best place to use it.

Kurt jumps back into the game in this week’s grooving session, where he and Tim reflect on the conversation, highlighting key takeaways and discussing their own perspectives on AI. They emphasize the importance of embracing AI for its potential, and not being scared of the “unknown” it presents.

All hail our robot overlords!

Kidding, but tune in this week for a great conversation on a modern invention, and how it applies to our everyday lives.

Topics

[0:00] Quick announcements for Behavioral Grooves!

[6:35] Intro and speed round

[10:27] AI, psychology, and behavioral science

[16:46] Using machine learning in psychology experiments

[21:34] Using AI to study behavior: Benefits and limitations

[28:33] AI in machine learning and desert island music

[30:57] Grooving session: The future of AI - we're nervous but excited

Links

Ben Manning

Large Language Models as Simulated Economic Agents: What we can learn from Homo Silicus

Ben’s Substack

Behavioral Grooves - Sign up for our newsletter!

Musical Links

Sammy Rae & The Friends “We Made It”

The Brook & The Bluff “Halfway Up”

To Save or to Spend? Finding Financial Balance | Scott Rick

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Budget hotel or 5-star experience? Pack a lunch or grab it to-go? Save your money or spend it? Are you a tightwad or a spendthrift?

Scott Rick, author of "Tightwads and Spendthrifts," joins Kurt and Tim on this week’s episode to discuss all things related to personal finance and our relationship with money. Scott explains the distinctions between tightwads and spendthrifts, detailing how these traits influence your financial habits and impact your life and relationships. Through his expertise, Scott offers listeners a unique window into understanding their spending habits and finding the right balance between saving and spending.

The episode also addresses the challenges couples face when they have different financial personalities. Scott and Kurt suggest strategies for maintaining harmony, highlighting the significance of financial compatibility and its effect on overall happiness in a relationship. If you thought gift-giving was just a love language, think again! Scott emphasizes the importance of thoughtful gift-giving and understanding the recipient's preferences, shedding light on how spendthrifts and tightwads approach gifts differently and the significance of effort and sacrifice in making gifts meaningful.

Tune in for this insightful conversation with Scott Rick, packed with valuable insights to help you navigate your financial journey. Whether you’re a spendthrift, tightwad, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a wealth (pun intended) of knowledge to enhance your understanding of personal finance and relationships.

Topics

[4:46] Introduction and speed round

[7:00] Money Management and spending habits

[13:00] Tightwads, spendthrifts, and finding balance

[17:47] How budgeting helps both groups

[22:08] Avoiding financial friction in marriage

[33:43] The financial importance of gift-giving

[37:32] Financial transparency and accountability in relationships

[44:19] Desert Island music

[46:22] Grooving Session - relationships, finance, and finding balance

Links

Tightwads and Spendthrifts: Navigating the Money Minefield in Real Relationships

Tightwads vs Spendthrifts Quiz

Scott Rick

Is Joint Banking the Key to a Happy Marriage?

Musical Links

Pearl Jam “Even Flow”

Mitski “Star”

Inner Power: Secrets to Self-Compassion and Intuition | Emma Seppälä

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Take a deep breath. Step outside. Smell the coffee. Tune in to Behavioral Grooves.

This week, Kurt and Tim sit down with Emma Seppälä, author of "Sovereign," to discuss the importance of understanding and embracing our emotions, practicing self-compassion, and relying on intuition in our decision-making process. In this empowering conversation, Emma emphasizes the transformative power of self-compassion and self-love in our daily lives.

Do you have trouble accepting praise from others? Is your tendency toward self-criticism too automatic? Sometimes, we need to step outside ourselves and reconnect with the world around us to practice gratitude, change our perspective, and erase negative self-talk to improve our mental well-being.

If you’re seeking more agency in life or starting a journey of personal growth, tune in to learn about the impact of self-compassion on relationships and happiness and the importance of intuition in decision-making, creativity, and problem-solving. Join us as we explore these themes and more, offering actionable steps to reclaim your freedom, energy, and power in today’s hectic world.

Topics

[3:30] Thanks to our listeners!

[6:37] Intro and speed round

[11:05] Self-awareness and personal growth

[19:02] Why does society focus on criticism more than praise?

[26:29] Intuition and its role in decision-making

[35:07] Meditation and mindfulness for emotional intelligence

[40:00] Gratitude and mental health

[47:02] Desert Island music

[49:05] Grooving Session: Positivity, praise, and work-life balance

Links

Sarah Glenister, Australasian Change Days

About Emma

Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos

Musical Links

Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, Ancient Chant for Healing & Peace

Indian Flute Music, Compilation

Behavioral Science in the Workplace: Tips and Strategies | Becky Frayer

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0600

This week on Behavioral Grooves, things get personal – or at least professionally personal – as Kurt and Tim are joined by Becky Frayer, founder and CEO of Behavioral Fusion. Becky shares valuable tips and strategies for overcoming challenges in large organizations and explores the practical applications of behavioral science in the business world.

Throughout their discussion, Kurt, Tim, and Becky emphasize the importance of applying behavioral science practices in the workplace. They explain how storytelling and reassurance can be powerful tools for navigating corporate environments. Through personal anecdotes and real-world examples, the trio reveals how to overcome common work obstacles and integrate healthy behavioral science practices into your company’s everyday routine.

Whether you're a skeptic or an embracer of behavioral science, this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice on using behavioral science principles to drive business growth and improve decision-making. Tune in to hear about the fascinating journey of applying behavioral science in corporate America and gain new perspectives on consumer behavior and organizational dynamics.

Topics

[2:42] Intro and speed round

[6:42] Consumer behavior and decision-making in the pharmaceutical industry

[13:30] Using behavioral science to understand consumer behavior

[17:56] Applying behavioral science in business

[27:51] Challenges and insights: applying behavioral science at work

[33:22] The importance of understanding human behavior

[37:54] Desert island music

[40:59] Grooving Session: Using behavioral science insights to drive business success

Links

Dunning-Kruger Effect

Behavioral Fusion

Building Behavioral Science Capabilities in Your Company

Musical Links

Michael Jackson, “Thriller”

Sister Hazel, “Change Your Mind”

Question Everything: The Power of Critical Thinking | Alex Edmans

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0600

How often do you question the 'facts' you encounter in everyday life?

This week, Alex Edmans, author of May Contain Lies, joins Kurt and Tim to question the world around us. They explore the significance of critical thinking and cognitive diversity, highlighting the value of diverse perspectives and evidence-based reasoning. They discuss the differences between facts and statements, the dangers of misleading inferences from evidence, and the impact of perception on communication.

Creating an environment where individuals can express their viewpoints freely is crucial. This includes fostering a culture where a devil’s advocate can provide critical feedback and considering alternative explanations to avoid confirmation bias in our everyday lives.

For a bit of fun (and for Tim too!), Alex explains his research on how music preferences can predict stock market trends and the challenge of separating emotional effects from fundamental factors. During their Grooving Session, Kurt and Tim encourage listeners to apply a scientific mindset when evaluating information and to promote cognitive diversity within their workspaces. Tune in to enhance your critical thinking skills, appreciate the nuances in decision-making, and learn how to foster a culture of scientific inquiry in your workplace and beyond.

Topics

[5:07] Intro and speed round

[9:30] The importance of critical thinking and avoiding confirmation bias

[16:37] Misinformation and how it’s presented

[27:56] How to evaluate scientific claims by checking sources

[33:08] The importance of cognitive diversity

[42:07] Using music to predict stock market trends

[49:26] Grooving Session: Overcoming biases to make informed decisions

Links

Alex Edmans ‘May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases - And What We Can Do About It’

Wason Selection Task

Sports Sentiment and Stock Returns

How Cognitive Biases Influence the Way You Think and Act

Musical Links

Earth, Wind, and Fire “September”

Fleetwood Mac “The Chain”

The Benefits of Shades of Gray Thinking | Saul Perlmutter & Rob MacCoun

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0600

How do we make sense in a world that often seems nonsensical? In this week’s episode, Kurt and Tim team up with Saul Perlmutter and Rob MacCoun, co-authors of Third Millennium Thinking, to try and answer these unanswerable questions for listeners. Together, they bring the scientific method from theory to practice as they explore key aspects of scientific inquiry, probabilistic thinking, and the significance of embracing uncertainty in problem-solving.

Saul and Rob help bring scientific practice into reality and cover various topics from the role of experimentation in identifying cause-and-effect relationships, the importance of assigning probabilities in decision-making, and the virtues of persistence and optimism in tackling challenges.

In today’s increasingly polarized climate, it’s important to understand the value of seeking diverse perspectives to avoid mental traps and the power of collective cognition in decision-making. From probabilistic thinking to scientific optimism this conversation showcases how applying the scientific method can enhance not only our individual way of thinking but our interactions with the world.

Topics

[4:08] Intro and speed round

[7:48] Scientific method and experimentation in various fields

[16:54] Using probability to make informed decisions

[21:34] Dangers of polarization and the importance of making quick estimates

[28:08] Using mathematical estimates to solve problems

[32:55] Scientific optimism in the face of challenges

[43:05] Collective cognition and the importance of acknowledging uncertainty

[50:35] Grooving Session: Using the scientific method to improve thinking

Links

Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense

Nobel Prize - Saul Perlmutter

Rob MacCoun

Steven Pinker

The Law of Group Polarization

Musical Links

Jazz Classics

John Williams, Star Wars

Break Free from Insecure Attachments | Dr. Judy Ho

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 08:40:23 -0600

Have you ever wondered how your childhood experiences influence your adult relationships and behaviors?

This week, Kurt and Tim jump into attachment theory with renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Ho. They explore the different types of secure and insecure attachment, and how our early bonds with primary caregivers shape our developmental years and influence our adult behavior and relationships. Dr. Ho explains how attachment styles can influence our worldview, and how these styles manifest in our self-talk and stress responses. Our past doesn’t define our future, and the discussion highlights the importance of understanding and healing our attachment issues at any age.

And it wouldn’t be Behavioral Grooves without some music! Dr. Ho joins Tim and Kurt (mostly Tim) in a conversation about the therapeutic role music has on emotional regulation and self-care. Music can help replace unhelpful patterns with healthier ones and can help ground us and promote mindfulness.

Mindfulness is key in this week’s Grooving Session, with Kurt and Tim emphasizing the importance of slowing down and being mindful in daily life. Through personal anecdotes and reflections, they wrap up the episode with actionable advice and valuable strategies for personal growth and emotional well-being.

Topics

[5:27] Intro and speed round

[8:19] Attachment theory and its impact on adult behavior

[10:50] Attachment styles and relationships

[15:53] Understanding attachment styles and their impact

[25:07] Self-help techniques to manage emotions

[34:29] The importance of mindfulness

[42:51] Music’s role in self-care

[50:07] Grooving Session: Attachment theory, self-regulation, and mindfulness

Links

The New Rules of Attachment: How to Heal Your Relationships, Reparent Your Inner Child, and Secure Your Life Vision

APA Definition of Attachment Theory

Dr. Judy Ho

Penn State Worry Questionnaire (Free-Abridged)

Mindfulness Meditation

LaFreniere LS, Newman MG. “Exposing Worry's Deceit: Percentage of Untrue Worries in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment,” Behavioral Therapy. 2020 May; 51(3):413-423. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2019.07.003. Epub 2019 Jul 17. PMID: 32402257; PMCID: PMC7233480. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7233480/

Musical Links

Aretha Franklin “Think”

John Lennon “Stand By Me”

Turn Self-Doubt into Success | Martin Gonzalez

Mon, 27 May 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Have you ever struggled with the pitfalls of imposter syndrome in the workplace? Been wracked with self-doubt when leading your teams?

Join Kurt and Tim as they dive into these topics and many more with Martin Gonzalez, co-author of "The Bonfire Moment." They explore the intricacies of leadership, team dynamics, and overcoming obstacles in startups. Martin shares his expertise on uniting teams to solve problems through a unique workshop process and identifies common traps that founders often encounter.

Listen in as Martin opens up about his journey with self-doubt and imposter syndrome as an immigrant, providing a candid look at the human side of leadership. Kurt, Tim, and Martin cover various topics including leadership styles, organizational structures, the pitfalls of over-functioning teams, and achieving a productive work-life balance. While you might never love everything about your job, it is possible to enjoy most of your job if you manage your expectations and strategize for success.

In startups, people issues need to take center stage, and the trio highlights the need for vulnerability, effective communication, and nurturing relationships within growing companies. If you’re looking for new motivation and a confidence boost at work, don't miss this insightful episode packed with valuable takeaways for anyone involved in the startup world!

Topics

[5:58] Introduction and Speed Round

[10:16] What is a bonfire moment?

[14:02] Why soft skills are more important than soft skills

[17:54] Leadership styles and their impact on success

[22:37] Common start-up traps

[32:10] Startup myths, leadership, and best practices

[41:11] Overcoming blind spots and insecurities in leadership

[46:43] Imposter Syndrome and gender stereotypes

[55:04] Productivity, creativity, and music preferences

[1:01:14] Grooving Session: Leadership, emotional intelligence, and scaling business

Links

“The Bonfire Moment - Bring Your Team Together to Solve the Hardest Problems Startups Face” by Joshua Yellin and Martin Gonzales

About Martin

Culture Amp

How Corporate Leadership and Turnover Affect Startup Success

Musical Links

Eric Clapton “Wonderful Tonight”

Elton John “Your Song”

Mozart “Lacrimosa”

Unlearning Silence | Elaine Lin Hering

Mon, 20 May 2024 00:00:00 -0600

When was the last time you wanted to speak up, but were too afraid to?

This week, embark on a riveting exploration of silence with Kurt, Tim, and special guest Elaine Lin Herring, author of Unlearning Silence. Through rich conversation, they delve into the intricate dynamics of power, societal expectations, and the profound impact of silence in our personal and professional lives. Elaine illuminates the hidden complexities behind our communication patterns, urging listeners to challenge ingrained norms and create inclusive spaces where every voice is heard. From dissecting workplace dynamics to sharing personal anecdotes, the trio navigates the journey of self-awareness and collective empowerment with remarkable depth and clarity.

As the conversation unfolds, we invite you to reflect on your own experiences of silence and consider the transformative potential of embracing diverse communication styles. This conversation offers practical strategies for fostering open dialogue and nurturing psychological safety within teams and organizations. Break free from the confines of silence, and learn how to foster a culture of authenticity, innovation, and belonging. Tune in to this enlightening episode as we journey towards unlearning silence and amplifying voices in a world hungry for change.

Topics

[2:34] Introduction and speed round

[4:29] The pros and cons of silence and speaking up

[9:35] Workplace silence and its impact on employees

[15:37] The negative effects of silencing

[20:08] Communication preferences and their impact on team dynamics

[25:16] Creating open communication environments

[34:48] Unlearning silence and social isolation

[46:55] Music’s impact on life

[49:58] Grooving Session: Speaking up and the culture of accountability

Links

Unlearning Silence - How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully

Elaine Lin Hering

What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About Social Isolation

Lessons from The Challenger

Harvard Negotiation Project

Musical Links

Miles Davis - So What

Elevation Worship - Praise

Ketamine Therapy: A New Frontier in Mental Health | Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo

Mon, 13 May 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Ketamine therapy has recently been a hot topic in the mental health industry, but what exactly is ketamine therapy? Who is it for, and what are the benefits/risks associated with it?

Dive into the forefront of mental health innovation with Kurt, Tim, and special guest Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo as they unpack the groundbreaking potential of ketamine therapy as a transformative treatment for depression and anxiety. Dr. Lombardo sheds light on the mechanisms behind ketamine therapy's effectiveness, sharing promising research findings and cautionary notes on its administration under careful medical supervision. Dr. Lombardo goes through the nuances of ketamine therapy, and how to use it as part of a comprehensive mental health strategy rather than a quick-fix solution.

As always, the more you know, the better equipped you are to face life’s challenges. Beyond the cutting-edge realm of ketamine therapy, Kurt, Tim, and Dr. Lombardo look at practical coping strategies and evidence-based practices for enhancing mental well-being. From cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to the healing power of nature and gratitude, they share personal stories and insightful perspectives to empower listeners on their mental health journey. With a compassionate approach and a focus on holistic healing, this episode offers actionable insights and thought-provoking dialogue that promise to inspire and inform.

Tune in for an engaging exploration of mental health and resilience that challenges conventional wisdom and fosters hope for a brighter future. Join the conversation and discover new ways to nurture your well-being, one step at a time.

Disclaimer: The discussion of ketamine in this episode of Behavioral Grooves is purely exploratory and should not be interpreted as medical advice or encouragement to use ketamine. Any consideration of ketamine therapy should be approached cautiously and only under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional.

Topics

[0:00] A quick note from Kurt and Tim on ketamine therapy and depression

[5:38] Introduction and speed round

[7:00] Mental health treatment options and stigma

[12:04] Stress, anxiety, and new frontiers in therapy

[16:32] Mental health signs and seeking help

[21:17] Ketamine therapy for depression and anxiety

[31:21] Combining ketamine therapy with other mental health interventions

[37:05] Educating others on ketamine therapy

[40:17] Desert island music

[46:58] Mental illness, ketamine treatment, and self-care options

[49:28] Grooving session: Mental health treatments, coping strategies, and research

Links

Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo

Mindbloom

NIH on Major Depression

Harvard Medical School: When is KT safe for treatment-resistant depression?

CBT

Musical Links

Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk

Maroon 5 - This Love

The Surprising Benefits of Talking to Strangers | Nick Epley [Republish]

Mon, 06 May 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Originally published as Why Talking To Strangers Is Actually Good For Your Wellbeing | Nick Epley

Embark on a journey of rediscovery as we revisit an episode that's sure to reignite your passion for meaningful connections. Join us as we delve into the timeless wisdom of Nick Epley, whose insights continue to resonate with listeners old and new.

Do you strike up a conversation with a stranger on a plane or while waiting in line? If you don’t already, you will after listening to Nick Epley in this episode. Nick talks through his extensive research about talking to people we encounter and how it actually boosts our wellbeing.

While many of us may default to surface-level exchanges, Nick challenges us to embrace the depths of genuine connection. But let's not forget the elephant in the room – initiating these conversations can be a daunting task. Fear not! Nick equips us with the tools to overcome our hesitations and dive headfirst into meaningful dialogue.

Nick Epley is the John Templeton Keller Professor of Behavior Science and Director of the Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. With his unparalleled expertise in social cognition, Nick sheds light on why understanding one another is often easier said than done. Nick wrote the book “Mindwise: Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want” and through its pages, Nick invites us to peer into the inner workings of the human mind.

As always, hosts Kurt and Tim end the show with a Grooving Session, distilling the essence of our conversation into actionable insights. But if there is just one thing you take away from this episode, dear listeners, is never hesitant to seize the opportunity to pay a compliment.

Topics

[3:40] Welcome and speed round questions.

[4:57] Why it’s better to have a deep and meaningful conversation with a stranger?

[7:18] Why are we reluctant to talk to strangers about something meaningful?

[13:46] Why did Nick start studying undersociality?

[21:06] What happens when strangers talk on a train?

[29:33] How do you start a conversation with a stranger?

[33:20] The benefits of a compliment.

[39:21] Nick’s work in the future.

[43:35] The mind-blowing way to get someone else’s perspective?

[47:49] What music influences Nick.

[51:24] Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing what we learned from Nick Epley.

Links

Nicholas Epley

“Mindwise: Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want” by Nick Epley

Gary Becker

Liz Dunn at University of British Columbia

Music Links

Metallica “Master of Puppets”

David Tolk, piano player “Amazing Grace”

“All Creatures Great and Small” music

Ask the Right Question, Get the Best Answer | Jeff Wetzler

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Could asking the right questions transform your conversations? That’s the question of the week for Kurt and Tim, as they delve into the power of inquiry and active listening with this week’s esteemed guest, author Jeff Wetzler. Jeff, the author of "Ask," shares groundbreaking research and surprising insights about the impact of asking the right questions, offering listeners a roadmap to navigate the complexities of communication with wit and wisdom.

From the boardroom to the dinner table, effective communication skills are essential. Discover how active listening can not only boost productivity and increase employee satisfaction but also foster deeper, more meaningful relationships. Through thought-provoking discussions and real-world examples, Kurt, Tim, and Jeff challenge conventional wisdom to help listeners gain a deeper understanding of how to engage authentically in both their professional and personal lives.

Ready to level up your communication game? Tune in to this episode for actionable insights and inspiration. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or simply a curious listener, get ready to embark on a journey of compassionate curiosity and active listening. Join the conversation and let us know what questions you have about this episode or Behavioral Grooves! We’d love to hear from you.

Topics

[5:40] Introduction and Speed Round

[11:22] The “Ask Approach” and the power of curiosity

[18:00] Effective listening and learning from others

[26:06] Creating a safe space for open communication

[34:43] Using curiosity to interrupt certainty and gain new perspectives

[43:35] Vibe listening and interpreting conversations

[48:51] Desert Island music

[53:51] Grooving session - the importance of asking questions, active listening, and micro-expressions

Links

** Rankin, Paul T. “The Importance of Listening Ability.” The English Journal, vol. 17, no. 8, 1928, pp. 623–30. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/803100. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

Ask by Jeff Wetzler

More about Jeff

What is Active Listening?

Musical Links

Paul Simon - 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover

Indigo Girls - Closer to Fine

Dave Carter and Tracey Grammer - When I Go

Break Autopilot with Intentional Living | Norman Farb and Zindel Segal

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 08:06:02 -0600

Ever find yourself coasting on autopilot a bit too often in your daily routine? Seeking ways to be more present and truly connect with your habits to enhance your life? Join Kurt and Tim on a profound exploration into the world of sense foraging and breaking free from autopilot habits.

In this enlightening episode, Kurt and Tim are joined by special guests Norman Farb and Zindel Segal, esteemed researchers in psychology and neuroscience, and co-authors of the insightful book "Better in Every Sense." Together, they delve into the transformative power of intentional sensory exploration, curiosity, and savoring to elevate everyday experiences. Dive into the complexities of modern life, including the challenges of stress, burnout, and dysregulation, while gaining valuable insights into understanding your ‘default mode’ and the pivotal role of the salience network in directing your focus to the present moment.

Discover actionable strategies for integrating sense foraging into your daily life, from relishing the flavor of your morning coffee to heightening your awareness of the sensations in your environment. In their grooving session, Kurt and Tim underscore the importance of breaking away from habitual routines and fostering mindfulness to improve decision-making and overall well-being. Whether you're seeking to shift your perspective or embark on a journey toward intentional living, this episode offers invaluable guidance to kickstart your transformation. Tune in now and take the first step toward finding your groove!

Topics

[5:10] Intro and speed round

[7:30] Default mode - breaking out and toggling in

[11:56] House of Habit

[18:42] Perceptual inference and active inference

[23:53] How foraging leads to a better life

[29:26] Toggle in for engagement and break away from default mode

[39:12] Sensory engagement and learning

[44:33] Hearing vs. listening

[46:58] Desert island music

[53:44] Grooving session: habits, autopilot, and how to create your own groove moments

Links

Better in Every Sense: How the New Science of Sensation Can Help You Reclaim Your Life

Norman Farb

Zindel Segal

Default Mode Network (DMN)

Paying Attention to Senses Can Help Reset the Mind

Musical Links

The Rolling Stones “Winter”

Underworld “Born Slippy”

Cream “Sunshine of Your Love”

A Tribe Called Quest “Can I Kick It?”

The Secret Power of Rituals | Michael Norton

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0600

What separates a ritual from a habit? Join Kurt and Tim this week as they delve into the intriguing world of rituals and habits with special guest Mike Norton, acclaimed author of The Ritual Effect. Together, they explore the nuances that distinguish rituals from mere habits, shedding light on how rituals infuse our daily lives with meaning and significance.

According to Michael, rituals are more than just actions; they're meaningful celebrations or purpose-driven practices that elevate our routines. From something as simple as brushing your teeth to larger group activities, the trio discusses how rituals add depth and emotion to our everyday experiences.

As the episode unfolds, Kurt, Tim, and Mike examine how rituals impact not only individuals but also relationships and work teams. They navigate the delicate balance between rituals that unite and those that divide, emphasizing the importance of consensus in fostering a sense of belonging and satisfaction.

Through personal anecdotes and keen insights, the trio offers listeners a thought-provoking journey into the profound influence of rituals on behavior, perceptions, and relationships. Don't miss out on this enlightening discussion! Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the rituals that shape our lives. And if you enjoy the episode, be sure to rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform—we'd love to hear your thoughts and continue the conversation.

Topics

[5:33] Intro and speed round

[10:24] Is brushing your teeth a ritual?

[14:00] The benefits and limitations of rituals and habits in daily life

[20:19] Rituals in relationships

[24:00] The meaning behind group rituals

[33:20] Corporate team-building activities

[42:33] The role of music in cultural rituals and traditions

[51:27] Grooving session: Rituals and their meanings in daily life

Links

The Ritual Effect

Michael Norton

Michael's TED Talk - Why Rituals Matter

Musical Links

The Band “Atlantic City”

Gillian Welch “I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll”

Buddy Holly “Rave On”

Arlo Guthrie “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”

The Science of Influence: Nudges in Action | Silvia Saccardo

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Dive deep into the realm of behavioral science with Kurt and Tim this week as they explore the scalability of behavioral nudges and interventions through the groundbreaking research of Silvia Saccardo. Discover how Silvia's work sheds light on the effectiveness of interventions, from COVID-19 vaccination reminders to improving student sleep habits.

Unveil the nuanced impact of nudges and their effectiveness for motivated individuals, as Silvia shares insights from her studies and personalized intervention strategies. In their discussion, Kurt and Tim dissect the implications of Silvia's research, emphasizing the importance of precision in deploying nudges for maximum scalability and impact.

Join the conversation to learn how understanding behavioral principles can revolutionize intervention customization, catering to diverse contexts, populations, and behaviors. Gain invaluable insights into shaping habits effectively through cues and rewards, empowering you to encourage desired behaviors in everyday life. Tune in and unlock the secrets of behavioral science with practical applications.

Topics

[6:17] Intro and speed round

[11:18] Scalability and the effectiveness of interventions

[14:19] COVID vaccination reminders: Study

[26:15] Sleep interventions and their impact on academic performance: Study

[34:21] The effectiveness of cue rewarding in sleep interventions

[40:12] The impact of small incentives of sleep habits

[47:19] Desert island music

[51:39] Grooving Session: Nudges, scalability, and interventions in behavioral science

Links

Silvia Saccardo

Behavioral Nudges Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations

Improving Educational Performance Through Better Sleep Habits

Musical Links

Måneskin “OFF MY FACE”

Taylor Swift “Cruel Summer”

Ed Sheeran “Thinking Out Loud”

Unlock Workplace Happiness | Gonzalo Camiña Ceballos

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Curious about how prioritizing happiness can transform leadership and workplace dynamics? Well, look no further than this week’s discussion with Gonzalo Camiña Ceballos, CEO of BeWay, a Mexico City/Madrid-based company paving the way in bringing the principles of behavioral science to the workplace. In this conversation, Kurt, Tim, and Gonzalo dive deep into the realms of humanistic management, personal fulfillment, and the concept of “eudaimonic leadership”, and how all these factors can make or break your experience in the workplace.

Gonzalo emphasizes the importance of prioritizing the happiness and fulfillment of employees to achieve organizational success and challenges conventional leadership norms while advocating for a more holistic approach to employee well-being. In a post-pandemic world where RTO mandates are on the rise, all of us need to find deeper connections and meaning in our jobs. Throughout the conversation, Gonzalo helps us to see a future where people have passion and purpose in their work and feel a greater sense of community in their daily jobs and beyond.

Join Kurt, Tim, and Gonzalo as they navigate the intersections of leadership, happiness, and personal fulfillment, offering thought-provoking insights into redefining success and finding your groove in both work and life. Whether you're a leader seeking innovative approaches to organizational management or an individual on a quest for personal growth and self-discovery, this episode offers valuable perspectives and inspiration to guide you on your journey.

Topics

[4:18] Intro and speed round

[6:55] Behavioral science in corporate work departments

[16:13] Using behavioral science in debt collection

[26:53] Career development

[31:06] Prioritizing employee happiness in business

[35:47] Leadership, employee happiness, and scalability

[41:27] Desert island music choices

[46:08] Finding one's groove in life

[54:17] Grooving session: leadership, management, and behavioral science

Links

BeWay - The Behavioral Way

Are Happy Employees More Productive?

Musical Links

Shakira “La Tortura”

Post Malone “Circles”

Tuned In or Tuned Out? | Nuala Walsh

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:01:00 -0600

So many voices, who do we listen to? The loudest, most senior or most popular voice?

Our lives are rife with pivotal moments yet it’s harder to get decisions right. However, amidst this whirlwind, we at Behavioral Grooves recently made a resounding decision – to tune in and sit down with a guest who could help us untangle the intricacies of decision-making in the modern noisy world.

Enter Nuala Walsh, the insightful author of “Tune In – How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World”. Joining Kurt and Tim, she delves deep into the labyrinth of misjudgement, reveals the ten PERIMETERS™ traps dissecting the cognitive mechanisms that stop us hearing the voices that really matter. In this illuminating dialogue, the trio navigates the idea of psychological ‘deaf spots’ – why we tune out and offers pragmatic strategies for becoming a more powerful and influential Decision Ninja.

Discover the significance of concepts like ‘tuning in’ versus ‘tuning out’, and how our biases can be exacerbated by unchecked information filtering and neglected interpretation. Arm yourself with the revolutionary SONIC framework and explore the notion of ‘decision friction’.

Throughout the conversation, Walsh provides fascinating examples and actionable insights to recalibrate our thought processes towards more deliberate and well-considered judgement calls. Judgment isn’t taught but it is assumed especially in positions of power.

As always, our episode culminates in a Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim, where they bare personal anecdotes of cognitive biases and memory lapses – showcasing the myriad ways our judgment can be swayed.

Whether you’re grappling with a monumental decision or not, this episode is a must-listen for all. Don’t fall victim to the narrow thinking of the PERIMETERS effect – tune in and make more socially responsible decisions, not just to protect your career but to save time, money and lives.

Topics

[5:50] Introduction and Speed Round

[10:42] Tuning in/out in a noisy world

[15:13] Decision-making and the impact of individual choices

[19:48] Ethics and whistleblowers

[22:57] Cognitive biases and judgment traps

[30:14] Decision-making strategies and mindset

[37:01] Desert island music choices

[40:39] Grooving session: Attention, focus, and savoring everyday moments

Links

Nuala Walsh's Website

Tune In

Global Association of Applied Behavioral Sciences

Course: The Science of Well-Being

www.mindequity.co.uk

Musical Links

Celine Dion “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”

Bruce Springsteen “Dancing in the Dark”

Depeche Mode “Enjoy the Silence”

The Burnout Breakthrough | Kandi Wiens

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 00:58:00 -0600

March always feels like one of those months where you hit a slump. Work is back in full force, there are no holidays in sight, and life can start to feel a bit overwhelming like you can’t catch a break. In other words, if you’re reading this, you might be feeling burnt out.

But what exactly is burnout? Is it real? Or is it just a dramatic way of saying “I’m tired”? Join Kurt and Tim as they chat with Dr. Kandi Wiens, author of Burnout Immunity, about the very real psychological syndrome of burnout and how it can affect our day-to-day lives. In this episode, Dr. Wiens explores the symptoms of burnout and teaches us how we can build immunity to burnout through emotional intelligence and self-awareness.

In this insightful interview, Dr. Wiens emphasizes the signs of escalating stress levels and offers practical and easily implementable strategies for stress management in your daily life. Fighting burnout isn't just about a quick fix; it's about reevaluating work priorities and self-perception—and yes, the role of music in emotional regulation, much to Tim's joy!

The episode winds down with a grooving session between Kurt and Tim, where they discuss how they’ve experienced burnout in their own lives and offer listeners actionable steps to safeguarding against burnout and fostering emotional resilience in the workplace and beyond. If you are feeling at risk for burnout or have experienced it in the past, you won’t want to miss this episode!

Topics

[3:58] Introduction and Speed Round

[6:02] Burnout and common symptoms associated with it

[15:25] Workplace burnout and generational differences

[20:05] Strategies for avoiding burnout

[29:57] Managing stress and uncertainty at work

[34:26] Emotional intelligence, self-care, and negative self-talk

[39:47] Music’s role in emotional regulation

[44:56] Grooving session: Burnout, stress, and language

Links

The Burnout Quiz

Burnout Immunity: How Emotional Intelligence Can Help You Build Resilience and Heal Your Relationship with Work

Dr. Kandi Wiens’ Website

Musical Links

Garth Brooks “The Dance”

Dave Matthews Band “Ants Marching”

Turning Anxiety into Assurance | Dr. Julia DiGangi

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 00:58:00 -0600

We’re back to our regularly scheduled program this week and full of energy - or should we say Energy Rising?

Join Kurt and Tim as they embark on a captivating exploration of emotional intelligence in this episode featuring Dr. Julia DiGangi, author of "Energy Rising." Delve into the intricate relationship between neuroscience and emotions as Dr. DiGangi uncovers the transformative potential of understanding our emotional landscape.

Discover how our emotions serve as the catalyst for our actions and choices, and why confronting emotional discomfort is crucial for personal evolution. Dr. DiGangi advocates for embracing uncertainty and anxiety, highlighting how these experiences can foster deeper connections, self-awareness, and confidence.

Through insightful analysis, Kurt and Tim delve into Dr. DiGangi’s perspectives on trauma recovery, the incremental growth of emotional intelligence, and the significance of starting small to build resilience gradually. As they say, you don’t start skiing on a black diamond – it’s all about mastering the bunny slope first (unless, of course, you’re Kurt, but that’s a story for another podcast).

If you’re seeking inspiration to push beyond your comfort zone and challenge your own stagnation, tune in to glean wisdom from Dr. DiGangi on how to fortify your resilience and elevate your energy. Discover the transformative power of emotional intelligence and witness your energy soar.

Topics

[5:52] Intro and Speed Round

[8:55] Emotional pain and how it impacts our lives

[13:54] Emotional intelligence and decision-making

[24:17] Embracing pain for personal growth

[32:36] How emotions impact our nervous system

[38:11] Trauma, healing, and the intersection of science and faith

[48:40] Desert Island music

[50:23] Grooving Session: Emotions, risk, and uncertainty

Links

John Bowby’s Attachment Theory

Marcus Aurelius - Mediations

Energy Rising: The Neuroscience of Leading with Emotional Power

Dr. Julia DiGangi

Musical Links

The Eagles “Hotel California”

John Mayer “Gravity”

Don Henley “The Boys of Summer”

Grooving on: Starting a Movement

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0600

In their final wrap-up, Kurt and Tim reflect on their recent series "They Thought We Were Ridiculous" and the insightful conversations they shared with leading figures in behavioral economics.

Throughout this engaging discussion, they delve into how small, dedicated groups have catalyzed significant shifts in both thought and practice within the field. They emphasize that behavioral economics didn't emerge fully developed; rather, it required the combined efforts of brilliant minds, collaboration, and unwavering perseverance in the face of adversity to shape the impactful field we know today.

During the episode, Kurt and Tim stress the importance of effecting change from within existing systems and encourage listeners to identify and capitalize on fortunate opportunities. Success isn't by chance - it often hinges on embracing uncertainty and seizing unforeseen circumstances.

Tune in for invaluable insights into the evolution of behavioral economics and discover actionable strategies for driving meaningful change in your own pursuits. Don't miss this exciting conclusion to our series—a compelling exploration of human behavior and the transformative potential of collaboration and perseverance.

Whole Series Available Now!

Episode 1: Beyond Anomalies

Episode 2: Importing Psychology

Episode 3: Children of Unlikely Parents

Episode 4: Behavioral Economics Goes Mainstream

Episode 5: The Future

Grooving on: Side Projects

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 00:01:00 -0600

Join Kurt and Tim as they exhale a collective sigh of relief and take a moment to reflect on the completion of their monumental project, "They Thought We Were Ridiculous" (available now! Wherever you listen to podcasts).

In this captivating conversation, Kurt and Tim delve into the wealth of insights they've gleaned from their immersive and unexpectedly prolonged journey into the annals of behavioral economics history. From navigating the intricacies of managing a side project within a side project to riding the tumultuous waves of multi-party collaboration, they candidly explore the peaks and valleys of their remarkable experience.

But true to the essence of "Behavioral Grooves," Kurt and Tim infuse a touch of scientific rigor into their reflections. They dissect the hurdles they encountered, drawing upon their knowledge of behavioral science and human tendencies to dissect how these factors both aided and hindered them along the way. After all, they know all too well that the planning fallacy isn't just a catchy term—it's a very real phenomenon!

As you unwind with Kurt and Tim, they invite you to peer behind the curtain at the making of "They Thought We Were Ridiculous," offering invaluable insights gleaned from their journey. Whether you're embarking on your own side project, contemplating the launch of one, or find yourself mired in the midst of one, let Kurt and Tim be your trusted guides, imparting thoughtful wisdom and sharing their firsthand experiences every step of the way.

Whole Series Available Now!

Episode 1: Beyond Anomalies

Episode 2: Importing Psychology

Episode 3: Children of Unlikely Parents

Episode 4: Behavioral Economics Goes Mainstream

Episode 5: The Future

...Ridiculous Ep. 5: The Future

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:04:00 -0600

Exploring the future of Behavioral Economics, we talked to three young researchers who are pushing the field further. A new generation of researchers is striving to understand decision-making in the developing world, how brains process economic decisions, and how bigger, more transparent scientific methods can shed light on basic principles of choice.

However, the journey toward new discoveries is not without its challenges. Behavioral Economics faces an identity crisis amid shifting perspectives, prompting a reevaluation of its approaches. Discover how this introspection may catalyze a more pragmatic ethos within the field, prioritizing real-world impact over theoretical abstraction. Join us as we navigate this nuanced landscape, engaging with the innovative minds shaping the future of behavioral economics with a blend of boldness, innovation, and pragmatism.

Discover

How behavioral economics is revolutionizing farming in developing nations
Discover groundbreaking revelations about the decision-making process
Why there needs to be shift towards transparency in scientific practices to ensure a brighter future
The new collaboration between Behavioral Economists and tech innovators and what it means for the future

...Ridiculous Ep. 4: Behavioral Economics Goes Mainstream

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:03:00 -0600

Eventually, Behavioral Economics emerged as an influential perspective. It’s become mainstream in Economics, and it’s helped inform programs and policies that affect real people every day. But where do we see this impact? Explore the pervasive influence of Behavioral Economics in our everyday lives and beyond, from shaping individual decision-making to informing government policy design. Witness the ongoing evolution of this once radical field as it continues to inspire innovation and shape policies for better societal outcomes.

Discover

Explore how behavioral economics conquered economics’ stronghold
Discover how psychology integration sparks innovative retirement savings solutions
Uncover the UK and US government’s bold ventures into science-driven policy making
Witness the global expanison of behvioral insights teams and their impact on addressing complex societal challenges

...Ridiculous Ep. 3: Children of Unlikely Parents

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:02:00 -0600

Behavioral Economics was using psychology to understand economics, but what did economists and psychologists think about their unexpected marriage? Slowly, this fledgling field weathered a flurry of criticism from both sides as it doggedly held onto data-driven ideas about economic decision-making. This tension epitomized a broader struggle within Behavioral Economics, which aimed to harmonize insights from both disciplines while challenging traditional economic paradigms.

Embark on a journey that wasn't always smooth sailing. Unearth the fundamental clash between economists and psychologists, revealing their contrasting views on empirical evidence and theory. From contentious debates over ownership to deliberations on what to name it, the path to integrating these fields was filled with unforeseen twists, turns, and triumphs.

Discover

Economists push back to new behavioral approaches
How psychologists fought for a seat at the table
Where did the name “behavioral economics” come from?
The benefits we gain from integrating disciplines and perspectives

...Ridiculous Ep. 2: Importing Psychology

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:01:00 -0600

Discover

Are errors random or systematic? The challenges of merging psychology with economics
Why we rely on quick mental shortcuts in decision-making
How a single question can short-circuit the rational mind
The importance of marrying psychology and economics for understanding our behaviors

...Ridiculous Ep. 1: Beyond Anomalies

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0600

For decades, neoclassical economists clung to the belief that humans are rational decision-makers, but a daring group of social scientists dared to question this notion. Join us as we explore their pioneering work, from the revolutionary concept of bounded rationality to the eye-opening Cab Driver Study. Through meticulous observations and rigorous analysis, these trailblazers shattered the status quo, ushering in a new era of economic thought.

Discover how real-world scenarios defied the rationality assumption, from the baffling fluctuations in stock market behavior to the surprising insights gleaned from everyday decision-making. As we unravel the complexities of economic behavior, we invite you to join us on a radical journey of discovery and transformation. Together, let's challenge traditional notions, advocate for a more nuanced understanding of human behavior, and pave the way for a brighter future in economics and beyond. This is more than just a podcast—it's a revolution.

Discover

Are humans really rational decision makers?
The radical concept of bounded rationality
The surprising ways in which workers don’t optimize their earnings
How the stock market defies pure rationality

Make Great Decisions | Elspeth Kirkman

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 23:58:00 -0600

Feeling indecisive? Ever wondered what it takes to master the art of decision-making? Join us on a thrilling journey with Elspeth Kirkman, the brilliant mind behind the groundbreaking book 'Decision Scape: The Art of Getting Perspective.'

In this episode, Kurt and Tim dive deep into the captivating world of decision-making as Kirkman takes us on an adventure through the intricacies of perspective. What if decision-making was more than just a process – what if it was an art form? Prepare to be captivated as we explore the four pillars of perspective – distance, viewpoint, composition, and frame – and uncover their essential role in navigating life's choices.

Buckle up and get ready to challenge your perceptions as we delve into the profound influence of language, culture, and even the power of voice in shaping our decisions. Are you ready to embrace multiple perspectives and unlock the secrets to making informed choices? Kirkman's insights offer a fresh and dynamic approach to decision-making, empowering listeners to navigate life's complexities with newfound clarity and introspection. So, what are you waiting for? Make the right decision and tune in!

And don’t forget to stay tuned to Behavioral Grooves for exciting upcoming announcements! Like, share, and follow us on social media for more exciting updates on our new, limited series They Thought We Were Ridiculous coming out later in February!

Topics

(0:50) Important Behavioral Grooves announcement!

(6:17) Introduction and speed round

(12:19) The relationship between decision-making and art

(18:38) The importance of perspective

(26:31) Language’s impact on decision-making

(36:26) Taboo words, culture, and anxiety

(43:52) Music preferences and writing habits

(50:05) Grooving Session: Decision-making and creativity

(1:15:19) “Another Orion” by Tim Houlihan

Links

Decision Scape: The Art of Getting Perspective by Elspeth Kirkman

The Statue of David by Michelangelo

Behave by Robert Sapolsky

"They Thought We Were Ridiculous": Five-part series on the history of behavioral economics - Coming Soon!

Music Links

Tim Houlihan "Another Orion"

Smashing Pumpkins "1979"

Lucinda Williams "Can't Let Go"

Trailer: They Thought We Were Ridiculous

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Anticipation mounts as the countdown begins! Prepare to immerse yourself in the riveting saga of They Thought We Were Ridiculous, set to premiere and stream on your Behavioral Grooves feed come February 26th!

Two great podcasts. Three years of recording and research. Interviews with the Nobel Laureates, esteemed professors, and policymakers at the heart of a movement. It all combines to tell the unlikely story of how a group of tenacious thinkers pushed back against tradition and built ideas with impact.

Across this five-part series, we highlight the remarkable evolution of behavioral economics. From a group of rogue psychologists and economists who were openly ridiculed at conferences to a vital voice in government policy and corporate governance. Behavioral economists shape the way decisions are made. After they entered the fray, economic theory would never be the same.

Join Kurt, Tim, and Andy as we celebrate the culmination of three years of relentless dedication, unveiling a meticulously crafted five-part series that promises to captivate and inspire. Mark your calendars for February 26th, when this transformative saga will unfold in its entirety. Don't forget to subscribe, tune in, and engage with us as we delve into the riveting world of behavioral economics. Together, let's embark on this extraordinary journey!

Links

They Thought We Were Ridiculous Website

LinkedIn: Behavioral Grooves

Instagram: @behavioralgrooves

Facebook: Behavioral Grooves

Twitter: @behavioralgroov

Unlocking Intimacy: The Power of Questions | Topaz Adizes

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Could a simple question be the key to unlocking deeper, more meaningful relationships?

Join Kurt and Tim on a special Valentine's Day episode of their podcast as they explore the transformative potential of simple questions in relationships with Topaz Adizes. Author of "12 Questions for Love" and founder of the innovative project {THE AND}, Topaz shares insights into creating intimate spaces for conversations and mastering non-judgmental listening.

Together, they delve into the profound impact of well-constructed questions, emphasizing their role in promoting personal growth and deeper connections. Drawing from rich experiences observing human behavior, Topaz offers invaluable advice on deep listening and reframing questions for meaningful dialogue. Whether you're coupled up or flying solo, tune in to discover practical strategies for fostering more fulfilling relationships and cultivating genuine connections in every aspect of life.

Topics

(0:00) St. Valentine’s Day and special announcements

(6:21) Introduction and speed round

(10:47) Creating space for relationship exploration

(15:59) Reframing questions for personal growth

(23:15) Deep listening and connection in relationships

(35:13) Asking powerful questions to improve relationships

(39:31) The power of deep conversations

(47:29) Deepening relationships through emotional articulation

(59:09) Grooving on relationships and communication

Links

The Skin Deep

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-_lLdOVYCxsxHMzUsVYsXg

12 Questions on Love

Collins, Hanne K, et al. “When Listening Is Spoken.” Current Opinion in Psychology, Elsevier

Newcomer, Sarah N, and Kathleen M Cowin. “Collaborative Conversations for Culturally Sustaining, Socially Just Pedagogy: Creating a Safe Space for Dialogue and Practice.”

Musical Links

Bob Marley “Buffalo Soldier”

John Coltrane “Blue Train”

The Key to Boosting Retirement Savings | John Beshears

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 23:55:00 -0600

Ever wonder how to boost your retirement savings? Could the subtle art of behavioral economics hold the answer? Join Tim in this solo-sode as he explores this with guest John Beshears. Uncover the impact of automatic enrollment on participation rates and the potential downside of increased debt. Beshears' research reveals unique strategies, like framing savings as "fresh starts." Maximize your savings and delve into the evolution of behavioral economics with Tim and John in this weeks captivating episode.

Topics

(7:43) Introduction and Speed Round

(12:23) The Impact of Auto-Enrollment on Retirement Savings

(16:41) The Psychology Behind Financial Decision Making

(22:31) Automatic Enrollment, Savings, and Employee Debt

(33:48) Long Term Effects

(37:37) Reframing Savings and “Fresh Starts”

(46:04) Jazz Music and Productivity

(52:35) Grooving Session: Behavioral Science and Retirement Savings

Links

Automatic Enrollment and Financial Stress

Fresh Start Approach to Savings

Behavioral Economics in Action Conference

Seaweed Farmers and Pod Sizes

Behavioral Grooves Patreon

Musical Links

Charlie Parker at Massey Hall

Mose Allison "Everybody Cryin' Mercy"

Lightnin' Hopkins "What Kind of Woman is This?"

Phillip Glass "Opening"

Decoding Behavior Change | Bri Williams [Republish]

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 23:00:00 -0600

It's time for a throwback episode!

Dive into the land down under of behavioral sciences with Bri Williams, a trailblazer in applying behavioral principles to the business landscape. As a devoted follower of visionaries like Dan Ariely, BJ Fogg, and Richard Thaler, Bri recognized the need for more than just frameworks in the business community – they needed practical tools. Founder of PeoplePatterns, Bri transforms the abstract concepts of behavioral science into actionable strategies for business leaders.

In this enlightening conversation, Bri unveils her unique model focused on dismantling barriers to behavior change: apathy, paralysis, and anxiety. Explore intriguing topics such as priming and Bri's keen observations of nudges in the world. Delve into her book, "Behavioural Economics for Business," and enjoy the journey as we explore various rabbit holes including... origami of toilet paper?

Join us in this immersive conversation with Bri Williams. Share this episode with a friend, and let's expand the community of behavioral science enthusiasts together!

Topics

(4:08) Introduction and Speed Round

(7:11) Developing a Behavioral Framework

(13:23) Business Model for Behavior Change

(18:50) Comparing other models

(25:15) Origami of Toilet Paper with Lou Carbone

(33:00) 3 Tips for improving habits

(39:10) Music recommendations

(41:56) Grooving Session

Links

Behavioural Economics for Business

Training and Coaching with Bri

Origami Toilet Paper

Musical Links

Pauline Herr "Limitless"

Angus & Julia Stone "Chateau"

Mapping Out Our Minds | Linnea Gandhi

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 23:00:00 -0600

Set sail into the uncharted waters of behavioral science with Kurt and Tim on a captivating journey led by PhD candidate Linnea Gandhi. Together, they explore the revolutionary concept of Nudge Cartography, a groundbreaking initiative that seeks to map the intricate landscape of behavioral nudges – those subtle interventions designed to shape human behavior. If you're scratching your head wondering, "Nudge Cartography? What's that?" fear not! Kurt and Tim are your fearless guides, ready to unravel the mysteries and implications of this fascinating exploration.

Nudge Cartography challenges the traditional view of academic research in behavioral science, urging practitioners to see research papers not merely as products but as essential marketing tools. Linnea Gandhi, in her insightful observations, emphasizes the transformative power of understanding the world through research and the need to use that understanding for positive change. Kurt and Tim navigate through the implications of this perspective, discussing the critical role of replication in research and the broader mission of comprehending the world to drive meaningful improvements.

Curious about the specifics of Nudge Cartography? Tune in to this episode as Kurt and Tim decode the project's significance, shedding light on regional variations in responses to behavioral interventions. Join the conversation and embark on a thought-provoking expedition that challenges the norms of behavioral science while providing valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and curious minds alike.

Topics

(0:07) What is Nudge Cartography?

(3:55) Computational social science and mapmaking

(8:21) Mapping behavioral science with experiments

(15:33) The importance of generalizable knowledge in science

(21:29) Developing a nudge experiment database

(28:17) Using data to understand human behavior

(36:25) Closing thoughts, work processes, and musical preferences

(38:23) Grooving on Nudge Cartography

Links

Behavioral Grooves Patreon

Beyond Playing 20 Questions

Computational Social Science Lab at UPenn

Musical Links

Charlie Puth "Lipstick"

Classical Music "Best Of" Compilation

Adapt, Recover, Grow: Mastering Resilience | Dr. Jonathan DePierro

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0600

What is resilience, and how can we cultivate it in our lives? In this episode, delve into the fascinating world of resilience with an exclusive interview featuring Dr. Jonathan DePierro, author of the insightful book "Resilience." Join Kurt and Tim as Dr. DePierro defines resilience as more than just bouncing back; it's the ability to adapt, recover, and grow stronger in the face of life's challenges.

Discover the practical applications of resilience skills in navigating everyday stressors and gain a deeper understanding of the brain science behind building resilience through the power of social support. Dr. DePierro shares his experiences working with 9/11 responders and healthcare professionals during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering valuable insights into how resilience can be a guiding force in times of crisis.

This episode isn't just about individual resilience – it extends to the organizational level, providing valuable takeaways for creating resilient communities. Learn how to foster a culture of adaptability and growth that can withstand the tests of time.

Tune in to gain a profound understanding of resilience and explore practical strategies for developing it in your own life. Dr. Jonathan DePierro's expertise and real-world experiences make this episode a must-listen for anyone seeking to navigate life's uncertainties with strength and resilience.

Topics

(4:50) Introduction and Speed Round

(8:47) Resilience and Growth in the Face of Challenges

(12:55) Coping with Trauma

(17:23) Resilience, Optimism, and Social Support

(28:58) Building Resilience in Individuals and Organizations

(38:59) The Power of Music to Evoke Memories and Emotions

(45:01) Reframing Experiences and Building Resilience

(48:37) Grooving Session: Resilience and Problem-solving in Challenging times

Links

Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges

Mount Sinai's Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth

Musical Links

Gregorian Master of Chant Fix You

Hercules Film A Star is Born

Elton John Bennie and the Jets

Earth, Wind, Fire September

Paul Simon You Can Call Me Al

Cracking the Communication Code | Ben Guttmann

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 23:55:00 -0600

Kurt and Tim kick off the new year with communications expert Ben Guttmann in an episode on simplifying messages.

Ben's seemingly simple lessons pack a punch, offering a treasure trove of insights into mastering clear and concise communication for both personal and professional success. Join Kurt and Tim as they navigate through Ben's five key principles, uncovering the secrets to crafting communications that truly hit the mark. From prioritizing benefits to maintaining focus, ensuring salience, embracing empathy, and adopting minimalism, the trio explores how these principles can transform your messaging strategy.

Discover how large organizations often lose sight of what customers are looking for and gain valuable insights into Ben’s exploration of effective vs. ineffective slogans and taglines for businesses. Unpack the importance of employing the 10-100 most common words and learn how testing messages with an "enlightened idiot" can be a game-changer.

Whether you're a cog in a corporate machine or an individual seeking to sharpen your communication skills, this episode offers practical lessons on making your message resonate and connect. Kickstart the new year with a communication overhaul and be sure to share this episode with anyone in your life in need of a communication refresh. Don't miss out on the keys to killer communication – like, share, and tune in now!

Topics

(4:29) Introduction and speed round

(9:23) Simplifying communication in a busy world

(14:15) Bridging the gap between message creators and receivers

(23:43) Effective marketing strategies for big corporations

(34:41) The 1000 most common words for clear communication

(39:33) Communicating with aliens and desert island music

(45:59) Grooving Session: Communication and breaking through clutter

Links

Ben Guttman Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win (and How to Design Them

Randall Munroe Thing Explainer

Musical Links

Harold Faltermeyer Top Gun Anthem

Arcade Fire Everything Now

Groove Through 2023: A Year in Review with Kurt and Tim

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Happy New Year from Kurt and Tim!

As we reflect on the past year, join us in revisiting some of the most impactful and insightful conversations from Behavioral Grooves in 2023. Grateful for the time and wisdom shared by our wonderful guests, we delve into key topics through the lens of behavioral science, aiming to provide you with valuable insights for both your professional and personal life.

From embracing uncertainty and cultivating growth mindsets to exploring the power of "magic words" and understanding your future self, this compilation covers a diverse range of subjects, including the psychology of scams and the challenges of parenting. Settle in, unwind, and take a moment to revisit the highlights of 2023 as we gear up for what the future holds (as much as we can anticipate!).

As always, thank you for listening to Behavioral Grooves. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to many more exciting developments in 2024!

Topics

(2:17) Yael Schonbrun, parenting, and fostering growth mindsets.

(8:48) Nathan and Susannah Furr, embracing uncertainty

and embracing possibility.

(13:23) Jonah Berger, the enchantment of "magic words" and the art of reframing language.

(18:54) Hal Hershfield, navigating your future self and shedding light blind spots

(23:06) Daniel Simons & Chris Chabris, the intricate world of scams, and maintaining hope.

Links

Monkey Business

Yael Schonbrun on Parenting

Nathan & Susannah Furr on Embracing Uncertainty

Jonah Berger and Magic Words

Hal Hershfield and Your Future Self

Daniel Simons & Christopher Chabris on Falling for Fraud

Grooving with Knowledge: Kurt and Tim’s Best Behavioral Science Books of 2023

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 23:56:00 -0600

Continuing their pursuit of knowledge, Kurt and Tim explore the impactful books that have shaped their perspectives in 2023. In this episode, they unwrap the highlights of their literary journey, offering listeners a condensed version of why each book made a lasting impression and what readers can expect to gain from delving into these insightful pages.

Discovering one's groove is a nuanced journey, often fueled by new ideas, fresh perspectives, and a revisit to timeless concepts presented in innovative ways. In this annual wrap-up, Kurt and Tim dive into a diverse array of books that have enriched their intellectual tapestry, underscoring the influential role of literature in deepening their understanding of human behavior.

Covering a spectrum of topics, from uncertainty and effective communication to parenting and attention span, this year's Top 10 (or is it 11?) books offer a wide-ranging exploration. If you're searching for insights on a specific topic, chances are it's in one of these books!

Join in to uncover the standout Behavioral Science books of the year and gain insights that can enhance your understanding of human behavior. As always, thank you for being a part of the Behavioral Grooves community this year, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Top 10!

Links

The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown by Nathan and Susanna Furr
Writing for Busy Readers by Todd Rogers
Think Faster, Talk Smarter by Matt Abrahams
Work, Parent, Thrive by Yael Schonbrun
Magic Words by Jonah Berger
Humanizing Rules by Christian Hunt
Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most by Adam Alter
Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In, and What We Can Do About It by Dan Simons and Chris Chabris
Your Future Self by Hal Hershfield
Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity by Gloria Mark
The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough by Thomas Curran

Balancing Work Friction and Fatigue | Huggy Rao

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:55:00 -0600

Have you or someone you know fallen victim to the detrimental effects of Jargon Monoxide? If so, there might be compensation waiting for you.

Joining Kurt and Tim in this episode, Huggy Rao delves into the critical aspects of organizational friction and the looming specter of burnout within workspaces. Huggy underscores the need for clear and transparent communication to escape the wearisome trap of workspeak, identified here as "jargon monoxide."

Tune in for a succinct and transparent conversation as Huggy dissects the challenges organizations encounter with an inherent bias towards addition, prioritizing the incorporation of new elements over the removal of unnecessary ones. He sheds light on the paradoxical scenario where leaders receive accolades for their additive contributions, leaving the significance of subtraction undervalued and misunderstood.

In the episode's conclusion, Kurt and Tim steer the discussion towards reframing friction as an avenue for improvement rather than a hindrance. They explore effective strategies for mitigating workplace friction and beyond, providing valuable insights for those grappling with end-of-the-year work fatigue. Don't miss out on this episode if you're seeking a fresh perspective on navigating workplace challenges.

Topics

(6:12) Intro and Speed Round

(12:21) Good Friction vs Bad Friction

(17:38) Health Pyramids and Reframing the Workplace

(25:07) Rational vs Emotional

(30:25) Corporate time wasters

(37:04) Addition bias and Obliviousness

(45:10) Jargon Monoxide

(54:55) Grooving Session: Strategies for Burnout and Friction

Links

The Friction Project

Bandolini's Law

Huggy Rao

Musical Links

Camarón De La Isla Como El Agua (Tangos)

Yo Yo Ma - Yo-Yo Ma - Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Prélude (Official Video)

The Eight Superpowers of Confidence | Lisa Sun

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 23:51:00 -0600

Step into a captivating conversation as Tim and Kurt engage with Lisa Sun, the author of Gravitas. Lisa introduces the intriguing concept that each of us possesses superpowers—not the extraordinary kind, but those that ignite leadership, achievement, and self-belief. In this discussion, Lisa unveils the eight superpowers that make up confidence.

Moving beyond mere behavioral traits, Lisa emphasizes that confidence is fundamentally a mindset. Uncover the key to building self-confidence by recognizing strengths and celebrating past successes. While we may not possess telekinetic abilities, join Lisa, Kurt, and Tim as they explore how shifting our mindset, silencing our inner critic, and reframing challenges as opportunities can foster a stronger sense of self-worth.

This engaging episode offers insights into gender differences in confidence and the societal need for a redefined understanding of this crucial trait. During the Grooving Session, Kurt and Tim share practical strategies for altering perspectives on life's challenges and reframing emotions for better understanding and management.

Ready to unlock your mental superpowers? Join Lisa, Kurt, and Tim in this enlightening episode and embark on your journey to a more confident self.

Topics

(2:37) Intro and Speed Round

(4:06) Creativity, self-confidence, and personal growth

(9:09) Ageism, self-doubt, and confidence

(12:15) Building self-confidence

(20:45) Inner child and inner critic

(25:58) Self-awareness, self-confidence, and overcoming fears

(35:48) Leadership qualities, gender, and confidence

(41:32) Workplace culture and gender bias

(53:11) Grooving Session: Confidence and self-expression

Links

The Confidence Language Quiz

About Gravitas

Gravitas Women

The Gravitas Blend

Kelly Shue and Women’s Promotions

Musical Links

John Lennon “Imagine” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkgkThdzX-8

The King and I “Shall We Dance” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgVPnWmUqd4

Boys II Men “Motownphilly” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rciee-oQLoI

Mariah Carey “We Belong Together” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0habxsuXW4g

Rethinking Behavioral Science | Adam Mastroianni

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 23:48:00 -0600

While Tim finds himself confined to a plane, Kurt engages in a captivating one-on-one session with researcher Adam Mastroianni. Together, they delve into the intriguing world of behavioral science, aiming to unveil the concealed truths behind the notorious Big Dentist conspiracy urging everyone to floss.

However, the episode takes an unexpected turn as Kurt and Adam embark on a thought-provoking exploration of the past, present, and future of behavioral science. From a history tainted with fraudulent studies to a present that seems tepid in terms of groundbreaking discoveries, the duo contemplates what lies ahead. Do we dare to take risks, or is maintaining the status quo the safer route? Moreover, does the current academic system truly foster risk-taking?

Join us for a conversation that challenges assumptions, sparks innovation, and confronts the stigma surrounding the belief that flossing is the sole path to dental health. Tune in as we navigate the future of behavioral science, encouraging a fresh perspective on academia and the pursuit of knowledge.

Topics

(4:09) Intro and Speed Round

(8:19) When should we stop talking?

(11:47) Does the fact that a study was found fraudulent matter?

(16:18) Are we out of groundbreaking discoveries?

(22:03) The limitations in current research and the need for a paradigm shift

(27:28) Shifting mindset in scientific research

(36:39) Flossing and the importance of context

(48:35) Research insights and desert island music

(52:19) Grooving session: Science, academia, and the importance of new ideas

Links

Experimental History (Blog) https://experimentalhistory.wordpress.com/

"Do Conversations End When People Want Them To?" https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797617749596

The Cochrane Collaboration Meta-analysis on Flossing https://www.cochrane.org/CD011146/ORAL_flossing-reduce-gingivitis-and-plaque

Rory Sutherland's Perspective on Choice https://www.ted.com/talks/rory_sutherland_life_lessons_from_an_ad_man/transcript

Musical Links

Baz Luhrmann "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI

They Might Be Giants "Hot Dog!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoavHX75s_E

Talking Heads "Psycho Killer" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eauZzwt8Ci8

Navigating Societal Rifts | Michèle Lamont

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 23:53:00 -0600

Tensions around the dinner table? Trouble finding common ground with friends and family? Renowned sociologist Michèle Lamont joins Tim and Kurt to unravel why the world seems more polarized than ever.

In this episode, Lamont delves into pressing societal issues, from tribalism to media polarization, offering expert insights and defining key terms with historical context. She explores generational shifts in perspectives on recognition and identity, asking how we can bridge divides between different worldviews.

Beyond analysis, Lamont inspires change, discussing the transformative power of reframing narratives to cultivate hope. Join us for a conversation challenging stereotypes, and promoting a society where everyone feels valued. Kurt and Tim end the episode with a Grooving Session where they encourage us to strengthen the recognition of our shared humanity and invite listeners to be part of the change. Tune in for a fresh perspective on navigating a divided world.

Topics

(03:22) Michèle Lamont intro and Speed Round

(08:08) Bridging generational divides

(20:49) Changing hearts and minds to address inequality

(26:36) Countering negative narratives

(36:59) Generational differences in identity and inclusion

(41:24) Race, identity, and mental health

(47:23) Grooving session: Overcoming polarization

Links Michelle’s Book: Seeing Others Monbiot, George, “Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems,” The Guardian, 15 April 2016. Article

Peter Harvey research and article: How Schools Teach Children about their Social Station

Jean Twenge The Future of Generational Differences

National Domestic Workers Alliance

Musical Links

The Doors “Break on Through (To The Other Side)”

Patti Smith “Because the Night”

Leonard Cohen “Hallelujah”

Gordon Lightfoot “If You Could Read My Mind”

“Four Strong Winds”

Evolving Minds: A Conversation on Attention Spans | Gloria Mark PhD

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 23:15:00 -0600

Ever feel your attention… drifting? Want to get better at being present? Join Kurt and Tim as they delve into the world of shrinking attention spans alongside researcher Gloria Mark. Uncover the eye-opening revelations from Mark's research, highlighting a significant decrease in attention spans within just a few short years.

Explore the intricate ways in which the digital world and screen time impact our ability to focus, all while discovering the empowering idea that we possess agency over our attention. Gloria Mark shares invaluable tips for enhancing concentration, including insights into understanding your natural rhythms, setting goals, and connecting with nature.

In this attention-grabbing episode, witness how our brains and behavior are evolving in today's increasingly distracting world. Gain a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between technology, attention spans, and individual agency. It's a journey into the evolving landscape of our minds and behaviors, offering practical tips to thrive in an era where distraction seems inevitable.

Topics

(5:33) Intro and speed round

(8:31) Myths and facts about attention span

(12:54) Attention as a resource

(19:11) Attention span, flow, and media consumption

(31:22) Staying focused and avoiding distractions

(37:25) Attention, free will, and musical rhythm

(45:07) Desert Island music

(52:20) Grooving session - finding your groove through nature and productivity

Links

Gloria’s Book - https://www.harpercollins.com/products/attention-span-gloria-mark?variant=40346590117922

Tim Urban: Inside the mind of a procrastinator - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU

Wait But Why - https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html

Nicholas Car "The Shallows" - https://www.nicholascarr.com/?page_id=16

Barry Lazarowitz (drummer): https://www.allmusic.com/artist/barry-lazarowitz-mn0002291879/credits

Musical Links

Echo and the Bunnymen “People are Strange” (cover) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTviNc52igI

Roger Daltry “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (cover) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLQ6rpL_QLo

Sarah Vaughan “Broken Hearted Melody” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOWJC-fVSAI

Samara Joy “Guess Who I Saw Today” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X03lvK7qoco

The Power of Brevity | Todd Rogers

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 22:03:00 -0600

Does everybody skim? Todd Rogers, co-author of “Writing for Busy Readers” joins Kurt and Tim to discuss just that. In this insightful episode, Todd shares principles and rules that will transform your written communication skills. Join the conversation as Todd challenges the traditional notions of taste and style in writing, emphasizing the power of concise and evidence-backed strategies for effective communication in the 21st century.

Discover the art of "less is more" as Todd shares practical steps and easy-to-follow techniques to overcome common challenges in conveying crucial information. Gain profound insights into the writer's responsibility to readers and navigate the dynamic landscape of social media communication. Todd's expertise provides a roadmap for achieving your communication goals with impact and precision.

During their grooving session Kurt and Tim exploring the importance of mapping information out before you write and offer helpful tips and tricks they’ve used to achieve success in their written communication over the years. Whether you're drafting corporate emails or engaging in casual conversations, this episode is a must-listen, providing practical guidance to elevate your communication skills and thrive in a world where brevity is key. Tune in and revolutionize the way you convey information in today's fast-paced environment!

Topics

(4:34) Welcome and Speed Round

(6:53) Does everybody skim?

(9:14) Writing for busy readers

(14:36) Writing effectively

(19:26) The new rules of writing

(29:20) Focusing on the reader’s perspective

(40:03) Writing for social media and user engagement

(46:47) Desert Island Music

(48:40) Grooving session: Tips for improving communication

Links

Writing for Busy Readers: https://writingforbusyreaders.com/

The Plain Writing Act of 2010: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-111publ274/pdf/PLAW-111publ274.pdf

Space Between Words: The Origins of Silent Reading: https://books.google.ca/books/about/Space_Between_Words.html?id=w3vZaFoaa3EC

Musical Links

Beyonce (Renaissance) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHFeMk_LSwG5VVTbOVIutGbA3PsGP0NPO&si=27uBQ3pOLw3WTUrP

Taylor Swift (Teardrops on My Guitar) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKCek6_dB0M

The Beatles (Come Together) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45cYwDMibGo

Unlocking the Power of Effective Communication | Matt Abrahams

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 22:55:00 -0600

Communication is a vital skill we all use, but do we truly understand its profound impact on our lives? Join Kurt and Tim as they engage in a captivating conversation with communication expert Matt Abrahams. Matt, an accomplished author, educator, and co-host of "Think Fast, Talk Smart," takes us on a journey into the heart of effective communication.

Discover the secrets to spontaneous speaking and hone your communication skills with practical insights and actionable steps. From connecting with your audience to creating the best toasts at parties, this episode is a masterclass in the art of communication. Matt reveals the magic of active listening and the importance of paraphrasing to strengthen your relationships.

Make anxiety your ally as you prepare for public speaking and various communication scenarios. With a wealth of global experience, Matt guides us through negotiation, persuasion, and even the role of creativity in communication.

During their Grooving Session, Kurt and Tim talk about their own personal experiences with public speaking and communication, sharing anecdotes and advice from their own victories and defeats. Whether you’re delivering a keynote presentation or sharing a story with friends, this episode will offer you vital tips towards unlocking your full communication potential!

Topics

(2:39) Welcome and speed round questions

(6:24) Matt’s Book and the fear of public speaking

(9:51) Overcoming the fear of public speaking and roadblocks

(15:05) Maximizing Mediocrity?

(18:50) Giving better toasts

(23:53) The M&M’s of Public Speaking

(30:24) Matt’s Podcast

(37:20) Chopin, Jazz, and off-the-cuff conversation

(42:43) Desert Island Music

(46:17) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on Public Speaking

Links

Matt Abrahams: https://mattabrahams.com/

Think Faster, Talk Smarter: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Think-Faster-Talk-Smarter/Matt-Abrahams/9781668010303

Think Fast, Talk Smart: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-fast-talk-smart-communication-techniques/id1494989268

Matt Abrahams and Alia Crum: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/mindset-matters-how-embrace-benefits-stress

Speaking Up Without Freaking Out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIXvKKEQQJo

Musical Links

Rodrigo y Gabriela "Hanuman": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENBX_v1Po1Y

Lynyrd Skynyrd "Free Bird": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LwcvjNJTuM

ACDC "Thunderstruck": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2AC41dglnM

Why Sleep Is Vital for Academic Success | David Creswell PhD

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 23:03:00 -0600

We all know we need a good night’s sleep but sleep researcher, David Creswell PhD has studied how our performance is actually affected by sleep. He has even found a predictive correlation between student’s college GPA scores and their sleep duration.

David Creswell is a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University and has published numerous studies on mindfulness-based interventions and their impact on well-being. He is a prominent researcher specializing in health psychology, mindfulness meditation, and stress management.

Earlier this year David co-authored a paper in Psychological and Cognitive Sciences called, “Nightly sleep duration predicts grade point average in the first year of college” which caught our attention. The research measures performance metrics among students who wore Fitbits while sleeping. The findings suggest getting less than 6 hours of sleep may be a threshold where sleep shifts from helpful to harmful.

To wrap up the conversation, hosts Kurt and Tim discuss the topic of sleep in their Grooving Session. They discuss their very different sleep patterns and what Kurt has done to help improve his insomnia.

Topics

(4:22) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:50) David’s research on sleep.

(12:14) What about daytime napping?

(15:42) The difference between sleeping more or less than 6 hours per night.

(17:16) Sleep duration and academic success in college students.

(22:16) How to avoid false positives in research.

(30:09) Does David listen to music while he sleeps?

(33:34) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on sleep.

Links

Dr David Creswell PhD: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/psychology/directory/core-training-faculty/creswell-david.html

The Health and Human Performance Lab: https://www.healthandhumanperformancelab.com/

Equa App: https://equahealth.io/about-us/

Creswell, et. al. (Jan 2023), “Nightly sleep duration predicts grade point average in the first year of college” Psychological and Cognitive Sciences: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2209123120

Ruchir Sera - Episode 26, Resonea app and the Behavioral Effects of Sleep: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/ruchir-sehra-on-the-behavioral-effects-of-sleep/

American Academy of Sleep Medicine: https://aasm.org/

Musical Links

Taylor Swift “Anti-Hero”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1kbLwvqugk

Don Ho “Tiny Bubbles”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muEFD_odvUg

The Beatles “Yer Blues” from The White Album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeFwaWFTGYU

Bridging Behavioral Science Concepts and Applications | Connor Joyce

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Connect behavioral science theory and research to practical applications. Connor Joyce founded the Applied Behavioral Science Association and he shares his perspectives on different behavioral science roles.

This podcast episode features Connor Joyce discussing his career journey and involvement with the Applied Behavioral Science Association (ABSA). Connor began his career as a human capital analyst at Deloitte, where he was first exposed to behavioral science. He then earned a Master's degree in behavioral science from the University of Pennsylvania.

After graduating, Connor struggled to find career paths for applied behavioral scientists. He started the Behavioral Insights Professional Society to address this issue and connect resources. While it had initial success, Connor realized he lacked strategic experience. He then partnered with the Behavioral Science & Policy Association and others to form Project Nexus, which eventually became ABSA.

ABSA aims to improve the world by promoting education and collaboration across expertise levels in behavioral science. Connor described two main categories - experts who specialize in behavioral science applications, and novices/users who incorporate behavioral science into other roles like design or marketing. ABSA provides resources like standards and job descriptions to support both groups.

The conversation also explores similarities and differences between behavioral science, user experience design, data science, and marketing insights. Connor noted blurring lines between these fields in technology companies, where they are all forms of applied research. Finally, Connor discusses how generative AI could democratize user research by empowering more people to conduct basic studies.

Topics

(3:47) Welcome and speed round questions.

(9:21) What exactly is behavioral science?

(15:45) Creating a professional society for behavioral insights.

(25:09) Behavioral science, user design, and data science.

(33:25) Connor’s musical preferences.

(40:08) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.

Links

Connor Joyce: https://www.connectconnor.com/

Applied Behavioral Science Association (ABSA): https://www.behavioralscience.org/

Behavioral Design Hub: https://medium.com/behavior-design-hub/behavioral-science-as-a-specialization-ea64aeb015f7

IIEX North America: https://events.greenbook.org/iiex-north-america

Musical Links

Alesso “Words”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIJEOEZdLzE

Tiesto “Lay Low”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfWmWlW2PvM

The 5 Healthy Brain Habits Of A Neuroscientist | Dr Daniel Almeida [Republish]

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 23:03:00 -0600

What life habits keep our brain healthy? How does our mind respond to trauma? And why does the way we talk about suicide and mental health make such a difference to those who are struggling? We discuss all these topics with neuroscience researcher Dr Daniel Almeida.

World Mental Health Day has recently shed a spotlight on our psychological wellbeing. So we decided to republish the sound mental health advice we learnt from our guest Dr Daniel Almeida from episode 255 in October 2021.

Daniel has been named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in science. His incredible work as a neuroscience researcher in the Douglas Research Centre at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, involves psychological autopsies to understand the molecular impacts of severe childhood abuse on the brains of individuals who died by suicide.

As you can imagine, this episode is full of difficult yet important topics. But what struck us most about Daniel was how upbeat and positive he is about his work and the difference it’s making to people’s lives. Daniel kindly shares his top 5 healthy brain habits that we can all adopt to improve our mental wellbeing.

If you, or someone you know needs help with their mental health, please use one of the resources in the links below.

Mental Health Support

Suicide Prevention Lifeline (US):https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: National Helpline (US): 1-800-662-HELP (4357). SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

The Canada Suicide Prevention Service: https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/

Samaritans (UK): https://www.samaritans.org/

United for Global Mental Health (List of support networks around the world): https://unitedgmh.org/mental-health-support

For those looking for information on how to support others:

National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention

For the general public looking to be trained in mental health first aid and/or suicide prevention:

Living Works (US): https://bit.ly/3oKgsaS

Mental Health First Aid Canada: https://mhfa.ca/

Topics

(6:29) Speed round.

(10:14) Does talking about suicide help?

(14:15) Why it’s very important to talk about “dying by suicide” instead of “committing suicide”.

(16:17) About Daniel’s work as a neuroscientist.

(17:47) What are the links between childhood trauma and suicide?

(25:16) What age are children most sensitive to the effects of trauma?

(31:19) How the type of trauma experienced by a child matters.

(33:36) How resilience is more like a sword than a shield.

(35:29) What are the 5 best brain health habits?

(41:57) What is a brain bank and how are psychological autopsies used?

(44:30) What music isn’t noise pollution for Daniel?

(46:24) Music and the brain.

(48:13) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim; how to apply Daniel’s work to your life.

Links

World Mental Health Day: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day

Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Dr Brenda Mildner – Mother of Psychological worked on bilateral hypocantim removal: https://www.mcgill.ca/neuro/about/brenda-milner

Donald Hebb: https://can-acn.org/donald-olding-hebb/#:~:text=Donald%20Hebb%20(1904%2D1985),which%20was%20published%20in%201949.

“Molecular impacts of childhood abuse on the human brain” Ibrahim, P.; Almeida, D.; Nagy, C.; Turecki, G. (2021): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289521000515?via%3Dihub

“A Slice of the Suicidal Brain: What Have Postmortem Molecular Studies Taught Us?” Almeida, D. and Turecki, G. (2016): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27671915/

“What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing”, by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry: https://amzn.to/3lF7EQ7

Brain structure of dancers and musicians https://www.falishakarpati.com/bio

Support Behavioral Grooves by donating on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Gladys Knight & The Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0F9lh8TiSM&ab_channel=GladysKnightTPVEVO

Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU

The Supremes “Where Did Our Love Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTBmgAOO0Nw

Stevie Wonder “As”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYQfWJNWe3I

Marconi Union - Weightless Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYnA9wWFHLI&t=6831s

Reading the Air: Using Self-Awareness to Make the Workplace Work for You | Michelle King

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 03:30:00 -0600

Why is work so difficult for so many of us? Why are we not connected to the organization in ways to help us advance our careers and garner the best assignments?

Dr. Michelle P. King is a researcher and author who answers these questions and more. She joined us to discuss strategies from her book, “How Work Works: The Subtle Science of Getting Ahead Without Losing Yourself.”

Michelle is a globally recognized expert on inequality and organizational culture. Based on over a decade’s worth of research, She believes that we need to learn how workplaces work, so we can make them work for everyone.

She is the host of a popular podcast called The Fix. “How Work Works: The Subtle Science of Getting Ahead Without Losing Yourself,” is her second book and will be released internationally on October 10, 2023.

Most importantly, in this episode, we talk about the importance of self-awareness, learning how to read the air, and the creation of informal networks to positively influence your career. We also discuss ways to find a sense of belonging and inclusion that can lead to greater satisfaction at work and a better career.

And in our grooving session, we emphasize how increasing your self-awareness can be beneficial to you at any time during your career. During our music discussion, we cover the importance of Leonard Cohen’s mastery of lyrics as a poet and the wealth of great music that comes from the jazz tradition.

Topics

(8:39) Career advancement and informal networking in the workplace.

(11:19) Informal networks at work and their impact on job placement.

(17:37) Workplace dynamics and collaboration.

(24:18) Self-awareness and informal communication in the workplace.

(27:17) Self-awareness, ambiguity, and workplace performance.

(33:22) Workplace communication and social skills.

(36:42) Workplace belonging, diversity, and inclusion.

(42:22) Workplace meaning and career advancement.

(47:17) Setting sails for life and work.

(51:58) Reading the air in workplace communication.

(1:00:40) The potential consequences of asking for things.

(1:01:56) Emotional intelligence in the workplace.

Musical Links

Leonard Cohen “Bird on A Wire”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGvwvxA83Cs

Oscar Peterson (1976) improvisational piano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBP3Il85bYA

Grooving on Knowing Thyself: Why Figuring Out Who I Am is Easier Than You Thought.

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 03:30:00 -0600

“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Are you tired of that ditty? We are. How are you supposed to know what you love if we don’t 100% know who we are?

“Know thyself” is a maxim that has been central to Western civilization for the last 2500 years. It has been pervasive in philosophy over the ages and more recently in psychology. Who are we? Who am I? These questions blend nicely with understanding why we do what we do, a foundational question in behavioral science. And it is with this curiosity that cohosts Kurt Nelson, PhD and Tim Houlihan delve into the mysteries of who we think we are.

More importantly, this episode is interested in honest self-discovery: the answer to the question: who am I? To help you answer that, we humbly submit a series of questions and reflections for your consideration, for the purpose of having a clearer sense of who I am. (At least at the moment.)

We use three sets of reflections for you to consider:

Identify where in your life you find energy, joy, and satisfaction. These questions and reflections allow us to target the ideals and desires we have in our lives. These are enhancers.
Identify what aspects of our lives are not going the way we want them to. These questions help us clarify what is not working for us. These are detractors.
Identify what requirements we have to live in this world. In others, what obligations, relationships, and financial requirements, among other things, are commitments we must live by? These are necessities.

We also talk about the nature of memories, the present moment, and ways our future aspirations influence who we are. We even discuss Dr. Bryan Lowery’s idea that who we are is largely influenced by the people around us. (Talk about mind-bending!)

By reflecting on these questions and our general discussion, we hope that Groovers can discover a clearer picture of who you are and that these reflections will lead you to a more perfect version of knowing thyself, as Socrates might say.

Links

Behavioral Grooves Website: www.behavioralgrooves.com

Ethan Hawke TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/ethan_hawke_give_yourself_permission_to_be_creative?language=en

Bhagavad Gita: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita

Hal Hershfield Episode 369: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/your-future-self-hal-hershfield/

Brené Brown: https://brenebrown.com/

Brian Lowery Episode 312: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/meaning-in-life-brian-lowery/

Self-Serving Bias: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-serving_bias

Fundamental Attribution Error: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_attribution_error

Motivated Reasoning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivated_reasoning

Confirmation Bias: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias

Intention-Action Gap: https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/intention-action-gap

Know Thyself Questions:

Finding Energy and Satisfaction Questions (Enhancers: What You Love To Do)

What activities or experiences make me feel the most fulfilled and content?
When do I feel the most authentic and genuine?
What aspects of life are non-negotiable for me? 
What principles am I unwilling to compromise?
What kind of person do I want to be remembered?
What causes or issues do I feel most passionate about?
What qualities do I admire most in others?
What decisions or situations have made me feel proud or satisfied with myself?
What kind of person do I want to be remembered as?

Avoiding Negative Emotion Questions (Detractors: What You Hate To Do)

What has been my lowest point in the past 5 years?
What situations or people drain my energy and leave me feeling exhausted?
What triggers my negative emotions such as anger, sadness, or anxiety?
Where do I feel regret for things I’ve done or for things I haven’t done?
What do I stress over the most?
What negative self-talk or inner critic do I struggle with?
What are some common sources of conflict or tension in my relationships?
What do I fear?
What decisions or situations have made me feel guilty or uncomfortable?

Living in this World Questions (Necessities: What You Have To Do)

Am I honoring your relationship?
Do I have what I need to provide for my basic necessities?
Where do I compromise to ensure that I have positive relationships?
Am I being responsible?
Am I honoring my commitments to others, to my job, and to other aspects of my life?
What are the pressures that the world places upon me?

Your responses and reflections should be as honest and truthful as possible. Try your best to not be tainted by your biases. A clearer picture will help you identify the key areas that drive you.

Examine your self through the lens of what you love to do, what you hate to do, and what you have to do.

Write out a 7-word value statement that defines who you are at the core.

Topics

(0:07) Understanding “Know Thyself” through history.

(5:00) Personal growth throughout history.

(11:28) Understanding one's true identity.

(19:33) Understanding one's biases.

(25:03) Self-awareness and personal growth.

(31:50) Finding your groove.

Why You Never Feel Good Enough As A Perfectionist | Thomas Curran

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Conscientiousness, perseverance and meticulousness are all words associated with perfectionism. But perfectionism comes from a deeper sense of inadequacy, of not feeling good enough. Constantly striving to prove yourself leads to anxiety, depression and burnout. Researcher Thomas Curran describes perfectionism in detail, why it’s getting worse and what we can do about it.

Thomas Curran is a professor of psychology and behavioral science at the esteemed London School of Economics and author of The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough, just released on August 8, 2023. In the book he explores the roots of perfectionism in wider society and explains how it affects our mental health and productivity.

Perfectionism has risen sharply since the mid-2000s, which Thomas attributes to societal pressures like social media, smartphones, economic instability, and an emphasis on educational and career achievement. Collectively, these factors have led to increased feelings of not measuring up. Thomas argues that perfectionism is as much a cultural issue as a personal one, influenced by an economic model that demands constant growth and consumption.

Topics

(5:18) Welcome to Thomas Curran.

(7:30) What exactly is perfectionism?

(9:46) How growing the economy feeds into perfectionism.

(13:38) The hustle of “successful” people and why we need to look beyond it.

(17:47) How perfectionism can sabotage your own success.

(21:10) What parents can do to help minimize perfectionism in their children.

(24:05) How we can be encumbered with a growth mindset.

(26:01) The 3 types of perfectionism.

(27:50) Does perfectionism self correct with age?

(29:58) Why perfectionism has risen since 2007.

(38:56) How society could change to minimize perfectionism.

(47:52) What music would Thomas take to a desert island?

(51:54) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on perfectionism.

Links

The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough: https://amzn.to/3RtWGP5

Thomas Curran: https://www.thomascurran.co.uk/

Episode 301, How To Fix Burnout (Hint: It Isn’t Another Yoga Session) with Jennifer Moss: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-fix-burnout-jennifer-moss/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Joy Division “Love will tear us apart”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuuObGsB0No

Bruno Mars “That’s what I like”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMivT7MJ41M

Overcome Chronic Busyness With A Growth Mindset | Eduardo Briceño

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Doing, doing, doing. We can get stuck in a perpetual state of busyness to get things done. But being in a chronic “performance zone” can lead to stagnation over time. The “learning zone”, however, is when we take a step back to reflect on our experiences and look for ways to improve. That’s where a growth mindset comes in - actually believing that we can get better.

“In order to engage in learning, we need to believe that we can improve, we also need to understand how to improve and we need to have a reason or reason that we care to put in the effort to improve.” ~ Eduardo Briceño, Episode 374

Eduardo Briceño is a global keynote speaker, facilitator, and author who guides many of the world’s leading companies in developing cultures of learning and high performance. His TED Talks have been viewed over 9 million times. Alongside Carol Dweck, the leading growth mindset researcher, Eduardo has founded Mindset Works, an organization dedicated to fostering lifelong learning.

On this episode of Behavioral Grooves, hosts Kurt and Tim talk to Eduardo about his new book “The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action” which is a practical guide on how to spend more of your time in the learning zone, instead of just the performance zone.

Eduardo provides tips for leaders to create a culture of learning, such as framing core values, identifying habits and systems to support both performance and learning, and modeling learning behaviors visibly.

To Tim’s delight, the conversation with Eduardo uses musical examples from Beyoncé and Dave Grohl to highlight the importance of practice and reflection. Overall, the discussion provides insights on overcoming barriers to a learning mindset and finding a balance between performance and growth in the workplace.

Topics

(4:09) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:16) If we focus only on performance, our performance suffers.

(10:19) How to tell if you’re in the learning zone or performance zone.

(20:14) How can leaders create a learning culture in the workplace?

(24:04) The performance zone isn’t necessarily a bad place to be.

(25:44) What can Beyoncé teach us about the learning zone?

(27:07) How can we get better at reflecting on our own performance?

(31:02) Overcoming resistance to learning at work.

(33:49) What we can learn from Dave Grohl’s pandemic drum battle.

(38:07) Be deliberate about improvement, not just working harder.

(41:47) What musical artists would Eduardo Briceño take to a desert island?

(43:38) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on the learning zone.

Links

Eduardo Briceño’s book, “The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action”: https://amzn.to/487Ikd8

Eduardo Briceño: https://briceno.com/

Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success: https://amzn.to/468cVpg

Anders Ericsson, “The Making of an Expert”: https://hbr.org/2007/07/the-making-of-an-expert

Gordon McKenzie's “Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace’: https://amzn.to/44VMi5I

Satya Nadella's efforts to shift Microsoft's culture to focus more on learning when he became CEO: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/how-microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-transformed-one-of-the-worlds-great-businesses/articleshow/94221616.cms

Dave Grohl's vs Nandi Bushell drum battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZBQW2gE0Ew

Introduction to Experiential Learning, John Dewey: https://learning.northeastern.edu/introduction-to-experiential-learning/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

The Beatles “Here, There and Everywhere”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FusIKjztap8

Brian Eno “Garden of Stars”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlJDUcdUz8c

Volunteering for Well-Being: How Team Rubicon Helps Volunteers and Communities | David Burke and Patti Norberg

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Volunteering improves psychological well-being. Team Rubicon has researched this positive effect, not just on the communities it serves, but also on the well-being of its 170,000 volunteers. The organization applies military expertise and speed to provide fast response and social support to those who have suffered a disaster. We learn from David Burke and Patti Norberg about the many benefits they have found with volunteering.

David Burke is the Chief Program Officer at Team Rubicon, an organization that was founded by US armed forces veterans in 2010 with the purpose of voluntarily joining together to work on missions in the aid of regular citizens who are suffering because of natural disasters. Patti Norberg PhD is a Professor of Marketing at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, and also a good friend of Tim Houlihan.

Team Rubicon is a veteran led humanitarian organization that serves people before, during and after disasters and crises. It’s a movement of thousands of people that work domestically and internationally from mitigating the effects of fires, floods and natural disasters. They are instrumental in missions to rebuild people's homes, surge medical capacity and provide clean water.

From the offset, the purpose of Team Rubicon was not just to help disaster survivors, but also to support veterans' well-being after leaving the military. And Team Rubicon goes one step further by actually researching the effects on well-being and mental health. Kurt and Tim discuss the findings from this research and how it is shaping the ongoing work of Team Rubicon.

Topics

(4:37) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:56) What is Team Rubicon?

(8:53) How does a military background help Team Rubicon volunteers?

(11:01) What makes Team Rubicon different from other volunteer organizations?

(18:00) How Team Rubicon takes care of the mental health of its volunteers.

(21:33) The social connection that comes from volunteering.

(28:36) How volunteering helps make you feel significant.

(31:47) The next studies on psychological well-being with Team Rubicon.

(35:19) What’s next for Team Rubicon?

(39:31) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on volunteering.

Links

Team Rubicon: https://teamrubiconusa.org/

“Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” by Dr Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

Carol Ryff’s, Psychological Well-Being Scales: https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/resources/questionnaires-researchers/psychological-well-being-scales#:~:text=WHAT%20THE%20QUESTIONNAIRE%20MEASURES,in%20life%2C%20self%2Dacceptance.

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Our Quest to Feel Significant And How It Affects Our Behavior | Arie Kruglanski PhD

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 23:03:00 -0600

We all want to feel significant. This drive for significance ultimately fuels our cognition, emotions, and actions. Distinguished psychologist Arie Kruglanski discusses motivation, cognition, goal systems, radicalization, and his recent work on the ubiquitous quest for significance.

Dr. Arie W. Kruglanski PhD is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland. He directs a lab that studies human motivation as it affects thinking, feeling, and behavior. He is one of the leading voices in social psychology, being instrumental in understanding the motivation of uncertainty, goals, radicalization and most recently on our quest for significance. Arie has over 500 research papers and articles and has won numerous awards for his work.

Arie explains to us that all human behavior is propelled by motivation, with motivation being the driving force behind cognition, emotions, and actions. He discusses how goals are represented cognitively but serve motivational needs. The conversation also touches on how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are not truly distinct, with all motivation coming from within but having different relationships to means and ends.

A fascinating part of Arie’s work is his research on radicalization. Having devised The 3 N Model of Radicalization, he expertly illustrates how our quest for significance can be misdirected into violent or suicidal behavior. But there is optimism in addressing radicalization through education and alternative significance pathways.

Topics

(4:34) Welcome to Arie and speed round questions.

(6:06) The underlying thread through all of Arie’s work.

(12:21) Why people seek significance through violence.

(15:51) How can individuals be radicalized to become suicide bombers?

(19:40) The difference between basic needs and psychological needs.

(25:30) All our goals go back to addressing our basic needs.

(27:17) Why money is tied to significance (sometimes).

(30:45) The means to the end is more important than the goal.

(32:26) So does extrinsic motivation even exist?

(34:13) The dichotomy between motivation and cognition.

(37:23) The false assumption that attitudes predict behavior.

(41:45) The 3 N Model of Radicalization.

(45:08) How the internet has facilitated radicalization.

(49:04) So how can people attain significance through positive means.

(51:05) What music would Arie take to a desert island?

(55:04) Grooving Session on the quest for significance.

Links

Arie Kruglanski: https://www.kruglanskiarie.com/

Arie Kruglanski’s books:

“Uncertain: How to Turn Your Biggest Fear into Your Greatest Power”: https://amzn.to/3EuPxGl
“The Three Pillars of Radicalization: Needs, Narratives, and Networks”: https://amzn.to/3Ep0lGc
“The Radical's Journey: How German Neo-Nazis Voyaged to the Edge and Back”: https://amzn.to/3L5W9i8

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Susan T. Fiske, “Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology”: https://amzn.to/3EuQlLn

Sir Angus Deaton’s book, “Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism”: https://amzn.to/3sDXV3C

Episode 276, How To Stay Motivated So You Exceed Your Goals | Ayelet Fishbach PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/motivation-to-exceed-your-goals/

Scott Atran, “Talking to the Enemy: Violent Extremism, Sacred Values, and What It Means to Be Human”: https://amzn.to/3Pn5VPs

Baumeister, R. F., Wotman, S. R., & Stillwell, A. M. (1993). Unrequited love: On heartbreak, anger, guilt, scriptlessness, and humiliation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.64.3.377

Dumb and Dumber clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5jNnDMfxA

Steven Pinker, “The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined”: https://amzn.to/47Wl0ir

Episode 287, “Why Talking To Strangers Is Actually Good For Your Wellbeing | Nick Epley”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/talking-to-strangers/

Robert Sapolsky, “Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst”: https://amzn.to/3L6lvN3

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Bach “Air on G String”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMkmQlfOJDk

Miles Davis “So What”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNTltOGh5c

How Best to Create a Culture of Learning | Sarah Nicholl

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 11:03:00 -0600

This podcast will give you the tools and techniques to foster a learning culture in your organization. Whether you work at a junior level or are an executive, Sarah’s guidelines can equip you to utilize leadership, AI, context and habit formation to incorporate learning into your routine.

Learning is like exercise. Once you develop a healthy habit, you need to keep going! But how do you foster a learning culture in your organization? In this interview, Sarah joins Kurt Nelson and Tim Houlihan to talk about her book "Learning Habits Drive a Learning Culture to Improve Employee and Business Performance". Sarah discusses how organizations can establish a learning culture by focusing on learning habits.

Based around the famous habit cycle of cue, routine and reward, Sarah adds in the important 4th element of context. Leaning on the excellent work of Wendy Wood, Sarah emphasizes the importance of creating an environment in which your desired habits are supported as a much more effective tool than relying on willpower alone.

Learning in an organization is driven by leadership. By modeling learning behaviors and setting the expectations for a learning culture, leaders can elevate the productivity of their team. She discusses how team meetings, one-on-one conversations and social media can all be leveraged to encourage learning habits. But one thing particularly stands out about Sarah’s work is that she incorporates concepts from behavioral science like social proof, cues and rewards that can help make learning automatic and habitual.

If you want to keep learning from people like Sarah Nicholl on Behavioral Grooves Podcast, please support our work by contributing on Patreon. Thank you to all our listeners who already do.

Topics

(2:48) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:16) Learning habits that contribute most to healthy organizations.

(9:03) Using learning to change behavior.

(11:19) How to incorporate learning into the team meeting.

(13:24) Context matters!

(15:16) How do you create a learning culture?

(19:01) What is the LEARN model?

(22:42) The impact of generative AI on learning.

(27:42) The value of social proof for learning.

(31:07) How behavioral science plays a part in learning.

(33:24) What Sarah learnt herself from writing the book.

(34:21) What music would Sarah take to a desert island?

(36:16) Grooving Session on learning.

Links

Sarah Nicholl’s book, "Learning Habits: Drive a Learning Culture to Improve Employee and Business Performance": https://amzn.to/3E8oyQX

Meryl Streep: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meryl_Streep

The Laundromat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Laundromat_(2019_film)

BJ Fogg, "Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything": https://amzn.to/3D4hiFi

Wendy Wood, "Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick": https://amzn.to/3NHv31p

Episode 31, Leaving the Matrix: Annie Duke and Insights into how you can improve your thinking!: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/leaving-the-matrix-annie-duke-and-insights-into-how-you-can-improve-your-thinking/

MINDSPACE Framework: https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/neuroscience/mindspace-framework#:~:text=MINDSPACE%3A%20A%20mnemonic%20for%20the,affect%2C%20commitments%2C%20and%20ego.

Episode 41, From MINDSPACE to EAST with Michael Hallsworth: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/michael-hallsworth-from-mindspace-to-east/

Daniel Kahneman “Thinking Fast and Slow”: https://amzn.to/3NDph0V

James Clear, "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones": https://amzn.to/3O2HAhd

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Shania Twain “That Don’t Impress Me Much”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqFLXayD6e8

James Taylor “You’ve Got A Friend”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jgh6h6eYLk

Imperfectly Perfect: The Science of Human Decision Making | Lionel Page

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Humans have limited information processing abilities and cannot possibly evaluate all possible options when making a decision. However, describing people merely as irrational paints an inaccurate picture. There can be benefits to the biases we hold.

Author of Optimally Irrational: The Good Reasons We Behave the Way We Do Lionel Page PhD, joins Kurt Nelson and Tim Houlihan on Behavioral Grooves Podcast to talk about his book. Lionel is a French-born economist who is currently working as the Director of the Behavioural and Economic Science Cluster at the University of Queensland in Australia.

Among the topics Lionel discusses is the hedonic treadmill and how happiness is always just ahead of us. Our subjective satisfaction system is designed to keep us motivated by focusing on future goals. However, once we achieve those goals, we move on to the next.

Anticipated utility and loss aversion become a powerful motivational combination. Our motivations for decisions are complex. But intentionality can help make up for some of the inconsistencies in our decision making.

Topics

(1:51) Speed round questions.

(3:13) Is overconfidence beneficial or not beneficial?

(6:06) What is rational and irrational behavior?

(11:34) Why it is so important to define a field of work.

(14:09) Why is it so difficult for us to ask for what we want?

(17:31) Completeness helps us to find missing points.

(22:38) Happiness is actually connected to loss aversion.

(32:37) The benefits of anticipated utility.

Links

Lionel Page PhD: https://economics.uq.edu.au/profile/9755/lionel-page

Lionel’s book, “Optimally Irrational: The Good Reasons We Behave the Way We Do”: https://amzn.to/46RoYIH

Episode 333, How Game Theory Can Be Used To Explain Human Behavior | Erez Yoeli: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/game-theory-to-explain-behavior/

Episode 171, Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For with Roy Baumeister: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

Prospect theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospect_theory

Episode 276, How To Stay Motivated So You Exceed Your Goals | Ayelet Fishbach PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/motivation-to-exceed-your-goals/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Want To Make Tomorrow Better? Get To Know Your Future Self Today | Hal Hershfield

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 23:03:00 -0600

How can we make better choices today to benefit our future selves? Hal Hershfield outlines strategies like visualizing your future self, writing letters, making commitments, and recognizing that your preferences will change over time.

Hal is a Professor of Marketing, Behavioral Decision Making, and Psychology at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and holds the UCLA Anderson Board of Advisors Term Chair in Management. His research, which sits at the intersection of psychology and economics, examines the ways we can improve our long-term decisions. He joins us on this episode to discuss his new book, "Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today".

It was so tempting to make this conversation with Hal really philosophical. Is our future self the same person as today, or more like a stranger? Do memories make us who we are? How can we bridge the existential gap between our future self and current self?

But listeners will be glad to know that Kurt and Tim also delve into the practical aspects of Hal’s research, touching on how we can help ourselves plan for the future. The biggest take away though is that Hal emphasizes the need to make sacrifices feel psychologically easier today in order to benefit our future selves.

He outlines three "time travel mistakes" we frequently make: missing our flight represents getting stuck in the present, poor trip planning represents thinking about the future but not deeply, and packing the wrong clothes represents unfairly projecting our present emotions onto our future selves.

Want your future self to still be able to listen to Behavioral Grooves Podcasts? Invest in the show’s future by making a small donation on Patreon so we can keep bringing you insightful conversations like this one. Thank you to all our listeners to help make the show!

Topics

(2:54) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:14) Is our future self actually the same person?

(11:18) Do memories make us who we are?

(15:20) Common time travel mistakes.

(22:36) Why you should write a letter to your future self.

(27:51) What do you need to do today to make tomorrow better?

(34:49) Does looking back on your regrets help you look forward.

(38:42) Hal’s future musical tastes.

(44:10) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on our future selves.

Links

Hal Hershfield’s book “Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today”: https://amzn.to/3E2acSh

Wilson, T. D., & Gilbert, D. T. (2003) “Affective Forecasting”: https://dtg.sites.fas.harvard.edu/Wilson%20&%20Gilbert%20%28Advances%29.pdf

John Locke: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Locke

Ship of Theseus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus

Strohminger N, Nichols S. (2014) “The essential moral self”: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24503450/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

The National “Sea Of Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIWmRbHDhGw

Guster “Satellite”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAkvb2Rhces

Cat Stevens “Father & Son”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6zaCV4niKk

The Beatles “Help”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q_ZzBGPdqE

Belle and Sebastian “I want the world to stop”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjW3tZhdnyw

Money, Success and the Cult of Never Enough | Manisha Thakor

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 23:03:00 -0600

The "cult of never enough" encourages the belief that more money, possessions and achievements will make us happy. But Manisha Thakor has learnt through personal experience that emotional wealth is more important than financial wealth. Listen to learn how to redefine your success.

Manisha Thakor is the author of the book Money Zen: Escape the Cult of Never Enough and Reclaim Your Life. In this episode of Behavioral Grooves, she discusses with Kurt and Tim how she chased the American dream of financial success for 30 years before realizing it had become a nightmare. She became a workaholic and lost sight of what truly brings happiness.

Manisha talks about how the "cult of never enough" encourages the belief that more money, possessions and achievements will make us happy. However, she realized that emotional wealth is more important than financial wealth. She discusses the importance of financial health over wealth, which includes having enough to meet your needs without stress.

How does society measure success in terms of money, power and productivity rather than by character and contribution? Manisha talks about the Buddhist concept of the "hungry ghost" which represents our insatiable desires. She argues that the answer is often "less" - shedding commitments, possessions and being still in nature.

Listen to find out how to redefine success beyond financial wealth and move towards a balance of financial health and emotional wealth.

If you’d like to support the work of Behavioral Grooves, you can become a Behavioral Grooves Patreon member.

Topics

(3:45) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:54) What is a busy badge?

(8:57) The social comparison aspect of wealth.

(13:00) The rise of the Blackberry culture.

(20:34) What you do is who you are?

(24:13) Chasing after the American Dream.

(28:46) A classic second generation immigrant story.

(31:08) Emotional wealth and financial health.

(38:42) What is the Hungry Ghost?

(42:58) The music Manisha would take to a desert island.

(46:29) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on redefining success.

Links

Manisha Thakor’s book, MoneyZen: The Secret to Finding Your "Enough": https://amzn.to/3JtuuXV

Episode 102, Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Dr Malissa Clark – University of Georgia: https://psychology.uga.edu/directory/people/malissa-clark

Matthew A. Killingsworth, Daniel Kahneman and Barbara Mellers (2022) “Income and emotional well-being: A conflict resolved”: https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.2208661120

Episode 215, Secrets of Subtraction: Donut Holes, Lego and Bruce Springsteen with Leidy Klotz: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/subtraction-with-leidy-klotz/

Schulte Brigid, “Why being too busy makes us feel so good,” Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-being-too-busy-makes-us-feel-so-good/2014/03/14/c098f6c8-9e81-11e3-a050-dc3322a94fa7_story.html

DeGreeff, B., Burnett, A., & Cooley, D. (2009). “Communicating authenticity or inauthenticity in a fast-paced world,” Journal of Happiness Studies: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225649342_Communicating_and_Philosophizing_About_Authenticity_or_Inauthenticity_in_a_Fast-Paced_World

The Hungry Ghost: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungry_ghost

MoneyZen quiz online: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/646d1000fec8ca0014804a9e

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Vivaldi “Four Seasons”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA

Lionel Hampton “Flying Home”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_rTICMVXQQ

All The Ways Into Behavioral Science (And No, You Don’t Need a PhD) | Merle Van Den Akker

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 23:03:00 -0600

The world of applied behavioral science has never been better. So how do you get your foot in the door to have a career in the field? You may be surprised to learn that it doesn’t have to involve getting a PhD. Merle van den Akker discusses her career journey from academia into the corporate world, and what we can learn from it.

Merle van den Akker grew up in the Netherlands and studied in the UK before moving to Australia to start her current job at the Commonwealth Bank. Though she got a lot out of her PhD studies, she realized the academic system was not a good long-term fit for her. While in her PhD, Merle started the blog "Money on the Mind" which has allowed her the opportunity to interview nearly 200 leaders in the field of behavioral science and finance.

Having seen the world of behavioral science through the academic lens and now through the corporate lens, Kurt and Tim chat with Merle about how important a PhD is in the field (hint, it’s not!) But Merle gives her advice for all rising behavioral scientists and the many ways to incorporate behavioral insights into all fields of work. For those with behavioral science skills and knowledge, application can be used across many functional areas of an organization from marketing to HR to product development.

We also delve into Merle’s current work in finance. Financial solutions have a reputation of not being very human-centric and are difficult for people to navigate. Applying behavioral science and human-centered design can help transform these systems from within and take account of the cultural factors that influence our finances.

Please consider our work at Behavioral Grooves Podcast but donating a small amount on our Patreon site. We appreciate your help.

Topics

(3:49) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:06) Do you need a PhD to work in Behavioral Science?

(9:10) The real reason Merle pursued a PhD.

(16:07) The taboo around talking about money.

(19:24) Always leave your credit card at home.

(24:13) The journey from academia into industry work.

(28:26) Advice for people who are in PhD programs.

(31:41) Money on the Mind.

(40:54) What music does Merle listen to?

(45:17) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on applied behavioral science.

Links

CBA Bank: https://www.commbank.com.au/

Money on the Mind: https://www.moneyonthemind.org/about

Merle Van Den Akker’s book, “The Ultimate Guide To Doing a PhD”: https://amzn.to/3NZa1f2

Annamaria Lusardi: https://www.annamarialusardi.com/

Elif Incekara-Hafalir and George Lowenstein (2009), “The Impact of Credit Cards on Spending: A Field Experiment”: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1378502

Keith Wilcox, Lauren G. Block and Eric M. Eisenstein (2011) “Leave Home Without It? The Effects of Credit Card Debt and Available Credit on Spending”: https://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/mygsb/faculty/research/pubfiles/5688/wilcox_leave_home.pdf

Matthew D. Hilchey, Matthew Osborne and Dilip Soman (2021) “Does the visual salience of credit card features affect choice?”: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioural-public-policy/article/abs/does-the-visual-salience-of-credit-card-features-affect-choice/BBD44889AEE0C6070F994FECFFCAB71F

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Flume “Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wypxk5H8kmE

Confidence, Certainty and Control: The Map to Success | Peter Atwater

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 23:03:00 -0600

What exactly is confidence? Peter Atwater describes it as the feelings of certainty and control that we have about our future self. He explains The Confidence Map framework and how our horizon preference and vulnerability first mindset change, based on our level of confidence.

Peter Atwater is an adjunct professor of economics at Williams and Mary University, and the President of financial insights, a consulting firm that advises global policymakers on how social mood affects decision making, the economy and the markets. He is known for coining the “K-shaped recovery” which is an economic term used by political and economic leaders. Most recently, he has examined the hidden role of confidence in the choices we make, in his new book “The Confidence Map: Charting a Path from Chaos to Clarity”.

Confidence is inherently forward-looking and involves imagining the future, which is inherently uncertain. To illustrate this, Peter introduces us to the Confidence Map, a two-by-two grid with certainty on the x-axis and control on the y-axis. The upper right quadrant represents high confidence where there is both high certainty and control. This is the "comfort zone." The lower left quadrant represents low confidence due to low certainty and control. This is the "stress center."

The other two quadrants represent situations where there is only one of the two factors needed for confidence. The "passenger seat" quadrant has uncertainty but no control, like being a passenger in a car. The "launchpad" quadrant has control but no certainty, like pulling the lever on a slot machine.

Overconfidence and under confidence can both be issues. Organizations often ignore the vulnerability people feel during a crisis, focusing only on fixing the problem, as Boeing did during the 737 Max disasters.

Listen to Tim and Kurt’s discussion with Peter and the following Grooving Session to learn how confidence can be both an input and output of decision-making and about the complex interplay between feelings, stories and actions.

We hope you enjoy listening to our discussion with Peter and if you would like to support the work of Behavioral Grooves, we would love you to join our Behavioral Grooves Patreon membership.

Topics

(2:15) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:44) What is confidence?

(7:50) The confidence quadrant.

(12:55) Can you have too much confidence and can it be false?

(15:49) How Behavioral Economics influences our financial decision making.

(18:42) Why groups can overestimate outcomes.

(20:42) Confidence is both an input and an output.

(23:39) Horizon preference and confidence.

(27:29) What is a vulnerability first mindset?

(29:33) How Boeing focused on the wrong issue with the 737 Max disasters.

(32:19) What music would Peter take to a desert island?

(34:44) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on confidence.

Links

Peter Atwater: https://peteratwater.com/

Peter Atwater’s book: The Confidence Map: Charting a Path from Chaos to Clarity: https://amzn.to/3NB2gM3

Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky (1974) Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases, Science: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.185.4157.1124

Episode 31, Leaving the Matrix: Annie Duke and Insights into how you can improve your thinking! https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/leaving-the-matrix-annie-duke-and-insights-into-how-you-can-improve-your-thinking/

Boeing 737 Max grounding: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_737_MAX_groundings

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Steve Sondheim “Send in the Clowns”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBuDSsc9Pak

George Winston “Autumn”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKmqyQUDehs

The Psychology of Scams: Why We Fall for Fraud and How to Protect Yourself | Daniel Simons & Christopher Chabris

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Splashy headlines, sensational findings and world-first results grab our attention but they also leave us vulnerable to deception. Constantly being skeptical of research is an impractical stance, so how do we avoid being fooled by fraud? Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris tell us exactly how.

If you’re one of the 13 million viewers of the Monkey Business Illusion video on YouTube, you are already familiar with the work of our guests on this episode, Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris. As long time experts in the areas of deception and fraud, they have just published an excellent new book on the topic; Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It.

In our discussion with Dan Simons and Chris Chabris, we discuss ways to avoid being fooled and scammed based on insights from behavioral science. They talk about how habits and appealing information can make people vulnerable to deception. While being skeptical of everything all the time is impractical, people should be more skeptical when the stakes are high.

Scientific fraud is a growing concern and has hit the headlines again in the field of behavioral science. Dan and Chris outline the problems with current incentives in academic research and a new approach to conducting research that reduces the push for only publishing statistically significant results.

The snapshot takeaway from this monumental discussion though is when trying to figure out who to trust in a world swimming in disinformation, fraud and scams - look for the people who are routinely admit when they’re wrong. These are the people you can trust.

Interviewing Dan and Chris was definitely a highlight of the 350+ episodes of Behavioral Grooves Podcast. We love bringing you insights from the best minds in the field of behavioral science. If you’d like to support our ongoing work, please consider becoming a Behavioral Grooves Patreon member.

Topics

(4:04) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:56) What readers can get out of the book, Nobody’s Fool.

(11:06) Why is a book about deception timely?

(15:31) Who can we trust?

(18:52) The replication crisis in behavioral science.

(21:36) Registered reports - a new method for publishing research.

(23:46) How to ask the right questions.

(26:38) How to detect fraud in scientific papers?

(32:59) The tension between individual choice and incentives in research.

(37:58) Normalizing a lack of confidence in your own research results.

(41:49) The bullshit receptivity scale research.

(45:09) Tips on evading selection.

(50:43) What music Dan and Chris would take to a desert island.

(55:53) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on being fooled.

Links

The Monkey Business Illusion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQmdoK_ZfY

Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris’ book, Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It: https://amzn.to/3pHdkz6

Pennycook, G., Cheyne, J. A., Barr, N., Koehler, D. J., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2015). Bullshit Receptivity Scale: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037/t52525-000

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IsSpAOD6K8

Dan

Ani Difranco “Both Hands”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th-GDhsveM4&ab_channel=HybridFalcon

Wax Tailor “Come With Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzGmze5erMo&pp=ygUKd2F4IHRheWxvcg%3D%3D

Bjork “Human Behaviour”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0mRIhK9seg&ab_channel=bj%C3%B6rk

Supertramp “Breakfast in America”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YQb-0P320s&ab_channel=KRM

Chris

U2 “Original Of The Species”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu9rQ8lkQ5c

Bob Mould “I Don’t Know You Anymore”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ0ZEpJRpAE&ab_channel=MergeRecordsonYouTube

People Want Answers: How to Communicate in a Crisis with Christopher Reddy

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Between disinformation and misinformation, it’s difficult to know what and who to trust, especially during a crisis. When disaster does strike, it is critical that scientific information is communicated clearly. Oceanographer Christopher Reddy discusses his experiences relaying vital information during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

Scientists are bathing in uncertainty. It is the basis of their work. As Chris says “if I’m certain about something, I’m not going to research it.” But during a disaster, people crave answers, not a comprehensive research paper published 5 years after the event! So a huge challenge for scientists is how to communicate effectively to both the media, the public and all of the stakeholders involved in disaster relief.

In this episode, we’ve reached outside of our traditional box of guests and are talking with a sharp, witty and very informative scientist, Christopher Reddy. Chris is a chemist, but for reasons he explains in the podcast, he most often refers to himself as an oceanographer. He is a leader in the study of marine pollution and the development of environmentally friendly industrial chemicals and works as a senior scientist in the Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry at Woods Hole Oceanographic.

When the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster struck in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, Chris was one of the sets of boots on the ground, leading the field operations. His expertise in the science of oil spills meant he was thrust into a public facing role which later got him personally entangled in the BP legal case surrounding the liability for the spill. He’s written about this experience in his new book, Science Communication in a Crisis: An Insider’s Guide.

We love bringing you interesting and funny conversations from people like Chris. If you would like to support our work, please share this episode on social media, write a review on your app or become a Behavioral Grooves Patreon member.

Topics

(3:57) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:57) How communicating can make you a better scientist.

(13:02) Who are the most important stakeholders in the communication process?

(16:16) Mistrust in science is a big challenge.

(18:04) How to communicate uncertainty.

(22:32) Public statements have real world consequences.

(25:33) Why you shouldn’t start a conversation with your PhD qualifications!

(30:18) The hardest part of the Deepwater Horizon disaster for Chris.

(35:05) Clair Patterson’s impact on the world.

(39:11) Advice on how to become a science communicator.

(40:46) Why Chris can’t listen to music.

(46:19) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on communicating.

Links

Chris’ book: Science Communication in a Crisis: An Insider’s Guide: https://amzn.to/3rfrKan

Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon

Clair Patterson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clair_Cameron_Patterson

Clair Patterson, the Hero Who Got the Lead Out of Gasoline: https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/science/environment/clair-patterson-got-lead-out-of-gasoline/

Freddie Mercury: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mercury

Larry Bird: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Bird

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Queen “We are the Champions”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04854XqcfCY

Queen “We will Rock You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk

Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ

The Value of an Open Mind and How To Overcome Knowingness | Jonathan Malesic

Sun, 02 Jul 2023 03:03:00 -0600

When we pretend to know something that we don’t or start a comment with “everyone knows that...”, we create an atmosphere where answers become irrelevant. It closes off our openness to new ideas, ways of thinking and discovering new information. This is the curse of knowingness.

On this episode of Behavioral Grooves, Jonathan Malesic discusses the concept of "knowingness" - the tendency people have to act like they already know something when in fact they don't. This false sense of knowledge can prevent learning and understanding. Overcoming knowingness requires maintaining a healthy skepticism and openness to new evidence.

Knowingness afflicts all corners of our politics. And I think that it's a real problem when it starts afflicting people whose job is to inform us.

Jonathan Malesic teaches writing at Southern Methodist University and creative nonfiction at the University of Texas at Dallas. He’s a philosopher and scholar and cares a lot about something we do every week: science communication. And he's also a previous guest on the show when he discussed how to end burnout on episode 302.

Writing for an audience can help develop empathy and moral imagination by forcing writers to imagine the needs and perspective of their readers. Jonathan argues that learning to write is an ethical training that teaches us to relate to others beyond ourselves. With the emergence of new AI tools like ChatGPT it begs the question of whether writing needs to be taught at all. But Jonathan doesn’t feel threatened by AI. He explains that with a lack of empathy, AI will never be able to effectively write for its audience.

Topics

(3:12) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:02) Our problem isn’t misinformation, it’s knowingness.

(9:16) Is knowingness a type of confirmation bias?

(11:31) How already knowing makes it impossible to learn anything new.

(15:04) The role of the internet and social media on confirmation bias.

(18:43) Cognitive dissonance and the structure of scientific revolutions.

(20:54) How can we overcome knowingness?

(28:55) How do you change someone’s mind?

(30:54) Do we still need to teach writing now that we have ChatGPT?

(39:09) How do we relate to people we imagine?

(43:24) What music would Jon take to a desert island?

(47:18) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on knowingness.

Links

Episode 302, You Have Dignity Because You’re Human, Not Because You Work | Jonathan Malesic: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/you-have-dignity-jonathan-malesic/

Jonathan Malesic’s book “The End of Burnout: Why Work Drains Us and How to Build Better Lives”: https://amzn.to/3tDdS8j

Jonathan Lear “Open Minded: Working Out the Logic of the Soul”: https://amzn.to/3PyP2SJ

“Our big problem is not misinformation; it’s knowingness” by Jonathan Malesic: https://psyche.co/ideas/our-big-problem-is-not-misinformation-its-knowingness

Buffalo Sabres: https://www.nhl.com/sabres

Thomas Kuhn “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”: https://amzn.to/3JqLe1O

Oedipus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Neil Young “Harvest Moon”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2MtEsrcTTs

Fiona Apple “Criminal”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFOzayDpWoI

Feeling Stuck? Steps To Get Out Of Your Rut And How Music Helps | Adam Alter

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 23:03:00 -0600

We all get stuck. In relationships, in jobs or in creative endeavors. It’s a universal experience, yet most people feel incredibly lonely when they’re stuck. By shedding light on the latest research, bestselling author Adam Alter expertly unravels the psychological and practical steps you need to get unstuck.

Adam Alter PhD is a professor of Marketing at New York University's Stern School of Business with an affiliate appointment in the Psychology Department. Adam has spent the past two decades studying how people become stuck and how they free themselves to thrive. He is the author of bestsellers Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible but we talk with him on this episode about his latest book, Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most.

As someone who has kept decades of notes on interesting observations from his life, Adam peppers all his work with relatable personal stories. One of the trends of Adam’s observations from over the years is that music has provided a stream of interesting anecdotes. So it will come as no surprise to regular listeners of the Behavioral Grooves, that Tim thoroughly enjoyed talking about how music has influenced Adam’s life, research and writing!

We hope you enjoy listening to our light hearted discussion with Adam and if you would like to support the work of Behavioral Grooves, you can become a Patreon member of the show: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Topics

(3:30) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:31) Creativity is a result of productivity not insight.

(6:38) Where do people get stuck in their lives?

(7:42) Narrow bracketing - how to get rid of the messy middle.

(9:55) Why is it so hard to get unstuck?

(12:08) How to reframe difficulties as challenges.

(15:52) In hierarchical organizations, the personality of leaders matters.

(18:30) How to fail well.

(23:07) Are constraints liberating?

(26:34) The 3 part process of a friction audit?

(29:29) What is hardship inoculation?

(34:06) Finding the people who magically unstick your team.

(38:48) What makes a great band?

(42:46) How Universal Basic Income (UBI) can harness creative breakthroughs.

(45:28) Why music is a huge part of Adam’s book.

(48:10) How the economy actually dictates our musical choices.

(53:39) The music that Adam listens to.

(57:37) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on getting unstuck.

Links

Adam Alter’s book “Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most”: https://amzn.to/3NHkQ6z

Episode 276, How To Stay Motivated So You Exceed Your Goals with Ayelet Fishbach PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/motivation-to-exceed-your-goals/

Episode 307, Groove Track - Mind Over Milkshakes: Why Expectations Matter A Lot: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/mind-over-milkshakes-groove-track/

Michael Lewis “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game”: https://amzn.to/46dqbJV

Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure”: https://amzn.to/3NSRItb

Episode 64, Danny Oppenheimer: Governance and Helicopter Parenting: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/danny-oppenheimer-governance-and-helicopter-parenting/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

EDM, trance music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xptn9MHiAdo

Alice in Chains “Man In The Box”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAqZb52sgpU

Bob Dylan “Like A Rolling Stone”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0

Are You A People Pleaser? Learn To Say No More with Vanessa Patrick PhD

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Saying yes to tasks that we want to say no to is a common problem. But how do we decide which requests to turn down? Dr Vanessa Patrick PhD strategically breaks down asks into 4 useful categories. Learn to say yes to requests that align with your identity and how to communicate an empowered refusal.

“A no that stems from your identity is a much more empowered no”

Dr Vanessa Patrick PhD is a Professor of Marketing and the Associate Dean for Research at the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. Her recent book “The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No That Puts You in Charge of Your Life” is an extremely practical guide in how to turn down the requests that don’t align with your identity.

While Vanessa’s academic research is rigorous and interesting, it is her poetic ability to translate her findings into useful frameworks and practical advice that makes her work resonate so powerfully. Her analogy of persistent askers being like a walnut tree evokes beautiful imagery that helps illustrate her point. And Tim’s favorite quote from the conversation is “we leak power through our nonverbal skills.” Join our discussion to learn how this elegant nugget of wisdom can help us overcome our communication weaknesses.

Producer of Behavioral Grooves, Mary Kaliff, joins regular host Tim Houlihan on this podcast episode to ask Vanessa the questions that will help you communicate empowered refusals. We figure out how to say no to tasks that don’t align with our identity and our personal priorities. But we also delve into some areas that Vanessa doesn’t address in the book, such as the social norms in individualistic and collective societies, and of course, the musical influences that have shaped Vanessa’s life.

And for regular listeners, you’ll be relieved to know that while Kurt Nelson sadly missed the interview with Vanessa, he joins Tim and Mary in the Grooving Session to summarize and develop the key points from the discussion.

Topics

(2:56) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:13) Should we frame a refusal with “I can’t” or “I don’t”?

(6:37) Saying no to a complete stranger compared to friends & family.

(7:28) What is an empowered refusal?

(10:30) Should we sometimes say yes?

(12:44) How to overcome the flattery of being asked.

(15:07) Why women are at much greater risk of saying yes.

(16:59) How to break down asks into 4 categories.

(20:26) Why you don’t want to be walnut tree!

(23:44) Why it’s harder to say no to more powerful people.

(25:07) What is compassionate self control?

(30:41) The difference with empowered refusal in collective vs individualistic societies.

(32:46) The 3 competencies of empowered refusal.

(35:46) Life choices that have influenced Vanessa’s musical choices.

(41:13) Grooving Session with Tim, Mary and Kurt on saying no!

Links

Vanessa’s book, “The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No That Puts You in Charge of Your Life”: https://amzn.to/42N3cm1

Episode 277, No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope with Daniel H. Pink: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/

Episode 350, How One Small Word Can Transform Our Motivation, Success And Relationships with Jonah Berger: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/words-can-transform-jonah-berger/

Episode 278, How Can Smart, Kind People Harness Their Influence? Zoe Chance: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/harness-influence-zoe-chance/

Episode 325, Can You Unlearn History And Still Love Your Country? With Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dolly-chugh/

Episode 18, Stars – Cores – Laggards – Better Incentives for Your Sales Reps featuring Dr. Michael Ahearne: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stars-cores-laggards-better-incentives-for-your-sales-reps-featuring-dr-michael-ahearne/

Patrick, Vanessa & Hagtvedt, Henrik. (2012). “I Don’t” versus “I Can’t”: When Empowered Refusal Motivates Goal-Directed Behavior. Journal of Consumer Research: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239810645_I_Don't_versus_I_Can't_When_Empowered_Refusal_Motivates_Goal-Directed_Behavior

Patrick, Vanessa and Mead, Nicole (2016) , The taming of desire: Unspecific postponement reduces desire for and consumption of postponed temptations: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3602254

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz: https://amzn.to/3NdIHcw

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Phantom of the Opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGb4hj-EXt0

Elvis Presley “Hound Dog”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNYWl13IWhY

What Do You Think? How To Improve Your Perspective And Your Life | Woo-Kyoung Ahn PhD

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Understanding how we think can change our thinking. From confirmation biases, to uncertainty, to overconfidence, we are all blessed with the same thinking patterns that affect our decision making. Yale professor, Dr Woo-kyoung Ahn walks us through the latest cognitive research on “thinking problems”, and most importantly, how we can overcome them.

Woo-kyoung Ahn is a psychology professor and the director of the Thinking Lab at Yale University. Recently she wrote a riveting book titled “Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better.” On this episode of Behavioral Grooves, she joins Tim Houlihan and producer Mary Kaliff to make the case that there are some good reasons behind our ways of thinking. For example, confirmation bias can save us energy and help bring consistency to our lives.

Dr Ahn illustrates her book and this discussion with many relatable, personal stories that illustrate our patterns of thinking. Our favorite is that she recently updated her lecture notes for her class at Yale on the planning fallacy. She had optimistically estimated it would take her 3 days. Ironically, it took her 3 weeks!

As always, the most useful part of the conversation on Behavioral Grooves are the practical tips that we can use in our everyday life. And Woo-kyoung offers us plenty of useful ways we change our perspective and improve our lives. Join Tim and Mary for further discussion in the Grooving Session on how to apply Woo-kyoung’s work.

Topics

(3:16) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:26) Who is Thinking 101 written for?

(9:58) What are “thinking problems” and what exactly is confirmation bias?

(12:29) What is the link between maximizing, satisficing and confirmation bias?

(18:09) Should we change people's minds or change our perspective?

(20:33) Why are we overconfident about what others are thinking?

(23:22) Why is confirmation bias hardwired in us?

(26:25) Why are highly educated women biased against other highly educated women?

(28:38) What can we do about confirmation bias in job selection?

(31:43) How do collective societies vs individualistic societies affect our identity?

(34:18) The difference between emotional theory of mind and cognitive theory of mind.

(35:42) How to combat the planning fallacy.

(41:40) How uncertainty affects our decision making.

(46:11) What music would Woo-kyoung take to a desert island?

(47:49) Grooving Session with Tim and Mary about uncertainty and decision making.

Links

Woo-kyoung Ahn: https://wkahn.com/about

Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better: https://amzn.to/3MW7dQH

Episode 300, You Can Change Someone’s Mind But Are You Sure You Want To? | David McRaney: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/changing-minds-david-mcraney/

Episode 345, The Tools You Need To Embrace Uncertainty | Nathan and Susannah Harmon Furr: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/tools-to-embrace-uncertainty/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

YoYo Ma playing J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite No.1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObSD2fXWU0I

BTS “ Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXpOEzNZ8hQ&ab_channel=HYBELABELS

How We’re Missing The Point With The Gender Pay Gap | Alex Imas PhD

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 23:03:00 -0600

If you compare executive pay of men and women in C suite jobs, you will often not find a discrepancy in their wages. You will also be completely missing the point. The gender pay gap exists because it is more difficult for women to reach executive level success. Throughout their career progression, but particularly early on, women face more discrimination than men, and so fewer women are ultimately promoted to the highest level of an organization.

Gender discrimination is one of the recent topics covered by Alex Imas PhD, in his research. Alex is a behavioral economist with a focus on dynamic decision-making. His research explores topics related to choice under uncertainty, discrimination, mental representation, and how people learn from information.

Most recently, Alex has been the recipient of the 2023 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship which seeks to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise.

Alex’s work on discrimination in the workplace sheds vital light on the cause of the problem which isn’t just found within the hiring process. But before Kurt and Tim discuss this topic with Alex, the conversation kicks off with the fascinating findings that have fed off Robert Cialdini’s founding work - that scarcity drives consumer demand.

It was back in episode 71, that Alex was originally a guest on Behavioral Grooves. And Tim was more than happy to rekindle the initial musical discussion around Tom Waits and Bob Dylan. But Alex also delights us with how the pandemic altered his listening behavior and opened him up to some new favorite bands.

Topics

(4:59) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:!8) How exclusivity can drive demand.

(14:56) Access desire is the key to driving demand.

(16:50) What are Alex’s plans with being awarded the Sloan Fellowship?

(21:41) Integrating behavioral science into the workplace.

(26:17) The latest research on gender discrimination in the workplace.

(32:11) Why looking at salaries for men and women doing the same job is not enough.

(36:20) How algorithms can exacerbate and scale biases.

(40:20) How Tom Waits’ music has inspired Alex to explore new areas of creativity.

(47:38) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on discrimination.

Links

Alex Imas: http://www.aleximas.com/

NBER: https://www.nber.org/

Episode 355, Want Marketing That’s Effective? Use a Behavioral Science Perspective | Nancy Harhut: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/marketing-using-behavioral-science/

Episode 71, Alex Imas: Clawback Incentives and Tom Waits: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/alex-imas-clawback-incentives-and-tom-waits/

Alex Imas & Kristóf Madarász (2022) “Superiority-Seeking and the Preference for Exclusion”: https://www.nber.org/papers/w30334

Episode 226, The Power of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

Benjamin Handel: https://www.benjaminhandel.com/

Imas, J. A. Bohren and M. Rosenberg (2019) "The Dynamics of Discrimination: Theory and Evidence," American Economic Review: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57967bc7cd0f68048126361d/t/5cdf2d4c7d1b310001d046fc/1558129997622/BohrenImasRosenberg_DynamicsDiscrimination_January2019.pdf

Episode 293, Women Do Too Much Non-Promotable Work: How To Say No More with Linda Babcock: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/women-do-too-much/

Episode 204, How Shellye Archambeau Flies Like an Eagle: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shellye-archambeau-like-an-eagle/

Musical Links

Tom Waits “Downtown Train”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLtZKkCIVmI

Bob Dylan “My Back Pages”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92cF_KCH7TU

Bob Dylan “Johanna”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwuCF5lYqEE

Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs “Way Out”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh3DXuNH9A0

The Strokes “Last Nite”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOypSnKFHrE

The Vines “Get Free”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asOvnGHwtDU

The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J2QdDbelmY

Fontaines D.C. “Jackie Down The Line”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AoOfJP3r40

Bright Eyes “First Day of My Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUBYzpCNQ1I

Want People To Comply With Rules? Start With Trust | Christian Hunt

Mon, 29 May 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Want people to comply with rules at work? Stop assuming that they are going to break the rules. The vast majority of people want to do the right thing. So if you’re finding that people aren’t complying, you’ve got a rule problem, not a people problem.

Our expert guest and friend of the show, Christian Hunt turns compliance on its head in this episode:

“I thought compliance was all about rules and regulations, which it is, but that is the organization's perspective on it. The organization needs to comply with these rules. That's the organization’s challenge. But to get that solved, you’ve got to be thinking about things from the perspective of the people that are going to deliver or not deliver that mission.”

Thinking about the people behind the rules is the crux of Christian’s new book “Humanizing Rules: Bringing Behavioural Science to Ethics and Compliance”, which we are thrilled to be discussing on this episode of Behavioral Grooves.

We’ve had the pleasure of recording with Christian a number of times. Most notably at the Abbey Road Studios in London where we talked about the risks and benefits of cheating in episode 326. We have also delved into how to not outsource your critical thinking during in episode 122, as well as covering the 5 principles of human risk - in other words, the myths that humans cling to that don’t help us - way back in episode 86. And most recently, Christian joined in our conversation in episode 339, giving very practical tips on how to read a book quickly.

Christians is a fellow podcaster, hosting a fantastic show called The Human Risk Podcast (you should definitely take a listen) which explores the idea of human decision-making as a risk and what we can do to mitigate it.

Unbelievably, despite this being the 5th time on Behavioral Grooves, this is the first time we get to hear Christian’s musical picks. And as always, this part of the discussion reveals a bit more about our guest that we didn’t know before.

Topics

(4:33) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:02) Should rules be designed for bad people or good people?

(12:24) Why Compliance Officer is the worst job title!

(15:31) Christian’s journey into compliance.

(20:24) Don’t focus on what you'd like people to do, but focus on what people are likely to do.

(24:12) The difference between recoverable and irrecoverable issues.

(27:44) Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

(31:06) People problem or rule problem?

(34:27) Who the hell is Mr Logic?

(43:13) How to get people to pay attention to compliance.

(47:19) Learning about compliance from sexologists!

(53:01) What music would Christian take to a desert island?

(58:32) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on compliance.

Links

Human Risk Podcast: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/

Christian’s book, “Humanizing Rules: Bringing Behavioural Science to Ethics and Compliance”: https://amzn.to/428gp8s

Episode 326, Grooving on Cheating: Kurt, Tim, Christian Hunt, and Koen Smets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/grooving-on-cheating/

Episode 122, Don’t Outsource Your Critical Thinking with Christian Hunt: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/c-19-dont-outsource-your-critical-thinking-with-christian-hunt/

Episode 86, Christian Hunt: Mitigating Human Risk and The Algorithmic Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/christian-hunt-mitigating-human-risk-and-the-algorithmic-mind/

Episode 339, Top 2 Tips on How to Read a Book Quickly: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-read-a-book-quickly/

Mr Logic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab6yslxLRyQ&ab_channel=ViolenceMatters

Human Risk and the sexologist, Jill McDevitt: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/sexologist-dr-jill-mcdevitt-on/

Herbert Grönemeyer: https://www.groenemeyer.de/

Happy 60th, Herbert Grönemeyer: https://www.dw.com/en/herbert-gr%C3%B6nemeyer-germanys-most-successful-musician-turns-60/a-19180054

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

The Beatles “I Feel Fine”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrAV5EVI4tU

Herbert Grönemeyer singt "Bochum" live im Stadion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFRQQCZglwI

Grooving on Goals: The Magic of Goals [Republish: Episode 27]

Wed, 24 May 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Goals are as common and as misunderstood as mobile phones. We think we know how to use them, but we don’t get it right every time. And if we were asked to explain how they work, we’d be clueless.

In this Grooving Session, Kurt and Tim discuss the magic of goals and how to best utilize them. We discuss some goal-setting studies – both published and unpublished – and some fundamental reasons why goals are important. We also get into some complementary research on the illusionary progress to goal and the goal gradient theory, both linked to the work of Ran Kivetz, from Columbia University. It’s a quick discussion of some important applications of how to make goals work better for YOU!

CONTEST ALERT! And as a special thank-you, we’re going to select a single listener to be our special guest on a future podcast. To let us know you’re interested in being our special guest, use #IWANTTOBEYOURSPECIALGUEST when you forward this episode on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook and we’ll select a winner. We want YOU to be our special guest to hear YOUR questions about behavioral sciences.

This is a republished episode that was originally episode 27 of Behavioral Grooves, back in September 2018 (yes Tim and Kurt really have been podcasting that long!) But we felt the content of this episode was timeless.

And the offer of being a guest on the show? Yes, we still mean it! Share the hashtag and come join Kurt and Tim on a future episode!

Groove Track | Why It Takes More Than Willpower To Reach Your Goals

Sun, 14 May 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Between setting your goals and reaching your goals, there is a void that we assume willpower can fill. But to achieve success, it takes more than willpower alone. Thankfully there are some well researched tools that we can set in place to help us flourish.

Hosts of Behavioral Grooves Kurt Nelson and Tim Houlihan sit down for a succinct Groove Track episode summarizing the myths about willpower, what other factors are at play when striving for our goals, and the tools we can use to help us succeed.

Key takeaways:

Willpower is not enough on its own.
Your environment - both your physical and social contexts - influence your behavior.
Routines can help you achieve your goals.

And routines work best when they:

Fit into our lifestyle.
Focus on the steps to the goal.
Fuel consistency.
Provide intrinsic or extrinsic reward.

And tools are useful to:

Help remind and motivate.
Assist with planning and strategizing.
Track and measure our progress.

Links

Mazuch & Rona (2005), “Creating healing environments: humanistic architecture and therapeutic design”: https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/creating-healing-environments-humanistic/docview/212385610/se-2

McMains & Kastner (2011), “Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex”: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21228167/

Wendy Wood, “Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick”: https://amzn.to/3LTMlYl

Katy Milkman, “How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be”: https://amzn.to/3pzBb3t

The Brain/Shift Journal - Scientifically Proven Guided Journal for Goal Setting and Achieving: A 13-Week Undated Planner, Organizer, and Notebook for Personal Productivity: https://amzn.to/42rjilP

Why Random Rewards Feel So Much Better Than Earned Ones with Richard Shotton

Sun, 07 May 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Earning your 10th cup of coffee for free isn’t nearly as satisfying as being randomly awarded a free coffee from your barista. These uncertain rewards are a genius way of enforcing new habits, which our guest Richard Shotton outlines in his fantastic new book.

In fact, Richard’s book “The Illusion of Choice: 16 ½ psychological biases that influence what we buy" is a treasure trove of research and anecdotes which bridge the gap between the very technical world of academia and the “wild” application of behavioral science in real world marketing.

Kurt and Tim don’t delve into all 16 ½ psychological biases from the book, but their conversation with Richard jumps into some fascinating topics. Among them are the seemingly contradictory chapters in Richard’s book that are titled “Make It Easy” and “Make It Difficult”. So which is it - should we add or remove friction to products? In fact, it’s both! And (as we love to say on Behavioral Grooves) it depends on the context and ultimately what your marketing goal is.

“You've got to be very clear about what is the barrier, or what is the problem you are trying to resolve as a marketer. And once you're clear about that, then it's easy to match the right behavioral science experiment, and therefore the right recommendation to that problem.”

We discuss the power of simple, concrete language; why we perceive precise numbers to be more accurate; and how authoritarian language can discourage customers, employees and possibly citizens.

As mentioned in the show, we were recently honored to be awarded the 2023 Behavioral Science Podcast of the Year by GAABS. Thank you to the wonderful team at GAABS, and all our listeners who made this possible, we really appreciate your ongoing support.

Topics

(5:33) Welcome and speed round question.

(7:57) Why randomly being awarded a coffee is so satisfying.

(13:00) Closing the gap between academia and applied behavioral science.

(15:12) The power of concrete over abstract words.

(20:48) Breaking prices down to unit price is perceived as better value.

(24:32) How precise pricing increases the acceptance rate.

(28:38) Why simple language is so important.

(33:40) When is it best to increase friction and when should you remove friction?

(40:44) Is there actually a replication “crisis” in behavioral science?

(42:48) Authoritarian messages could have a negative effect on customers and employees.

(47:36) What musical artists would Richard take to a desert island?

(52:20) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on Richard’s work.

Links

UP: https://www.theupsideofuncertainty.com/

Richard Shotton’s book “The Illusion of Choice: 16 ½ psychological biases that influence what we buy”: https://amzn.to/3LxOCs5

Astroten: https://www.astroten.co.uk/

Dishoom restaurant: https://www.dishoom.com/

Ian Begg (1972) “Recall of meaningful phrases”, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022537172800240

Robert Schindler & Richard Yalch (2006), “It Seems Factual, But Is It? Effects of Using Sharp versus Round Numbers in Advertising Claims” Advances in Consumer Research: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279544736_It_Seems_Factual_But_Is_It_Effects_of_Using_Sharp_versus_Round_Numbers_in_Advertising_Claims

Episode 64, Danny Oppenheimer: Governance and Helicopter Parenting: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/danny-oppenheimer-governance-and-helicopter-parenting/

Daniel Oppenheimer (2006) “Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly” Applied Cognitive Psychology: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227513726_Consequences_of_erudite_vernacular_utilized_irrespective_of_necessity_Problems_with_using_long_words_needlessly

Ig Nobel Prizel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ig_Nobel_Prize

The IKEA effect: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/ikea-effect#:~:text=The%20IKEA%20effect%2C%20named%20after,expended%20effort%20to%20create%20them.

Felicia Pratto & Oliver John (1991) “The attention-grabbing power of negative social information”: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/21213504_Automatic_Vigilance_The_Attention-Grabbing_Power_of_Negative_Social_Information

Episode 350, How One Small Word Can Transform Our Motivation, Success And Relationships | Jonah Berger: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/words-can-transform-jonah-berger/

Variable Ratio Reinforcement: https://practicalpie.com/variable-ratio-reinforcement/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

David Bowie “Starman”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRcPA7Fzebw&pp=ygUTZGF2aWQgYm93aWUgc3Rhcm1hbg%3D%3D

The Strokes “Last Night”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOypSnKFHrE&pp=ygULdGhlIHN0cm9rZXM%3D

The Verve “Bitter Sweet Symphony”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyu1KKwC74&ab_channel=TheVerveVEVO

The Cure “Pictures Of You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmFFTkjs-O0&ab_channel=TheCureVEVO

Wonder Stuff “Don’t Let Me Down Gently”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIKUZjc4gVo&ab_channel=TheWonderStuffVEVO

Stone Roses “I Wanna Be Adored”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D2qcbu26gs&pp=ygULc3RvbmUgcm9zZXM%3D

John Prine “I Remember Everything”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww1SenQwaMg

Public Enemy “Fight The Power”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WHe5fxS3dA&ab_channel=UPROXXVideo

Want Marketing That’s Effective? Use a Behavioral Science Perspective | Nancy Harhut

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Interested in a secret, underused marketing trick? Use rhyme in your design! You may easily recall examples like “Bounty: the quicker picker upper” or “Duracell: no battery is stronger, longer”. By including rhyming words in your marketing, your content is actually more memorable and more believable. This is just one of the 25 behavioral science tips that our expert guest, Nancy Harhut outlines in her comprehensive new book, “Using Behavioral Science in Marketing”.

Nancy Harhutt is Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at HBT Marketing, a consultancy that specializes in applying human behavior techniques to marketing. Her new book Using Behavioral Science in Marketing: Drive Customer Action and Loyalty by Prompting Instinctive Responses is an easy-to-use guide on how to apply behavioral insights.

“Behavioral science is tailor made for marketing. At the end of the day, marketers are trying to convince people to do something, we're trying to influence behavior.”

While Nancy’s book is written for those in the marketing field, it is applicable to anyone trying to negotiate, influence or strategize with others. One of the things that makes the book such a helpful guide is Nancy’s use of industry stories to illustrate the effectiveness of her applied behavioral science techniques, and she shares some of these with us in our discussion.

Kurt and Tim talk with Nancy about the weightiness of temporal landmarks, such as birthdays and fresh starts; why rhyming is an underused secret in marketing; and the reason why the reciprocity principle can be so effective with clients.

Whether your job title is in marketing or you frequently find yourself trying to influence others behavior, you will gain some useful insight from Nancy’s interview. If you are a regular listener of Behavioral Grooves, please consider becoming a supporter too, through the Behavioral Grooves Pateron page.

Topics

(3:24) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:11) How behavioral science can be incredibly useful in marketing.

(9:04) How Nancy first used the autonomy bias in a marketing campaign.

(13:43) How do you measure marketing results?

(17:28) What are the differences between labeling and framing?

(24:14) The secret of rhyming in marketing.

(30:29) How birthdays can impact our behavior.

(36:00) Is marketing missing any tricks?

(43:29) How the default settings on Spotify changed.

(49:05) What music would Nancy take to a desert island?

(51:32) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.

Links

Nancy Harhut’s book: “Using Behavioral Science in Marketing: Drive Customer Action and Loyalty by Prompting Instinctive Responses”: https://amzn.to/41CAC72

Nancy Harhut: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyharhut

Stephen Sondheim: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Sondheim

Frank Lesser: https://www.franklesser.com/

Stephen Schwartz: https://stephenschwartz.com/

Episode 351, How One Small Word Can Transform Our Motivation, Success And Relationships with Jonah Berger: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/words-can-transform-jonah-berger/

Ogilvy: https://www.ogilvy.com/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

West Side Story “Maria”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39WPioTx1zQ

The Beatles “Help”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q_ZzBGPdqE

Wicked “Defying Gravity”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEq3xM-i0Ng

Can Psychology Tell Us What Makes A Good Life? With Paul Bloom, Part 2

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 23:03:00 -0600

Is a happy life one that is abundant with pleasure? Or one without pain? Or one that overcomes struggle? The quest for a good life may go beyond the scope of a psychological study. But bestselling author, Paul Bloom does believe that psychology can help us maximize the circumstances that contribute to our happiness.

In the second part of our interview with psychologist Paul Bloom we delve more into his book “Psych: The Story of the Human Mind”. Not only do we discuss the factors that lead to a happy life, we talk to Paul about the evolution of selfish versus altruistic behaviors, the ongoing debate between nature versus nurture, how maximizers and satisficers differ and what exactly hypophobia is.

If you’d like to listen to the first part of Paul’s interview, tune in to episode 352 and you'll also enjoy our previous discussion with Paul about his book, The Sweet Spot in episode 241.

Become a podcast follower of Behavioral Grooves and you will automatically be notified when our new weekly episodes go live.

Topics

(2:23) Why Paul hasn’t written a psychology textbook.

(5:03) The evolution of kindness and selfishness.

(11:57) Nature vs. nurture.

(15:30) Why do we care more about our differences than our similarities?

(18:07) Maximizers vs. satisficers?

(20:28) Is language infinite in principle, but finite in practice?

(22:19) What is a good life?

(27:34) Do a lot of our politicians have hypophobia (lack of fear)?

(30:47) What music would Paul take to a desert island?

(34:30) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.

Links

Episode 352, Psychology: Should Freud Still Be On The Syllabus? Paul Bloom, Part 1: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/psychology-freud-on-the-syllabus/

Paul Bloom’s book “Psych: The Story of the Human Mind”: https://amzn.to/3MF6raM

Episode 241 with Paul Bloom, Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/

Lila Gleitman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lila_R._Gleitman

Noam Chomsky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky

Randolph Nesse: https://www.randolphnesse.com/

Musical Links

The White Lotus Soundtrack “I Want to Live”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I9ffEzCPIA

Elton John “The Last Song”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5eEQJZm7ZM

David Bowie “Changes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BgF7Y3q-as

Tracey Chapman “Fast Car”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIOAlaACuv4

Joan Armatrading “Already There”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChMcN0ke1eA

Suzanne Vega “Walk on The Wild Side”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEXGLRLhWls

Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly6ZhQVnVow

Pink Floyd “Time”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr0-7Ds79zo

Psychology: Should Freud Still Be On The Syllabus? Paul Bloom, Part 1

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 00:03:00 -0600

Ask someone to name a famous psychologist and there’s a good chance they’ll say Sigmund Freud. Describing a person as “anal” or rebuking someone with “I'm not your mother”, are both references to Freud’s work. Since many of his outlandish theories have long been debunked, should he still be part of psychology teaching? Author Paul Bloom lays the case for why he has dedicated a whole chapter to Freud in his new book Psych.

This is the first of two episodes with Paul Bloom, who we are warmly welcoming back to the Behavioral Grooves Podcast following his previous interview in episode 274 back in 2022. Paul joins us to discuss his new book, Psych: The Story of the Human Mind. And since we had such a fascinating (and long!) conversation with Paul, we decided to break it into two, more digestible, episodes.

In this first episode, we spend time discussing the history of psychology, delving into the importance of Freud, Skinner and Milgram and the impact that behaviorism had. We also jump to the hypothetical future of psychology and where the field may make seismic progress over the next 50 years.

By becoming a follower of Behavioral Grooves Podcast, you will automatically be notified when the second episode of Paul’s interview is released next week, on Monday, April 24th. In that interview, we will delve more into Paul’s book. We will talk about the impetus to write Psych, selfish vs altruistic behaviors, and what makes a good life.

Topics

(5:00) Welcome to Paul Bloom and speed round questions.

(9:33) Why Paul wrote the book Psych.

(12:15) Why Sigmund Freud had a whole chapter in the book.

(18:08) The reason Paul doesn’t have much love for B.F. Skinner.

(25:09) Milgram experiments during a wild west time in psychology.

(29:33) Do we have free will?

(33:42) How will the field of psychology change over the next 50 years?

(37:49) The failures of neuroscience.

(42:41) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on the history of psychology.

Links

Paul Bloom’s book “Psych: The Story of the Human Mind”: https://amzn.to/3MF6raM

Episode 274 with Paul Bloom, Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/

Sigmund Freud: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud

Episode 67, George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

Carl Jung: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung

B.F. Skinner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._F._Skinner

Episode 247, Stanford Prison Experiment, 50 Years On: What Have We Really Learnt? With Dr Philip Zimbardo: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stanford-prison-experiment/

Stanley Milgram experiment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

Episode 312, How To Find Meaning IN Life | Dr Brian Lowery PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/meaning-in-life-brian-lowery/

Episode 248, Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? With John Bargh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/

What Do You Really Want? Understand The Desires We All Share | Charlotte Fox Weber

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 00:03:00 -0600

With curiosity we can figure out what we actually want. Sometimes what we desire makes us feel uncomfortable, and as a therapist, our guest Charlotte Fox Weber makes space for that discomfort. Join us as she highlights her observations from the therapist's chair.

“I think curiosity is a life force. It engages us, it galvanizes us, it's inspiring, and it gets us to pay attention.” ~ Charlotte Fox Weber

Many people see a therapist to help them work through psychological issues. But have you ever considered what the dynamic is like from the point of view of the therapist? If you were a fly on the wall, what would you observe behind the closed doors?

Charlotte Fox Weber brings a unique perspective to the therapist-client relationship. Her new book “Tell Me What You Want: A Therapist and Her Clients Explore Our 12 Deepest Desires”: https://amzn.to/3ZJ9XUl, expertly pulls out recurring themes from her years as a therapist which are beautifully illustrated with captivating stories.

According to Charlotte, we each have 12 fundamental psychological needs that we all share but often hide. These universal desires are: to love and be loved; understanding, power, attention, freedom; to create, to belong, to win, to connect, to control; and to want what we shouldn’t. With her experience as a therapist, Charlotte is aiming to help us navigate our desires through curiosity and authenticity. If we can more accurately acknowledge what we actually want, we can live a more fulfilled life.

“The 12 desires I describe, all have to do with recognition.” ~ Charlotte Fox Weber

Our interview with Charlotte was recorded a few weeks ago when Tim Houlihan was unwell, so our producer Mary Kaliff joins Kurt on this episode as co-host of the show. But you’ll be pleased to know that Tim is doing much better now and you’ll be hearing his familiar voice on all upcoming episodes again!

Topics

(1:56) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:09) Why is it so hard for us to say what we want?

(8:14) Why curiosity is so important in therapy.

(11:37) The 12 desires that we each experience.

(13:27) Do we have desires that stay consistent throughout our life?

(18:22) How do we reconcile all of our identities?

(20:14) Why do we struggle holding two truths simultaneously?

(25:42) How jazz music helps us appreciate the notes unplayed.

(29:50) Of the 12 desires, which one makes us most uncomfortable?

(33:53) The cost of giving or paying attention.

(36:39) Grooving session with Kurt and Mary.

Links

Charlotte Fox Weber: https://charlottefoxweber.com/

Charlotte’s book: “Tell Me What You Want: A Therapist and Her Clients Explore Our 12 Deepest Desires”: https://amzn.to/3ZJ9XUl

Shankar Vedantam TED Talk “You don't actually know what your future self wants”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtfaccGmCCs

Episode 325, Can You Unlearn History And Still Love Your Country? With Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dolly-chugh/

Episode 178, Kwame Christian: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Episode 344, How To Frame Incentives To Drive The Desired Behavior with James Castello: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/incentives-to-drive-behavior/

Episode 237, Attention: How to Capture It and Keep It with Ben Parr: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/attention-with-ben-parr/

Episode 303, From Distracted To Focused: Nir Eyal’s Secrets On How To Be Indistractable: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nir-eyal-how-to-be-indistractable/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Nina Simone “Feeling Good”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHRNrgDIJfo

How One Small Word Can Transform Our Motivation, Success And Relationships | Jonah Berger

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 01:03:00 -0600

Words matter. Unbelievably, tiny changes to language can have a big effect on behavior. Hear bestselling author, Jonah Berger reveal the magic words that can completely transform how we behave, in this riveting episode.

Almost everything we do involves words. But have you ever stopped to consider how much influence the words you choose can have on the person reading your email, or listening to your presentation? Some words are more impactful than others. In fact, we can captivate, motivate and convince people with our words. But which words are the most powerful?

Listen in to find out:

How words can shape our identity.
Tips on using language to positively affect our relationships.
How simply changing the words in an email can dramatically alter behavior.

Jonah Berger’s last book, “Magic Words: What To Say To Get Your Way” is a succinct summary of the latest scientific research on words and language. Jonah joins us on Behavioral Grooves, not only to tell us about what to expect in the book, but also to recount the story of how the idea for the book was sparked by a delayed flight.

Jonah is a former guest of Behavioral Grooves Podcast, having previously been on the show to discuss his bestselling book The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind. He is a professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and is known as a world-renowned expert on natural language processing, word of mouth, influence, consumer behavior, and why things catch on.

Word of mouth is the number one way that new listeners find out about Behavioral Grooves podcast. If you feel wiser having listened to this episode, please share it on social media or email it to your friends and encourage them to become a listener too. Thank you!

Topics

(3:27) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:09) Why asking for advice makes us actually seem smarter.

(7:17) Using abstract vs. concrete language.

(12:42) How Jonah researched the use of language.

(16:49) How can our language affect our relationships.

(19:31) Turning actions into identities.

(22:47) Priming behavior with language.

(25:00) Do the lyrics of songs help explain their success?

(28:27) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt on why words matter.

Links

Jonah Berger: https://jonahberger.com/

Jonah’s book, “Magic Words: What To Say To Get Your Way”: https://amzn.to/3Kp9r9T

Episode 201, The Counterintuitive Persuasion of The Catalyst with Jonah Berger: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-catalyst-with-jonah-berger/

Episode 147, Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-goal-setting-prompts/

Episode 319, John Bargh: Want to Know How Priming Works? It Starts With Your Conscious, Not Your Unconscious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_UYYPb-Gk&ab_channel=RUNDMCVEVO

Leonardelli, Geoffrey & Pickett, Cynthia & Brewer, Marilynn. (2010). Optimal Distinctiveness Theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241065845_Optimal_Distinctiveness_Theory

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Suzanne Vega, DNA “Tom's Diner”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4jtIDaeaWI

RUN DMC - Walk This Way featuring Aerosmith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_UYYPb-Gk&ab_channel=RUNDMCVEVO

A Guide To The Ambitious Future of Behavioral Science with Michael Hallsworth PhD

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 03:03:00 -0600

What lies ahead for applied behavioral science? How can we learn from the massive growth in the field over the last 15 years? Our guest, Michael Hallsworth, has very recently published a manifesto on the future of behavioural science and we’re privileged to discuss this landmark publication with him on this episode.

Dr Michael Hallsworth PhD has been on the forefront of thought leadership and scholarship in behavioral science for many years. Having earned his PhD in Behavioural Economics from Imperial College in London, he has since spent most of his career working in either public policy or on corporate applications around the world. He is now the Managing Director, North America for the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT).

Stemming from the original Behavioural Insights Team formed at the heart of the UK government in 2010, BIT has grown into a global company, driving positive change in communities and organizations all across the world. Having grown international teams, demonstrated workable behavioral results and shaken up policies around the world, Michael felt it was a good time for BIT to reflect on how far they had come.

In the Manifesto for Applying Behavioural Science, Michael lays out 10 proposals that chart the path forward for behavioral science. We touch on these proposals in our discussion with Michael and the opportunities they present for the future.

* Behavioral science is a global field but unfortunately the spelling is not! In an effort to be diplomatic, we are using both spellings in the show notes!

Topics

(4:54) Why does behavioural science need a manifesto?

(7:18) What are some of the major themes?

(11:15) How Michael is flipping the prospective on scaling.

(16:37) Using behavioral science as a lens.

(21:33) Putting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in their place.

(26:02) Choice infrastructure.

(30:25) The vulnerability of behavioral science to overconfidence.

(35:09) Reframing our language away from rational vs irrational behavior.

(39:25) Using algorithms to reduce inequities rather than exploit vulnerabilities.

(47:28) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on applying behavioral science.

Links

Manifesto for Applying Behavioural Science: https://www.bi.team/publications/a-manifesto-for-applying-behavioral-science/

Misconceptions about the Practice of Behavioral Public Policy: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4328659

EAST Model: https://www.bi.team/publications/east-four-simple-ways-to-apply-behavioural-insights/

Mindscape Framework: https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/neuroscience/mindspace-framework

Ruth Schmidt, Zeya Chen, Veronica Paz Soldan (2022) Choice Posture, Architecture, and Infrastructure: Systemic Behavioral Design for Public Health Policy: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405872622000661

Ruth Schmidt & Katelyn Stenger (2021). Behavioral brittleness: The case for strategic behavioral public policy: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioural-public-policy/article/behavioral-brittleness-the-case-for-strategic-behavioral-public-policy/200D5BBC2947F7AB0CD4B4CD71B6A607

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Surprising Ways To End Poverty and Solve Climate Change with Erik Angner PhD

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 19:55:13 -0600

What if there was a way to end poverty and solve climate change, that might actually work. Shouldn’t we try it? Our guest Erik Angner thinks economics holds the solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems but that economists have done a woeful job of PR! He’s on a mission to change that.

Erik Angner PhD is Professor of Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University. He holds, not one but two PhDs – in Economics and in History and Philosophy of Science – both from the University of Pittsburgh.

Erik joins us on Behavioral Grooves to discuss his new book How Economics Can Save the World. He is also the author of two other books, Hayek and Natural Law and A Course in Behavioral Economics as well as multiple journal articles and book chapters on behavioral and experimental economics; the science and philosophy of happiness; and the history, philosophy, and methodology of contemporary economics.

Please join us on Behavioral Grooves Twitter (@behavioralgroov) to take part in some poll questions around Erik’s episode and discuss this conversation.

Topics

(3:34) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:12) What exactly is economics and how is it useful?

(11:15) How can economics save the world?

(13:10) How we can actually solve poverty.

(17:14) Scarcity and how it influences our behavior.

(21:08) The scarcity of healthcare.

(24:35) Why trust is the critical factor in vaccination take-up.

(28:55) What are the unintended consequences?

(31:30) How can economics solve climate change?

(36:36) How social norms influence our behavior.

(41:29) Does money make us happy?

(49:11) What music would Erik take on a desert island?

(51:40) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on saving the world.

Links

Erik Angner PhD: https://www.erikangner.com/

Erik’s book “How Economics Can Save the World: Simple Ideas to Solve Our Biggest Problems”: https://amzn.to/3YU49qN

Episode 102, Christina Bicchieri, PhD: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Friedrich Hayek: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Hayek

Jeremy Bentham: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-010-9204-z#:~:text=Bentham%20defined%20happiness%20in%20terms,seen%20as%20contribution%20to%20happiness.

Musical Links

Tom Waits “Hold On”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P5jV4lHHR0

PJ Harvey “This Is Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STxXS5lLunE

Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential | Vanessa Bohns [Republish]

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 03:03:00 -0600

To be influential you do not require power, but wielding your influence is powerful. Vanessa Bohns, social psychologist and professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University, joins us to discuss her enticing new book “You Have More Influence Than You Think”. She draws from her research to illustrate why underestimating our influence can lead us to miss opportunities or worse yet, to misuse our power.

Vanessa challenges us to examine our powers of persuasion and to recognize that we have more influence than we even realize. We learn exactly why it’s so hard for us to say no, even when we’re uncomfortable with saying yes. And why we should focus on communicating more with people face-to-face.

As with all of our episodes, we leave you with a Grooving Session discussion focusing on how we can use Vanessa’s research to improve our lives, our relationships and our workplaces. Maybe this episode will influence you more than you realize? If it does, please support our ongoing work by contributing to our Patreon page at (just imagine, if we asked you in person, would you say yes?).

This is episode is republished from our discussion with Vanessa in 2021, but her research and insights have come up in our discussions time and time again.

Topics

(3:19) Welcome to Vanessa Bohns.

(5:46) How your enjoyment of chocolate is influenced by others.

(8:15) The spotlight effect; is everyone really looking at me?

(12:34) How can we influence people more than we think?

(17:20) How Vanessa discovered people are likely to help, if you ask.

(23:34) Why it’s so much harder to say no than we think.

(26:50) How power amplifies your influence.

(29:22) Why we need to recognize white privilege as a position of power.

(32:47) Communication: why our choice of words matter.

(34:13) Robert Cialdini’s Influence.

(36:30) What are the most common misconceptions about influence?

(41:07) What are the 2 biggest takeaways from the book?

(43:52) How music has influenced Vanessa.

(49:13) Grooving Session discussing how to apply Vanessa’s research.

Links

“You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters” Book by Vanessa Bohns: https://amzn.to/39vCDIN

John Bargh, Episode 248: Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? With John Bargh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/

Shankar Vedantam, Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Cristina Bicchieri, Episode 102: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

“Shared Experiences Are Amplified” Erica J. Boothby, Margaret S. Clark, John A. Bargh (2014): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614551162

“Good Lamps Are the Best Police: Darkness Increases Dishonesty and Self-Interested Behavior” Chen-Bo Zhong, Vanessa K. Bohns, Francesca Gino (2010): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797609360754

Robert Frank on the Power of Peer Pressure in Fighting Climate Change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmOUNgXKd0c&ab_channel=Rare

Robert Cialdini, Episode 226: The Power Of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

How to Start a Movement | Dan Sivers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V74AxCqOTvg

Musical Links

Bronksi Beats “Smalltown Boy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88sARuFu-tc

Sleigh Bells “Locust Laced”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzLOcmRRUfg

The National “Light Years”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FQtSn_vak0

Vampire Weekend “This Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwkrrU2WYKg

David Bowie “Ashes to Ashes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyMm4rJemtI

Harry Styles “Watermelon Sugar”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKlD97TnYwM

Billie Ellish “Everything I Wanted”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgBJmlPo8Xw

Taylor Swift “Willow”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsEZmictANA

Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg

You Work. You Parent. But Can You Also Thrive? | Yael Schonbrun PhD

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 03:03:00 -0600

Working and parenting often feel like being pulled in two different directions. But what if we could reframe our thinking and actually appreciate that our experiences in one role can enhance the quality of life in the other. We explore the ways you can reframe your mindset with author and podcaster Yael Schonbrun.

“If we’re able to see that there are opportunities for our roles to feed each other, then we're more likely to to access those experiences and benefit more from them.” ~ Yael Schonbrun, Episode 346

Yael Schonbrun is an assistant professor of psychology at Brown University, a family therapist, and co-host of the podcast Psychologists Off the Clock. In her new book Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like Too Much) Yael offers practical strategies from clinical psychology and social science to better manage the conflict and enhance enrichment in work, parenting, and the balance of these meaningful roles.

Regular listeners will have noticed that co-host of the show, Tim Houlihan is unfortunately off sick for a few episodes of Behavioral Grooves. So on this episode, producer of the show, Mary Kaliff, joins Kurt Nelson for the discussion with Yael. Listeners can jump on social media (Twitter: @THoulihan or LinkedIn) and wish Tim a speedy recovery.

We hope this episode provides you with some practical tools to help you work, parent and thrive. If you do enjoy Behavioral Grooves, please write a short review of the show on your podcast player. Just sharing a short sentence about why you like the show can make it easier for other people to find the podcast.

Topics

(3:32) Welcome and speed round questions.

(8:33) Why parenting is difficult even for experts.

(12:07) How a mindset shift can change how we view our parenting and our work.

(16:00) The questions you can ask yourself to change your mindset.

(19:22) How Yael tapped into her own personal values during a difficult time.

(24:46) Pains live right alongside gains.

(29:32) How Jewish kibbutz communities raised children.

(32:42) Why we need to quit the things that aren’t working.

(36:36) How to nurture more independence in our children.

(40:03) The 3 components of self compassion.

(45:34) Modeling the behavior that you want your kids to develop.

(46:54) What music would Yael take to a desert island?

(48:54) Grooving Session with Kurt and Mary on working, parenting and thriving.

Links

Yael Schonbrun: https://yaelschonbrun.com/

Yael’s book, “Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like Too Much)”: https://amzn.to/3IVEzNk

Growth mindset, Carol Dweck: “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”: https://amzn.to/3J7V9tD

Episode 327, A Proven Way Expectations Can Unlock A More Positive Life | David Robson: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/expectations-and-a-positive-life/

Episode 345, The Tools You Need To Embrace Uncertainty | Nathan and Susannah Harmon Furr: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/tools-to-embrace-uncertainty/

Episode 342: Why Resilience Is More Than Just Bouncing Back | Gabriella Rosen Kellerman MD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/resilience-more-than-bouncing-back/

Musical Links

Weird Al Yankovic “Another One Rides The Bus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79QxturUolo

Taylor Swift “Midnight Rain”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odh9ddPUkEY

The Tools You Need To Embrace Uncertainty | Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 03:03:00 -0600

We all face uncertainty at some point in our lives. But do we embrace it or resist it? Our thoughts about uncertainty and ambiguity shape the actions we take when we are faced with change. If we reframe how we view uncertainty, we can rewrite the story we tell ourselves.

“The way we describe something to ourselves and others, shapes how we think, decide and act.”

Our guests on this episode are the most delightful husband and wife team, Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr who have written a fantastic book together, “The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown”.

Ironically recording this episode has been plagued with uncertainty. Our first attempt, last summer, was bugged with audio issues, and since then we have faced a number of technical glitches. When we finally got a chance to sit down and re-record an interview with them recently, it unfortunately fell at a time that our own Tim Houlihan was unable to join the conversation due to illness. So Kurt Nelson embraced the uncertainty and flew solo on this interview!

We learn from Nathan and Susannah about the types of uncertainty and some of the tools that they have devised to overcome those periods of our lives when everything seems unsure. We know you’ll take away a lot from this discussion, and we encourage you to also read their book which is packed full of useful advice.

One thing we are certain about at Behavioral Grooves is how much we appreciate and rely on the support of you, our wonderful listeners. If you feel able, please join our growing community of Patreon supporters.

Topics

(2:25) Welcome and speed round questions.

(8:20) How achievers step into uncertainty.

(11:05) Planned uncertainty vs. unplanned uncertainty.

(14:30) Uncertainty and possibility are two sides of the same coin.

(21:32) Some of the tools to overcome uncertainty.

(27:54) The possibility quotient.

(33:22) How do uncertainty balancers counteract the unknown?

(36:09) Why we should take more risks with options that inspire us.

(39:32) Breaking down big uncertainties into small steps.

(44:31) Don’t wait until all the pieces are in place.

(47:36) The sustaining tools to help when you need a boost.

(50:38) How emotional hygiene can help you face the ups and downs of uncertainty.

(52:43) The UP School.

(55:13) The musical experience that changed Nathan’s life.

(1:00:54) Grooving Session with Kurt on grabbling with uncertainty.

Links

Nathan and Susannah’s book “The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown”: https://amzn.to/3ZiuXBv

UP School: https://www.theupsideofuncertainty.com/learn

Buckminster Fuller: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller

Reconstructed Living Labs (RLabs): https://rlabs.org/

Guy Winch, emotional hygiene: https://www.ted.com/talks/guy_winch_why_we_all_need_to_practice_emotional_first_aid?language=en

Musical Links

Vincenzo Lamagna’s adaption of Giselle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27lgUp_FboE&ab_channel=VariousArtists-Topic

How To Frame Incentives To Drive The Desired Behavior | James Castello

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 03:03:00 -0600

If you want to incentivize an outcome, don’t just focus on the final reward, hone in on the behavior that will drive the result. Whether we’re motivating our employees, our kids or ourselves, we can all benefit from learning how to effectively drive behavior.

“ Incentives drive behavior. So if you don't get the behaviors right, that's where incentives go off the rail.” ~ James Castello, Episode 344

Our guest on this episode is James Castello, Vice President of Field Operations and Incentive Compensation Practices at TGaS Advisors. TGaS Advisors is one of the leading consultancies focused on the pharmaceutical industry. They provide insights and real world knowledge to hundreds of the leading life science companies around the world.

While this episode is focused on how incentives can be created effectively to reach sales targets, the takeaways from the discussion with Jim can be applied to many aspects of our lives. Be sure to join Kurt and Tim in the Grooving Session in the last portion of the episode, as they summarize the most applicable aspects of the interview.

Topics

(6:25) Welcome and speed round question.

(8:32) Collaboration is just a means to an end.

(10:49) Incentives drive behavior.

(13:44) The influence of the pandemic on incentives.

(17:25) How do you align incentives with behaviors?

(20:05) The importance of language in incentives.

(25:14) What exactly is goal setting?

(33:04) Breaking goals into manageable chunks to remove objections.

(38:54) Do contests work well for driving sales?

(47:00) What music would Jim take to a desert island?

(51:02) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing incentives.

Links

Brain/Shift Journal Shopify: https://www.100behaviors.com/products/the-brain-shift-journal-volume-1

Brain/Shift Journal Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Shift-Journal-1/dp/B0BN2JZBJ2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=brain+shift&qid=1670950820&sr=8-1

James Castello: https://trinitylifesciences.com/our-experts/james-castello/

T-GaS Advisors: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tgas-advisors/

100th Episode of Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-100th-episode-celebration-in-philadelphia/

Lake Wobegon Effect: https://psychology.fandom.com/wiki/Lake_Wobegon_effect

Musical Links

Bob Dylan “Like a Rollin’ Stone”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0

AC/DC “It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj_rvLVpqg8&ab_channel=AC%2FDC-Topic

Metallica “Enter Sandman”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD-E-LDc384

The Myth of the “Relationship Spark” with Logan Ury, featuring guest appearance by Christina Gravert, PhD [Republish]

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 03:03:00 -0600

First impressions matter but when it comes to dating, don't get blown away by the myth of the "relationship spark". Some people can instead be characterized as a "slow burn"; a person who you like more and more each time. We revisit an episode with dating coach, behavioral scientist and author of How Not To Die Alone, Logan Ury about how to date successfully.

Logan Ury studied psychology at Harvard, was a TED Fellow, then became a behavioral scientist at Google, where she ran Google’s behavioral science team – which we now know as The Irrational Lab. She became a dating coach and is currently the Director of Relationship Science at the dating app Hinge, where she leads a research team dedicated to helping people find love. Her work has appeared in The New York Times and The Atlantic, among a variety of media outlets, including HBO and the BBC.

Aside from those cool things, we wanted to talk to her because she is the author of How To Not Die Alone.

In our conversation with Logan, which was originally recorded in early 2021, we talk about the challenges people face in getting prepared for dating, making the most of their dating experiences, and maintaining great relationships once they’ve landed in one. She shared her insights into how to overcome some of the common hurdles and to make the most out of each phase of the dating life.

We had an interesting discussion about why moving from ‘romanticizer’ or ‘maximizer’ to ‘satisficer’ can make a big difference in your relationships (and in life). We talk about the Monet Effect and how we need to work hard to overcome some of our biggest biases – like the fundamental attribution error and negativity bias.

She was also kind enough to share a little bit about her communal living conditions and her recommendation that we all need more significant others – OSO’s – in these turbulent times.

NOTE #1: The “F” word features prominently in our conversation since it’s in the title of one of her book’s chapters.

NOTE #2: Christina Gravert joined for our Grooving Session as our first-ever Grooving Partner, and you’ll hear her in the introduction, as well. We’re pleased that our good friend was named by Forbes magazine as one of the top behavioral scientists you ought to know. Christina teaches Economics at the University of Copenhagen, is a co-founder of Impactually, a behavioral consultancy, she has been a guest on Behavioral Grooves (episode 16 on creating a Nudge-A-Thon), and was a speaker at Nudge.It North 2021.

Links

Logan Ury: https://www.loganury.com/

“How to Not Die Alone”: https://amzn.to/3JSmDUz

Ira Glass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Glass

Dan Ariely: https://danariely.com/

Esther Perel: https://www.estherperel.com/

John Gottman, The Gottman Institute: https://www.gottman.com/

Eli Finkel: https://elifinkel.com/

Daniel Gilbert: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Gilbert_(psychologist)

Jane Ebert: https://www.brandeis.edu/facultyguide/person.html?emplid=0fd6834b65b0eddec69f2ab77539fd341d63b270

Alain De Botton “School of Life”: https://www.theschooloflife.com/about-us/faculty/alain-de-botton/

Reiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki

“Algorithms to Live By”: https://algorithmstoliveby.com/

John Nash “A Beautiful Mind”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Forbes_Nash_Jr.

Nicole Prause: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Prause

36 Questions That Lead to Love: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/09/style/no-37-big-wedding-or-small.html

The School of Life books: https://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/us/books/

Shelley Archambeau – Episode 204: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-shelley-archambeau-flies-like-an-eagle/

Christina Gravert – Episode 16: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nudge-a-thon-with-dr-christina-gravert/

Christina Gravert, “Online Dating Like a Game Theorist”: https://behavioralscientist.org/online-dating-like-a-game-theorist/

Christina Gravert – Impactually: https://impactually.se/

“10 Behavioral Scientists You Should Know”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/10/29/10-behavioral-scientists-you-should-know/?sh=36ad80b442e0

Musical Links

“Hamilton” soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPSWZUExZ8M

Chance the Rapper “Coloring Book”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeChAs-bI3A

Bush “Glycerine”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvXbHN5Gijw%C2%A0

Why Resilience Is More Than Just Bouncing Back | Gabriella Rosen Kellerman MD

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 03:03:00 -0600

There are actually 5 drivers of resilience; optimism, self compassion, cognitive agility, self efficacy and emotional regulation. We dive deep into each of these components and how they play a part in being resilient, with our guest Gabriella Rosen Kellerman MD.

Gabriella is a medical doctor and behavioral science researcher with training in psychiatry and fMRI research. She currently works as Chief Product Officer at BetterUp – a company focused on employee wellbeing. But today’s episode is dedicated to talking about her latest venture - co-writing a new book with none other than the “the father of positive psychology” Martin SeligmanPhD.

Their book, Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection―Now and in an Uncertain Future is a hopeful look at how to flourish in an uncertain world. By capitalizing on a Tomorrowmind, we can utilize the universal psychological skills for thriving in an uncertain future: resilience and cognitive agility; mattering and purpose; rapid rapport for social support; prospection; and creativity and innovation (PRISM).

Join our insightful and thoughtful conversation with Gabriella to learn how we can adopt a tomorrowmind. And then stick around for our Grooving Session where Tim discusses the part of the interview that sent chills up his spine, and Kurt gets philosophical about what it means to be optimistic.

Topics

(3:24) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:58) What is a Tomorrowmind?

(7:26) Why are creativity and prospection superpowers?

(10:05) The phases of prospective thinking.

(13:11) Why the right answer can be to ask a different question.

(15:45) What is positivity resonance and why does it matter?

(21:32) What are the consequences of time famine on connection?

(23:17) A story of resilience - Aggie Dunn of Heinz.

(26:55) What exactly does it mean to be resilient?

(29:31) How does self compassion play a part in resilience?

(31:53) The 5 building blocks of resilience.

(34:40) Writing a book with Martin Seligman.

(36:56) What music does Gabriella listen to at home?

(39:40) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt on Tomorrowmind.

Links

Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection―Now and in an Uncertain Future: https://amzn.to/3jnu9Mt

Episode 225, Behind NOISE and Beyond The Book: Linnea Gandhi Shares her New Course on Noise: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/behind-noise-linnea-gandhi/

Episode 283, Is The Anus Really The Key To All Intelligent Life? | Henry Gee: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/anus-the-key-to-intelligent-life/

Growth After Trauma by Richard G. Tedeschi: https://hbr.org/2020/07/growth-after-trauma

Episode 214, Observing the Non-Obvious: How to Spot Trends Around You with Rohit Bhargava: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-non-obvious-rohit-bhargava/

Musical Links

Nickel creek “Reasons Why”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lyZQB1H_Zw

Bach “Piano Concerto in D Minor”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_yGiFHbQR0

Pharrell Williams “Happy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZSe6N_BXs

Why Human Connection Is The Key To Effective Branding | Matt Johnson

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 03:03:00 -0600

“Brands really matter, when and only when they matter to consumers. And this is fundamentally a question of human connection.” ~ Matt Johnson

To get under the skin of how branding works, what makes it effective and how to build a successful brand, we talk with Matt Johnson PhD, who is an expert on the human side of business. Matt is a speaker, researcher, and writer specializing in the application of psychology and neuroscience to marketing. We discuss everything from the difference of brand strategy, brand personality and brand meaning, all the way to how brands can get involved in activism.

“What determines if you're a great brand is if your values and your attributes and your characteristics resonate with your target market.” ~ Matt Johnson

Our conversation doesn’t just appeal to marketers, however. In our usual lighthearted style, Kurt and Tim touch on Matt’s love of Arsenal, his appreciation for pumpkin spice lattes, and the music that helps him come up with creative ideas.

As a former guest on Behavioral Grooves, we are delighted to welcome Matt back to discuss branding and marketing. Matt’s recent book, “Branding that Means Business: How to Build Enduring Bonds between Brands, Consumers and Markets” which is co-written with Tessa Misiaszek, provides a really informative overview of the application of marketing in organizations. Listen in to this episode to get a flavor for the expertise that Matt brings to his field.

Behavioral Grooves relies on the support of listeners. If you’d like to be part of the community of supporters of the show, please visit our Patreon page.

Topics

(5:27) Welcome and speed round questions.

(11:48) Why branding is at a crossroads now.

(15:30) What is the difference between brand strategy, brand personality and brand meaning?

(18:45) Why are some brands better at connecting with people?

(25:39) The intersection of neuroscience and marketing.

(27:47) Why Matt thinks we should steer away from the word consumer.

(30:20) How the communication landscape has changed branding.

(34:21) Social identity in branding.

(37:45) How brands can play a part in activism without becoming tribal.

(45:51) Can brands break through the noise?

(48:26) What music would Matt take to a desert island?

(53:10) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing branding.

Links

Behavioral Grooves on LinkedIn: Behavioral Grooves

Behavioral Grooves on Twitter: @behavioralgroov

Behavioral Grooves on YouTube: Behavioral Grooves

Behavioral Grooves on Instagram: @behavioralgrooves

Behavioral Grooves on Facebook: Behavioral Grooves

Send Behavioral Grooves an Email: info@behavioralgrooves.com

Support Behavioral Grooves on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Matt’s book, co-written with Tessa Misiaszek, “Branding that Means Business: How to Build Enduring Bonds between Brands, Consumers and Markets”: https://amzn.to/3Jk2zdL

Matt’s blog “Neuroscience Of”: https://www.neuroscienceof.com/branding-blog

Episode 177, Matt Johnson & Prince Ghuman on Mid-Liminal Marketing and the Ethics of Applied Neuroscience: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/matt-johnson-prince-ghuman-on-mid-liminal-marketing-and-the-ethics-of-applied-neuroscience/

Episode 235, Make Choice Rewarding: Behavioral Insights in Marketing with Matthew Willcox: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/marketing-matthew-willcox/

Musical Links

The Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtzkaL2t_Y

Pierre Boulez “Livres Pour Cordes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omeOdqO05W4&ab_channel=EuroArtsChannel

Why The Best Choice Can Sometimes Be An Imperfect Choice | Michelle Segar PhD

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 03:03:00 -0600

Context heavily influences our behavior (regular listeners of the show know our “context matters” mantra well!). Sometimes, because of what life throws at us, we have to re-evaluate our options. The best choice isn’t always the perfect choice.

For instance, in an ideal world, we might be planning a 5 mile run after work. But instead we need to collect our sick child from school early and have to settle for a 2 mile run on the treadmill in the basement, or some dancing in the kitchen while we unload the dishwasher. It’s the perfect, imperfect choice, or what our guest, Michelle Segar calls The Joy Choice.

Michelle Segar PhD is an award-winning lifestyle coach and sustainable behavior change researcher at the University of Michigan. For nearly three decades, she has pioneered methods to create sustainable healthy behavior change that are being used to boost patient health, employee well-being, and gym membership retention.

“My approach to creating sustainable change is fundamentally grounded in changing people's mindsets.” ~ Michelle Segar PhD

In this episode, we are lucky enough to talk to Michelle about her new book, “The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise”. We discuss why Michelle steers away from habits as a way of framing behavior change, the role of the executive function, and of course, how music influences her life.

Topics

(3:20) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:31) Why we all need to find The Joy Choice.

(14:26) Why do we beat ourselves up about missing exercise and diet goals?

(17:35) How our identity can motivate our behavior change.

(20:22) The shortcomings of the habit loop.

(25:10) The role of the executive function in our decision making.

(30:45) To what degree do mindsets, belief systems and branding play?

(35:58) How the TRAP and POP models help us with selecting The Joy Choice.

(43:36) How Michelle finds joy in music.

(48:02) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on The Joy Choice.

Links

Michelle Segar: https://michellesegar.com/

Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellelsegar/

Michelle on Twitter: @MichelleSegar

“The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise”: https://amzn.to/3GTve6m

It’s Time to Unhabit and Think Critically About Whether Habit Formation Has Been Over Valued as a Behavior Change Strategy Within Health Promotion: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/08901171221125326f

Episode 277, No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope | Daniel H. Pink: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/

Episode 327, A Proven Way Expectations Can Unlock A More Positive Life | David Robson: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/

Episode 307, Groove Track | Mind Over Milkshakes: Why Expectations Matter A Lot: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/mind-over-milkshakes-groove-track/

Zingermans in Ann Arbor, MI: https://www.zingermansdeli.com/

Musical Links

Earth, wind and fire “September”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk

How Behavioral Science Can Tackle Misinformation And Obesity | Evelyn Gosnell

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 03:03:00 -0600

Small changes can have big effects. Standing on a different set of scales can affect our weight loss journey and adding friction to the share button online can reduce the spread of misinformation. Find out from Irrational Lab’s Managing Director, Evelyn Gosnell how they are researching the behavioral insights that make a big difference in the world.

Evelyn Gosnell is a frequent speaker in behavioral economics and consumer psychology. She is an expert in helping companies use the science of decision-making to better understand how real people think and behave, thereby creating better products and services for them. Evelyn and her team at Irrational Labs are using behavioral science to solve some of the big, wicked problems that plague us - from obesity to misinformation.

In our discussion with Evelyn, we also touch on the application of behavioral science in organizations and why you don’t need a PhD to transform yourself into a Behavioral Product Manager.

One of the best takeaways from the interview is the 3B Framework that anyone can use to unlock behavior change:

Define the behavior
Reduce barriers
Increase benefits

We really hope you enjoy our conversation with Evelyn. If you did, we'd really like you to consider supporting the production of Behavioral Grooves, through our Patreon page. Or if you’d like a cost free way of supporting the podcast, please write a review of the show on your podcast app. Thanks!

Topics

(2:24) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:09) Using behavioral science to lose weight.

(11:17) How Irrational Labs researched weight loss programs.

(15:47) Reducing spread of misinformation on TikTok.

(26:06) The 3B Framework to unlock behavior change in organizations.

(34:47) How Evelyn’s childhood has influenced her relationship with music.

(37:41) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing Evelyn’s interview.

Links

Evelyn Gosnell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelyn-gosnell-behavioral-design/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/evelyngosnell

Irrational Labs: https://irrationallabs.com/

Burning Man: https://burningman.org/

Shapa: https://home.myshapa.com/

“Bringing Users Back to the Forefront: 3 Sustainable User Engagement Tips from Behavioral Science” by Evelyn Gosnell: https://irrationallabs.com/blog/putting-back-users-to-the-forefront-sustainable-engagement-tips-from-behavioral-science/

“How behavioral science reduced the spread of misinformation on TikTok”: https://irrationallabs.com/case-studies/tiktok-how-behavioral-science-reduced-the-spread-of-misinformation/

The 3B Framework to unlock behavior change: https://irrationallabs.com/3bs-download/

“TytoCare Case Study: How Can We Encourage People to Complete Virtual Medical Visits?“: https://irrationallabs.com/case-studies/tytocare-virtual-medical-visits/

“Move Over, Product Manager: Introducing the Behavioral Product Manager”: https://irrationallabs.com/blog/move-over-product-manager-introducing-the-behavioral-product-manager/

Brain/Shift Journal Shopify: https://www.100behaviors.com/products/the-brain-shift-journal-volume-1

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

The 3 Steps To Getting Your Groove Back In The New Year

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 03:03:00 -0600

Finding your groove - ever wondered what that actually means? And why is this podcast really called Behavioral Grooves?! Kurt and Tim explain what it means to get in your groove and the 3 foundational steps that will help you get there. If you need to find your groove again in 2023, listen to this expert advice.

It’s a long running joke on the podcast, that when settling on the name “Behavioral Grooves” for the show it meant two different things to hosts Kurt and Tim. While getting “in the groove” has parallels to being in a state of flow or routine, musical Tim equates it to being absorbed in a melodic rhythm. While finding your groove in your work, and getting your musical “groove on” could be seen as two opposing interpretations of the phrase, Kurt and Tim expertly weave them together in this episode.

“Our life is made up of a playlist of many, many songs with many different keys and many different rhythms and many different tempos.”

~ Tim Houlihan, Episode 337

After identifying what finding your groove actually means, we discuss the three factors that help us get there:

Mindset
Rhythm
Environment

In a refreshing exchange which veers away from our normal New Year episode on setting goals and forming new habits, Kurt and Tim will help you find your groove in 2023. How appropriate that the first Grooving Session of the year is on how to get your groove back!

Make It Scale: How To Drive Behavior Change Initiatives | Neela Saldanha PhD

Mon, 26 Dec 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Scaling behavioral science initiatives from a small research study to a large population is a topic we have enjoyed delving into this year with John A. List in Episode 296. And we are delighted to be joined on this episode by Neela Saldanha PhD who focuses her work on developing the science around scaling policy interventions.

Neela is the Executive Director of the Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE) which focuses on researching complexities of scaling policy interventions and bringing together global experts to overcome the challenges of scaling. Her work history touches academia, non-profits and the private sector, as well as spanning the globe, including India and the US.

We are grateful to Neela for giving us time to discuss her work on this episode. Our ongoing production of the Behavioral Grooves Podcast is gratefully aided by our Patreon members. If you have enjoyed listening to Behavioral Grooves in 2022, please consider donating to our work through the Behavioral Grooves Patreon page. We also love reading reviews of the podcast, which in turn, helps others find our content.

Topics

(3:37) Welcome and speed round questions.

(8:01) Neela’s work at Y-RISE.

(12:12) The challenges of scaling research findings.

(20:16) Applying behavioral science tools in the field of behavioral science.

(23:40) The bottlenecks to applying behavioral science in organizations.

(27:51) What are the WICKED problems that need to be solved?

(38:00) Music Neela would take to a desert island.

(40:33) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing Neela’s interview.

Links

Neela Saldanha: https://neelasaldanha.com/

Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE) at Yale University: https://yrise.yale.edu/

“Behavioral Science in the Wild (Behaviorally Informed Organizations)”: https://amzn.to/3xxAD04

David Yokum PhD, Episode 282: Why Applying Behavioral Science to Public Policy Delivers Better Policy: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/behavioral-science-in-public-policy/

John A. List, Episode 296. Fail to Scale: Why Good Research Doesn’t Always Make Great Policy | John A. List: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/fail-to-scale-john-a-list/

John A. List’s book, “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale”: https://amzn.to/3a0GOjh

Episode 289, Why Not All Nudges Work ”In The Wild” | Nina Mazar PhD & Dilip Soman PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-not-all-nudges-work-in-the-wild-nina-mazar-dilip-soman/

Prosopagnosia: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/prosopagnosia#:~:text=Prosopagnosia%20is%20a%20neurological%20disorder,face%20blindness%20or%20facial%20agnosia.

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Beethoveen’s 9th Symphony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkQapdgAa7o&ab_channel=OsloPhilharmonic

Beethoven’s 5th Symphony oboe solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8axcI1K1I1U

R.D. Burdman Bollywood hits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QE2NsbDM0M

The Best Behavioral Science Books Of 2022 (According to Kurt and Tim!)

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 03:03:00 -0600

One of the ways we find our groove is through knowledge – sometimes new ideas, sometimes repeated ideas that are presented in new ways. Sometimes, it’s just reminders of old ideas that deserve a new look. And we love the fresh ideas that we’ve read about this year in the very notable Behavioral Science books of 2022.

Kurt and Tim sit down, in this episode, to discuss the highlights of the books they’ve read in 2022. To save you some time, they have compiled a summary of why they liked each book, and what you can expect to get from reading it.

We’d love to hear about your favorite books of the year. What stood out for you on your book shelf? Have any of your reads this year helped you find your groove? Share your thoughts with Behavioral Grooves on social media:

Twitter: @behavioralgroov

LinkedIn: Behavioral Grooves

Instagram: @behavioralgrooves

Facebook: Behavioral Grooves

Links

Robert Livingston, “The Conversation: How Talking Honestly About Racism Can Transform Individuals and Organizations”: https://amzn.to/3j1tYGb

David McRaney, “How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion”: https://amzn.to/3NvGMPp

Henry Gee, “A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: 4.6 Billion Years in 12 Pithy Chapters”: https://amzn.to/3I8HH4W

Annie Duke, “Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away”: https://amzn.to/3z47JEP

Ayelet Fishbach, “Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation”: https://amzn.to/3f3ooh4

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, “Don’t Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life”: https://amzn.to/3yICKwT

John A. List, “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale”: https://amzn.to/3a0GOjh

Daniel Pink, “The Power Of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward”: https://amzn.to/3gpU1C9

Jennifer Moss, “The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It”: https://amzn.to/3K3O4be

Jonathan Malesic, “The End of Burnout: Why Work Drains Us and How to Build Better Lives”: https://amzn.to/3tDdS8j

Max Bazerman, “Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop”: https://amzn.to/3UKjfNJ

Dolly Chugh, “A More Just Future: Psychological Tools for Reckoning with Our Past and Driving Social Change “: https://amzn.to/3Cgs9eq

Linda Babcock, “The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work”: https://amzn.to/3KPuUFM

Nina Mazar & Dilip Soman, “Behavioral Science in the Wild (Behaviorally Informed Organizations)”: https://amzn.to/3xxAD04

Zoe Chance, “Influence Is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen”: https://amzn.to/3EYKXOz

Sam Tatam, “Evolutionary Ideas: Unlocking ancient innovation to solve tomorrow’s challenges“: https://amzn.to/3I6ANwX

Paul Bloom, “The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning”: https://amzn.to/3Kmpweh

Episode 270, The Behavioral Science Books We Just Couldn’t Put Down in 2021 With Louise Ward: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/best-behavioral-science-books-2021/

Episode 194, The 10 Best Behavioral Science Books for 2020: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/10-best-behavioral-science-books/

How the Right Journal Can Help You Reach Your Goals in 2023

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Want to start a journaling habit but worried you won't stay motivated? Having the right journal, that is designed using behavioral insights to keep you engaged, is the key.

In this unique Grooving Session, our very own Kurt Nelson takes the hot seat along with his Lantern Group business partner, Ben Granlund to talk about their highly anticipated new product - the Brain/Shift Journal. This new journal is seeped in behavioral insights that help you clearly define and then actually reach your goals.

Previous Behavioral Grooves guest, Katy Milkman, has highlighted that a distinct time in the calendar, like the New Year, is a great time for a fresh start when you can embrace a new habit. And journaling is a popular daily practice that is known to enhance your wellbeing and focus your energy on reaching your goals.

In this episode, you will learn:

How the Brain/Shift journal came about.
Who the journal is for.
What you can expect to get out of using it.

Whether you are new to journaling, or you have tried before but couldn't keep up the habit, the Brain/Shift journal can help you. It makes a perfect gift for yourself or someone you love at Christmas.

Links

Brain/Shift Journal Shopify: https://www.100behaviors.com/products/the-brain-shift-journal-volume-1

Brain/Shift Journal Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Shift-Journal-1/dp/B0BN2JZBJ2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=brain+shift&qid=1670950820&sr=8-1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100behaviors

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/100behaviors/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/100behaviors

Musical Links

Against Me "Black Me Out": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWB_b480-9c

The Bouncing Souls "Up To Us": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdSmmTQ2_Lc

Dave Hause "Without You": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpRjukRq3Hc

Dire Straits "Money For Nothing": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTP2RUD_cL0

The Proclaimers "I Would Walk 500 Miles": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otXGqU4LBEI

How Game Theory Can Be Used To Explain Human Behavior | Erez Yoeli

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 03:03:00 -0600

We know human behavior isn’t rational. But this episode illustrates behavior using a surprising concept - game theory. This eye opening conversation with Erez Yoeli delves into what game theory is and the remarkable way it can be used to explain the things we think, feel and do.

Our guest, Erez Yoeli has co-authored a new book, alongside Moshe Hoffman, called “Hidden Games: The Surprising Power of Game Theory to Explain Irrational Human Behavior”. Erez is a research scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management and he teaches the undergraduate Game Theory course at Harvard. His research focuses on altruism: understanding how it works and how to promote it.

To explain what exactly game theory is, we have turned to Britannica’s user-friendly definition;“economics is much like a game, wherein players anticipate each other's moves, and therefore, it requires a new kind of mathematics, which they called game theory.” This explanation opens the door to exploring how our behavior is influenced by our anticipation of the moves and choices of those around us.

We hope you enjoy our fun and mind blowing chat with Erez on how game theory can bridge the divide between the rationality of classical economics and the irrationality of behavioral science. If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider supporting the production of the podcast through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Or write a review of the podcast on whatever app you’re listening on. Thanks!

Topics

(2:47) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:59) What exactly is game theory?

(10:03) The Prisoners Dilemma.

(13:23) Erez’s favorite game theory model.

(14:48) What are categorical norms?

(17:07) Game theory and gender balance.

(23:26) The distinction between errors of omission and commission.

(27:26) How we can look at behavioral science differently.

(28:51) What is motivated reasoning?

(32:22) Can exchanging rocket fire actually maintain peace?

(39:45) What would Erez’s desert island music be?

(44:00) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on Hidden Games.

Links

Limited time offer - 23% Discount Brain/Shift Journal: https://www.100behaviors.com/products/the-brain-shift-journal-volume-1

“Hidden Games: The Surprising Power of Game Theory to Explain Irrational Human Behavior” by Moshe Hoffman and Erez Yoeli: https://amzn.to/3WbYaxi

The Prisoner’s Dilemma: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma

Charles Darwin “The Descent of Man”: https://amzn.to/3XPFynI

Episode 329, Why Do Good People Let Bad Things Happen? With Max Bazerman: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-do-good-people-let-bad-things-happen-with-max-bazerman/

Michael Thaler: https://www.michaelthaler.com/

Musical Links

Grigory Sokolov “Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRX5uM9cEos&ab_channel=AnsonYeung

Big L “Put It On”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWMjRMJ0dTI

Joseph Haydn “Surprise (Symphony No. 94)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF5kr251BRs

Paul Simon “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABXtWqmArUU&ab_channel=PaulSimonVEVO

Do One Small Thing Every Day That Scares You | Scott Simon

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Exercising your courage muscle every day and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, can have remarkable effect on your mindset and really influence those around you. Pushing through the uncomfortable feeling of simply talking to a stranger, or bravely climbing a ladder to clean your gutters, can make you more prepared for the scary moments in life that you can’t control. For instance, you’ll be more likely to speak up at work when someone says something inappropriate.

Our guest on this episode has transformed his own life by pushing himself out of his comfort zone everyday. And he is passionate about helping others spark this change in themselves. Scott Simon was a shy, quiet child who was once told by a music teacher that he should just mime the words in a school concert. Scott continued to feel invisible until a life-changing moment, years later, on a flight to Tel Aviv. He shares this heartwarming story of how he embraced a new way to live, in this very personal interview.

Scott Simon is a happiness entrepreneur, founder of the Scare Your Soul courage movement, and the author of the book Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life. We discuss how we can embrace fear rather than trying to overcome it, the ways to stay motivated when we encounter failure, and the proven benefits of meditation and daily gratitude.

One of the big takeaways from this podcast with Scott is that scaring yourself doesn’t need to involve jumping out of a plane to overcome your fear of heights. In fact, Scott advocates for the much less dramatic, but more effective approach of consistency. Climbing a ladder to clean your gutters every day for a week is much more likely to help you overcome your fear of heights than launching yourself out of an airplane. Small, daily incremental steps outside of your comfort zone are what can have a ripple effect on your wellbeing. And when we improve our own wellbeing, those around us start to notice which, in turn, can have a positive effect on the world.

As a starter, you could overcome you fear of writing a podcast review! Jump onto the platform where you listen to Behavioral Grooves Podcast, and write a quick summary of why you listen. Thank you!

Topics

(3:18) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:14) What does it mean to scare ourselves every day?

(10:16) Scaring yourself with baby steps.

(15:03) Confronting the feeling of being uncomfortable.

(18:30) How practicing gratitude can transform your day.

(21:00) How to stay motivated even when we face failure.

(28:31) Why do people find meditation so hard?

(33:41) Heroes are born in small, everyday moments.

(37:43) How music was part of Scott writing his book.

(40:24) The way Scott scared his soul with singing.

(46:23) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on scaring our soul.

Links

Limited time offer - 23% Discount for Brain/Shift Journal: https://www.100behaviors.com/products/the-brain-shift-journal-volume-1

Scott Simon’s book, “Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life”: https://amzn.to/3VEI65Y

Episode 303, From Distracted To Focused: Nir Eyal’s Secrets On How To Be Indistractable: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nir-eyal-how-to-be-indistractable/

Episode 176, Annie Duke on How to Decide: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/

Episode 247, Stanford Prison Experiment, 50 Years On: What Have We Really Learnt? With Dr Philip Zimbardo: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stanford-prison-experiment/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

76 Trombones “Music Man”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBQWsBiM5YY

Want To Join A Secret Club? With Michael F. Schein

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 03:03:00 -0600

If you were sent an exclusive invite to a secret society, would you accept? If you knew only a few people in the world had been approached to join, would it spark a scarcity curiosity? What is more alluring: the society itself or the mere fact that it’s a secret?

Creating hype is the forte of our returning guest on this episode, Michael F. Schein. In our previous chat with Michael back in episode 212, he was telling us about his book “The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers”. Since writing it, his marketing business has been inundated with clients wanting “in on” some hype! So as a unique way of creating hype, Michael has created a new secret society with only a few (secret) members.

Kurt and Tim spend time discussing the allure of a secret club - why they have been successful in the past, what continues to make them enticing, and how businesses can potentially use them to create hype.

There is something that you can be part of that is definitely not a secret - the Behavioral Grooves Patreon membership. It’s no secret that we rely on the support of our loyal listeners to support the podcast and we truly appreciate everyone who chips in, thank you.

Topics

(5:16) How hype changed Michael’s marketing consultancy career.

(10:51) The details of Michael’s secret society.

(17:30) Are secret groups a tactic businesses should use?

(21:30) How marketing has evolved since the Alice Cooper Piccadilly Circus stunt.

(23:53) How Michael gets to work with only his favorite companies.

(32:02) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.

Links

Michael F. Schein: https://michaelfschein.com/

Michael’s book “The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers”: https://amzn.to/3V5KVO9

Episode 212, Scrutinizing Hype: Powerful lessons from The Hype Handbook with Michael F. Schein: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/scrutinizing-hype-with-michael-f-schein/

Seven Society, University of Virginia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Society

Jeff Walker “Launch: An Internet Millionaire's Secret Formula To Sell Almost Anything Online, Build A Business You Love, And Live The Life Of Your Dreams”: https://amzn.to/3V9Uv2m

Episode 226, The Power of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

The Lake Wobegon Effect: https://psychology.fandom.com/wiki/Lake_Wobegon_effect

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

The Dickies “Banana Split”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_wkEnLBvlE

How To Redesign Social Media Better So That It’s Actually Sociable

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 03:03:00 -0600

The web was intended to be a way of creating genuine connections with others, but we’re all sadly familiar with the detrimental ways it can be used to spread misinformation. A team of experts at Prosocial Design Network is now using evidence-based behavioral insights to redesign social media interactions, to bring out the best of us online.

We’re honored to be joined on this episode by two of the designers of the Prosocial Design Network - John Fullot and Philipp Lorentz-Spreen. John Fallot is a user experience and graphic designer based in the New York City Metro Area. He co-founded the Prosocial Design Network with colleague Joel Putnam in late 2019, in order to better explore ways that the web could be optimized for prosocial behaviors.

Dr. Philipp Lorenz-Spreen is a research scientist based in Berlin, Germany. His work focuses on decision making online, and finding ways to improve online democratic discourse through environmental interventions.

There are certainly no silver bullets in the effort of minimizing the spread of misinformation. But this conversation gives us hope and provides some insights for everyone on how to approach social media in a better way.

We encourage you to check out the work of the Prosocial Design Network and browse through the interventions they are currently testing: www.prosocialdesign.org.

Topics

(3:34) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:41) Can we inoculate ourselves from misinformation online?

(8:38) Redesigning the world wide web against misinformation.

(13:28) Is misinformation on social media really threatening democracy?

(16:50) Asymmetry of power between the platform and the users.

(24:15) John and Phillip’s favorite Prosocial Design intervention: frictionless designs and "thank you" buttons.

(28:33) Which social media sites are being proactive with interventions?

(30:47) What is the obligation of behavioral scientists?

(37:11) What music do John and Phillip listen to?

(42:11) Grooving Session with Kurt on Tim on the Prosocial Design Network.

Links

Prosocial Design Network: www.prosocialdesign.org

Prosocial Design Network Slack: www.prosocialdesign.org/community

Prosocial Design Network donations: www.prosocialdesign.org/donate

Maxwell House commercial with Margaret Hamilton: https://youtu.be/tUnNDEygBjA\

Discord: https://discord.com/

Lorenz-Spreen, P., Lewandowsky, S., Sunstein, C.R. et al. How behavioural sciences can promote truth, autonomy and democratic discourse online. Nat Hum Behav (2020): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-0889-7

Lorenz-Spreen, P., Geers, M., Pachur, T. et al. Boosting people’s ability to detect microtargeted advertising. Sci Rep (2021): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94796-z

Episode 10, Kal Turnbull Reddit superstar, Changing the World One View at a Time: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/changing-the-world-one-view-at-a-time-with-reddit-superstar-kal-turnbull/

Nir Eyal “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products”: https://amzn.to/3XeWgMM

Episode 303, From Distracted To Focused: Nir Eyal’s Secrets On How To Be Indistractable: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nir-eyal-how-to-be-indistractable/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links John: Tears For Fears “Everybody Wants to Rule The World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGCdLKXNF3w&ab_channel=TearsForFearsVEVO

Kat Cunning “Could Be Good”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpFh4dnKPKs

Phillip:

Pashanim “Airwaves”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5wsXLmWhCM&ab_channel=PashanimNulldreinull

Groove Track | Tale of Two Markets: Do We Help People Only For Money Or Candy?

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Would you help change a stranger’s tire? How about if they offered you $20? Or, what if instead of money, they offered you some candy?

We often think these types of exchanges are financial in nature - but this study explored how there is actually a different type of exchange going on here - a social exchange. When we help a friend move some furniture, invite friends over for dinner, help a stranger out who is in need - these are social exchanges in a social market, one that is separate from the financial market. And what’s even more interesting is that if you bring money into the social exchange, it falls apart.

James Heyman and Dan Ariely explored this phenomena in their landmark study called, “Effort for Payment: A Tale of Two Markets” and is the basis for Kurt and Tim taking a deep look in this Groove Track.

Listen to find out the backstory to the study and the implications from the findings. You can also watch a special video recording of this Groove Track with Kurt and Tim on the Behavioral Grooves YouTube Channel.

Links

Heyman, J., & Ariely, D. (2004). Effort for Payment: A Tale of Two Markets. Psychological Science: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00757.x

Behavioral Grooves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkmH8St_nsA&ab_channel=BehavioralGrooves

Why Do Good People Let Bad Things Happen? With Max Bazerman

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 03:03:00 -0600

We find it easy to condemn wrongdoers, after they’ve been called out. But why do we often let unethical behavior occur around us, and not speak out? If we take a step back from the idea of there being one “bad apple”, we realize that with any wrongdoing, there is a collection of people who have been complicit in the behavior. Why is there so much fear about speaking up?

“We've created too much fear in speaking up, when in fact, there's so much value in avoiding harm in that process.“ ~ Max Bazerman

Our fascinating conversation with Max Bazerman aligns with the publication of his excellent new book, “Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop”. Our discussion is rich with insight, in particular we delve into the reason that we hold people, including ourselves, more responsible for errors of commission than omission. So how can we avoid errors of omission?

Max Bazerman is a world famous behavioral scientist. He is the Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and the Co-Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is the author, co-author, or co-editor of twenty books and over 200 research articles and chapters. His awards include an honorary doctorate from the University of London and both the Distinguished Educator Award and the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Academy of Management.

Over the years, Max has brought focus to the areas of decision making and ethics. Having been on the show before, we were delighted to welcome Max back to Behavioral Grooves once again. We hope you enjoy this episode of Behavioral Grooves. If you do, please write a review or share with a friend on Apple Podcasts. Thanks, listeners!

Topics

(3:16) What does it mean to be complicit?

(13:02) How errors of omission play an under-rated role in complicit behavior.

(18:21) How to move away from the idea that there is one bad apple?

(21:48) Unethical behavior goes unnoticed when it happens gradually.

(23:14) Do we legitimize unethical behavior in our leaders?

(25:51) Do employees need to be made to care about unethical behavior or do they need to demand ethical behavior from employees?

(27:26) When complicitors are engaged in illegal behavior.

(29:29) How can we hold people accountable for their bad behavior?

(37:33) Max’s personal story of being complicit.

(39:31) Are there new norms on data collection that can eliminate fraud?

(42:23) Dolly Chugh’s question for Max.

(46:11) How can we all become better people?

(49:05) What music does Max enjoy?

Links

Max Bazerman’s book: “Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop”: https://amzn.to/3UKjfNJ

Episode 196, Living Happier By Making the World Better with Max Bazerman: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/living-happier-by-making-the-world-better-with-max-bazerman/

Episode 325, Dolly Chugh: Can You Unlearn History And Still Love Your Country? With Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dolly-chugh/

Bobo Doll Experiments: https://www.simplypsychology.org/bobo-doll.html

Episode 247, Stanford Prison Experiment, 50 Years On: What Have We Really Learnt? With Dr Philip Zimbardo: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stanford-prison-experiment/

Heroic Imagination Society: https://www.heroicimagination.org/

Musical Links

Bob Dylan “Blowin’ in the wind”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMFj8uDubsE

A Proven Way Expectations Can Unlock A More Positive Life | David Robson

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 03:03:00 -0600

How we think about the world can drastically influence how we navigate through it. Cutting edge research proves that reframing our mindset to be more positive, even in the light of negative events, can significantly alter how our brain responds.

Discussing one of our favorite books of the year, author David Robson explains how our expectations can secretly meddle with almost every aspect of our lives. And by understanding their effects more thoroughly, we can unlock some powerful ways of living a more positive life.

This is a special episode, not only because we are talking with David Robson about his fantastic book “The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World”, but we are co-hosting this episode with one of our favorite podcasters, Christian Hunt of Human Risk Podcast. And just to top it off, the interview is recorded in none other than the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London!

Now that your expectations are set suitably high, we hope we don’t disappoint you with what we think is a fantastic episode of Behavioral Grooves! If Behavioral Grooves Podcast continues to meet your listening expectations please consider helping our ongoing production costs with a Patreon subscription. Many thanks!

Topics

(4:20) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:07) What is the expectation effect?

(8:09) Why the placebo effect doesn’t work on everyone.

(9:36) Our stress response and fluctuations in our cortisol levels.

(13:13) Negative stress mindset vs. positive stress mindset.

(15:00) Does the expectation effect change the way we feel?

(18:16) Is reframing a key component of the expectation effect?

(19:35) David’s journey into exploring expectations.

(22:26) How our mindset can contribute to the outcome of our diet or exercise habit.

(28:41) How marketing sets our expectations.

(33:04) The brain is a prediction machine.

(36:32) Why critical thinking is a tool to manage our expectations.

(39:30) Are you a “good” sleeper or a “bad” sleeper?

(42:35) Being a pessimistic vs an optimistic person.

(45:45) The ethics of expectations - genetic testing.

(50:06) What music David is listening to and our expectations of musicians.

(55:47) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing The Expectation Effect.

Links

David Robson: https://davidrobson.me/

David Robson’s Book, The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World: https://amzn.to/3DVOXSD

Episode 307, Groove Track | Mind Over Milkshakes: Why Expectations Matter A Lot: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/mind-over-milkshakes-groove-track/

Nocebo Effect: https://www.mindtools.com/blog/expert-interview-blog-david-robson/

Human Risk Podcast with Christian Hunt: https://www.human-risk.com/podcast

Pygmalion effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion_effect

Penolepe Fitzgerald: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penelope_Fitzgerald

Martin Amos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Amis

Episode 155, John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-unconscious-mind/

Episode 75: Jonathan Mann: Integrating Behavioral Science into User Experience: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/jonathan-mann-integrating-behavioral-science-into-user-experience/

Episode 235: Make Choice Rewarding: Behavioral Insights in Marketing with Matthew Willcox: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/marketing-matthew-willcox/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Judy Collins “Spellbound”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnTh7TkFK1U

Grooving on Cheating: Kurt, Tim, Christian Hunt, and Koen Smets

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 07:13:37 -0600

Cheating is all around us. Is it on the rise? It appears to be so, but why? Christian Hunt, the founder and host of Human Risk Podcast, and Koen Smets, a London-based behavioral scientist, discuss the dodgy travails of the human condition using examples of cheating in chess, walleye fishing, cycling, and even among behavioral scientists.

Join us for an invigorating discussion on why we cheat - and we all do - from Abbey Road Studios in London.

Human Risk Podcast: https://www.human-risk.com/podcast

Koen Smets on Medium: https://koenfucius.medium.com/

Fishing Scandal: https://youtu.be/xSta3wFK15Y

Chess Scandal: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/05/1126915049/hans-niemann-is-accused-of-cheating-in-more-than-100-chess-games-hes-playing-tod

Bike Race Scandal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_doping

DataColada on Bad Behavioral Science: https://datacolada.org/98

Can You Unlearn History And Still Love Your Country? With Dolly Chugh

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Learning ALL the parts of our country’s history can be very uncomfortable. Not just in the US, but around the world, there are usually very dark parts of our past that many of us would rather brush over because it doesn’t marry up with the sterilized version of what we were taught when we were younger.

While many of us are willing to take the next step, to unlearn our history and dismantle the unjust systems that our forebears built, few of us actually know how to go about it effectively. Our wonderful guest on this episode, Dolly Chugh admits to her own story of how she inadvertently taught her kids a polished version of history. And in her own personal reckoning around this experience, wrote the book that she found herself needing to read. And we are delighted to be talking with her about “A More Just Future: Psychological Tools for Reckoning with Our Past and Driving Social Change” because it is now a valuable tool for all of us.

Dolly Chugh is a Harvard educated, award-winning social psychologist at the NYU Stern School of Business, where she is an expert researcher in the psychology of good people. We’ve previously had Dolly on the show but we are thrilled to welcome her back to discuss her brand new book.

Topics

(2:07) How Little House On The Prairie led Dolly to write A More Just Future.

(9:24) Behavioral History - the new way of looking at the past?

(11:10) Why do we find it so difficult to talk about the dark parts of our history?

(14:08) How “dressing for the weather” can help us deal with our emotional responses.

(17:56) What other countries can teach the US about our response to history..

(19:37) How a Paradox Mindset can help us sit with uncomfortable truths.

(23:28) How does Dolly feel about America after writing the book?

(26:12) How do we move forward to a more just future?

(29:28) Unlearning our past is simple but not easy.

(31:49) Why is George Takei a gritty patriot?

(37:51) What is belief grief?

(39:42) How psychological distance creates a “long time ago illusion”.

(41:37) Using music to anchor us in time.

(44:52) What question Dolly would ask Max Bazerman?

(47:54) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt discussing A More Just Future.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon. Writing a review of the podcast is also a great way to share your appreciation with other listeners.

Links

Dolly’s book “A More Just Future: Psychological Tools for Reckoning with Our Past and Driving Social Change “: https://amzn.to/3Cgs9eq

Episode 230, How Good People Fight Bias with Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-good-people-fight-bias/

Dolly’s TED Talk: “How to let go of being a "good" person — and become a better person”: https://www.ted.com/talks/dolly_chugh_how_to_let_go_of_being_a_good_person_and_become_a_better_person?language=en

Episode 280, Do We Judge Others By The Way They Speak? | Katherine Kinzler PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/judging-by-the-way-others-speak/

Historiography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historiography

Dan Gilbert “Stumbling on Happiness”: https://amzn.to/3zdV4iD

Episode 321, Robert Livingston: How To Have A Conversation About Racism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/a-conversation-about-racism/

Angela Duckworth “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”: https://amzn.to/3suuRZh

“Construal-Level Theory of Psychological Distance” Yaacov Trope and Nira Liberman (2011): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3152826/

Max Bazerman “Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop”: https://amzn.to/3TSE7lB

Episode 232: Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Bob Marley “Buffalo Soldier”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FCdx7Dn0o

Hamilton “Alexander Hamilton”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhinPd5RRJw

In the Heights “No Me Diga”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrFH772ytzM

Louis Armstrong “Hello Dolly”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7N2wssse14

How To Get Comfortable With Uncertainty: The Ambiguity Mindset with Debbie Sutherland

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 03:03:00 -0600

People don’t hate change, they hate the ambiguity that comes with change. Organizational psychologist, Dr Debbie Sutherland PhD, shares the tools we can use, both in business settings and in our personal lives, to overcome our discomfort with ambiguity and to thrive in uncertain environments.

Debbie is an academic executive coach with both a masters degree and doctorate degree from Columbia University. She has recently written a well researched book, The Business of Ambiguity: Demystify the Unknown with Five Key Thinking and Behavior Strategies, which gives business leaders a blueprint for making better decisions in ambiguous situations. After all, ambiguous and uncertain situations aren’t going away, so we might as well figure out how to deal with them!

Thank you to all our listeners of Behavioral Grooves, we enjoy sharing unique insights with you. If you have enjoyed this episode, please consider writing a review on your podcast player. Or you can contribute financially to our work through our Patreon page.

Topics

(2:31) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:35) Why do people hate ambiguity?

(9:40) How frustration led to Debbie’s research on ambiguity?

(11:25) The value of critical reflection.

(16:11) How journaling can help you find patterns in behavior.

(21:09) Mental models of ambiguity.

(23:02) Reflection IN action vs. reflection ON action.

(25:44) The ambiguity of THE dress.

(29:18) The Ambiguity Mindset – intuitive or learned?

(30:26) Where do leaders make mistakes with managing ambiguity?

(38:25) What music would Debbie take to a desert island?

(43:04) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on ambiguity.

Links

Debbie Sutherland’s book “The Business of Ambiguity: Demystify the Unknown with Five Key Thinking and Behavior Strategies”: https://amzn.to/3MFuh3W

The Business of Ambiguity: https://www.behaviorsinbusiness.com/

Groups Relations Conferences: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/organization-and-leadership/social-organizational-psychology/degree-info/group-relations-conferences/

Gestalt Psychology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestalt_psychology

Dr Pamela Booth research on Behavior Analysis: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Behaviour-Analysis%3A-Catalyst-for-Perspective-and-of-Booth/d90d2da66a769d574e99a5dcf6f5ced41a689ee1

David Schon, The Reflective Practitioner: https://graysreadinggroup.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/the-reflective-practitioner-by-donald-schon/

Episode 323, Quit: Why We Do It Too Late and How To Get Better At It with Annie Duke: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/quit-with-annie-duke/

Episode 322, Chuck Wisner: Four Steps To More Effective Conversations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/more-effective-conversations/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Eminem “Fall”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfTbHITdhEI

Vivaldi “Four Seasons”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA

Quit: Why We Do It Too Late and How To Get Better At It with Annie Duke

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Walking away is never easy. Whether it’s quitting a job, a relationship or an expedition to the peak of Mount Everest, we have a real problem with knowing when to stop. And ironically, when we do quit, we often wish we’d done it earlier. So why do we find it so difficult to quit? Annie Duke addresses the psychological reasons that prevent us from quitting, and how we can overcome them.

Annie needs little introduction to the Behavioral Grooves Podcast as she is now the only guest to have been on the show 4 times! Most people know of her as a poker champion and bestselling author but we are lucky enough to call her a friend. One of the reasons we are so fond of Annie is her ability to use relatable stories to explain the complex concepts around decision making. She has emerged as one of the leading thinkers in the field, and is truly an intellectual powerhouse. So we are thrilled to be talking to Annie about her excellent new book, “Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away”.

We don't like ambiguity. We don't like uncertainty. We keep chugging along, trying to accrue more certainty. So that we know that it's the right decision....As Richard Thaler, Nobel laureate said to me; “the only time that we were really willing to quit is when it's not a decision anymore.”

~ Annie Duke, Episode 323

In this episode, Annie touches on key themes around quitting. We talk about the reasons we find quitting so difficult, why mantras like “quit while you’re ahead” are complete bunkum, and what techniques we can use to ensure we quit at the right time. Annie also sets the record straight on the myth that grit and quitting are opposite sides of the same coin. The concepts actually overlap.

We hope you enjoy this episode (and didn’t quit!). To help others find our podcast content, we would be grateful if you would write us a quick review on your podcast player. It helps us get noticed by other folk who are interested in podcasts about behavioral science. Thank you, and we appreciate your help.

Topics

(5:36) Annie’s story of quitting and her personal frustration.

(12:39) Grit and quit are NOT polar opposites.

(22:53) What are some of the psychological aspects that make quitting hard?

(36:31) What is the difference between loss aversion and sure loss aversion?

(42:29) Why we shouldn’t quit while we’re ahead.

(49:10) Gut feel vs rational decisions.

(53:29) What Mount Everest can teach us about when to quit.

(1:03:36) The second way to help you quit – a quitting coach.

(1:10:44) The backstory of Barry Staw.

(1:20:40) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt about quitting.

Links Annie Duke’s Books:

“Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away”: https://amzn.to/3z47JEP

“Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts”: https://amzn.to/3Vvaick

Angela Duckworth book, “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”: https://amzn.to/3ECSLsS

Episode 107, Rory Sutherland: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rory-sutherland-the-opposite-of-a-good-idea-is-a-good-idea/

Maya Shankar: A Slight Change Of Plans Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-slight-change-of-plans/id1561860622

Episode 310, Why You Can’t Find a Cab When It’s Raining – Groove Track: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-you-cant-find-cabs-in-the-rain/

Barry Staw: https://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/staw-barry/

Episode 277, No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope | Daniel H. Pink: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/

Four Steps To More Effective Conversations | Chuck Wisner

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Conversations are vital to our existence - after all, we talk with people every day. But have you ever dissected what makes a conversation effective? When we are more conscious of how we are talking with others, we can nurture more productive connections, and avoid common pitfalls that often derail our conversations.

In this episode, we explore the importance of conscious conversations, with author Chuck Wisner, whose new book The Art Of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact is coming out in mid October 2022. Chuck’s insights are built on a fascinating mix of careers: from architect to personal coach, with a stop-off as a mediator at the Harvard Law Mediation Program.

With Chuck, we discuss the four sequential stages to an effective conversation:

Storytelling
Collaboration
Creativity
Commitment

We explore the role our identity plays in shaping the stories we tell ourselves, why leaders’ authority can make their voice louder, and how some of our best ideas happen when we are stimulating our creative minds.

“The stories we live by and tell ourselves and others are essential to our identity.” ~ Chuck Wisner

If you enjoy listening to Behavioral Grooves Podcast, please consider donating to our work through our Patreon page. We use all the donations to fund the production of the podcast. Thanks!

Topics

(2:31) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:35) The stories we tell ourselves are central to our identity.

(5:34) The Art of Conscious Conversation Book.

(10:14) The first of the four types of conversations: storytelling.

(18:56) Collaboration, the second step of successful conversations.

(22:38) How re-engaging with our creative minds assists our conversations.

(28:56) Why commitment is the active part of a conversation.

(38:06) How music is part of Chuck’s life.

Links

The Art of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact: https://amzn.to/3clNtGk

Episode 178: Kwame Christian On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Joe Morello “Take 5 Drum Solo”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tTyTc6FjjU

Delbert McClinton “Ain’t That Lovin’ You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCN2og2kKdk

How To Have A Conversation About Racism | Robert Livingston

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Racism is solvable, but that doesn’t mean we will solve it. To close the gap between the probable and possible, we need to have meaningful conversations.

“Conversation is one of the most powerful ways to build knowledge, awareness, and empathy and ultimately, impact change.”

In his award winning book, “The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations”, Dr Robert Livingston PhD provides a compass and a roadmap for individuals and for organizational leaders to solve racism. As a leading Harvard social psychologist, he expertly combines his research and narrative for an audience who is eager to be part of the solution.

Robert talks with us about the lightbulb moment he realized storytelling was a powerful way to engage an audience. By building relationships and using narratives, you can change people’s behavior in a way that facts and graphs simply don’t.

Our conversation with Robert gives us the tools to firstly define racism and recognize its existence. We learn why motivated reasoning tries to protect us from the threat of addressing our own racism. But if we approach the painful conversations with a growth mindset, we can allow ourselves the grace to learn.

Topics

(3:13) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:23) Is racism a solvable problem?

(6:19) Why conversation is so crucial to overcoming racism.

(13:18) How The Press Model can help solve racism.

(19:47) Why are people in denial about racism?

(25:12) How to challenge the “I’m not a racist” relative?

(28:48) How to have a conversation about racism, rather than a debate.

(36:20) Why do we confuse equity and equality?

(45:03) People are not as concerned about fairness as they are about winning.

(47:52) What music would Robert take to a desert island?

Links

Robert Livingston's book “The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations”: https://amzn.to/3DdQZOc

Episode 232, Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/

“Whites See Racism as a Zero-Sum Game That They Are Now Losing” Michael Norton and Samuel Sommers (2011): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691611406922

Carol Dweck “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”: https://amzn.to/3SBhamm

Amy Edmondson: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451

Episode 230, How Good People Fight Bias with Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-good-people-fight-bias/

Musical Links

Stevie Wonder “Songs In The Key of Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiG9eiwUpHo

Miles Davis “So What”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNTltOGh5c

Visualize A Horse...But What If You Actually Can’t? Aphantasia Explained With Dr Adam Zeman

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Close your eyes and visualize a horse. Most people can picture the outline of the body, the color of the horse and the unique features of the animal. But some people simply don’t see any image at all. This lack of a mind’s eye is known as aphantasia.

To help explain exactly what aphantasia is, and how it can affect behavior, we talk with Professor Adam Zeman who actually helped identify and name the neurological condition. Adam has a medical degree and a PhD in philosophy from Oxford University. He’s been a lecturer and professor of cognitive and behavioral neurology and has published extensively on visual imagery and forms of amnesia occurring in epilepsy. Adam has also published an introduction to neurology for the general audiences called, A Portrait of the Brain. But the reason we are talking to Adam on this episode is about his research on our “minds eye”. He discusses how a lack of visual imagery (aphantasia) or overly vivid imagery (hyperphantasia) can be identified and what effects it has on our behavior.

We often ask guests on the show about whether their work is influenced by “me-search”; something of particular interest to them personally. Well, this episode is a little bit of me-search for our own Kurt Nelson who himself has aphantasia. Join both Kurt and Tim as they both find out more about the recent research into the condition and how we should all be aware of how it affects people.

Topics

(3:36) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:15) How Adam discovered the condition aphantasia.

(10:30) How aphantasia can affect all the senses.

(12:45) The prevalence of aphantasia.

(15:38) The behavioral differences that are present with aphantasia.

(19:42) What careers suit people with a lack of mind’s eye?

(23:39) What causes aphantasia?

(25:51) The differences between voluntary and involuntary visualization.

(30:41) Visualization is an echo of vision.

(35:21) What music Adam will take to a desert island.

(37:51) About The Mind’s Eye Project.

(42:49) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.

Links

Aphantasia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia

Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ): https://aphantasia.com/vviq/

Professor Adam Zeman: https://psychology.exeter.ac.uk/staff/profile/index.php?web_id=adam_zeman

The Mind’s Eye Project: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cspe/projects/the-eyes-mind/

“Picture This? Some Just Can’t” by Carl Zimmer, 2015: https://carlzimmer.com/picture-this-some-just-cant-101/

Hyperphantasia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperphantasia#:~:text=Hyperphantasia%20is%20the%20condition%20of,as%20vivid%20as%20real%20seeing%22.

Ed Catmull: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Catmull

Craig Venter: https://www.jcvi.org/about/j-craig-venter

Blake Ross: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Ross

Think of a horse: https://aphantasia.com/think-of-a-horse/

Musical Links

David Gray “Sail Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oyBnvibWEY

Bach “Cello Suite No.1 in G Major”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prweT95Mo0

Mendelssohn “Overture: The Hebrides”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdQyN7MYSN8

Want to Know How Priming Works? It Starts With Your Conscious, Not Your Unconscious | John Bargh PhD

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 03:03:00 -0600

“The primary source of unconscious priming…is your conscious experience.” Our consciousness is where we bring everything together, where we integrate and form a rich integration of our experience. This result is that this experience gets spread out to all the processes of the mind which is pivotal to how priming, an unconscious effect, actually works.

Dr John Bargh PhD is a researcher and professor at Yale University and is probably the leading researcher on behavioral priming and has been studying this topic for almost 40 years. Not only that but he is a long term friend of Behavioral Grooves Podcast.

In this episode with John, we explore with him both the past and future of priming as well as some of the controversies surrounding it.

“The more important the goal, the more primable it is”

Topics

(4:36) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:50) Why priming gets a bad rap.

(13:01) What exactly is a prime?

(16:17) Where does future research in priming need to go?

(19:46) How does priming differ from expectation theory and the placebo effect?

(22:33) How is framing not priming?

(24:07) What is the summation of experience?

(32:02) The stupid reason John went into social psychology.

(40:51) What the meta analysis studies on priming have found.

(45:50) Science communication: how to tell the good science from the bad.

(49:03) The importance of podcasting to bridge the gap between science and people.

(1:00:03) Grooving session with Tim and Kurt on priming.

Links

John Bargh's book “Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do”: https://amzn.to/3yUHka8

Episode 248, Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? With John Bargh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/

Episode 155, John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-unconscious-mind/

Global Workspace Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_workspace_theory

Bargh JA. “What have we been priming all these years? On the development, mechanisms, and ecology of nonconscious social behavior.” Eur J Soc Psychol. 2006: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19844598/

Shinobu Kitayama, University of Michigan: https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/people/faculty/kitayama.html

Daphna Oyserman, University of Southern California: https://dornsife.usc.edu/daphna-oyserman

Paul J. Reber, Northwestern University: https://www.reberlab.psych.northwestern.edu/people/paul/

Daniel Schacter, “Amnesia observed: Remembering and forgetting in a natural environment” (1983): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1983-26025-001

Parafoveal Processing: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/parafoveal-processing

Jeffrey W. Sherman (2017) “A Final Word on Train Wrecks”: https://psychology.ucdavis.edu/people/sherm/cv

Evan Weingarten, Qijia Chen, Maxwell McAdams, Jessica Yi, Justin Hepler, Dolores Albarracin (2016) “On Priming Action: Conclusions from a Meta-Analysis of the Behavioral Effects of Incidentally-Presented Words”: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27957520/

Xiao Chen, Gary P. Latham, Ronald F. Piccolo, Guy Itzchakov (2019) “An Enumerative Review and a Meta-Analysis of Primed Goal Effects on Organizational Behavior”: https://iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/apps.12239

Roy F. Baumeister and Kathleen D. Vohs (2003): “Sobriety Epidemic Endangers Nation’s Well-Being”: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/sobriety-epidemic-endangers-nations-well-being

Episode 147, Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-goal-setting-prompts/

Musical Links

AC/DC “Hells Bells”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etAIpkdhU9Q

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets “Acid Dent”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuQyIQ0NA0k

Acid Dad “Searchin’”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzSwzUAqVWw

The Orb “Blue Room”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ8nTbS9mOE

Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg

Pearl Jam “Black”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgaRVvAKoqQ

The Who “Who You Are”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNbBDrceCy8

Led Zeppelin “All My Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXC87EABywo

Dead Pirates “Alexis”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9FsgAyZop4

Hadestown Broadway Show “Way Down Hadestown”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJIc3RtJK7U

Rory Sutherland: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea [Republish]

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Rory Sutherland is a British advertising executive who became fascinated with behavioral science. Between his TED talks, books and articles, he has become one of the field’s greatest proponents. Rory is currently the Executive Creative Director of OgilvyOne, after gigs as vice-chairman of Ogilvy Group UK and co-founder of the Behavioural Sciences Practice, part of the Ogilvy & Mather group of companies. He is the author of The Spectator’s The Wiki Man column and his most recent book, which we highly recommend, is Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life.

Our discussion with Rory was original published in January 2020, but Rory’s evergreen insights continue to be popular with our listeners so we decided to republish this episode. You can also listen to Rory discuss his latest book Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet? alongside his co-writer Pete Dyson, in episode 290.

We start this discussion with Rory by asking him about his book and some of his insights from it. His approach to advertising, marketing and product design is informed by his ability to look for the things that aren’t there. He once described a solution to improving customer satisfaction on the Chunnel Train between London and Paris by suggesting that a billion dollars would be better spent on supermodel hosts in the cars than on reducing ride time by 15 minutes. He’s a terrifically insightful thinker.

Our conversation ran amok down all sorts of rabbit holes, as expected, including ergodicity, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Silver Blaze,” high-end audio and the dietary habits of the world-famous runner, Usain Bolt.

In Kurt and Tim’s Grooving Session, we discuss some of our favorite takeaways from Rory’s conversation including, “The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea” and others. And finally, Kurt teed up the Bonus Track with a final reflection and recap of the key points we discussed.

As always, we would be grateful if you would write us a quick review. It helps us get noticed by other folks who are interested in podcasts about behavioral science. It will only take 27 seconds. Thank you, and we appreciate your help.

Links

Rory Sutherland: https://ogilvy.co.uk/people/rorys

“Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life”: https://amzn.to/3xbibt3

“Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet?”: https://amzn.to/3cZPyIy

Episode 290, Transport Your Thinking; Why We Need To Reframe Travel | Rory Sutherland & Pete Dyson: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/transport-rory-sutherland-pete-dyson/

“Friction”: https://www.rogerdooley.com/books/friction/

Murray Gell-Mann, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Gell-Mann

Robin Williams “Scottish Golf”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx8TzR1-n4Q

Don Draper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Draper

Ergodicity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergodicity

John James Cowperthwaite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_James_Cowperthwaite

SatNav: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/satnav

Daniel Kahneman, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

What You See is All There Is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow

Arthur Conan-Doyle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Conan_Doyle

Sherlock Holmes “Silver Blaze”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventure_of_Silver_Blaze

Tim Houlihan’s Blog on “Silver Blaze”: https://tinyurl.com/ufumkj6

Ben Franklin T-Test: https://tinyurl.com/wocdsdk

Volkswagen Fighter: https://tinyurl.com/qpyqh87

David Ogilvy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ogilvy_(businessman)

Jock Elliot: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/dec/01/guardianobituaries.media

Battle of Leyte Gulf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leyte_Gulf

Croft Audio: http://www.croftacoustics.co.uk/main.html

Mu-So single speaker: https://www.naimaudio.com/mu-so

WFMT Chicago: https://www.wfmt.com/

TK Maxx: https://www.tkmaxx.com/uk/en/

Berlin Hotel with Big Lebowski: https://www.michelbergerhotel.com/en/

Shure: https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/microphones?lpf[top][types][]=microphones

Zoom: https://zoom.us/

Satisficing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing

Usain Bolt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usain_Bolt

Sheena Iyengar, PhD: https://www.sheenaiyengar.com/

Jelly Jar Study: https://tinyurl.com/oo6g6eb

Big Band Music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_band

Musical Links

Aretha Franklin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin

Southern California Community Choir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_California_Community_Choir

Abba: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABBA

Felix Mendelssohn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Mendelssohn

George Frideric Handel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frideric_Handel

Johann Sebastian Bach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach

Johann Christian Bach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Christian_Bach

How Good People Fight Bias | Dolly Chugh [Republish]

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Psychology and neuroscience have proven that our minds do things on autopilot. These shortcuts (or heuristics) are laden with unconscious biases, which are juxtaposed to our self identity as a “good” person; one that isn’t racist, sexist or homophobic. Dolly Chugh believes we should set a higher standard for ourselves by being good-ish people. By implementing a Growth Mindset, a concept pioneered by Carol Dweck, we don’t hang on too tightly to our identity. We learn to change, and to be taught and to grow.

Dolly Chugh is an award-winning associate professor and social psychologist at the Stern School of Business at New York University. Her research focuses on the “psychology of good people”. How and why most of us, however well-intended, are still prone to race and gender bias, as well as what she calls “bounded ethicality.”

Kurt and Tim sat down with Dolly for this episode in Spring 2021 to talk about the concept of “good-ish” which is a central theme to her book The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias. In subsequent episodes we have referenced Dolly's interview and work many times, so we wanted to republish her episode so you can enjoy listening to her insights again.

In our conversation with Dolly we learn about her beautiful analogy of headwinds and tailwinds that describe the invisible biases and systemic issues that many people in our world face. She explains the “Hmmm Framework” that she came up with after the January 6th Attack on the Capitol. And, of course, we discuss music and how Dolly incorporates it into her teaching and her writing.

In our focused Grooving Session, Tim and Kurt extract the meaningful ways that we can apply Dolly’s work into our everyday lives. We summarize the key parts of our interview with her and how we can each challenge ourselves to find our good-ish groove!

What You Will Learn from Dolly Chugh

(2:41) Speed round questions

(4:12) What is the difference between good and good-ish?

(9:09) Why is a growth mindset so difficult?

(12:28) Why we should integrate psychology more into our educational and political systems

(15:48) How systemic racism and unconscious bias are related

(29:12) Hmmm Framework and thought experiments

(34:04) How do we discover our own blind spots?

(38:58) How Dolly incorporates music into her teaching and writing

(43:21) Applications from our interview with Dolly in our Grooving Session:

Step back and be intentional, use “when...then…” statements.
Don’t hold on so tightly to our identity and the status quo.
Thought experiments to unveil our own ignorance.
The Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT).
Self audit - look at our library, our magazines, our TV shows, what we talk about with friends. How are we showing up in the world? Are we being intentional with where we put our effort?

Links

Dolly Chugh: http://www.dollychugh.com/about-dolly

Dolly Chugh, The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias https://amzn.to/35tGwMe

Carol Dweck, Mindset, The New Psychology of Success https://amzn.to/3wDv10I

Episode 196: Living Happier By Making the World Better with Max Bazerman https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/living-happier-by-making-the-world-better-with-max-bazerman/

Mahzarin Banaji https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/mahzarin-r-banaji

Molly Kern https://www.molly-kern.com/

Happy Days https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee0gziqT2Yk&ab_channel=ChiefScheiderChiefScheider

Grey’s Anatomy https://youtu.be/dSGLObjyFvA

Steve Martin and Nuala Walsh, Episode 209: GAABS and Improving the Future for Every Applied Behavioral Scientist https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/improving-the-future-for-every-applied-behavioral-scientist/

Katy Milkman, How to Change https://amzn.to/3wDZHzc

Confronting the legacy of housing discrimination https://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs_this_morning/video/vLnaRgBIed_ph_NxZa2ZaivfdC_FeD1f/white-americans-confront-legacy-of-housing-discrimination/

Harvard Implicit Association Test https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

Alec Lacamoire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Lacamoire

Lake Wobegon Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wobegon

Episode 214: Observing the Non-Obvious: How to Spot Trends Around You with Rohit Bhargava https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-non-obvious-rohit-bhargava/

Musical Links

Hamilton “Alexander Hamilton” https://youtu.be/VhinPd5RRJw

In the Heights “Blackout” https://youtu.be/T0V2cCjf1Tk

Something Rotten! “A Musical” https://youtu.be/1KFNcy9VjQI

Bruno Mars “The Lazy Song” https://youtu.be/fLexgOxsZu0

38 Special “Hold On Loosely” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJtf7R_oVaw

Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” https://youtu.be/80_39eAx3z8

Groove Track | No, Short-Term Rewards Don’t Drain Long-Term Motivation

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 07:44:50 -0600

For many years, the general consensus by many researchers and practitioners was that providing people with short-term extrinsic rewards sapped their long-term motivation. This led to some organizations reducing or not using short-term rewards at all. However, this perspective has always had some detractors and now even more research shows that this belief is misleading.

In this episode, Kurt and Tim explore the research paper by Indranil Goswami and Oleg Urmisky with the lovely title of “The Dynamic Effect of Incentives on Post-Reward Task Engagement” that shows that while short-term incentives drive an immediate reduction in task engagement, this only lasts for a short time and that engagement rebounds to the baseline relatively quickly.

We examine some of the backstory to this belief, what the study showed, and review the implications of this.

Links

The Dynamic Effect of Incentives on Post-Reward Task Engagement: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312100138_The_dynamic_effect_of_incentives_on_postreward_task_engagement

The Power of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence [Republish]

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 03:03:00 -0600

The GodFather of Influence, Robert Cialdini joins us on Behavioral Grooves to share his motivation for expanding his bestselling book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion which now includes a completely new Seventh Principle of Influence: Unity. This additional principle can help explain our political loyalties, vaccine hesitancy and why media headlines can be so inflammatory.

Another motivation for the revised edition to the book is to include more application to the Principles of Influence. So our conversation highlights some of Bob’s advice for start-up businesses and how they can harness the principle of Social Proof. And as general advice, Bob recounts how he recently advised a teenager to be generous to others – this in turn stimulates the Rule of Reciprocity, nurturing a relationship which is mutually beneficial.

No episode of Behavioral Grooves would be complete without discussing music, even with guests we’ve interviewed before! But the theme of unity has a special significance with music and Bob highlights how music and dance bring people together and help them feel unified. Plus we get an interesting story of an experiment in France, and how a guitar case played a crucial part in one man’s luck.

We hope you enjoy our discussion with The Godfather of Influence, Robert Cialdini. Since we generously share our great content with you, perhaps you feel influenced by the Rule of Reciprocity and will become a Behavioral Grooves Patreon Member!

[This episode was originally published in May 2021 and you can also listen to our first interview with Robert Cialdini in Episode 50].

Topics we Discuss on Influence with Robert Cialdini

(3:55) Speed round

(6:50) Ideal number of stars on your online review

(9:00) Why Cialdini wrote a new edition of Influence

(12:13) The new Seventh Principle: Unity

(15:10) How to harness social proof as a start-up

(20:02) A new color of lies

(22:22) Principle of Unity with politics

(24:42) Tribalism and vaccine hesitancy

(28:35) Why Trump getting vaccinated hasn’t influenced his voters

(30:50) How framing of media headlines influences our perception of the news

(33:24) The Petrified Forest Wood Principle

(36:56) Where will the next generation of research go with Cialdini’s work?

(40:52) What advice would Cialdini give your teenager?

(48:23) Music and influence

(53:05) Grooving session

Robert Cialdini’s Books

Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion https://amzn.to/3tyCpZ6

Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade https://amzn.to/3eGdyOW

Links

Episode 50: Robert Cialdini, PhD: Littering, Egoism and Aretha Franklin: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/robert-cialdini-phd-littering-egoism-and-aretha-franklin/

Increase Your Influence: https://www.influenceatwork.com/

Godfather 2 Movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_Part_II

Richard Thaler: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Thaler

Daniel Kahneman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Donald Trump vaccine: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2021/04/20/trump-i-dont-know-why-republicans-are-vaccine-hesitant-again-floats-pfizer-conspiracy-theory/

Mike Pence: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/pence-set-receive-covid-vaccine-televised-appearance-n1251655

Petrified Forest Wood Principle: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-shaping-us/201909/the-petrified-wood-principle

Stanley Schachter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Schachter

Jerome Singer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_E._Singer

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

The psychology of misinformation: Why it’s so hard to correct: https://firstdraftnews.org/latest/the-psychology-of-misinformation-why-its-so-hard-to-correct/

How to combat fake news and misinformation: https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-to-combat-fake-news-and-disinformation/

Teaching skills to combat fake news and misinformation: https://www.washington.edu/trends/teaching-skills-to-combat-fake-news-and-misinformation/

Episode 102: Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Episode 214: Observing the Non-Obvious: How to Spot Trends Around You with Rohit Bhargava: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-non-obvious-rohit-bhargava/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Groove Track | 12 Words That Improve Company Performance

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 06:45:22 -0600

Priming studies have had some negative press over the past ten years - some of it justified, some of it not. In this groove track, Kurt and Tim examine a 2018 study done by Alexander Stajkovic, Kayla Sergent, Gary Latham, and Suzanne Peterson called “Prime and Performance: Can a CEO Motivate Employees Without Their Awareness?”

This field study, with real-world implications, demonstrated that the choice of words had an impact on company performance. The impact was not just statistically significant, but it had real-world significance as well. The researchers replaced 12 words in a company President’s e-mail message to his employees. The impact that those 12 words had on performance was wild.

Kurt and Tim examine how the study was set up, the type of priming used, how performance was measured, and explore some of the key findings. We try to peel back the reasons why the interventions worked as it did, and discuss both the positive implications of this study, as well as things we should be wary of.

Listen now or find out more about this paper in our blog post. Enjoy!

Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Hidden Brain’s Shankar Vedantam Reveals How [Republish]

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Shankar Vedantam is the host of the wildly popular podcast, Hidden Brain and esteemed author of the book Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain. We initially interviewed Shankar in mid 2021 but want to highlight this discussion for you again as it is one we still discuss in more recent episodes.

Before reading Shankar’s book and interviewing him for this podcast we were, as Shankar describes himself, card-carrying rationalists. We were firmly in the camp of believing rational, scientific findings and believing that lies and deception are harmful to ourselves and to our communities. However, Shankar walks us through a compelling argument, that paradoxically, self-deception actually plays a pivotal role in our happiness and well-being.

In our discussion with Shankar we cover:

(6:38) Speed round questions.
(11:04) The difference between self delusions being useful and being harmful.
(16:23) How nations are a delusional construct.
(23:00) Awareness of self-delusions and how daily gratitudes can shift our perspective of the world.
(25:56) Shankar’s personal story of delusional thinking.
(29:58) The role emotions play in our mood and delusions.
(35:23) How avoidance of delusional thinking is a sign of privilege.
(37:30) Why our perceptions play an important role in understanding delusions.
(44:36) Shankar’s unique approach to conspiracy theories.
(52:28) What music Shankar has been listening to during COVID.
(52:15) Grooving Session and Bonus Track with Kurt and Tim.

We really hope you find Shankar’s unique insight on how delusions are useful as compelling as we did. If you’re a regular Behavioral Grooves listener, please consider supporting us through Patreon. Thank you!

Books

Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain https://amzn.to/2PUkzlv

The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars and Save Our Lives https://amzn.to/3e1qgWY

Links

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Kahneman, Sibony and Sunstein, 2021 https://amzn.to/3heyr5r

Richard Dawkins https://richarddawkins.net/

Mahabharata https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabharata

Lake Wobegon Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wobegon

Other Episodes We Talk About

The Myth of the “Relationship Spark” with Logan Ury (featuring a guest appearance by Christina Gravert, PhD): https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-myth-of-the-relationship-spark-with-logan-ury-featuring-a-guest-appearance-by-christina-gravert-phd/

Robert Cialdini, PhD: Littering, Egoism and Aretha Franklin: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/robert-cialdini-phd-littering-egoism-and-aretha-franklin/

Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For with Roy Baumeister: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-phd-goal-setting-prompts-priming-and-skepticism/

John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/

Linda Thunstrom: Are Thoughts and Prayers Empty Gestures to Suffering Disaster Victims? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/linda-thunstrom-are-thoughts-and-prayers-empty-gestures-to-suffering-disaster-victims/

How To Find Meaning IN Life | Dr Brian Lowery PhD

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Three things generate a sense of meaning IN life;

Coherence - can you make sense of the world?
Purpose - do you feel a sense of purpose with what you do? And
Significance - does your life matter?

Having meaning in your life is correlated with a sense of self certainty. Knowing who you are and having a sense of self, gives you structure and a stable way of seeing the world.

But how do you answer the question “who am I?” Our guest, Dr Brian Lowery PhD says the answer isn’t as individualistic as we may have been led to believe. Not only do those around us; our friends, co-workers and parents contribute to who we are, Brian claims they actually create who we are. Putting it bluntly, there is no way of separating “you” from your relationships.

We’ve waited a long time to talk to Brian, who is the Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a social psychologist by training, but Brian’s work is by no means traditional in that field. He studies how individuals perceive inequality, and his research explores individuals' experiences of inequality and fairness in a way that sheds light on intergroup conflict and the nature of social justice. Brian is also a fellow podcaster, hosting the show Know What You See which is definitely worth checking out.

Listeners can become a Behavioral Grooves supporter by donating to our work through Patreon. Or please consider writing us a podcast review on your app. Thanks!

Topics

(5:21) Welcome to Brian Lowery and speed round questions.

(7:34) The meaning IN life vs. the meaning OF life.

(9:23) How meaning in life is linked to a sense of self certainty.

(13:30) Context matters: those around us create who we are.

(17:13) What are you referring to when you talk about you?

(19:23) The responsibility we have when interacting with others.

(21:27) Does authenticity assume a stability of self?

(26:17) Our relationships define us while also limiting our freedom.

(30:59) The myth of rugged individualism.

(36:35) Do we really have freewill?

(42:06) What Brian talks about on his podcast, Know What You See.

(43:42) What role does music play in the identity of self?

(51:43) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing the meaning in life.

Links

Know What You See Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-what-you-see-with-brian-lowery/id1580636076

Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAwDWZoETk4&ab_channel=MontyPython

Episode 67, George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

Episode 248, John Bargh: Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/

Kimberle Crenshaw: https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/kimberle-w-crenshaw

Episode 307, Groove Track | Mind Over Milkshakes: Why Expectations Matter A Lot: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/mind-over-milkshakes-groove-track/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Killer Mike “Untitled”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNsAfGDkUtk

How Do Incentives Actually Impact Motivation? | Dr Indranil Goswami PhD

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Incentives can improve motivation. But what actually happens when the incentive is removed? An influential body of research previously suggested that extrinsic rewards have a negative impact on intrinsic motivation. However, more recent studies show this not to be the case over the long term. Our guest, Dr Indranil Goswami PhD, talks us through the longer term effects of temporary incentives and the implications for motivating behavior change.

Indranil is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University at Buffalo. The research that we focus on in this episode is the paper he co-wrote with Dr Oleg Urminsky PhD, called “The Dynamic Effect of Incentives on Post-Reward Task Engagement”.

While there may be a dose of confirmation bias with this conversation, Kurt and Tim are excited to hear more about Indranil’s research which backs up what they have been telling companies for years:

“Incentives are useful for improving people's behavior, engagement and performance.”

Managers, academics and even parents have bought into the widely held belief that extrinsic motivators are not a useful tool for initiating behavior change. But Indranil’s work may help you reevaluate the tools you use to motivate those around you. Listen in and let us know if it encourages you to rethink your incentive program.

Regular listeners to Behavioral Grooves may enjoy being part of our exclusive group of Patreon members by supporting our work. You can also write a review of our podcast on whatever platform you listen on, and we often read these out on the show. Thank you!

Topics

(2:49) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:00) Do extrinsic incentives always suppress intrinsic motivation?

(9:41) Does post incentive disengagement actually happen?

(16:59) The surprising effect of big incentives.

(22:42) Real world experiences of incentives.

(25:03) Can we design incentives that improve post reward performance?

(31:40) What is more motivating - flat fee payment schemes or rate based payment scheme?

(38:57) Does Indranil use music as motivation?

(43:18) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on rewards and motivation.

Links

Goswami I, Urminsky O (2017) The dynamic effect of incentives on postreward task engagement: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28054810/

Daniel Kahneman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

Dan Ariely: https://danariely.com/

Eisenberger, R., & Cameron, J. (1996) Detrimental effects of reward: Reality or myth? https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.51.11.1153

Dan Ariely, Uri Gneezy, George Loewenstein, Nina Mazar (2009) Large Stakes and Big Mistakes: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-937X.2009.00534.x

Episode 106, Jana Gallus: The Role of Precision in Incentives: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/jana-gallus-the-role-of-precision-in-incentives/

Goswami, Indranil and Urminsky, Oleg (2018). Don't Fear the Meter: How Longer Time Limits Yield Biased Preferences for Flat Fee Contracts: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3448174

Episode 71, Alex Imas: Clawback Incentives and Tom Waits: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/alex-imas-clawback-incentives-and-tom-waits/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Ravi Shankar “The Spirit of India”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMk2eTqPLWk

Groove Track: Cab Driver Study

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 12:15:36 -0600

Groove Track | Why can’t you find a cab in the rain?

We take a deep dive exploring the 1997 study “LABOR SUPPLY OF NEW YORK CITY CAB DRIVERS: ONE DAY AT A TIME,” by Colin Camerer, Linda Babcock, George Loewenstein, and Richard Thaler. This paper shifts through piles of data to look at how NY city cab drivers behaved - and what they found was an economic anomaly - the cab drivers did not behave as classical economists predicted. The data showed that the drivers worked shorter hours on days when they earned faster (e.g., when it's raining) which goes against what economists would have predicted (i.e., that they maximize those opportunities).

Kurt and Tim run through how the study came to be, what they measured, and the implications of the paper's findings. This is a quick and fun dive into one of behavioral science classic studies.

Find out more about this paper in our blog post

Can You Really Love Things As Much As People? With Aaron Ahuvia

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Love connects us to things in a deep way. But when we say we love our car, or we love our favorite beach, or we love our children, the love we express for each of those things is very different. So can we really love things as much as we love people?

Our guest is Dr. Aaron Ahuvia, the world’s leading expert on brand love, a topic he pioneered and has worked on since 1990. He is a Professor of Marketing at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor’s Ross School of Business. Among the many books and papers he has authored, our favorite is the paper titled “Dr. Seuss, Felicitator”. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term “felicitator,” it is someone who brings happiness to others.

With Aaron, we discuss the very interesting and important topic of loving the things in our lives, why we love them, and how that love can change over time. This is especially true with brands and products and sporting teams and neighborhoods. One of the big takeaways from our conversation with Aaron is just to let go of this notion that it might be bad to love something.

If you love Behavioral Grooves, and it brings you a little happiness, please consider becoming one of our special Patreon members. Or you can tell us, and others, how much you love the show by leaving us a podcast review on whatever platform you use to listen. Thanks!

Topics

(4:45) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:09) Can you really love a thing like you love a person?

(9:39) The difference between liking and loving.

(13:13) Why do we love sports teams?

(18:05) Why do we love something that can’t reciprocate?

(20:18) Is there an evolutionary basis to our love of objects?

(23:44) Do we love the things we use more often?

(27:44) Loving the music vs. the equipment that plays the music.

(34:29) The social aspect of the objects we buy.

(36:46) How Aaron loves music.

(42:46) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on what we love.

Links

Aaron Ahuvia’s book “The Things We Love: How Our Passions Connect Us and Make Us Who We Are”: https://amzn.to/3IW0Jxj

Broadbent, Sarah (2012) Brand love in sport: antecedents and consequences: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305330187_Brand_love_in_sport_antecedents_and_consequences

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, Episode 306, “Trust Your Gut? Only If The Data Supports It”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/trust-your-gut/

Rory Sutherland & Pete Dyson, Episode 290 “Transport Your Thinking; Why We Need To Reframe Travel”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/transport-rory-sutherland-pete-dyson/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Musical Links

Cory Wong “Power Station”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1loN5mhRkI

Brian Eno “Desert Island Music”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rQBi692Dw8

The Loss of Common Sense: How To Gain A Little Perspective | Martin Lindstrom

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Disembarking people from a plane, row by row during the height of COVID, but then cramming all the passengers into a bus to the terminal…where is the common sense in that? Best selling author Martin Lindstrom laments that we are drowning in bureaucracy and that technology is contributing to the death of common sense in society.

Founder and chairman of Lindstrom Company, Martin Lindstrom is also the best selling author of seven New York Times best-selling books. We talk with Martin about his most recent book, “The Ministry Of Common Sense: How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate BS”.

Our conversation covers a lot of ground in a short time, including how John F. Kennedy was a trendsetter for the way businessmen dress today, why Martin lives without a phone, as well as how to cultivate more human-to-human connections. And since no conversation on Behavioral Grooves would be complete without a chit-chat about music, we find out what artists Martin would choose to take with him to a desert island.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon. We really appreciate all our listeners' support, thanks.

Topics

(2:55) Welcome to Martin and speed round.

(8:19) Is technology contributing to the death of common sense?

(9:51) Separating private life and work life.

(14:45) What is the Ministry of Common Sense about?

(22:58) Compliance and being different.

(27:07) What musical artists would Martin take to a desert island?

(30:03) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on common sense.

Links

Martin Lindstrom’s book: “The Ministry Of Common Sense: How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate BS”: https://amzn.to/3z0CJ7M

Martin Lindstrom: https://www.martinlindstrom.com/

Whitney Johnson, Episode 285: “The Three Phases of Growth and Learning”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/three-phases-of-growth/

Charlie Bell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bell_(businessman)

Human Risk Podcast: https://www.human-risk.com/podcast

Nir Eyal, Episode 303 “From Distracted To Focused: Nir Eyal’s Secrets On How To Be Indistractable”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nir-eyal-how-to-be-indistractable/

Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253 “Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/

Robert Cialdini, Episode 226 “The Power of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

Andrea Belk Olson, Episode 304 “Finding Out What Your Customers Want and Why It Matters”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/what-your-customers-wants/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Tina Turner “Proud Mary”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTfYnRQgKgY&ab_channel=TinaTurner

Phil Collins “A Groovy Kind of Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsC_SARyPzk&ab_channel=PhilCollins

Mozart “Requiem”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI

Vivaldi “Four Seasons”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA

Trust Your Gut? Only If The Data Supports It | Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 03:22:27 -0600

When making big decisions, people often go with what feels right - who we marry, where we live, what career we pursue. We base these decisions on our gut instinct. But what if our gut is biased, misinformed or quite simply wrong?

Economist, former Google scientist, New York Times bestselling author and friend of the show Seth Stephens-Davidowitz has mined through thousands of data sets to prove that we are, in fact, frequently making ill-informed decisions when we only trust our gut. And we are delighted to be talking to Seth again about his fantastic new book, Don't Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life.

From the data, Seth has uncovered what activities make us most happy, which isn’t always the most comfortable activity.

“If you're on the fence, between walking with friends, and lying on the couch watching Netflix…go on that walk…it's been proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt that that's the more likely path to happiness.”

But surprisingly there is one aspect of life that data cannot give us answers on. Listen to Seth’s entertaining interview to find out when exactly we should and shouldn’t trust our gut.

At Behavioral Grooves, the data tells us that our listeners are loving our recent episodes! Thank you to everyone who has recently left us a podcast review. We read each and every one of them! Some of our dedicated Behavioral Grooves, donate to our work through Patreon page. Please consider supporting our work in this way, many thanks.

Topics

(2:58) Welcome and speed round questions.

(10:04) Should we really not trust our gut?

(16:09) Relationships are as unpredictable as the weather forecast.

(20:16) Big data doesn’t apply to everything.

(22:51) Is skepticism underrated?

(24:51) What is mappiness?

(27:48) Does supporting a winning team make you more happy?

(29:28) The #1 happy activity.

(32:29) Mistaking a comfortable activity for an enjoyable activity.

(37:28) What is dataism?

(44:20) The data behind hustling.

(46:54) Would Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen make it today?

(52:37) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on trusting your gut.

Links

Seth’s book: “Don't Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life”: https://amzn.to/3yICKwT

Episode 246, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: Are You More Honest with Google or Your Friends? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/are-you-more-honest-with-google/

Alexander Todorov, “Face Value: The Irresistible Influence of First Impressions”: https://amzn.to/3Pi59kp

Episode 211, AJ Jacobs: A Thousand Thanks: A Lifetime of Experiments and Gratitude: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/a-thousand-thanks-with-aj-jacobs/

Seth’s previous book: “Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are”: https://amzn.to/32ULlgD

Episode 222, Shankar Vedantam “How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How“: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Mappiness: http://www.mappiness.org.uk/

Krishnamurti T, Loewenstein G. The partner-specific sexual liking and sexual wanting scale: psychometric properties. Arch Sex Behav. 2012 Apr;41(2): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21720917/

Episode 287, Nick Epley, Why Talking To Strangers Is Actually Good For Your Wellbeing: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/talking-to-strangers/

Episode 274: Paul Bloom, Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/

Episode 205: Logan Ury, The Myth of the “Relationship Spark”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/relationship-spark-logan-ury/

1000 True Fans, Kevin Kelly: https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/

Musical Links

Rick Springfield “Jesse’s Girl”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYkbTyHXwbs

Bruce Springsteen “Glory Days’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WccS8iFXgFI

Bob Dylan “The Times Are A-Changin’”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WD_ats6eE 23refvc

Leonard Cohen “Hallelujah”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q

Metallica “Nothing Else Matters”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAGnKpE4NCI

Luther Ingram "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvJj7SN9EWI

Changing Our Mind: Exploring How Mental Illness Is Managed with Daniel Bergner

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Over the last 50 years, little has changed for the pharmaceutical management of mental illness. This is troublesome, but not unsolvable, according to The New York Times writer and author, Daniel Bergner. We talked with him about his most recent book, The Mind and the Moon: My Brother’s Story, the Science of Our Brains, and the Search for Our Psyches, and some of the key themes he discovered along his personal journey with a mentally challenged family member and other people he came to know well.

We discussed the shortcomings of our current mental healthcare systems and processes, the benefits of non-traditional mental health therapies, the ancient myth about the Turkey Prince, and how we might be able to get immediate relief by reframing the conversation about pain management and pain suppression.

The book features stories about his brother and a few other people that are told in remarkable detail over a long period of time. The gripping and beautifully-told narrative will open your eyes to some of the challenges that mental illness brings to life. Our conversation with Daniel explored these stories and areas of mental health that are too often overlooked - and we are grateful we get to share that conversation with you.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider contributing to our work through Patreon. Writing a podcast review or giving us a quick rating also helps others find our show. Weird, isn’t it? But, yeah, it’s true. We would appreciate any help you can offer.

Most importantly, if you or someone you know needs help, please seek help. The Mental Health Guide is a global resource with phone numbers and websites in dozens of countries: https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm.

Topics

(2:45) Welcome and speed round.

(5:23) What the book The Mind and The Moon is about.

(7:18) Progress in mental health treatment and with society in the last 50 years.

(10:00) The 3 stories that illustrate mental health in the book.

(15:50) The effect of psilocybin.

(18:15) What a turkey under a table can teach us about managing mental illness.

(21:09) What are the next steps in mental health?

(22:51) Daniel’s personal journey.

(26:23) Writing the book in the context of the Trump election and George Floyd.

(29:15) This is not an anti-pharmaceutical book.

(35:18) Was it deliberate that music was a big part of the book?

(41:42) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing mental health.

Links

Mental Health Guide with global phone numbers and websites: https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm

Daniel Bergner’s book, “The Mind and The Moon: My Brother's Story, the Science of Our Brains, and the Search for Our Psyches”: https://amzn.to/3aka5pU

Psilocybin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybin

Steven Hyman: shorturl.at/lty19

Episode 274, Paul Bloom, “Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/

Episode 255, Daniel Almeida “The 5 Healthy Brain Habits Of A Neuroscientist”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/healthy-brain-habits-neuroscience/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Stanley Brothers “The Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmiYKpVNOVg

Marty Robbins “Red River Valley”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezJkRDQmL2Y

Simon & Garfunkel “The Sound of Silence”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAEppFUWLfc

Wolfgang Mozart “Symphony No. 36 in C Major, K. 425 ‘Linz’ - I. Adagio - Allegro spiritoso”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMloPIwd_FM

Antonio Vivaldi “Four Seasons - Spring”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LAPFM3dgag

Finding Out What Your Customers Want and Why It Matters | Andrea Belk Olson

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Customer feedback lacks two fundamental pieces of information: context and behavior. Traditional methods of insight, like the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and customer feedback surveys have their limitations. Andrea Belk Olson, our guest on this episode, challenges organizations to adopt a different approach to customer behavior by delving into the WHY and the WHAT, then coming up with a WOW hypothesis - a 3 step process called the 3W Ideation.

Author of the new book, “What to Ask: How to Learn What Customers Need but Don't Tell You”: https://amzn.to/3yvooRF, Andrea Belk Olson is the CEO of applied behavioral science consulting firm Pragmadik, and head of the University of Iowa JPEC startup incubator. She delivers a unique, cognitive method for discovering hidden customer needs, converting them quickly into differentiators, and avoiding the pitfalls of traditional research.

By using behavioral insights in organizations, Andrea believes that companies can become more customer focused. And when everyone in an organization is customer focused, the whole strategic vision of the company realigns.

If you enjoy listening to Behavioral Grooves Podcast, please consider donating to our work through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We use all the donations to fund the production of the podcast. Thanks!

Topics

(3:11) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:14) How can marketers understand customers' needs?

(13:01) How to remove the disconnect between marketing and sales.

(16:42) The steps marketing can take to get closer to the customer.

(19:23) How behavioral science can help with adapting to change.

(26:07) The 3 W Ideation process: Why, What & WOW.

(30:04) The shortcomings of the Net Promoter Scores (NPS).

(32:44) What role does culture play?

(37:31) What Beethoven can teach us about behavior change.

(42:28) What music would Andrea take to a desert island?

(45:37) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim on What To Ask.

Links

Andrea Belk Olson’s book: “What to Ask: How to Learn What Customers Need but Don't Tell You”: https://amzn.to/3yvooRF

Episode 289, Why Not All Nudges Work ”In The Wild” with Nina Mazar PhD & Dilip Soman PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-not-all-nudges-work-in-the-wild-nina-mazar-dilip-soman/

Musical Links

Queen “I Want To Break Free”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3w5gVM_4y8

Led Zeppelin “Whole Lotta Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQmmM_qwG4k

From Distracted To Focused: Nir Eyal’s Secrets On How To Be Indistractable

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Utilizing the power of identity by proudly declaring yourself as indistractable can be a persuasive step in becoming the kind of person we want to be. By changing the language we use to describe ourselves, we can actually influence our own behavior.

This is just one of the techniques that our popular guest, Nir Eyal describes in his new book, “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life”. Nir is the international bestselling author of “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products”, a behavioral design expert, and host of the wonderful podcast “Nir and Far”.

In a world full of demands on our attention, we may think that getting distracted is a recent phenomenon and blame our technology use. But in this episode, Nir describes how getting distracted is simply part of our human nature, something we’ve been plagued with for centuries. Listen to our fascinating interview with Nir to learn how to be intentional with our tasks, what planning our time should look like and why leaving time for reflection can lead to more creative achievements.

If you enjoy this interview with Nir Eyal on Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We use all the donations to fund the production of the podcast. Thanks!

Topics

(3:42) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:22) Why to-do lists are the worst way to increase productivity.

(12:41) Internal triggers and external triggers.

(16:13) Why is it easier to look outside ourselves than inside ourselves?

(17:57) Nir’s personal journey into behavioral design.

(23:37) The morality of manipulation: behavioral design and ethics.

(27:06) The regret test: how you test ethical design at the corporate level.

(37:02) Practicing self compassion has surprising results on reaching your goals.

(42:23) How the language we use affects our behavior.

(49:28) Nir's very unusual answer to the desert island music question.

(52:29) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim on being indistractable.

Links

Nir Eyal’s book: “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life”: http://geni.us/Indistractable

Indistractable bonus content: http://nirandfar.com/indistractable

Nir and Far Podcast: https://www.nirandfar.com/podcast/

Habits vs routines: https://www.nirandfar.com/habits/

Why schedules are better than to-do lists: https://www.nirandfar.com/todo-vs-schedule-builder/

Time boxing: https://www.nirandfar.com/timeboxing

Kurt Lewin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Lewin

Dan Pink, Episode 277: No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/

Roy Baumeister, Episode 171: Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

Bernecker Katharina, Job Veronika (2015) “Beliefs about willpower moderate the effect of previous day demands on next day’s expectations and effective goal striving”: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01496/full

Behavioral Grooves Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

The Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtzkaL2t_Y

Kanye West “Stronger”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsO6ZnUZI0g&ab_channel=KanyeWestVEVO

You Have Dignity Because You’re Human, Not Because You Work | Jonathan Malesic

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 03:02:25 -0600

Mitt Romney once mistakenly quipped that people were either "makers or takers" echoing a common sentiment among US politicians that by working we provide society with value and are rewarded with a sense of dignity. But what if we considered that each of us had dignity that wasn't engulfed in our work identity? Would we be less susceptible to burnout if we accepted ourselves as enough as we are, regardless of our job status?

Having come through a dark period of burnout himself, Jonathan Malesic firmly believes that we all have dignity. Period. He has written a timely book called The End of Burnout: Why work drains us and how to build better lives. We are delighted that Jon has come to talk to Behavioral Grooves Podcast about what leads to burnout and how to prevent it.

Jon delves into how the Protestant work ethic can contribute to burnout. And echoes Jennifer Moss’ sentiments from last week's episode that burnout is an issue with corporate culture, not an individual problem.

And to Tim's delight, Jon provides some historical context to the first musical mentions of burnout by Bob Dylan and Neil Young back in the 70s. We learn why that period in particular was a pivotal moment in the US labor market and how this is reflected in music from that era.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon. If donating isn’t an option, don’t worry, writing a podcast review helps others find our show, and we love reading them!

Topics

(2:28) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:47) The expectations of work vs. the reality of work.

(11:38) Jonathan’s experience of burnout.

(16:21) The 6 factors that can lead to burnout.

(21:29) Solutions to burnout.

(23:43) How the Protestant work ethic contributes to burnout.

(27:43) Putting dignity before work.

(32:44) How Jonathan wrote his whole book listening to just one album.

(37:33) Bob Dylan and Neil Young started singing about burnout in the 70s.

(42:45) How to avoid burnout.

(45:56) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on the causes and solutions to burnout.

Links

Jonathan Malesic: https://jonmalesic.com/

“The End of Burnout: Why Work Drains Us and How to Build Better Lives” By Jonathan Malesic: https://amzn.to/3tDdS8j

The Parking Lot Movie by Meghan Eckman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Parking_Lot_Movie

Christina Maslach: https://psychology.berkeley.edu/people/christina-maslach

Michael Leiter: https://mpleiter.com/author/mpleiter/

Episode 247, Dr Phil Zimbardo: Stanford Prison Experiment, 50 Years On: What Have We Really Learnt? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stanford-prison-experiment/

The Pope’s Encyclicals: https://www.papalencyclicals.net/

Herbert Freudenberger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Freudenberger

The Myth of Sisyphus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus

Episode 301, Jennifer Moss: How To Fix Burnout (Hint: It Isn’t Another Yoga Session): https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-fix-burnout-jennifer-moss/

Episode 281, Sesil Pir: Why Leaders Need To Care For People, Not Manage Them: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/care-for-people-not-manage-them/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Neil Young “Ambulance Blues”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LTiKJlB62g

Bob Dylan “Shelter from the Storm”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gsDBuHwqbM

The War on Drugs “Lost In The Dream”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3HqnHUohOo

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan “Mustt Mustt”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDfELfpumEE

How To Fix Burnout (Hint: It Isn’t Another Yoga Session) | Jennifer Moss

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 04:05:07 -0600

We’ve been programmed to treat burnout as a self-care issue, as if we’re just one yoga session or a relaxation app away from fixing the problem. Jennifer Moss, however, describes the solution to burnout as an organizational issue, not an individual hurdle. Creating a workplace culture where leaders model healthy work behavior, engage with empathy and cater for employees' individual needs can foster an environment that helps prevent burnout before it starts.

"Employees can’t be what they can’t see."

We love Jen’s analogy of the dusty ping pong table to illustrate the perks that some businesses offer but then don’t back-up with a work culture that encourages 20 minute breaks throughout the day. What your left with is a business that sounds like a great place to work, but in reality, there’s a dusty ping pong table in the basement that never gets used. Organizations need to adapt.

Jennifer Moss is a Harvard Business Review contributor and nationally syndicated radio columnist. She was on the Global Happiness Council—a small group of leading scientists and economists that support the UN’s sustainable goals related to global well-being and the Annual Global Happiness Policy Report. Jennifer is also the author of a new book, The Burnout Epidemic which came out in September 2021.

In this episode, Jen will open your eyes to new ways of thinking about burnout - particularly how it gets framed in our culture and that loving your job doesn’t make you immune to burnout.

If you would like to become a special supporter of Behavioral Grooves Podcast, you can join Behavioral Grooves Patreon.

Topics

(4:43) Welcome to Jen and speed round questions.

(8:26) Is loving your work enough to avoid burnout?

(9:20) Why do we struggle so much with burnout?

(10:52) The 6 causes of burnout.

(13:30) The dusty ping pong table.

(15:55) What role does leadership play in preventing burnout?

(21:45) Can you learn empathy?

(25:07) Should companies become more paternalistic?

(26:40) Culture eats strategy for breakfast.

(29:23) Becoming professional eavesdroppers.

(33:36) Non work related check ins.

(38:47) How small team scrums can improve productivity.

(42:19) Does mindset affect agility in teams?

(44:29) What music does Jen enjoy listening to?

(49:00) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on burnout.

Links

Jennifer Moss’ book “The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It”: https://amzn.to/3K3O4be

Jennifer Moss: https://www.jennifer-moss.com/

Chester Elton, Episode 256 “Anxiety at Work: Why We Feel It and How To Manage It”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/anxiety-at-work-chester-elton/

Dan Pink, Episode 277 “No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope“: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/

Victoria Shaffer, Episode 95 “End of Life Decision Tools“: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/victoria-schaffer-end-of-life-decision-tools/

Liz Fosslien, Episode 120 “Covid-19 Crisis: Emotional Impact of WFH with Liz Fosslien”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/c-19-crisis-emotional-impact-of-wfh-with-liz-fosslien/

Linda Babcock,. Episode 293 “Women Do Too Much Non-Promotable Work: How To Say No More with Linda Babcock”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/women-do-too-much/

Sandra Sucher, Episode 266 “Trust: The Four Key Steps to Genuinely Build It | Sandra Sucher”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/four-key-steps-to-build-trust/

Musical Links

Ella Fitzgerald “Mack The Knife” Live in Berlin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vXAtVbZbkI

Jørgen Dahl Moe “Dancing in the Dark”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Qs6KvfiAY

Etta James “At Last”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-cbOl96RFM

Aretha Franklin “Respect”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOUqQt3Kg0

Sam Cooke “A Change is Gonna Come”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4

Adele “Someone Like You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLQl3WQQoQ0

Beethoven "Moonlight Sonata": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4591dCHe_sE

You Can Change Someone’s Mind But Are You Sure You Want To? | David McRaney

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 02:39:43 -0600

We all know someone who believes in conspiracy theories and we wish we could change their mind. It is possible. There are techniques that can work to transform how people think. But what we love about our conversation with David McRaney is that he adds in a Step 0 to the process and asks “why do you want to change their mind?”

Are you open to changing your own mind? If you have any interest in changing someone else’s mind, you should be open to changing your own mind too. To effectively collaborate with others and compassionately explore differences in opinion, we need to accept that our minds too can be changed.

We are delighted to welcome our esteemed guest David McRaney to this, our 300th episode of Behavioral Grooves Podcast! David takes a fascinating dive into why exactly we hold our beliefs, the science behind each of us seeing the world through slightly different lenses, and the stark reality that truth is tribal. While this is a long episode of Behavioral Grooves, you may just find yourself wanting to listen again as David’s detailed explanations are mind-blowing.

David McRaney is a science journalist and creator of the podcast You Are Not So Smart which explores self delusion and motivated reasoning. His excellent new book (coming out June 2022), “How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion” carefully unravels the science and personal experience of transformed thinking.

Remember the dress that divided social media a few years ago; was it blue and black or white and gold? David explains exactly why some of us saw it differently and adds a new experiment about perception to the mix - crocs and socks!

Conversations like David’s are the reason we produce Behavioral Grooves Podcast. It is a labor of love for us, and so, we really appreciate any financial support our listeners can provide, through our Patreon page. All donations help us continue the work of producing the podcast weekly. If donating isn’t an option for you, don’t worry, you can write us a podcast review which helps promote our show to other listeners. Thank you.

Topics

(4:18) Welcome and speed round questions.

(11:18) How minds change vs. how to change minds.

(14:35) How is elaboration different from learning?

(27:27) Mini Grooving Session on the difference between beliefs, opinions and attitudes.

(34:09) Why do you want to change someone’s mind?

(41:03) The moment David realized he should question why, not just how to change minds.

(52:55) Mini Grooving Session on why to change minds.

(57:27) Why some see the dress as gold & white and some see it as blue & black.

(1:18:28) Mini Grooving Session on the dress and the crocs.

(1:22:15) Truth is tribal.

(1:35:33) Mini Grooving Session on having a social safety net.

(1:40:38) What was the catalyst for David becoming interested in conspiracy theories?

(1:46:19) How to get people off the conspiratorial loop?

(1:51:23) What musical artists would David take to a desert island?

Links

David McRaney’s book, “How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion”: https://amzn.to/3NvGMPp

David McRaney: https://www.davidmcraney.com/

You Are Not So Smart Podcast: https://youarenotsosmart.com/podcast/

Why We Fight WWII Films: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Fight

Hugo Mercier “The Enigma of Reason”: https://amzn.to/3H1UoiN

Episode 53, John Sweeney, Everything Is a Story: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-sweeney-everything-is-a-story/

“SURFPAD”- Exploring the roots of disagreement with crocs and socks: https://blog.pascallisch.net/exploring-the-roots-of-disagreement-with-crocs-and-socks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=exploring-the-roots-of-disagreement-with-crocs-and-socks

Wallisch, Pascal & Karlovich, Michael. (2019). Disagreeing about Crocs and socks: Creating profoundly ambiguous color displays: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335127865_Disagreeing_about_Crocs_and_socks_Creating_profoundly_ambiguous_color_displays

Take the crocs and socks test: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/crocPerception

The dress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dress

Episode 178, Kwame Christian On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Change blindness: https://youarenotsosmart.com/2009/11/06/change-blindness/

Musical Links

Radiohead “No Surprises”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5CVsCnxyXg

Colin Stetson “Spindrift”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJHr2DlRog8

Changing The World with Persistent Optimism | Dr. Paul Zeitz

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 02:01:22 -0600

What if we were so optimistic, nothing ever felt like an obstacle, only an opportunity? As an unapologetic optimist, Patreon page. If donating isn’t an option for you, don’t worry, you can write us a podcast review which will help promote our show to other listeners. Thank you.

Topics

(4:07) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:06) Should we rewrite the American constitution?

(11:17) Paul is affected by SIPO. What is it?

(15:14) Going from hating himself to loving himself.

(19:32) How can we transform our neuroplasticity?

(25:24) Love all, serve all.

(27:58) Four global initiatives Paul is involved in.

(29:52) How climate transformation is possible.

(36:49) Paul’s travel to 62 countries and how it's influenced his musical taste.

(43:18) An optimistic Grooving session with Kurt and Tim.

Links

Dr. Paul Zeitz: www.drpaulzeitz.org

Opinion Science Podcast: https://opinionsciencepodcast.com/

Alicia Keys: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicia_Keys

Desmond Tutu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu

Dr. Paul Zeitz's books:

"Waging Optimism; Ushering in a New Era of Justice: Part 1: Ensuring the Survival and Flourishing of Humanity": https://amzn.to/3rZcsmC
"Waging Justice: A Doctor's Journey to Speak Truth and Be Bold": https://amzn.to/3IJPQxm

Global Carbon Removal Partnership: https://www.carbonremovalpartnership.net/

Julie Battilana, Episode 288, “The Steps Needed To Empower the Powerless”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/steps-to-empower-the-powerless/

John A. List, Episode 296, Fail to Scale: Why Good Research Doesn’t Always Make Great Policy: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/fail-to-scale-john-a-list/

Alia Crum: https://profiles.stanford.edu/alia-crum

Shawn Anchor, “The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work”: https://amzn.to/3NPMrQ4

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Robert Goulet “The Impossible Dream”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5H7lZMuUCM

Nina Simone “Consummation”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is-gdWIBgHo

Flavors of Gratefulness – 120 versions of Modah Ani: https://www.rabbishefagold.com/hebrew_chant/modah_ani_app/

Shulem “Avinu Malkeinu”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27HaHpaFEC8&ab_channel=ShulemVEVO

Want To Improve Your Kid’s Behavior? Start With Your Own | Sue Donnellan

Mon, 30 May 2022 03:09:48 -0600

Many of us struggle with the demands of parenting. Our response to feeling overwhelmed can be to try and control our kids’ behavior. But guest Sue Donnellan challenges us to lessen our parenting load by giving our children more control, more responsibility and ultimately more respect. While this might go against our instincts, when we take ownership of our own behavior, rather than controlling our kids', we will become happier parents with children able to learn from their mistakes.

Sue Donnellan is the recent author of “Secrets to Parenting Without Giving a F^ck: The Non-Conformist Playbook to Raising Happy Kids Without Public Meltdowns, Power Struggles, & Punishments”. With the surprise arrival of her triplets, Sue had suddenly found herself parenting 4 young kids while also running her own business. She walks us through the moment that radically changed her parenting style, and how she transformed herself into a "reformed yeller". Over the years, Sue's journey of discovery has turned her into a parenting specialist who is known for restoring harmony to homes.

Please note that because of the title of our guest’s book on this episode, there is a lot of colorful language used throughout the podcast. While it’s an episode about parenting, you may want to tune in to this one, away from little ears!

At Behavioral Grooves we really value all of our listeners. If you want to demonstrate your support for our show, you can donate to our work through Patreon. We also love reading reviews of the podcast, and frequently read these out on the show.

Topics

(3:44) Welcome and speed round questions.

(8:49) What is parenting without giving a f^ck?

(11:53) Sues’ parenting journey and why she wrote the book.

(16:36) Why do parents struggle to let go of control?

(19:00) What is The Magic Mantra?

(22:32) Choice architecture in parenting.

(26:04) Dealing with parental guilt.

(29:44) What is 360 decision making?

(35:54) The 4 Fs of parenting.

(39:53) What music would Sue take to a desert island?

(45:09) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim about parenting.

Links

Sue Donnellan’s book: “Secrets to Parenting Without Giving a F^ck: The Non-Conformist Playbook to Raising Happy Kids Without Public Meltdowns, Power Struggles, & Punishments”: https://amzn.to/3wR0Llw

Follow Sue Donnellan on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter with the handle @AskMomParenting

The Zeigarnik Effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeigarnik_effect

Sesil Pir, Episode 281, Why Leaders Need To Care For People, Not Manage Them: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/care-for-people-not-manage-them/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Sade “Smooth Operator”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TYv2PhG89A

Sade “Cherish The Day”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKhfoKOTwZY

Three Easy Ways to Nurture A Child’s Brain Development | Dana Suskind MD

Wed, 25 May 2022 03:03:00 -0600

World-class pediatric surgeon, social scientist, and best-selling author Dr Dana Suskind MD talks about the Three T's (tune in, talk more and take turns) that parents can do to nurture their children’s brain development and the key ways that society needs to change to invest in the next generation.

Dana is the founder and co-director of the TMW Center for Early Learning & Public Health, and Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago. She is also the director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, and is recognized as a national thought leader in early language development. Her research is dedicated to optimizing foundational brain development and preventing early cognitive disparities and their lifelong impact. Honestly, when she talks about raising kids…we need to listen.

Most recently, Dana has released a fantastic new book detailing the powerful blueprint that society should be taking to meet the developmental needs of all children. We talk more with Dana about why she wrote Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child's Potential, Fulfilling Society's Promise and how the status quo for parenting in America is not serving parents and children well.

If you enjoy Dana’s episode on Behavioral Grooves Podcast, you can support our work through our Patreon page. You can also write a short podcast review on your podcast player; doing so helps other listeners find our show.

Topics

(4:58) Welcome and speed round questions.

(9:25) How has American individualism influenced the way we parent our children?

(13:05) How significant is the lack of parental leave in the US?

(17:37) Internalizing parental guilt.

(19:28) Reframing your self talk around raising your kids.

(21:17) The influence of the pandemic on parenting.

(25:19) What has been the impact of the pandemic on children?

(27:28) Why language is so important to early development.

(30:20) The 3 Ts of foundational brain development.

(31:56) The personal trauma that influenced Dana’s writing.

(34:19) What positive support systems are there to help parents?

(39:31) Dana’s ambition to write behavioral economics music!

(41:26) Grooving Session discussing Parent Nation.

Links

“Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child's Potential, Fulfilling Society's Promise” by Dana Suskind MD: https://amzn.to/3wD8YIQ

John List, Episode 296: Fail to Scale: Why Good Research Doesn’t Always Make Great Policy: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/fail-to-scale-john-a-list/

Linda Babcock, Episode 293: Women Do Too Much Non-Promotable Work: How To Say No More with Linda Babcock: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/women-do-too-much/

Meryl Streep: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meryl_Streep

John Amos Comenius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Amos_Comenius

Caitlyn Collins, Washington University: https://sociology.wustl.edu/people/caitlyn-collins

TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health at the University of Chicago: https://tmwcenter.uchicago.edu/

“Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain” by Dana Suskind MD: https://amzn.to/3wJ1MLl

Dolly Chugh, Episode 230: How Good People Fight Bias with Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

David Yokum, Episode 282: Why Applying Behavioral Science to Public Policy Delivers Better Policy: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/behavioral-science-in-public-policy/

Cristina Bicchieri, Episode 102: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Support Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Johnny Cash “I Walk The Line”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5126CibNsk

Fail to Scale: Why Good Research Doesn’t Always Make Great Policy | John A. List

Mon, 23 May 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Lots of us have good ideas, some even back their ideas up with successful research. So why do these good ideas fail to scale into great, big ideas? John A. List shares the personal example of his highly successful kindergarten reform in South Side Chicago which then didn’t scale across the nation. His intrigue into this case led him to pen a phenomenal new book about scalability, “The Voltage Effect”.

John A. List, is a Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago as well as recently becoming the first ever Chief Economist at Walmart. Our conversation with John touches on the ambition he has to change the world for the better in this new role at Walmart. But the primary drive for our chat was to discuss his great new book “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale”. Listen in to learn about the concept of scalability and why it is so hard to go from, “the petri dish’ (as he puts it) to successful broad scale programs.

As is often the case, we round off our episode with a desert island music selection from our guest. And John’s very thoughtful consideration of the question yields a top notch selection of musical artists. Don’t miss this part of the discussion!

Regular listeners to Behavioral Grooves might consider donating to our work through our Patreon page. Or you can also support us by writing a podcast review on your podcast player; doing so helps scale our audience!

Topics

(6:06) Welcome and speed round questions.

(11:03) Why John named his book The Voltage Effect.

(13:41) John’s involvement in the Chicago Heights Early Childhood (CHECC) school project.

(23:05) What biases influence people?

(26:29) How Nancy Reagan’s good intentions are an example of scaling failure.

(30:52) Scaling behavioral science.

(39:17) How is John going to change the world as Chief Economist at Walmart?

(43:33) How can insights from charity be applied to other sectors?

(54:55) John’s desert island music selection.

(1:04:11) A “High Voltage” Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.

Links

John A. List’s book, “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale”: https://amzn.to/3a0GOjh

“Just Say No” campaign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Say_No

Anna Karenina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina

“Stakes Matter in Ultimatum Games” (2011) by Steffen Andersen, Seda Ertaç, Uri Gneezy, Moshe Hoffman and John List: https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/hhscbsnow/2011_5f001.htm

George Lowenstein, Episode 67 “George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

“Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child's Potential, Fulfilling Society's Promise” by Dana Suskind: https://amzn.to/3wD8YIQ

Sam Tatam, Episode 295 “For Revolutionary Solutions, Look To Evolutionary Ideas”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/evolutionary-ideas-sam-tatam/

Scott Jeffrey, Episode 3: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/bg-3-scott-jeffrey-phd-monmouth-university/

Thomas Steenburgh, Episode 51: “How to Sell New Products”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/thomas-steenburgh-how-to-sell-new-products/

To leave Apple podcast review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112

To support Behavioral Grooves via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

The Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtzkaL2t_Y

Freddie Mercury/Queen “These are the Days of Our Lives”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB4K0scMysc

Johnny Cash “Ring Of Fire”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCMz70Fm5pA

Marty Robbins “El Paso”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig2GF1sZSEA

The Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under The Bridge”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwlogyj7nFE

AC/DC “High Voltage”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnjh-zp6pP4

Gordon Lightfoot “If You Could Read My Mind”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5tr_L31StI

Kris Kristofferson “For the Good Times”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX094Nn4L_Y

Waylon Jennings “I’ve Always Been Crazy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI2MhAGtZgE

Fleetwood Mac “Dreams”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4

Stevie Nicks “Stand Back”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwS9BIqbffU

White Stripes “We’re Going to Be Friends”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKfD8d3XJok

For Revolutionary Solutions, Look To Evolutionary Ideas | Sam Tatam

Mon, 16 May 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Innovation doesn’t always require inventing new solutions to problems; chances are that evolution has already solved the issue with a unique design. This simple notion of looking to the natural world for design inspiration is called biomimicry. Guest, Sam Tatam uses biomimicry in his creative application of behavioral science.

Friend of the show, Sam Tatam is the author of a fantastic new book called Evolutionary Ideas: Unlocking ancient innovation to solve tomorrow’s challenges. Sam is the Global Principal and Head of Behavioural Science at Ogilvy Growth & Innovation. From New York to Nairobi, Sam has led behavior change projects across virtually every category and continent. Today, he leads a global team of talented psychologists and behavioral economists to develop interventions and shape the communications of some of the world’s most influential brands and organizations.

Listen in to our conversation with Sam to learn about biomimicry, The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and the Goal Gradient theory. But our conversation isn't all "sciency", we also have a light hearted chat about the musical artist Sam went to Italy with, and about the differences in pubs between London and Sydney.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon. We also absolutely love reading your reviews on the podcast, which help others find our content.

Topics

(4:59) Welcome and speed round questions.

(13:23) What is biomimicry?

(18:20) TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) and evolutionary thinking.

(25:32) How language can be a liberator for innovation.

(29:28) Categorizing biases into patterns.

(34:58) What is the Goal Gradient Theory and why isn’t it applied more often?

(39:14) Five psychological contradictions.

(47:26) What music would Sam take to a desert island?

(51:03) Kurt and Tim discussing Sam’s Evolutionary Ideas.

Links

Sam Tatam's Book: "Evolutionary Ideas: Unlocking ancient innovation to solve tomorrow’s challenges": https://amzn.to/3I6ANwX

Episode 44, Sam Tatam: Smelling the Brand: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/sam-tatam-smelling-the-brand/

Episode 107: Rory Sutherland: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rory-sutherland-the-opposite-of-a-good-idea-is-a-good-idea/

Biomimicry: https://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/

TRIZ: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIZ

Shinkansen, Japanese speed train: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen

Generich Altshuller: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genrich_Altshuller

Episode 215, Leidy Klotz: Secrets of Subtraction: Donut Holes, Lego and Bruce Springsteen: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/subtraction-with-leidy-klotz/

Episode 289: Why Not All Nudges Work ”In The Wild” | Nina Mazar PhD & Dilip Soman PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-not-all-nudges-work-in-the-wild-nina-mazar-dilip-soman/

Baader–Meinhof phenomenon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion

Episode 202, How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-chaning-jang-works-around-not-being-weird/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

David Gray “Sail Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oyBnvibWEY

Powderfinger “My Happiness”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM_eb0vVo0k

Why Mindset Matters Most: The Secrets of Achievement | Paul Szyarto

Wed, 11 May 2022 03:03:00 -0600

A goal is a stepping stone on the way to a higher achievement, not an end point. By reframing our expectations, we can transform our mindset into an incredibly powerful psychological tool.

Our guest on this episode is Paul Szyarto who has overcome some heartbreaking personal adversity to become an incredibly successful entrepreneur.

Paul speaks with us in detail about the blind spots entrepreneurs experience and why many organizations fail because they don’t hire the right people with the right talent. And he reminds us that the most challenging thing to do in times of chaos is to focus on something meaningful, something beyond the current chaos of that current challenge.

Topics

(2:50) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:11) Goals are not end points, they are stepping stones to a higher achievement.

(8:47) The psychology of human capital.

(12:16) Why most businesses fail.

(13:31) Paul’s secret tips for entrepreneurs.

(16:23) What is the Never Broken mindset?

(19:51) The barriers to feeling grateful.

(21:14) Does Paul’s playlist reflect his Never Broken mindset?

(22:40) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim discussing mindsets.

Links

Never Broken Mindset: https://www.neverbrokenmindset.com/

Episode 277, Daniel Pink, No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/

Episode 276, Ayelet Fishbach, How To Stay Motivated So You Exceed Your Goals: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/motivation-to-exceed-your-goals/

Women Do Too Much Non-Promotable Work: How To Say No More with Linda Babcock

Mon, 09 May 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Women are more likely to volunteer for a non-promotable task at work, than men. But why do women volunteer themselves more? What repercussions does this have on women and on the organization? And how can workplaces fix this inequity?

Non promotable tasks (NPTs) are the pieces of work that are good for the organization, but not so good for the individual. It’s the request from your boss to organize the holiday party, or the task of ordering sandwiches for the team lunch, or the mission of being on the review committee. And the problem, says Linda and her co-authors, is that women are doing the vast majority of these non-promotable tasks for no reason other than people expect them to.

Linda Babcock is a longtime friend of the show, having first appeared on Behavioral Grooves Podcast back in April 2019 to talk about promoting the careers of women in the workplace. Since then, Linda has co-authored a fantastic new book advocating further for women in the workplace; “The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women's Dead-End Work”. Having formed “The No Club” with a group of other women, in an effort to regain balance in their workload, Linda and her fellow group members have written about their personal experience of learning to say NO to NPTs.

Make no mistake, Linda’s book is not a guide for women, it is a guide for anyone who works with or knows women! Weaving practical tips into ever chapter of the book, Linda and her co-authors outline clear steps in how to avoid and fix the problem of workload inequity. And the benefits aren’t limited to women either - organizations can improve their productivity and profitability as a result of addressing these problems.

In this episode with Linda we relish the opportunity to discuss with her the practical ways women, men and organizations can rebalance the workload of NPTs. If you are a regular listener to the show, please consider support our work through our Patreon page. If donating isn’t an option for you, don’t worry, you can’t write us a podcast review on your podcast player which will help other listeners find our show.

Topics

(4:40) What are non promotable tasks (NPTs)?

(7:47) Why do women do more NPTs?

(12:50) Is there racial inequity with NPTs as well?

(14:11) Tips for how women can say no to NPTs.

(18:31) How can organizations fix the problem of NPTs?

(21:27) How men can change the NPT culture at work.

(25:55) Linda’s personal story of forming The No Club.

(27:45) Linda’s desert island music choices.

(31:21) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim on how to improve the culture of NPTs at your work..

Links

“The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women's Dead-End Work”: https://amzn.to/3KPuUFM

Episode 62, Linda Babcock: Helping Women Build Better Careers at Carnegie Mellon: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/linda-babcock-helping-women-build-better-careers-at-carnegie-mellon/

Episode 67, George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Leading Human Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Musical Links

The Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3XzO_cOOVU

Bruno Mars “24K Magic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqyT8IEBkvY&ab_channel=BrunoMars

The Mountain Goats “Golden Boy Peanuts”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIVNv9XZgG8&ab_channel=elijahlupe

How The Invisible Influence of Culture Shapes Our Behavior | Michele Gelfand

Mon, 02 May 2022 02:23:39 -0600

The culture we live in has an invisible influence over our individual and collective behaviors. The tendency towards openness or order in a society is expressed by Michele Gelfand, as the looseness or tightness of a culture. How loose or tight a country is can be correlated to the amount of threat the nation has faced in the past, and in turn, can indicate how its people will respond to a new threat, such as a global pandemic.

Michele Gelfand is Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Professor of Psychology by Courtesy at Stanford University. She wrote her book “Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: Tight and Loose Cultures and the Secret Signals That Direct Our Lives” in the era before COVID. Despite that she astutely addressed how tight and loose nations would respond to the threat of a global pandemic. We were honored to have the time to chat more with Michele about this topic and many others in this episode.

Topics

(5:49) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:27) How culture influences our behavior.

(10:26) How the threat to a nation influences how tight and loose cultures are.

(13:21) What Bert and Ernie can teach us about our tight and loose personalities.

(16:27) What factors influence our default tendency to be tight or loose people?

(20:21) The global threat of the pandemic and how loose and tight cultures responded.

(28:48) What Ukraine has taught us about national identity.

(30:47) How can societies maximize both order and openness?

(35:02) Can organizations instigate flexible tightness?

(39:42) Do we have blind spots on how open we are?

(43:26) How values and attitudes influence your behaviors in different cultures.

(47:41) What nudge worked to encourage mask wearing among Republicans and Democrats?

(51:50) The music that influences Michele’s work.

Links

Michele Gelfand: www.michelegelfand.com

“Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: Tight and Loose Cultures and the Secret Signals That Direct Our Lives” book by Michele Gelfand: https://amzn.to/37O7OSC

Mindset Quiz: How tight or loose are you? www.michelegelfand.com/tl-quiz

Episode 266, Sandra Sucher, Trust: The Four Key Steps to Genuinely Build It: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/four-key-steps-to-build-trust/

Episode 102, Cristina Bicchieri, Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Musical Links

Oscar Peterson “C Jam Blues”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTJhHn-TuDY

Les McCann “A Bag of Gold”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50bGvY3Roj0

Dave Brubeck “Take Five”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmDDOFXSgAs

Bach “Brandenburg Concertos”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCPM8DEsvmc

The Psychological Benefits of Using a Process to Achieve an Outcome | Joseph Keebler PhD & Peter Krask

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 05:55:35 -0600

Processes decrease our cognitive load and increase our productivity. On Behavioral Grooves we have talked with out guests a lot about habits and routines, but not so much about the processes behind them. In this bitesize episode we discuss the psychological benefits of using processes and how you can leverage them in your life.

To illustrate the use of processes to achieve different outcomes, we are joined by both a practitioner and a researcher on this episode. Joseph R. Keebler is a Researcher and a Professor of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. He has done some really amazing work on the use of processes and checklists for improving performance.

Our practitioner guest is Peter M. Krask, who is an artist and coach based in New York City. Peter helps people maximize their creative and non creative output. By tapping into processes, he will share how processes from one aspect of our lives can be used to help us work through new and unfamiliar tasks in other parts of our lives.

Topics

(3:29) How processes reduce our cognitive load.

(7:38) You can use the same process but get a different outcome.

(14:50) Being intentional creates better processes.

(16:50) Flexible goals are motivational.

(20:14) Summary of what we’ve learnt.

Links

Joseph R. Keebler, PhD: https://faculty.erau.edu/Joseph.Keebler

Peter M. Krask: https://www.petermkrask.com/

PMK Creativity Guide: https://www.pmkcreativityguide.com/

Episode 128, Wendy Wood, PhD: Habits, Productivity and Being Gentle with Yourself: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/covid-19-crisis-wendy-wood-phd-on-habits-productivity-and-being-gentle-with-yourself/

Episode 232, Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/

Episode 171, Roy Baumeister: Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

Episode 276, Ayelet Fishbach, PhD: How To Stay Motivated So You Exceed Your Goals: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/motivation-to-exceed-your-goals/

Transport Your Thinking; Why We Need To Reframe Travel | Rory Sutherland & Pete Dyson

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Transporting humans from A to B is about more than just speed, efficiency and duration. Comfort, Wi-Fi access, entertainment and our habits, among many other factors, influence our choice of transportation. As we become increasingly aware of the way our travel decisions affect climate change, how can behavioral science positively impact the journeys we make?

Let our entertaining discussion with Pete Dyson and Rory Sutherland take you on a journey through their new book, “Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet?” Pete is the Principal Behavioural Scientist at the UK Department for Transport and has paired up with Rory who needs little introduction to many behavioral science enthusiasts. The vice chairman of Ogilvy UK and the co-founder of its Behavioural Science Practice, Rory is also a guest on one of the most popular ever episodes of Behavioral Grooves, Episode 107: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea.

Our episode, along with the book, appeals to the “frustrated but optimistic traveler.” We hope listening helps you reframe your journey.

Topics

(3:23) Welcome to Pete and Rory with speed round questions.

(9:05) Our transport preferences are all different, so the market should reflect that.

(13:36) The book for the frustrated but optimistic traveler.

(15:30) What do travelers value?

(20:27) How does human nature affect our use of transport?

(22:37) How passenger technology has influenced train journeys.

(24:51) The consequences of journeys on climate change.

(26:31) Transportation challenges in the US.

(35:56) Thinking holistically, Zoom is an example of transportation.

(39:01) Rebranding a bus route increases ridership.

(43:39) Listening to music while cycling or commuting?

(49:52) Grooving Session on how Pete and Rory transported our thinking!

Links

“Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet?” by Pete Dyson and Rory Sutherland: https://amzn.to/3KeWM6U

Episode 107, Rory Sutherland: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rory-sutherland-the-opposite-of-a-good-idea-is-a-good-idea/

George Monbiot: https://www.monbiot.com/

Episode 287, Nick Epley: Why Talking To Strangers Is Actually Good For Your Wellbeing: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/talking-to-strangers/

Why Not All Nudges Work ”In The Wild” | Nina Mazar & Dilip Soman

Sun, 17 Apr 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Read Nudge and you are inspired by how behavioral science works. But how can we translate and scale behavioral science effectively into policies and organizations? Indeed, can all academic research be applied “in the wild”?

Our two guests on this episode, Nina Mazar PhD and Dilip Soman PhD have co-edited a book “Behavioral Science in the Wild” that addresses exactly this. If you’re a practitioner, wanting to apply behavioral science in corporate, non-profit, or governmental work, we think you should check this book out. It’s full of excellent ideas for how to apply behavioral science in the wild!

Nina Mazar is a professor of marketing and co-director of the Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy at the Boston University Questrom School of Business. Her work focuses on topics ranging from ethics to social & environmental impact. She sits on the board of Irrational Labs and belongs to the team of scientists of the Behavior Change for Good Initiative at Wharton.

Dilip Soman is a Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Science and Economics. His research is in the area of behavioral science and its applications to consumer wellbeing, marketing and policy. Together Nina and Dilip established the Director of the Behavioural Economics in Action Research Centre at Rotman [BEAR], on which Dilip still serves as director.

Our discussion with Nina and Dilip explores the journey of working on their book together and why it’s vital reading for all behavioral scientists. To summarize the discussion, as always, Tim and Kurt end the show with a Grooving Session to recap what we learn about behavioral science in the wild!

Topics

(5:04) Welcome to Dilip and Nina with speed round questions.

(10:01) Why do we need a book about applying behavioral science research “in the wild”.

(14:29) Why not all academic research is destined for the practitioner world?

(18:04) Social norms matter but the right reference group is vital.

(21:35) Background variables influence behavioral science in the wild.

(29:27) Speed of testing can be a barrier.

(31:33) Overcoming the issue of scalability.

(35:24) How your time frame can affect output.

(38:55) What to do when you don’t get the results you expect.

(44:07) Don’t get caught shopping in the nudge store.

(45:50) Music choices of Dilip and Nina.

(51:29) Grooving session about behavioral science in the wild.

Leading Human™

Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist

Links

“Behavioral Science in the Wild (Behaviorally Informed Organizations)”: https://amzn.to/3xxAD04

Nina Mazar: http://ninamazar.com/

Dilip Soman: https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/FacultyAndResearch/Faculty/FacultyBios/Soman

Episode 102, Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Episode 232, Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/

Episode 16, Nudge-A-Thon with Dr. Christina Gravert: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nudge-a-thon-christina-gravert/

Episode 202, How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-chaning-jang-works-around-not-being-weird/

Behavioural Economics in Action at Rotman (BEAR): https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/facultyandresearch/researchcentres/bear

Musical Links

Paul Simon “Graceland”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP6a-7MP91g

Mark Knopfler “What It Is”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGmtonlys5A

Kishori Amonkar “Swaranjali”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-FuttzRlWE

Dire Straits “Brothers in Arms”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhdFe3evXpk

Supertramp “Take The Long Way Home”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLP0y-X4uYs

Fleetwood Mac “Dreams”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4

Subramaniam and Stephane Grappelli “Conversations”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFI4TzUDc-8&ab_channel=AhmadAlArabii

The 1988 Subramaniam-Bismillah Geneva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGOp7APcuMs

The Cure “Just Like Heaven”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3nPiBai66M

Kate Bush “Wuthering Heights”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pMMIe4hb4

The Steps Needed To Empower the Powerless | Julie Battilana PhD

Sun, 10 Apr 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Personality or wealth are often assumed to be prerequisites to gaining power, something that is only garnered by having control over others. An organization chart in a company, however, does not illustrate who has power within the workplace, it only tells you who has authority. And as we learn in this episode, authority and power are not the same.

By using workplace illustrations from the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom to a cigarette factory in France, Julie Battilana walks us through the precise definitions of power and authority. By understanding exactly what power is and how it really works, Julie breaks down the critical steps to successfully acquiring power and using it to disrupt hierarchies; by innovating, agitating and orchestrating.

Julie Battilana is the Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Business Administration in the Organizational Behavior unit at Harvard Business School and the Alan L. Gleitsman Professor of Social Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, where she is also the founder and faculty chair of the Social Innovation and Change Initiative.

We value support from our listeners through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. If donating isn’t an option for you, don’t worry, you can’t write us a podcast review on your podcast player which will help other listeners find our show. Thank you.

Topics

(3:32) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:29) Power and authority are NOT the same.

(11:59) Who are the most effective change makers?

(14:37) Power is having an influence over others but is also a freedom from the influence of others.

(16:15) How can we choose the right leaders?

(20:18) Empowering the powerless.

(25:57) The power of collectivism.

(30:17) Abuse of power by Putin.

(36:02) How technology plays a part in abuse of power.

(41:38) What checks on power are needed?

(45:29) Is there hope for the future?

(52:20) What music does Julie listen to.

(54:55) Grooving Session discussing what we learnt from Julie.

Links

Leading Human Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Groovy Snacks Newsletter: https://behavioralgrooves.com/newsletter-signup/

“Power, for All: How It Really Works and Why It's Everyone's Business” by Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro: https://amzn.to/3tRykRM

Julie Battilana, PhD: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=382192

Fragrance De Soie tea: https://www.mariagefreres.com/FR/2-rose-de-soie-T8669.html?fbclid=IwAR2Zl2GOegLbbuXY5HRgPOICdbkcfAAgcWRamd9mt4plFsgSL_pARoD__UM

Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253. Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/

LaTosha Brown: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTosha_Brown

Jean Rogers, founder of Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB): https://rogersassociatesllc.com/index.php/about-me/

Social Innovation Change Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School: https://sici.hks.harvard.edu/

Barefoot College: https://www.barefootcollege.org/

Musical Links

Stromae “Sante”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3QS83ubhHE

Why Talking To Strangers Is Actually Good For Your Wellbeing | Nick Epley

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 03:03:00 -0600

While many of us prefer engaging in some small talk with strangers, Nick advocates for the benefits of having a deep and meaningful conversation with people. The problem is, how do we actually start such a conversation with the person who just sat down next to us? Fear not, Nick delves into why we’re reluctant and how we can overcome our hesitation.

Nick Epley is the John Templeton Keller Professor of Behavior Science and Director of the Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He studies social cognition — how thinking people think about other thinking people — to understand why smart people so routinely misunderstand each other. Recently Nick has written the book “Mindwise: Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want” and he talks in his interview about what he's working on next.

As always, hosts Kurt and Tim end the show with a light-hearted Grooving Session to summarize what we have learnt from our guest. I’m sure you will agree that Nick’s interview leaves us with lots of helpful insights. But if there is just one thing you take away from this episode, great listeners, is never hesitant to seize the opportunity to pay a compliment.

Topics

(3:40) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:57) Why it’s better to have a deep and meaningful conversation with a stranger?

(7:18) Why are we reluctant to talk to strangers about something meaningful?

(13:46) Why did Nick start studying undersociality?

(21:06) What happens when strangers talk on a train?

(29:33) How do you start a conversation with a stranger?

(33:20) The benefits of a compliment.

(39:21) Nick’s work in the future.

(43:35) The mind-blowing way to get someone else’s perspective?

(47:49) What music influences Nick.

(51:24) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing what we learned from Nick Epley.

Links

Nicholas Epley: www.nicholasepley.com

“Mindwise: Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want” by Nick Epley: https://amzn.to/3IodtLV

Gary Becker: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/1992/becker/facts/

Liz Dunn at University of British Columbia: https://psych.ubc.ca/profile/elizabeth-dunn/

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Metallica “Master of Puppets”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnKhsTXoKCI

David Tolk, piano player “Amazing Grace”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X24B_2TjPQ

“All Creatures Great and Small” music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hLXxQPkAGk

If You’re Wrong It’s Meaningless, But If I’m Wrong It’s Valuable | Peter Montoya

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 02:39:32 -0600

As the political divide between left and right widens in the US and around the world, we seem to spend increasing amounts of time focusing on the idea that other people are wrong. But what if we stopped arguing about facts and talked about improving ourselves instead?

“All of my knowledge is temporary, pending new information.”

This is a motto that guest Peter Montoya lives by, which questions our own ego and behavior, more than other people’s.

Peter Montoya is the author of “The Second Civil War: A Citizen's Guide to Healing Our Fractured Nation”, which we understand to be the first “political self help” for Americans. Instead of pointing the finger of blame at one side or the other, Peter challenges us to look inward at our own behavior, our own ego battle and our own craving to belong which can reveal a lot about the relationships we are building.

Looking inwards is a personal journey that Peter has recently taken himself and we are incredibly grateful to him for the vulnerability and openness he shows in this episode. We are all just trying to be a better version of ourselves and we can see this endeavor reflected in the stories that Peter shares with us.

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would be grateful if you could donate to our work through Patreon. Contributions we receive from listeners are used to fund the work on our podcast, and help ensure we can deliver more great content to you. Thank you!

Topics

(7:19) Why do people fight on social media?

(13:31) Why do we need a political self help book?

(15:51) Arguing about politics really is stupid; but what’s the alternative?

(20:43) What to do about social media and news rewarding extreme stories.

(26:19) Why don’t facts or morality matter when changing minds?

(29:34) What are our actual differences vs. our perceived differences?

(30:13) Change starts with ourselves.

(33:19) Understanding our own ego.

(35:09) When you change yourself, you change your relationships.

(47:17) The greatest song Peter has ever heard.

(53:31) Grooving Session discussing what we’ve learnt from Peter.

Links

Peter Montoya: petermontoya.com

“The Second Civil War: A Citizen's Guide to Healing Our Fractured Nation” by Peter Montoya: https://amzn.to/3w3ooHF

Interested in becoming an Urth Co-Creator? Visit: www.Urth.cc

Episode 215, Secrets of Subtraction: Donut Holes, Lego and Bruce Springsteen with Leidy Klotz: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/subtraction-with-leidy-klotz/

Episode 10, Changing the World One View at a Time – with Reddit Superstar Kal Turnbull: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/changing-the-world-one-view-at-a-time-with-reddit-superstar-kal-turnbull/

Dances with Wolves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dances_with_Wolves

“The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work” by John Gottman: https://amzn.to/36xZzcA

Glossary of Behavioral Terms: https://behavioralgrooves.com/behavioral-science-glossary-of-terms/

Episode 283, Henry Gee - Is The Anus Really The Key To All Intelligent Life? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/anus-the-key-to-intelligent-life/

Episode 226, The Power of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

Episode 279, We Are Greater Together; The Power Of Belonging with Dominic Packer PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-power-of-belonging/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

The Beatles “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jenWdylTtzs

The Sandells “Dirty Water”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5apEctKwiD8

Radiohead “Daydreaming”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTAU7lLDZYU

Bjork “Human Behaviour”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0mRIhK9seg

The Clash “Rock The Casbah”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9r8LMU9bQ

The Clash “London’s Calling”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c

Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros: “Yalla Yalla”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LliymbErupw&ab_channel=HellcatRecords

The Three Phases of Growth and Learning | Whitney Johnson

Sun, 27 Mar 2022 01:57:40 -0600

We are always learning, whether it’s changing careers or learning a new instrument. But how do we transition from the curiosity stage, to completely mastering the skill? It turns out it’s a rather predictable process. The growth and learning journey we all embark on, many times in our life, can, according to Whitney Johnson, be visualized on the S Curve of Learning. The growth and learning journey comes in three phases: the Launch Point, the Sweet Spot, and Mastery.

In this episode with Whitney and in her new book “Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company”, we can learn how to keep going when growth is slow and why we sometimes leap from one journey to another. By familiarizing ourselves with the growth journey, we can better ourselves, our workplaces and our societies.

Not only has Whitney been a fascinating guest on our podcast, she has also generously given us some signed copies of her book for our listeners! All you have to do is write a Twitter post about why you would like to read Whitney’s book Smart Growth on social media and tag us in the post: @behavioralgroov. We will choose the lucky winners and send you a FREE SIGNED COPY!

Topics

(1:18) Find out how to WIN Whitney’s new book, “Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company”.

(4:11) What is the S Curve of Learning?

(11:33) How we have learnt to integrate our work life and home life during the pandemic.

(15:44) Nobody climbs their S Curve alone; how important is context?

(18:49) The 6 phases of the S Curve.

(26:28) How Shellye Archambeau jumped onto new S Curves in order to reach the summit.

(34:51) What is Whitney’s next challenge?

(40:58) Whitney’s S Curve with music.

(47:00) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim recapping what we learnt from Whitney.

Links

Win a signed copy of Whitney’s new book at @behavioralgroov

“Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company” by Whitney Johnson: https://amzn.to/3NpapCq

“The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change)” by Clayton Christensen: https://amzn.to/3JE3mDu

Thich Nhat Hanh quote: “You have to do it by yourself. You can not do it alone.”

Episode 204, How Shellye Archambeau Flies Like an Eagle: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shellye-archambeau-like-an-eagle/

Disrupt Yourself Podcast: https://whitneyjohnson.com/disrupt-yourself-podcast/

Jacqueline Novogratz on Disrupt Yourself Podcast: https://whitneyjohnson.com/233-jacqueline-novogratz-when-the-work-gets-hard-look-for-beauty/

Simon Sinek on Disrupt Yourself Podcast: https://whitneyjohnson.com/simon-sinek/

Livingston Taylor On Disrupt Yourself Podcast: https://whitneyjohnson.com/livingston-taylor/

Sunil Gupta on Disrupt Yourself Podcast: https://whitneyjohnson.com/222-suneel-gupta/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Musical Links

Diana Krall “Just The Way You Are”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8RYUZT57XA

Stevie Wonder “As”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYQfWJNWe3I

Rodgers & Hammerstein“Getting To Know You” from The King and I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlx6gQWfjp0

Aimee Nolte piano jazz tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJCj7J69vsQ

Tori Kelly “Don’t You Worry About A Thing”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skq4IQmt58o

Mindset Matters Most: Top Tips from The Sales Evangelist, Donald C. Kelly

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Creating a motivating mindset is the most important component of any sales role. In fact, it’s a critical component of everything we do, but Donald C. Kelly enthusiastically reminds us in this episode that it’s a vital step in the sales process. Adopting a sales mindset can elevate you from a good sales person to a great sales person. Learn from Donald about how to get into the zone of a sales mindset.

Donald has an extremely passionate, dedicated, and infectious personality. As producer and host of the extremely popular podcast, The Sales Evangelist, Donald lives, eats and breathes sales. He believes that anyone can become a sales person if they believe in themselves. Something that he started to discover for himself at the age of 7, when he started to sell mangoes in his hometown in Jamaica in order to help get him the cool Ninja bike that he wanted so badly.

We dedicate part of our interview with Donald to discuss the blend of behavioral science in sales. If you’re interested in finding out even more about how behavioral science can be used in your workplace, the team at Behavioral Grooves have designed a new handbook on leadership called Leading Human. It is cater-made for leaders in sales or any management role to help explore the human challenges and overcome the stresses of working in a hyper-dynamic world. The handbook walks you through exercises that you can do with your team - to make sure that you are being the most effective manager possible. In this ever changing world, having a deep understanding of how to apply behavioral science insights to better lead your team is vitally important.

Topics

(3:04) Welcome and speed round questions.

(8:40) Are people born with a natural sales ability?

(13:30) Why does our impression of sales come from car salesmen?

(18:12) Donald’s sales journey started by selling mangoes.

(22:38) How important is your mindset in sales?

(24:37) How your environment activates your reticular activating system.

(36:03) Why is behavioral science not integrated more in sales?

(41:10) How Donald uses music to get in the zone.

(45:27) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim sharing what we learnt from Donald.

Links

Kurt and Tim on The Sales Evangelist Podcast, “Why Your Brain Lies To You: Cash Is NOT The Best Motivator”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tim-houlihan-and-kurt-nelson-phd-why-your-brain-lies/id788738885?i=1000473224218

“Sell It Like a Mango: A New Seller's Guide to Closing More Deals” by Donald C. Kelly: https://amzn.to/36cH8Kt

“The Sales Evangelist Sales Planner” by Donald C. Kelly: https://amzn.to/3ipIdAW

Michael Jordan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan

Seth Godin: https://seths.blog/

Leading Human Handbook designed for leaders: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Musical Links

Chronixx “Here Comes Trouble”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeIfiiBTfY

Koffee “Lockdown”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSzv3K3Keyg

Drake “Money In The Grave”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3lH6CULHD0

Damian Marley “Living It Up”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XN8h3JHmHw

Is The A-nus Really The Key To All Intelligent Life? | Henry Gee

Sun, 20 Mar 2022 03:09:04 -0600

Paleontologist Henry Gee humorously explains to us why the anus was the key to large animals evolving, how the large size of our “dangly bits” is unique to our species, and what exactly has been the significance to humans about bipedalism. Our colorful discussion with Henry hilariously highlights many of the mysteries surrounding our life on earth.

"The anus was the key to all intelligent life, which is why one tends to have one's best ideas while sitting on the loo." ~ Henry Gee

Henry describes himself as a “recovering paleontologist”, but he is also an author, and a musician. His day job is the senior editor of the scientific journal Nature.

Having written numerous books, including The Accidental Species, The Science of Middle-Earth, Jacob's Ladder and In Search of Deep Time, Henry protested to his publisher that he wouldn’t write another [expletive] book. But Henry wrote another [expletive] book and we’re so glad he did! A (Very) Short History of Life On Earth is a fun and informative review of the delicate balance that has allowed life to survive and flourish on the planet.

Topics

(5:49) Welcome and speed round questions.

(10:21) Why was the development of the anus the key to all intelligent life?

(13:01) Why are there no dinosaur sized animals anymore?

(18:32) The story of why Henry wrote A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth.

(23:55) Why bipedalism is such a mystery and a marvel.

(31:57) Humans are uniquely good at endurance running.

(35:07) Why do men have large penises and women have large breasts?

(39:10) The musical significance of cave painting locations.

(42:03) Bach was a rule breaker!

(47:05) What work and music Henry is working on next.

(51:24) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim reviewing what we learnt from Henry.

Links

Henry’s book, “A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: 4.6 Billion Years in 12 Pithy Chapters”: https://amzn.to/3I8HH4W

Henry Gee on Twitter: @EndOfThePier

Neil Gaiman: https://www.neilgaiman.com/

Dan Lieberman: https://scholar.harvard.edu/dlieberman/home

Musical Links

Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRg0K5rgXog&ab_channel=CollinsClassics

Juilliard String Quartet performs Bach, Art of Fugue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ILd81jY1v4

BB King “Beautician Blues”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFA4UHl4upE

Robert Johnson “Crossroads”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd60nI4sa9A

G & T “Ice and a Slice”: https://open.spotify.com/album/5o4CQ6SJJ2hnGFvoCSMrsm

Why Applying Behavioral Science to Public Policy Delivers Better Policy | David Yokum PhD

Sun, 13 Mar 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Connecting evidence-based behavioral science with public policy has been shown to deliver more effective government policies that strengthen communities. And there’s no-one better to explain this rigorous process than David Yokum PhD, who cut his teeth in behavioral science in the first White House Social & Behavioral Science team. David then went on to work as the Director of The Lab @ DC where he applied behavioral science to city issues. He now works as the Director and founder of The Policy Lab at Brown University, as well as hosting his own podcast, 30,000 Leagues.

We were lucky enough to talk to David about the changing role of behavioral science inside government, some of the experiments that he has run, and how working proactively in gaining agreement upfront on an experiment's design with the community and policy makers can help cross political divides and actually change mindsets.

The mission of The Policy Lab at Brown University where David now works is “to work in concert with government leaders and experts to develop evidence-based policy programs that improve lives and strengthen communities”, which, I think you’ll agree is one of the coolest missions anywhere.

Topics

(2:31) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:18) The benefits of disconnecting from screens for a short time.

(12:16) How applying behavioral science to public policy delivers better policy.

(15:07) How has behavioral science application in public policy changed?

(19:27) Behavioral science experiments can be run on hot button issues, like police body cams.

(26:51) The political advantages of using randomized control trials.

(31:39) Will experiment results be accepted across the political divide?

(38:18) The barriers faced when turning experiment results into policy change.

(42:56) Examples of successful partnerships between the civil service and the research communities.

(49:14) About David’s podcast; 30,000 Leagues.

(51:58) How David’s playlists are curated.

(56:32) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt discussing what we’ve learnt from David.

Links

David Yokum on Twitter: @david_yokum

30,000 Leagues Podcast: https://thirtythousandleagues.com/

Office of Evaluation Sciences: https://oes.gsa.gov/

Randomized Control Trial of the Metropolitan Police Department Body-Worn Camera Program: https://bwc.thelab.dc.gov/#approach/2

North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships: https://www.osbm.nc.gov/operational-excellence/nc-office-strategic-partnerships

R&D League - City of San Antonio: https://www.sanantonio.gov/Innovation/R-D-League

Southwest Research Institute: https://www.swri.org/

Jules Verne: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Verne

Musical Links

Hank Williams “You Win Again”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvYDQBIokz0

Why Leaders Need To Care For People, Not Manage Them | Sesil Pir

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Control is the opposite of caring. And a caring mindset is one of the most important things a leader can possess. In a caring workplace, workers experience lower absenteeism, less burnout and more productive teamwork.

“When we carry a mindset of control, we tend to shrink in our capacity, because we are likely to disconnect from our emotions, so we avoid what's happening with us and what may be happening with other people. There's really not a lot of room for us to express something beyond the cognitive.” ~ Sesil Pir.

Sesil Pir may not be a household name, we are delighted to bring you our rich conversation with her, which is sprinkled with gems from her 20+ years of championing humanity in the workplace. More recently, Sesil has authored the book “Human-Centered Leadership: Awakening The Choice Within” after years of longitudinal research with Stanford University to pull the data, analyze it, and package it so nicely for us to read.

“You can manage a task, you can divide it into pieces, you can time control yourself, or resource control yourself, but you cannot manage a human being…what we can do is lead one another.” ~ Sesil Pir

Not only is Sesil’s book packed full of incredible leadership insights, 100% of the profits from the book are going to non-profit organizations to benefit the education of young girls in emerging markets. So, we strongly encourage you to buy the book, read it, and share her work with others you know.

Topics

(5:46) Being successful vs being kind.

(8:41) We always have a choice in how we show up.

(12:57) The importance of going back to our purpose and being authentic.

(16:13) Control is the opposite of caring. Why a caring mindset is important.

(22:26) Leaders who are pessimistic about a caring mindset.

(26:59) The difference between sympathy, empathy and compassion.

(29:59) Why adaptability and resilience are vital in organizations.

(36:46) What part do self esteem and trust play in leadership?

(40:30) How to choose junior leaders in an organization?

(48:35) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim discussing the human part of leadership.

Links

“Human-Centered Leadership” by Sesil Pir: https://amzn.to/3CzwB6f

Kwame Christina, Episode 178: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Eminem “Without Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVkUvmDQ3HY

Diana Krall “Just The Way You Are”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8RYUZT57XA

Bebe “Siempre Me Quedara”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-HKvYDTpoc&ab_channel=AirinR

Mercan Dede “Alef”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhmX8D9UQBw&ab_channel=netdm%C3%BCzik

Do We Judge Others By The Way They Speak? | Katherine Kinzler PhD

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 03:03:00 -0600

We gravitate to people who are like us; our “tribe”. One factor that we use to assume that others are like us, is by the way they talk. Not just the words they speak, but the accent that they use to communicate. And yes, we all have an accent!

Since the way we speak is central to our identity, do we have control over it by altering our accent or by learning a new language? And what implications does our hidden linguistic bias have in the workplace and for discrimination laws?

Pioneering psychologist Katherine Kinzler PhD has spent years researching the way we talk and listen to voices. Katherine is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago and author of the recent book “How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do―And What It Says About You”. We talk with her about linguistic prejudices, and how she advocates for bilingualism, multilingual education and linguistic diversity.

If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a quick review on your podcast platform. It really helps other listeners to find our content. You can also help fund our work by contributing to Behavioral Grooves through Patreon. Thank you!

Topics

(4:16) Welcome to Katherine and speed round questions.

(6:00) Can language be both fixed and malleable at the same time?

(10:57) Why Katherine wrote a book about linguistic prejudice and valuing bilingualism.

(13:40) How do you define good communication?

(17:52) The implications of speech discrimination in the work place.

(20:40) Do we gravitate to people who share a similar linguistic pattern to ours?

(24:26) The value of multilingual education.

(26:11) How young children learn about language having social relevance.

(34:26) Our society teaches us to embed our kids with social norms.

(39:03) How music from different cultures influences young children.

(42:43) Grooving Session - linguistic prejudices and how we can overcome them.

Links

Dr. Katherine Kinzler PhD: https://psychology.uchicago.edu/directory/katherine-d-kinzler

“How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do―And What It Says About You” by Katherine Kinzler: https://amzn.to/3BNn6BE

Episode 274, Paul Bloom: Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/

Spelke ES, Kinzler KD. “Core knowledge” Developmental Science. 2007 Jan;10(1):89-96: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17181705/

Episode 102: Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Samuel A. Mehr, Lee Ann Song, Elizabeth S. Spelke, “For 5-Month-Old Infants, Melodies Are Social”: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797615626691

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Music with Mr. Dave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl1PsQ3ngWo&ab_channel=MrDaveMusic

We Are Greater Together; The Power Of Belonging | Dominic Packer PhD

Sun, 20 Feb 2022 03:03:00 -0600

We all have an inherent need to belong. And the groups we feel part of actually shape our behavior, more than we realize. They influence how we navigate the world and the way we relate to each other. In an increasingly polarized landscape, our social identities are often collapsed into a single dimension; Republican or Democrat, Brexit Leaver or Brexit Remainer. But our identities are multifaceted. And if we unpeel the complex layers of our identities, we reveal more commonalities than differences. Exposing that can be a powerful and unifying force.

The Power of Us is an incredible new book, showcasing the potential we have when we harness our shared identities. In this episode, Dominic Packer, who co-authored the book alongside fellow researcher Jay Van Bavel, gives us a glimpse into their revolutionary new understanding of identity, and how our groups have a powerful influence on our feelings, beliefs, and behaviors. We also learn how these shared identities can inspire personal change and social movements.

“Our social identities end up shaping a lot of how we navigate the world, a lot of our feelings about the world and how we relate to each other.” ~ Dominic Packer

If you enjoy Behavioral Grooves podcast, please leave us a quick review on your podcast platform. It really helps other listeners to find our content. You can also become a mega-fan by contributing to Behavioral Grooves through Patreon. Thank you!

Topics

(3:28) Welcome and speed round questions.

(9:16) How polarization is collapsing our identities into a single dimension.

(11:36) How priming a particular part of your identity can change how you think.

(14:59) Does the 24 hour news cycle constantly remind us of our political identity?

(17:26) Who is The Power Of Us written for?

(18:55) Why were the Minimal Group Studies so important to understanding group identities?

(24:59) Who is most likely to dissent from a group?

(28:22) In-group love is not inherently the same as out-group hate.

(31:39) What factors lead to out-group hate?

(33:41) What steps can create more cohesion between groups?

(36:07) Why did the COVID-19 pandemic cause division and not unity?

(44:55) How music can make you feel part of a group and reinforce your identity.

(54:54) Grooving Session discussing what we have learnt about our own social identities.

Links

“The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony” by Jay J. Van Bavel PhD, Dominic J. Packer PhD: https://amzn.to/3BsmzF6

Henri Tajfel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Tajfel

Oprah Winfrey “Discrimination Exercise” show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ1PGDEKaqs

Jane Elliott: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Elliott

Musical Links

Treble Charger “American Psycho”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZqCwEgOv1k

Green Day “Time of Your Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQ8N1KacJc

Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg

Dave Grohl, drumming solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utYq-AIJSbg&ab_channel=painmanist

How Can Smart, Kind People Harness Their Influence? | Zoe Chance

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Influential is probably not a word you use to describe yourself if you are the quiet/smart/kind type of person. Furthermore, you probably have misconceptions about what it even means to have influence. Zoe Chance believes intelligent and caring people are precisely those who should learn how to harness their influence and then use it for bigger, more socially important issues. And she practices what she preaches! Zoe is donating half of the profits from her new book to fight the climate crisis.

“Influence Is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen” is the fantastic new book that Zoe has written. On this episode of Behavioral Grooves, we delve into Zoe’s clever way of framing system 1 and system 2 thinking, how being influential isn’t as hard as it appears, and about what she likes to call The Magic Question!

As a professor at the Yale School of Management, Zoe studies and teaches influence, focusing on research-based strategies to create positive impact in people’s lives. She teaches the most popular course at the Business School, called “Mastering Influence and Persuasion” which is affectionately known on campus as the "Doing Uncomfortable Things That Make You a Better Person” course!

Topics

(3:04) Welcome and speed round.

(7:20) The Gator Brain vs The Judge Brain.

(13:10) Charisma isn’t something you are, it’s something you do.

(17:57) When are people open to being influenced by us?

(21:00) What is The Magic Question?

(26:04) How Zoe is using her influence.

(28:57) How does Zoe teach her students about their influence?

(36:04) How global warming got reframed into the climate crisis.

(40:05) Reframing the replication crisis.

(44:07) How Zoe uses music to create an inclusive, influential atmosphere.

(49:37) Grooving session recapping how we can use Zoe’s insights to wield our superpower of influence!

Do you know you have the power to influence other podcast listeners! If you enjoy Behavioral Grooves podcast, please leave us a quick review on your podcast platform. It really helps other listeners to find our content. You can also become a mega-fan by contributing to Behavioral Grooves through Patreon. Thanks!

Links

“Influence Is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen” by Zoe Chance: https://amzn.to/3EYKXOz

Zoe Chance: zoechance.com

Kopi Luwak coffee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_luwak

Black Ivory coffee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Ivory_Coffee

Brit Marling (The OA): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_Marling

Eldar Shafir: https://psych.princeton.edu/person/eldar-shafir

“The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism” by Olivia Fox Chance: https://amzn.to/3HE93jp

Paisley Park: https://www.paisleypark.com/

350.org: https://350.org/

Jia Jong 100 Days of Rejection Challenge: https://www.rejectiontherapy.com/100-days-of-rejection-therapy

Frank Luntz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Luntz

Brazilian billionaire Chiquinho Scarpa burying his Bentley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8GvaEPyX9Y&ab_channel=LeoBurnettTailorMadeBrazil

Musical Links

Prince “I Wanna Be Your Lover”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp8WL621uGM

Rasputin by Boney M: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16y1AkoZkmQ&ab_channel=BoneyMVEVO

Bella Ciao from Money Heist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46cXFUzR9XM&ab_channel=NetflixIndia

No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope | Daniel H. Pink

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 03:03:00 -0600

No regrets is a phrase thrown around like a badge of honor. Tattoos, songs and marketing taglines all boast this notion of curating a liberated life that you wouldn’t alter, change or modify in any way. But are we missing something? Best-selling author, Daniel H. Pink has done extensive research for his new book, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, and believes that the feeling of regret isn't just something that makes us human, it actually gives us hope.

Daniel Pink is the author of seven books, including the New York Times bestsellers When and A Whole New Mind — as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. Dan’s books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 42 languages, and have sold millions of copies around the world.

Dan was also the host and co-executive producer of “Crowd Control,” a television series about human behavior on the National Geographic Channel that aired in more than 100 countries. Before venturing out on his own 20 years ago, Dan worked in politics and in government, including serving as chief speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore.

Topics

(3:56) Speed round questions

(7:48) How Dan started to lean into his own regrets.

(10:49) The complex emotion of regret.

(12:16) Will we regret switching our answers on a test?

(16:33) How Dan has compiled data on regret.

(18:55) How our regrets change as we age.

(22:11) Can we anticipate our regrets?

(26:29) How our unique moral code affects our regrets.

(29:40) The Four Core Regrets.

(33:47) What didn’t go in Dan's book.

(39:45) The power of self compassion.

(41:35) Why regret gives us hope.

(46:40) What music would Dan never regret listening to?

(50:40) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim recapping the Four Core Regrets and what we can learn from them.

Please don’t regret supporting your favorite podcast this year! You can become a regular donator to Behavioral Grooves through Patreon, https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. And you can leave us a review of the podcast wherever you listen to the show. Thanks!

Daniel H. Pink Books

The Power Of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward: https://amzn.to/3gpU1C9

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us: https://amzn.to/3gpUcgN

To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others: https://amzn.to/3Laj0aU

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing: https://amzn.to/3rtspCM

Links

Episode 171: Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For with Roy Baumeister: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

“Commission, Omission, and Dissonance Reduction: Coping with Regret in the "Monty Hall" Problem”: shorturl.at/wEU58

Jonathan Haidt, “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion: https://amzn.to/3Glfdnq

Musical Links

Simon & Garfunkel “The Sound of Silence”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAEppFUWLfc&ab_channel=SimonGarfunkelVEVO

Ella Fitzgerald Live in Berlin “Mack The Knife”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVxtdQgLjuQ

J.S. Bach “Adagio”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ywL_zokELE

Three Dog Night “Mama Told Me Not To Come”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTCyjYjsVc8&ab_channel=Moondoggy

Men Without Hats “Pop Goes The Word”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zUUtf7gOe8&ab_channel=MenWithoutHatsVEVO

Bob Seger “Turn The Page”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3khH9ih2XJg&ab_channel=jimmej955

How To Stay Motivated So You Exceed Your Goals | Ayelet Fishbach PhD

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 03:14:26 -0600

When we set goals, we’re excited, engaged and motivated to complete them. But after a while, the momentum can slow, we lose enthusiasm and we start cutting corners. The “middle problem” is something we can all relate to. And it's one of the topics we discuss on this episode with Dr Ayelet Fisbach PhD.

Ayelet teaches us about staying motivated, without cutting corners. How our identity, flexibility and patience actually affect our goals. And perhaps, most importantly, why we should set ourselves uncomfortable goals and learn from our failures.

Talking with Ayelet on Behavioral Grooves was a true privilege for us. She is one of the few researchers on the planet who blend motivation and goal setting into their work, and her groundbreaking research has won her a bunch of international awards. She is the Jeffrey Breckenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and also the recent author of Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation (https://amzn.to/3f3ooh4).

Can we motivate some of our regular listeners to support our podcast via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves? Or perhaps your 2022 goal is to tell your favorite podcasters how much you love their show?! We’d love to help you achieve that goal; just click here if you’re an Apple podcast listener: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112 or write a review on your favorite podcast player.

Topics

(6:18) Welcome and speed round.

(9:19) What tools do we have to motivate ourselves?

(10:18) Why flexible goals are vital.

(14:11) Exceeding your own expectations is when you feel good about your goals.

(16:45) The problem with the middle.

(18:47) We can all get tripped up by the planning fallacy.

(21:28) Set goals, not means (goals aren’t chores).

(24:57) How does our identity affect our goals?

(28:29) The different ways patience plays a part in goals.

(30:59) Why identifying temptations can help you avoid them.

(34:04) How food labels could improve our eating habits.

(38:28) Setting an uncomfortable goal can actually be rewarding.

(44:12) Learning from failure.

(49:35) How Ayelet engages with music.

(52:05) Grooving Session discussing Ayelet’s research.

Links

Write a review for Behavioral Grooves podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112

Ayelet Fishbach, “Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation”: https://amzn.to/3f3ooh4

Ayelet Fishbach: https://www.ayeletfishbach.com/

The Marshmallow Test: Why Self-Control Is the Engine of Success: https://amzn.to/34de2sS

Abigail Sussman: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/s/abigail-sussman

Second city: https://www.secondcity.com/

Episode 228. Kelly Leonard, Getting to Yes, And…Behavioral Grooves: Two Podcasts in One: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/getting-to-yes-and/

Paul Bloom, “The Sweet Spot: Suffering, Pleasure and the Key to a Good Life”: https://amzn.to/32QfmBS

Episode 274, Paul Bloom: Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/

Ethan Kross, “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It”: https://amzn.to/32Vj0Ks

Carol Dweck, “Mindset: Changing The Way You think To Fulfill Your Potential”: https://amzn.to/3GjBvGp

A Long, Happy Life? The Impacts of Increasing Our Longevity | Bradley Schurman

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Societies around the world are getting older; a combination of people living longer and having fewer children. The 85+ population is now the fastest growing demographic on the planet. The causes and, more importantly the impacts of living longer are significant, both for society and as individuals. This is what we discuss in this episode with Bradley Shurman, a demographic futurist, who has authored the recently published book The Super Age: Decoding our Demographic Destiny (https://amzn.to/3tYus39).

Bradley shines a light on the crucial topic of ageing. He reveals the shocking truth about the impact of wealth on our longevity. And he shares his two surprising tips on how to live a long and meaningful life. As always, we round up our episode with our Grooving Session where Kurt and Tim dwell on some of the take-aways from the conversation with Bradley.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews on the podcast. We recently had a listener write a simple “Thank you for this podcast” in the review section, and believe us when we say that just that one small sentence made our day!

Topics

(2:56) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:14) What is a Super Age society?

(11:29) How improving infant mortality rates has flipped the world’s demographics around.

(14:39) What are the impacts on society of fixing youth mortality?

(22:37) How Bradley was influenced by his grandparents' experience of aging.

(24:54) The shocking correlation between wealth and longevity.

(30:43) The universal trend of people wanting to die at home.

(34:06) If you’re not learning, you’re not earning.

(37:47) What is on Bradley’s playlist?

(39:47) Grooving Session discussing what we learned from Bradley.

Links

Groovy Snacks Newsletter: www.behavioralgrooves.com

The Super Age: Decoding our Demographic Destiny: https://amzn.to/3tYus39

Dolly Chugh, Episode 230, How Good People Fight Bias: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-good-people-fight-bias/

Musical Links

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyTa_gJkYwI

Ella Fitzgerald, live in Berlin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5WQfkRZKFc

Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey | Paul Bloom

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 03:03:00 -0600

Why do people train for a marathon? Listen to sad music? Eat really spicy food? All of these activities induce a painful response, yet they also bring us pleasure. We often set ourselves up for negative experiences because it primes us for positive ones further down the line. There is a balance, a sweet spot if you will, between the amount of pleasure we experience and the suffering that it takes to get us there.

World-renowned psychologist and author Paul Bloom, joins us on this episode to discuss his most recent book The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning (https://amzn.to/3Kmpweh). He challenges our definition of a fulfilling life, and why we actually NEED suffering to be part of it.

We are so conditioned in our culture to only seek out pleasure that even the notion of reading about suffering was not particularly appealing to us, well to Tim - it turns out Kurt might be somewhat of a benign masochist! But from the get-go, Paul’s compelling narrative convinced us that suffering can be motivating. Listen in and tell us if you think there is a sweet spot, and then reach out to us on email (info@behavioralgrooves.com), on Twitter (@behavioralgroov) or write us a quick review about the show (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112). Thanks!

Topics

(4:40) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:24) Why do we choose suffering?

(11:24) Do we really only seek pleasure?

(13:40) We often have mistaken ideas about what we want.

(16:16) Looking beyond happiness; what we actually pursue for a meaningful life.

(22:24) How can suffering help pleasure?

(24:59) How being in a state of flow explains the sweet spot.

(28:27) Why are people driven to climb Everest?

(32:32) What are the unpleasant sensations that people do not pursue?

(34:37) Pain then pleasure or pleasure then pain?

(36:13) The effect of the peak-end rule.

(38:40) Why do we want to listen to sad music?

(45:11) Grooving Session discussing how Paul’s work can improve our lives.

Links

“The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning” by Paul Bloom: https://amzn.to/3Kmpweh

Shaquille O’Neal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O%27Neal

“Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind” by Wilson et al (2014): https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1250830?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dpubmed

Paul Rozin: https://web.sas.upenn.edu/rozin/

“Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: https://amzn.to/3qyLRgB

“A psychologically rich life: Beyond happiness and meaning” by Oishi and Westage (2021): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-74886-001

“Anticipation and the valuation of delayed consumption.” by George Loewenstein (1987): https://www.jstor.org/stable/2232929

Episode 67, George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

“When More Pain Is Preferred to Less: Adding a Better End” by Kahneman et al (1993): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1993.tb00589.x

Jeremy Bentham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham

Richard Tedeschi, The Science of Post-Traumatic Growth: https://scottbarrykaufman.com/podcast/richard-tedeschi-the-science-of-post-traumatic-growth/

The Prophet by Khalil Gibran: https://amzn.to/329fN9O

Episode 207, Jonathan Mann: Is it Possible to Design an Experience? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/jonathan-mann-is-it-possible-to-design-an-experience/

Musical Links

Adele “Someone Like You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLQl3WQQoQ0

Alice Cooper “Poison”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq4j1LtCdww

Pink Floyd “On The Turning Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojf18wT_Xtk

Eminem “Lose Yourself”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yhyp-_hX2s

The Proclaimers “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbNlMtqrYS0

Joan Armatrading “Consequences”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otq9VBa6a0s

David Bowie & Nine Inch Nails “Hurt”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhhEHuChFck&ab_channel=redsails2008

Billy Joel “Piano Man”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxEPV4kolz0

Violent String Quartet “Bad Guy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWUbCwmBmgE

How Collaboration is Growing Behavioral Science: Learnings from BX Arabia

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 03:03:00 -0600

BX Arabia is a regional behavioral insights conference that started in 2018 to emphasize the application of behavioral science in the Global South. Kurt and Tim were fortunate to be invited to moderate at the latest event, affording them the opportunity to have conversations with some of the region's most amazing BeSci thinkers. This episode highlights some of the unique insights from these conversations, with input from the following experts:

Faisal Naru: Executive Director of the Policy Innovation Unit in the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and part of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
Dr. Ahmed Al Zahrani: Minister Deputy and Chair of G20 as well as the Executive Director of the Riyadh Behavioral Insight Center in the Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development in Saudi Arabia.
Saud Al Rakhayes: Founder and Senior Behavioral Strategist at The Behavior Change.
Aditya Jagati: Leader of the Busara Center’s offices in India.
Wiam Hasanain: Behavioral scientist and social impact advisor based in Jetta, Saudi Arabia.
Nabil Saleh: Vice President Strategy at Nudge Lebanon.
Ivo Vlaev: Professor of Behavioral Science at Warwick Business School, UK.

Many of the examples of behavioral science discussed highlight that the Global South has some unique needs in the field. However, an overarching theme is that context matters! The root of successful behavioral science ideas come from encompassing the surrounding culture and environment.

BX Arabia was founded by Fadi Makki, who is also the leader of B4 Development in Doha, Qatar. He left us with these inspirational words: “Unlearn all the old habits that are anchored in intuition, and then embrace, evidence-based policies and tools such as experimentation.”

Topics

(2:14) What makes BX Arabia unique?

(5:58) The growth of behavioral science agencies around the world.

(8:13) How behavioral science is being integrated into public policy globally.

(11:46) Why good intentions aren’t enough to deal with wicked problems.

(23:36) The need for more behavioral scientists in the Global South.

(26:25) How behavioral science improved traffic flow in Beruit.

(31:15) The success of weight loss programs using behavioral insights.

(36:50) The large-scale nudges that are being studied at the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

Links

BX Arabia: https://nudgelebanon.org/bx-arabia/

http://www.georgeleonard.com/sha-na-na-and-the-woodstock-generation.htm

Behavioral Change For Good Initiative: https://bcfg.wharton.upenn.edu/

Episode 272, Jeff Madoff: How To Turn Your Creative Dreams Into Reality: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/creativity-jeff-madoff/

John Bargh, Episode 248: Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/

How To Turn Your Creative Dreams Into Reality | Jeff Madoff

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 03:58:21 -0600

If you have a creative vision, how do you focus your skills on making it happen? Can you turn your dream into a career? How can we encourage more creative entrepreneurs? And can we incorporate more creativity into an analytical job?

Jeff Madoff is an American director, producer, photographer, writer and professor living in New York City. He is the founder and CEO of Madoff Productions, winning awards for his commercials and videos AND he is a die hard music loving fan.

In his upcoming production of The Lloyd Price Musical, Jeff learnt a valuable lesson of asking himself the question “is it essential?” Even work that is funny and engaging, may not be an essential part of the bigger story. “Is it essential?” is a challenging question for all of us but can be incredibly useful at keeping us focused on reaching our goals.

In our discussion with Jeff, he dispels the myth that you are either creative or analytical. And he brings home to us the importance of listening. Listening not just to form an appropriate response, but listening in order to fully understand the other person.

Fans of Behavioral Grooves, please consider leaving us a review on your podcast player. If you listen on Apple, here is the podcast review page for Behavioral Grooves to get you started: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112

Topics

(3:31) Welcome and speed round questions.

(10:11) How to encourage creative careers.

(16:58) Turning your passion into a career.

(22:36) How to weave creativity into any job.

(25:43) When the creative world and the business world meet.

(29:41) Learning to ask “Is it essential?”

(42:25) What is on Jeff’s playlist?

(46:53) How entrepreneurs can be creative.

(53:48) The story behind The Lloyd Price Musical.

(1:04:06) Grooving Session discussing Jeff’s interview.

Links

Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas by Jeff Madoff: https://amzn.to/3pXmogM

Gregory Peck: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Peck

Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie: https://amzn.to/3eYxbRE

The Lloyd Price Musical: https://www.peopleslight.org/whats-on/20212022-season/personality-the-lloyd-price-musical/

Musical Links

Frank Zappa “Montana”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmcYTShN4Fk

Buddy Guy “Stay Around A Little Longer”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emyt-agLE_s

Slim Harpo “I’m a King Bee”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWLvm11MAaM

Lightnin’ Hopkins “Woke Up This Morning”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BATlJwKB8ts

Muddy Waters “Mannish Boy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSfqNEvykv0

Chuck Berry “Sweet Little Sixteen”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLV4NGpoy_E

Jimi Hendrix “Foxey Lady”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PVjcIO4MT4

Link Ray “Rawhide”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn5hl2IA7_s

Howlin Wolf “How Many More Years”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpKB6OZ_B4c

Stevie Ray Vaughan “Texas Flood”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC5H9P4F5Uk

How To Create New Goals That Will Really Motivate You in 2022

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 03:03:00 -0600

It’s the time of year for setting New Year’s resolutions. But how can you set goals that you will actually achieve? Will you look back at the end of 2022 and feel a sense of accomplishment? The first step to reaching your goals is actually knowing how to set yourself up to succeed.

In this fun Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim, they break down the steps needed to create motivating goals in 2022. Using insights from past guests, plus their own expertise in behavioral science, Kurt and Tim break down the skills behind successful goal setting. In addition, they dispel some ill-advised myths. Think willpower is enough to help you lose weight? Sorry, but creating healthy habits takes more than just good intentions.

If you want to better your health, your relationships or your organization in 2022, listening to this fun and informative episode will start you off on the path to success.

Links

Gary Latham PhD, Episode 147: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-goal-setting-prompts/

Katy Milkman PhD, Episode 232: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/

Roy Baumeister PhD, Episode 171: Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

Leave a review for Behavioral Grooves Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112

The Behavioral Science Books We Just Couldn’t Put Down in 2021 With Louise Ward

Sun, 26 Dec 2021 03:03:00 -0600

What a year for books 2021 has been! It seems like authors, editors and publishers have all been working overtime this year to bring us some incredible new content. Books that have challenged our beliefs, calmed our anxieties and transformed our habits.

To help us with the mammoth job of summarizing the best behavioral science books from 2021, we are joined by the incredible Louise Ward, who has read over 100 books this year! Louise is the co-host of the Behavioural Science Club, a LinkedIn group established in June 2020 now with over 5,000 members. If you haven’t yet joined the club, you definitely should. Today. Alongside co-host Prakash Sharma, the Behavioural Science Club interviews top authors each week about fascinating new insights in human behavior.

In our discussion with Louise, we noticed some trends among our favorite books. One is that we are moving past the presumption that humans are flawed and irrational. Books such as Useful Delusions and Nudge focus instead on the evolutionary usefulness of our biases and heuristics. In addition, we loved that after reading books on heavy topics such as suffering (The Sweet Spot), racial inequalities (The Person You Mean to Be) or conspiracy theories (How to Talk to a Science Denier), we were still left with a feeling of hope and optimism.

And if you’re new to behavioral science and wondering how to get started or underestimating the impact you can make as an individual, there was an empowering theme to this year’s books too. Dive into You Have More Influence Than You Think to recognize how you can make an impact on people, You’re Invited to reflect on the connections you make in your life or Non Obvious Megatrends to start noticing more of the world around you.

We would LOVE to hear your favorite books of 2021. Did your favorites overlap with ours? Please send us an email at info@behavioralgrooves.com, or connect with us on social media with your top reads of the year.

Twitter: @behavioralgroov

LinkedIn: Behavioral Grooves

Instagram: @behavioralgrooves

Facebook: Behavioral Grooves

Behavioural Science Club Links

Join over 5000 members in the LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13871707/

More group info: https://lnkd.in/grjWMrQ

Twitter: @BehSciClub

Our Favorite Books of 2021 Louise

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know, by Adam Grant: https://amzn.to/3pNXdvE
Brandsplaining: Why Marketing is (Still) Sexist and How to Fix It, by Jane Cunningham and Philippa Roberts: https://amzn.to/33Fltsu
Think Big: Take Small Steps and Build the Future You Want, by Grace Lordan: https://amzn.to/3mo3JZ6
What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract for a Better Society, by Minouche Shafik: https://amzn.to/3eiJOXj
Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, by Leidy Klotz: https://amzn.to/3JaOqwY
The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness, Suzanne O’Sullivan: https://amzn.to/3IHnuV5
Noise: A Flaw In Human Judgement, by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony and Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/3eiHgZf
This is Your Mind On Plants, by Michael Pollan: https://amzn.to/3Ekqd3p
Nudge: The Final Edition, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/3edkHFe
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman: https://amzn.to/3qiyFv9

Tim

The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias, by Dolly Chugh: https://amzn.to/3rSsEHQ
Anxiety at Work: 8 Strategies to Help Teams Build Resilience, Handle Uncertainty, and Get Stuff Done, by Chester Elton And Adrian Gostick: https://amzn.to/3EMgofA
Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain, by Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler: https://amzn.to/3rVh8Ma
The Unconscious: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications, by Joel Weinberger: https://amzn.to/3H5P5xA
How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love, by Logan Ury: https://amzn.to/3GC8VR3
Non Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss and Predict the Future, by Rohit Bhargava: https://amzn.to/3phL4jv

Kurt

You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters, by Vanessa Bohns: https://amzn.to/3dCEKgb
You're Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence, by Jon Levy: https://amzn.to/3ydBtgF
How To Talk To a Science Denier, by Lee McIntyre: https://amzn.to/3lVT4Vk
Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, by Leidy Klotz: https://amzn.to/3JaOqwY
The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning, by Paul Bloom: https://amzn.to/3piFKwr

A couple of non-2021 favorites:

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, by Robert Sapolsky: https://amzn.to/3H5ALp6 (Kurt)
The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health--and How We Must Adapt, by Sinan Aral: https://amzn.to/3EgsSLv (Louise)

More Than Just A Checklist: How to Effectively Apply Behavioral Science | Torben Emmerling

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 03:03:00 -0600

Applying Behavioral Science insights at work takes more than just another checklist or document, it’s about creating an environment that enables people to make good decisions. Torben Emmerling specializes in innovative, evidence-based strategies for behavior change. We discuss with him the nuances that differentiate applied behavioral science from academic behavioral science.

As a consultant for both private and public organizations, Torben doesn’t focus on a specific industry. Instead, he's a human behavior expert. What motivates people and what prompts individuals to change their behavior can be applied in any industry. For example, the same contextual factors that make us forget to buy milk on the way home from work, can be applicable in organizational decisions and performance.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Torben and if you do, please leave a short review of our podcast. Reading your comments, never fails to put a smile on our faces!

Topics

(4:44) Welcome to Torben Emmerling and speed round.

(8:59) How behavioral science can be used to help people save energy.

(14:34) Why applied behavioral science can be very different than academic behavioral science.

(16:42) How Torben’s work uses applied behavioral science.

(18:33) Behavioral science tools aren’t industry specific.

(21:53) Why behavioral science needs to be more than just checklists and documents.

(27:16) What the airline industry can teach us about reflecting on errors.

(29:45) The importance of creating psychological safety at work.

(31:48) How organizations have used behavioral science to manage remote working during COVID-19.

(36:34) What is on Torben’s playlist?

(39:07) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing how to apply Torben’s insights.

Links

Opinion Science Podcast: http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/

Winter Camp 2022: https://fb.me/e/217RQdNQh

Torben Emmerling: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torben-emmerling/

Daniel Kahneman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

“5 Behavioral Biases That Trip Up Remote Managers”: https://hbr.org/2021/06/5-behavioral-biases-that-trip-up-remote-managers

Episode 170, “Seven Questions to Assess the Psychological Safety of Your Teams with Susan Hunt Stevens”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/seven-questions-to-assess-the-psychological-safety-of-your-teams-with-susan-hunt-stevens/

Peak-end rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak%E2%80%93end_rule

Rory Sutherland, “Transport for Humans”: https://amzn.to/3swG5xN

Episode 107, Rory Sutherland “The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rory-sutherland-the-opposite-of-a-good-idea-is-a-good-idea/

Musical Links

Nas, “Nas is Like”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC4ORS5n9Hg&ab_channel=NasVEVO

The Black Keys, “Howlin' For You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLSpj7q6_mM&ab_channel=TheBlackKeys

Our Love Of Music And The Influence Of The Pandemic With Mark Thorley

Sun, 12 Dec 2021 03:03:00 -0600

Where and how we listened to music shifted during the pandemic. But the music industry itself had to quickly adapt in 2020 to how music was recorded and produced. Our very musical conversation with guest Mark Thorley delves into the changes that COVID brought to remote working and how people’s relationships with music have changed in recent months.

There is no greater joy for Tim than discussing music with our guests, and you can see from the musical links on this episode, that our conversation with Mark covers a multitude of musical genres! Our relaxed discussion with Mark swings off into many musical tangents and Mark even manages to turn his own speed round question back on Tim and Kurt. Listen in to find out which musical star they both would choose to have dinner with!

Mark has coined the phrase “remotivity” to embody the concept of working on music, whether it be recording or producing, in a remote setting. But this goes further than just having a working WiFi connection or a Zoom meeting set up. There are four key skills needed to work remotely in music; innovation, technical expertise, a fan base, and a unique selling point. We explore each of these four elements in detail with Mark.

Topics

Welcome and speed round.
Hearing the same music at different stages can alter our listening experience.
How has the pandemic shifted how music is recorded and consumed?
Working from home has come full circle.
The mental health toll of working from home.
The 4 skills needed for working remotely in music.

Links

Wally Heider: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Heider

Rupert Neve: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Neve

Rudy Van Gelder: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Van_Gelder

Les Paul: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Paul

Joe Meek: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Meek

Episode 219: Why Music Makes You Feel Better with Pablo Ripollés and Ernest Mas Herrero: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-music-makes-you-feel-better/

Episode 82, Chris Matyszczyk: Listening to Music While You Work: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/chris-matyszczyk-listening-to-music-while-you-work/

Musical Links

Kylie Minogue “I Should Be So Lucky”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_TvpBwSZDM

Hot Chocolate “You Sexy Thing”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3fX2_bxEkg

Madonna “Material Girl”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p-lDYPR2P8

Quincy Jones “Summer in the City 1973”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xN3KOY2kbg

Chicane “Hello, Goodbye”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iTHBBv0n5c

James Brown “Get On Up”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCCkb6k_aow

Chuck Berry “Johnny B Goode”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T38v3-SSGcM

Nina Simone “Feeling Good”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHRNrgDIJfo

U2 “I Will Follow”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSJYerDbdjc

Ministry “Search and Destroy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psHDeiXRVwQ

Charlie Mingus “Moanin’”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__OSyznVDOY”

Echo and The BunnyMen “The Killing Men”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWz0JC7afNQ

Steely Dan “More Than Just a Band”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjXB894CZnM

UB40 “Red. Red Wine”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXt56MB-3vc

“The 1919 Influenza Blues”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y_7B1cCvjk

Please Help Us by Voting for Behavioral Grooves - it takes 10 seconds

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 11:09:30 -0600

Habit Weekly, a wonderful organization founded by Samuel Salzer, is asking people to weigh in on their favorite podcast by casting a vote at https://www.habitweekly.com/awards. Kurt and Tim are asking for your vote since you (and lots of other people) voted for Behavioral Grooves in 2021 making it the Number One Behavioral Science Podcast in 2021. We’d like to maintain that spot in the upcoming year and all we need is your vote.

It takes less than 10 seconds.

With more than 260 episodes under our belt and listeners in more than 120 countries, we hope you find some things about Behavioral Grooves to be worth voting for.

Please cast your vote for your favorite podcast at: https://www.habitweekly.com/awards

Trust: The Four Key Steps to Genuinely Build It | Sandra Sucher

Sun, 05 Dec 2021 04:52:37 -0600

In 2021, people started to trust business organizations more than governments, NGOs or the media, according to global research by the Edelman Trust Baraometer. The Covid pandemic has seen people around the globe question their trust in all forms of leadership. What impact does this have on business leaders? Can organizations rebuild trust? What are the building blocks of trust?

Sandra Sucher, co-author of “The Power of Trust: How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It” (https://amzn.to/3pny7Uu) draws back the layers of what trust actually is, how to build it, how to maintain it through adversity, and most importantly, how to rebuild it when it’s been shattered.

Along with her co-author, Shalene Gupta, Sandra has devised the four key foundations of trust; competence, motives, means and impact. We ask Sandra about the significance of these steps, how they can be harnessed, as well as the impact on trust that Covid has had, specifically how vaccine mandates have affected it. Throughout our conversation and her book, Sandra illustrates her insights with a plethora of rich business examples.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, you can become a special Behavioral Grooves Patreon member by donating to our work: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. And a particular thanks to some of our listeners who have recently left us glowing podcast reviews, we really appreciate them. We'd love it if more our listeners could take 2 minutes to write a short review of Behavioral Grooves. Thanks!

Topics

(3:03) Welcome and speed round question.

(5:00) Trust is limited.

(7:38) The 4 key elements of trust.

(13:09) Does forgiveness play a part in regaining trust?

(14:54) How trust can be preserved by an organization, even while laying people off - the Nokia example.

(25:30) How has the landscape of trust changed and what effect has the pandemic had on trust?

(30:27) The link between lack of trust in government and vaccine hesitancy.

(33:49) The trust implications of asking employees to get vaccinated.

(36:26) People actually trust a negative outcome, if they feel the process was fair.

(39:37) What makes a business a good place to be from?

(45:39) Grooving Session discussing what we’ve learnt from Sandra.

Links

Sandra Sucher, “The Power of Trust: How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It”: https://amzn.to/3pny7Uu

Esko Aho, Nokia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esko_Aho

Amy Edmondson, Psychological Safety: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451

Edelman Trust Barometer: https://www.edelman.com/trust/2021-trust-barometer

Shalene Gupta: https://shalenegupta.com/

“Worried About the Great Resignation? Be a Good Company to Come From” by Sandra J. Sucher and Shalene Gupta: ttps://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/worried-about-the-great-resignation-be-a-good-company-to-come-from

Recruit Holdings in Japan: https://recruit-holdings.com/

Episode 102, Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Musical Links

Aretha Franklin “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOUqQt3Kg0&ab_channel=TatanBrown

Focus More on HOW to Think, and Less on WHAT to Think | Dr. Howard Rankin PhD

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 03:09:14 -0600

If we are open minded, we challenge our beliefs and accept that our thinking can, at times, be misguided. After all, our thoughts are merely a function of our personal habits, experiences and internal communication. Dr Howard Rankin PhD encourages us to recognize the value of critical thinking, and become more aware of our own consciousness.

To conclude our November series on Conspiracy Theories, our guest on this episode, Dr. Howard Rankin PhD, talks about how our consciousness has been conditioned. By understanding how the thinking process works and being aware of our own consciousness, we gain more perspective on our beliefs. So we should focus more on HOW to think, and less on WHAT to think.

Howard is an inspirational educator on the subjects of mind-body medicine, spirituality, neuropsychology and cognitive function, personal change and transformation. Frequently appearing on radio, TV and podcasts, Howard is also an author. His latest book, "I Think Therefore I Am Wrong: A Guide to Bias, Political Correctness, Fake News and the Future of Mankind" (https://amzn.to/3DXNTLM) shines light on the human thought process and how it can often be seriously flawed.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through the Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Also leaving a short review on our podcast really helps others to find our content, thanks.

Topics

(3:52) Welcome and speed round questions.

(10:50) Is there a difference between OUR reality and THE reality?

(17:34) Why do we underestimate critical thinking?

(25:19) Can social norms influence what we consider to be true?

(27:37) How do we reconcile our need for certainty?

(28:27) How do we challenge our own beliefs?

(35:58) Challenging ourselves on not WHAT to think but HOW to think.

(37:37) How we can focus education on how to think, not what to think.

(43:30) What music makes Howard think?

(49:08) How you can learn more about Howard’s work.

(49:58) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing how they are wrong!

Links

Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist

Promo Code: GROOVERS to receive $20 off (limited time offer for listeners).

Dr. Howard Rankin PhD, "I Think Therefore I Am Wrong: A Guide to Bias, Political Correctness, Fake News and the Future of Mankind": https://amzn.to/3DXNTLM

Dr. Howard Rankin PhD: https://www.drhowardjrankin.com/

I Think Therefore I Am Wrong Website: www.ithinkthereforeiamwrong.com

How Not to Think Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-not-to-think/id1488982079

YouTube channel – Howard Rankin: https://www.youtube.com/c/howardrankin

Clayton Kershaw: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton_Kershaw

Joe Montana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Montana

Episode 176, Annie Duke on How to Decide: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/

George Box: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._P._Box

Bayesian Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayesian_probability

Musical Links

Mozart “Requiem”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI

The Beatles “Help”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q_ZzBGPdqE

Jimi Hendrix “Purple Haze”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoDaYjdfSg

Need a Laugh to Get Through Your Workday? Dan Hill

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 04:30:30 -0600

Need some respite from the work day grind? Join the fun on this episode for a light-hearted take on workplace humor. Dan Hill delivers a real tongue-in-cheek take on the corporate lingo and jargon that infiltrates our workplaces. But with every joke he makes, there is a pang of truth: “emojis; the feelings you would be having at work if they were allowed.”

Dan’s new book; “Blah, Blah, Blah: A Snarky Guide to Office Lingo” (https://amzn.to/3nB3hYB) is written in collaboration with over 50 contributors from across the world (including our one and only Tim Houlihan!) who have collectively provided almost 600 definitions of how the workplace really operates.

Our conversation with Dan is not just hilariously funny, he also cracks open the truth on workplace humor being an effective way of tackling serious goals. With this "snarky" book Dan wants to bring the issues of bullying and inequality in the workplace to the forefront of peoples minds. So why use humor to address such momentous issues? In Dan's own words, humor can open your eyes: “A good cartoon, a good joke, I think really captures the essence of a situation, and it does open you up, it's got that aha, twist and turn to a phrase a concept. When we're surprised our eyes go wider, our mouth drops open and means we shut up and we notice the world around us. So I am trying for that element of surprise.”

Welcoming Dan back to Behavioral Grooves in this episode was simply a barrel of laughs for us. But please note, that our discussion contains some language you might not want your kids to hear.

We really do have a lot of fun creating the Behavioral Grooves Podcast, but like Dan said “having fun IS hard work!”. If you’d like to chip in with our work, please consider becoming a monthly contributor at our Patreon site: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Becoming a special Behavioral Grooves Patreon will open up some exclusive show content just for you!

Topics

(4:32) Welcome and speed round questions.

(11:20) Addressing the fact that 20-25% of managers are bullies.

(14:43) Dan reads entries from his snarky book!

(15:47) What is the devil’s dictionary?

(17:59) Using humor to open people's eyes.

(21:30) How Dan is tackling inequality in the workplace with humor.

(29:11) Grooving with Tim and Kurt on what funny things we learnt from Dan’s interview.

Links

“Blah, Blah, Blah: A Snarky Guide to Office Lingo” by Dan Hill, Howard Moskowitz, James Monroe: https://amzn.to/3nB3hYB

“Emotionomics: Leveraging Emotions for Business Success” by Dan Hill: https://amzn.to/3FONtbb

“Famous Faces Decoded: A Guidebook for Reading Others” by Dan Hill: https://amzn.to/3nL5eli

Dan Hill, Episode 151: On the Facial Coding of Trump, Hendrix, Prince, Gretzky and the Beatles: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/facial-coding-of-trump/

Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dan-hills-eq-spotlight/id1519669707

John McEnroe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McEnroe

The Devil's Dictionary : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Dictionary

Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253. Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Bob Dylan “The Times are A-Changin’”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WD_ats6eE

The Beatles “Hard Days Night”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjyj8qnqkYI

Feeling Fearful: Why People Seek Out Conspiracy Theories | Eric Oliver

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 03:03:00 -0600

What makes us more likely to believe in conspiracy theories? Can our religious beliefs or political affiliations determine whether we're less likely to believe in scientific facts? Why are health conspiracy theories some of the most widely believed notions? We revisit a conversation with Eric Oliver who talks us through the factors that drive people towards conspiracy theories.

Eric Oliver, PhD is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Although the majority of his work is squarely in the realm of how we view our political systems and make political decisions, some of his work echoes moral psychology and sociology, and we find it fascinating. And, frankly, some of it is just downright fun to talk about.

Eric’s observations come from more than 20 years of research, dozens of peer-reviewed papers, and he is the author of 5 books on political science. We specifically talked about how liberals and conservatives name their children, the rise of intuitionism, having dinner with a sports star rather than a rock star, and of course, he spoke in-depth about conspiracy theories.

Most importantly, he walked us through some key aspects of how to have a conversation with someone who is on the opposite side of the conspiracy-theory belief system and, interestingly enough, it begins with empathy. Listen to the entire episode to hear all his insights and research anecdotes. They’ll put a smile on your face as well as fresh ideas into your brain!

We have been fans of his work for some time and are grateful that Eric shared his insights with us. We think you’ll become a fan, too, if you’re not already one.

[NOTE: This episode is republished from our interview with Eric in episode #172 from Sept 2020.]

Topics

(3:17) Welcome and speed round.

(10:17) What characteristics predict whether you will believe in conspiracy theories?

(19:24) People rely on heuristics in times of uncertainty.

(24:48) Have conspiracy theories increased since Covid?

(27:03) What factors make us more likely to believe conspiracy theories?

(32:36) Do religious people tend to believe more in conspiracy theories?

(38:47) Why Donald Trump appeals to conspiracy theorists.

(42:50) How to talk to your relatives about their conspiracy theories?

(45:33) What music does Eric listen to?

(53:19) Grooving session with Tim and Kurt discussing Eric's work.

Links

Eric Oliver, PhD: https://political-science.uchicago.edu/directory/eric-oliver

Jonathan Haidt, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Haidt

James Frazer, “The Golden Bough”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough

Katherine Surma on Credulity: https://www.jericoliver.com/uploads/1/1/8/9/118973414/surmaoliver3.5.18-final.pdf

Laurie Santos, PhD: The Joe Effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GimHHAID_P0

Steve Kerr: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Kerr

Colin Kaepernick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Kaepernick

Charles Manson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Manson

Andy Luttrell, Episode 175: Pro’s and Con’s of Persuasion When Issues are Moralized: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/andy-luttrell-pros-and-cons-of-persuasion-when-issues-are-moralized/

Kwame Christian, Episode 178: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Musical Links

LCD Sound System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqq3BtGrpU8

Kurt Weil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Weill

Phillip Glass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M73x3O7dhmg

Keith Richards and Chuck Berry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERVLy-ltjHs

Why We Are More Vulnerable To Harmful Conspiracy Theories Than We Think | Andy Norman

Sun, 14 Nov 2021 03:03:00 -0600

Misinformation is like a virus, spreading quickly and propagating in a way that doesn’t benefit its host. Andy Noman describes harmful ideas as acting like “mind parasites” that deploy clever tactics to infect our thinking by circumventing our mental immune systems. And we’re even more susceptible to bad ideas than we realize.

So how do we immunize ourselves against mind parasites? Can we reach herd immunity? Can we critically think our way out of this epidemic of unreason? After 30 years of research on this topic, Andy has concluded that the traditional models of critical thinking are not up to the task in our hyper-connected world. We need a more comprehensive framework for inoculating our minds against viral nonsense.

Andy Norman is an award-winning author who teaches philosophy at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University. He has recently published his new book, “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think”: https://amzn.to/3o6OjbU. We are thrilled to welcome Andy as part of our series on understanding more about Conspiracy Theories. Our conversation with Andy reveals details of his framework for strengthening our own mental immunity. We hope you enjoy listening!

Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on your podcast player so you are notified about our new episodes. Next week we will be hearing from Prof. Eric Oliver about how to talk to our friends and family about conspiracy theories.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through our Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews on the podcast, which help others find our content.

Topics

(3:37) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:20) We are experiencing an epidemic of unreason.

(8:17) How can we immunize ourselves against disinformation?

(14:10) How our identity can affect our mental immunity.

(17:54) A framework for mental immunity.

(21:11) Thinking in probabilities instead of in black & white.

(26:08) Why acknowledging other people's truths can have a surprising effect.

(29:38) The objective difference between a good idea and a bad idea.

(32:25) Arguing with someone who only cares about themselves.

(38:54) Is there a chance we will reach mental herd immunity?

(44:13) What music is on Andy’s playlist?

(47:11) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim talking about how to apply Andy’s work.

Links

“Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think” by Andy Norman: https://amzn.to/3o6OjbU

Ludwig Wittgenstein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Wittgenstein

Socrates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates

Dan Kahan, “Identity Protective Cognition”: https://bit.ly/2YxM3Sk

Episode 176: Annie Duke on How to Decide: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/

Musical Links

Mark Knopfler “Piper to the End”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsrKWwx3x7o

Conspiracy Theories: How To Talk to A Science Denier | Lee McIntyre

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 04:57:50 -0600

How do you respond to someone who says “the earth is flat” or “Covid is a hoax”? Before we can try and reason with conspiracy theorists, we must first understand the reason they have ventured down that path. Lee McIntyre has spent years researching science deniers and has found a common set of traits in their behavior. He also argues that we shouldn’t sit back and assume conspiracy theories are harmless. Find out more from Lee in this episode about how to talk with science deniers and how even to change their minds about the facts.

Our Conspiracy Theories Series continues this month with Lee McIntyre, author of the new book “How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason”: https://amzn.to/3qaV134. To gather research for the book, Lee attended a flat earth convention to understand more about the followers who believe in the flat earth conspiracy. His findings are enlightening.

Lee is a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and an Instructor in Ethics at Harvard Extension School. He’s had a distinguished career in teaching and researching issues that we found fascinating.

Next week we continue our Conspiracy Theories Series with Andy Norman, author of the enthralling new book, “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think”: https://amzn.to/3o6OjbU. We learn about how bad ideas can infect our minds and how we can boost our own mental immunity. Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on your podcast player so you’re the first to be notified when we publish a new episode.

Topics

(9:33) Speed Round

(11:36) Lee’s experience attending a Flat Earth Convention.

(14:56) How people become convinced by conspiracy theories.

(17:09) The value of having face to face conversations.

(22:10) How to have those difficult conversations with your family and friends.

(26:08) The 5 common traits of science deniers.

(31:31) Is the educational system really teaching us about how science works?

(36:23) Why should we take science deniers seriously?

(38:53) Why is science denial growing?

(43:27) Political identity and science denial.

(58:14) The music that got Lee through Covid

(1:06:14) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt discussing what they talked about with Lee.

Links

“How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason” by Lee McIntyre: https://amzn.to/3qaV134

McIntyre, L. “Calling all Physicists” American Journal of Physics 87, 694 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1119/1.5117828

Beyond the Curve documentary: https://www.netflix.com/title/81015076

“Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Climate Change” by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway: https://amzn.to/3q39Y7m

Cranky Uncle: https://crankyuncle.com/

You’re Not So Smart Podcast: https://youarenotsosmart.com/podca st/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

The Beatles “Here Comes the Sun”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQetemT1sWc

The Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJDJs9dumZI

The Beatles “Something”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UelDrZ1aFeY

The Beatles “Blackbird”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Man4Xw8Xypo

The Beatles “Hide your Love Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8nLraecPRY

The Beatles, The Medley on the Flipside of Abbey Road: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAIUxGn9lCI

The Beatles “Because”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL0tnrl2L_U

The Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUH9z_Oey8

Conspiracy Theories: Hidden Brain‘s Shankar Vedantam | The Delusion of Nations

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 03:03:00 -0600

Host of Hidden Brain podcast, Shankar Vedantam talks with us about the powers: both useful and harmful, of our delusional thinking. Nations are an example of useful delusions; they are an entirely human-made construct, yet they can present us with a unifying, shared identity.

There is a tipping point, however, at which our beliefs can become harmful to someone else. Shankar defines conspiracy theories as a particular type of self deception which can easily escalate into harmful behavior.

Our conversation with Shankar touches on the Capitol Riots in Washington DC on January 6th 2021, and how conspiracy theories influenced the behavior of the rioters.

“Conspiracy theories, I think are a sort of special case of self deception, which...can easily take over into things that are deeply harmful.”

The challenge most of us face though, is how to talk to our friends and family who believe in conspiracy theories. And on that point, Shankar explains the Illusion Of Explanatory Depth and how conversations with our loved ones need to start with an air of empathy and compassion.

You can listen to our full interview with Shankar Vedantam in Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/.

This bitesize episode is the introduction to our Conspiracy Theories Series, which will run through the month of November 2021. Over the next few weeks, you will hear from some of the brightest minds in the field of conspiracy theories and science denial. Here is our line up for the month:

Nov 7th, 2021: Lee McIntyre discussing his new book, “How To Talk to A Science Denier.”
Nov 14th, 2021: Andy Norman talking about his new book “Mental Immunity”.
Nov 21st, 2021: Eric Oliver, a political science professor at the University of Chicago who has studied conspiracy theorists for over 20 years.
Nov 28th, 2021: Howard Rankin, describing his new book “I Think Therefore I Am Wrong.”

Subscribe or follow Behavioral Grooves on your podcast player so you don’t miss out on this fascinating series about conspiracy theories.

Links

Subscribe to the Behavioral Grooves Newsletter: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Write a review of Behavioral Grooves podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Shankar Vedantam, Episode 222. How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Shankar Vedantam of Hidden Brain: https://hiddenbrain.org/

Shankar Vedantam, “Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain”: https://amzn.to/2PUkzlv

Halloween Special: Grooving on Scary Biases

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 03:03:00 -0600

Listen to Kurt and Tim’s spooky Halloween Special about some common biases that can seem a bit scary. But don’t fear, the scariest thing about this episode is actually Kurt and Tim’s jokes! Find out why some biases are a bit spooky, what makes us susceptible to them, and most importantly how we can overcome them.

Thanks for taking the time to learn a bit about how to overcome the biases you may find impacting your life. If you’d like to support our work further, please consider donating a treat (no tricks please!) on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Your financial support helps with all our production costs.

Links

Behavioral Grooves Twitter: @behavioralgroov

Kurt Nelson Twitter: @motivationguru

Tim Houlihan Twitter: @thoulihan

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit

Scary Biases: https://blog.lanterngroup.com/scary-biases

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Why Does Rude Behavior Really Bother Us So Much? | Trevor Foulk PhD

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:23:28 -0600

Rudeness is contagious, in a similar way to a virus. When experiencing a rude encounter, our brain perceives it like a threat. And once we’ve tuned in to this low-level threat, we’re more likely to notice it around us, and therefore more likely to display rude behavior ourselves.

Our guest on this episode is Dr Trevor Foulk PhD, Assistant Professor of Management & Organization at the University of Maryland. His well published research on deviant workplace behaviors and workplace power dynamics, has been featured in Time magazine, Harvard Business Review, and the Wall Street Journal.

Trevor walks us through what rude behavior actually is, what our evolutionary response to it is and how we can take steps to mitigate the effects of it. We are also delighted to talk about Trevor’s research around the way power changes our behavior, and what impact a feeling of paranoia can add to the dynamics. And to Tim’s delight, Trevor also boosts our understanding of how music affects work performance.

Truth be told, our conversation with Trevor has opened our eyes into how rude behavior really impacts people. And in our Grooving Session, at the end of the episode, Kurt and Tim recap the ways Trevor’s research can improve our lives.

If you enjoy listening to our podcast, you can become an exclusive Behavioral Grooves Patreon member at https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Topics

(3:28) Welcome and speed round

(8:38) How rudeness is contagious.

(11:45) Why do we view rudeness as threatening?

(13:10) The solutions to rudeness.

(15:36) How our response to rudeness differs from holding a grudge.

(17:52) Are certain personality types more susceptible to rudeness?

(19:15) What effect does rudeness have on medical professionals?

(22:59) Can gratitude have the opposite effect to rudeness?

(24:27) How the Anchoring Effect is affected by rudeness.

(28:43) How does a feeling of power change our behavior?

(35:40) Paranoia and power.

(39:51) How does music influence performance?

(47:35) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing what we’ve learnt from Trevor’s interview.

Links

Dr Trevor Foulk PhD: https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/directory/trevor-foulk

Foulk, T.A., Woolum, A., & Erez, A. (2016). Catching rudeness is like catching a cold: The contagion effects of low-intensity negative behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology: https://www.courts.state.co.us/userfiles/file/Administration/Probation/ResearchInBriefs/RIB_Rudeness_Apr16(1).pdf

Riskin, A. Erez, A., Foulk, T.A., Kugelman, A., Gover, A., Shoris, I, Riskin, K., & Bamberger, P.A. (2015). The impact of rudeness on medical team performance: A randomized trial. Pediatrics: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26260718/

Foulk, T.A., Lanaj, K., Tu, M., Erez, A., & Archambeau, L. (2018) Heavy is the head that wears the crown: An ator-centric approach to psychological power, abusive behavior, and perceived incivility. Academy of Management Journal: https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amj.2015.1061

John Bargh: Episode 155. Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/

John Bargh, Episode 248. Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/

Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253. Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/

Musical Links

Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen “This Old Porch”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1xY2pu31h4

Jim Croce “Operator”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw01trwmul0

Rancid “Fall Back Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CinJuVtdp3Y

Jimmy Buffett “Margaritaville”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HBcgxOWAQ

Helping People To Assemble Better Decisions | Eric J. Johnson

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 03:03:00 -0600

How do we make decisions? What factors influence the final outcome? Do default settings change our preferences? Every decision we make; from choosing something on a menu to deciding whether to be an organ donor, is influenced by our environmental context and the default selections presented to us.

Professor Eric J. Johnson has distilled the latest behavioral science research into his newest book, The Elements of Choice: Why the Way We Decide Matters, and we are thrilled to talk with him about it on this episode of Behavioral Grooves.

Eric is Director of the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia Business School at Columbia University. He examines the interaction between Behavioral Decision Research, Economics and consumer decision making. The implications of his research come together in real world applications such as public policy and marketing.

Eric talks with us about how options are presented to decision-makers and how framing affects choices. Our decisions are “assembled”, as Eric likes to put it, in the moment and are not necessarily pre-determined by our preferences. Choice architects have very influential power over decision-makers but Eric highlights to us that we are all designers, and with that comes a moral responsibility.

Topics

(3:56) How Leading Human™ can help with returning to the office.

(6:28) Welcome and speed round.

(8:00) How interference affects our decision making.

(10:32) The controversy of organ donation defaults.

(16:32) We are all designers using the tools of choice architecture.

(19:21) How sludge impacts our decision making.

(22:42) How context influences defaults.

(26:14) What factors moderate the impact of default settings?

(29:01) Making choices in the real world vs. classic economic thinking.

(32:18) The effects of asking people how long they will live vs. what year they expect to die.

(35:04) Smart defaults: defaults set specifically for you.

(38:02) What is Query Theory?

(39:15) Choice architecture around vaccinations.

(42:44) What area does Eric want to research in the future?

(44:44) What music does Eric default to?

(52:24) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on how to apply Eric’s research to our lives.

Links

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist

Leading Human™ Workshop on Dec 14th, 2021 (more dates to be added soon): https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/leading-human-workshop

Promo Code: GROOVERS to receive $20 off (limited time offer for listeners).

“The Elements of Choice: Why the Way We Decide Matters” by Eric J. Johnson: https://amzn.to/39yXr20

"Do Defaults Save Lives?" by Johnson, Eric, and Daniel Goldstein. Science 302 (2003): https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/researcharchive/articles/1275

“Sludge: What Stops Us from Getting Things Done and What to Do about It” by Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/3i1lLhD

Tim Kachuriak, Episode 221: Donating Our Money Is Irrational, So Why Do We Do It? Tim Kachuriak Explains Our Motivations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-we-donate-our-money/

“Time to Retire: Why Americans Claim Benefits Early and How to Encourage Them to Delay” In Behavioral Science and Policy (2015). Coauthor(s): Kirstin Appelt, Melissa Knoll, Eric Johnson, Jonathan Westfall: https://behavioralpolicy.org/articles/time-to-retire-why-americans-claim-benefits-early-how-to-encourage-delay/

Musical Links

Eric Dolphy “Out to Lunch!”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne6GCYO8pAc

Django Reinhardt “Three-Fingered Lightning”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQhTpgicdx4

David Grisman Quartet “Dawg Funk”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P-FQ7xLiso

Jerry Garcia “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_NOFuEb-yo&ab_channel=JerryGarcia

Beethoven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-fFHeTX70Q

Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion “Let The Soil Play a Simple Part”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cHc4n5mgNM&ab_channel=NonesuchRecords

George E. Lewis “Mind In Flux” at the BBC Proms 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSvwisQ3la4

Bruce Springsteen “Tougher Than The Rest”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_91hNV6vuBY

Anxiety at Work: Why We Feel It and How To Manage It | Chester Elton

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 02:57:30 -0600

Anxiety in the workplace has always been present, even pre-pandemic but rates of anxiety, particularly among young employees, have worsened since 2020. So what obligation do organizations have to their employees' mental health? How can managers recognize the signs of anxiety, and how can we help our colleagues with those feelings?

Following our incredibly popular first episode with Chester Elton in July 2021, on showing gratitude (episode 238), we are thrilled to be talking with him again about anxiety in the workplace. As a best-selling author, speaker and executive coach, Chester, and his co-author Adrian have shown over and over again, that the key to really successful companies is really successful relationships with employees. And because of the pandemic, we wanted to talk with Chester about their most recent book; Anxiety at Work: 8 Strategies to Help Teams Build Resilience, Handle Uncertainty, and Get Stuff Done: https://amzn.to/3dr7gBK.

Thank you to all of you who have subscribed to our show, written a review or shared an episode with your friends. Please also consider donating a small amount each month to our work, through our Patreon site: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Topics

(3:03) Speed round questions.

(5:30) Is anxiety in the workplace increasing or decreasing?

(10:11) How to manage with empathy, not just sympathy.

(14:59) Unleashing employees' potential.

(20:17) The number one cause of anxiety and how managers can recognize it.

(23:34) Showing vulnerability as a manager.

(29:12) Will people take advantage of mental health days off?

(32:07) How to deal with your own perfectionism and anxiety.

(36:57) The ways you can join Chester’s community.

(40:22) Chester’s anti-anxiety playlist.

(44:05) Chester’s kind promise to listeners.

(45:00) Grooving Session discussing how to apply Chester’s insight to our lives.

Books by Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick

Anxiety at Work: 8 Strategies to Help Teams Build Resilience, Handle Uncertainty, and Get Stuff Done: https://amzn.to/3dr7gBK

Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results: https://amzn.to/36Cy8uo

All In: How the Best Managers Create a Culture of Belief and Drive Big Results: https://amzn.to/3AgtSyk

The Best Team Wins: The New Science of High Performance: https://amzn.to/2USP4KN

The Orange Revolution: How One Great Team Can Transform an Entire Organization: https://amzn.to/3ybULSb

Links

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Chester Elton: www.chesterelton.com

Chester Elton, Episode 238: Who Makes You Feel Grateful? Tell Them! https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gratitude-with-chester-elton/

We Thrive Together: www.wethrivetogether.global. A safe community to talk about anxiety and stress with over 500 members.

Anxiety at Work with Adrian Gostick & Chester Elton: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/anxiety-at-work-with-adrian-gostick-chester-elton/id1549312484

“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy: https://amzn.to/2YxRO2d

Nicole Malachowski: https://bit.ly/3oCYTt5

HR Leaders Podcast with Chris Rainey: https://hrleaders.co/podcast

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, Episode 246: Are You More Honest with Google or Your Friends? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/are-you-more-honest-with-google/

“The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism” by Hubert Joly: https://amzn.to/2YmaMZt

Garry Ridge at WD-40: https://wd40company.com/our-tribe/our-tribes-leaders/

Musical Links

Pharrell Williams “Happy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZSe6N_BXs

Monty Python, Eric Idle “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUhlRoBL8M

The Beatles “Good Day Sunshine”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e01nNA02vw

The Beatles “Fixing A Hole”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPBd8eHQqIw

The 5 Healthy Brain Habits Of A Neuroscientist | Dr Daniel Almeida

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 03:03:00 -0600

To mark World Mental Health Day on Sunday, Oct 10, 2021, we decided to delve into the science behind mental health. And who better to help us with this topic than Daniel who has been named as one of Forbes 30 under 30 in science. His incredible work as a neuroscience researcher in the Douglas Research Centre at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, involves psychological autopsies to understand the molecular impacts of severe childhood abuse on the brains of individuals who died by suicide.

If you, or someone you know needs help with their mental health, please use one of the resources in the links below.

Mental Health Support

Suicide Prevention Lifeline (US):https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources

The Canada Suicide Prevention Service: https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/

Samaritans (UK): https://www.samaritans.org/

United for Global Mental Health (List of support networks around the world): https://unitedgmh.org/mental-health-support

For those looking for information on how to support others: National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention For the general public looking to be trained in mental health first aid and/or suicide prevention: Living Works (US): https://bit.ly/3oKgsaS Mental Health First Aid Canada: https://mhfa.ca/ Topics

(6:29) Speed round.

(10:14) Does talking about suicide help?

(14:15) Why it’s very important to talk about “dying by suicide” instead of “committing suicide”.

(16:17) About Daniel’s work as a neuroscientist.

(17:47) What are the links between childhood trauma and suicide?

(25:16) What age are children most sensitive to the effects of trauma?

(31:19) How the type of trauma experienced by a child matters.

(33:36) How resilience is more like a sword than a shield.

(35:29) What are the 5 best brain health habits?

(41:57) What is a brain bank and how are psychological autopsies used?

(44:30) What music isn’t noise pollution for Daniel?

(46:24) Music and the brain.

(48:13) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim; how to apply Daniel’s work to your life.

Links

World Mental Health Day: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day

Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist

Leading Human™ Workshop on Dec 14th, 2021 (more dates to be added soon): https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/leading-human-workshop

Promo Code: GROOVERS to receive $20 off (limited time offer for listeners).

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Dr Brenda Mildner – Mother of Psychological worked on bilateral hypocantim removal: https://www.mcgill.ca/neuro/about/brenda-milner

Donald Hebb: https://can-acn.org/donald-olding-hebb/#:~:text=Donald%20Hebb%20(1904%2D1985),which%20was%20published%20in%201949.

“Molecular impacts of childhood abuse on the human brain” Ibrahim, P.; Almeida, D.; Nagy, C.; Turecki, G. (2021): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289521000515?via%3Dihub

“A Slice of the Suicidal Brain: What Have Postmortem Molecular Studies Taught Us?” Almeida, D. and Turecki, G. (2016): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27671915/

“What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing”, by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry: https://amzn.to/3lF7EQ7

Brain structure of dancers and musicians https://www.falishakarpati.com/bio

Support Behavioral Grooves by donating on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Gladys Knight & The Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0F9lh8TiSM&ab_channel=GladysKnightTPVEVO

Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU

The Supremes “Where Did Our Love Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTBmgAOO0Nw

Stevie Wonder “As”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYQfWJNWe3I

Marconi Union - Weightless Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYnA9wWFHLI&t=6831s

Money Does Boost Happiness, But Not The Way We Think It Does | Daniel Crosby

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 03:03:00 -0600

The clearest indicators of our financial solvency are based on the behaviors we exhibit with our investments. Dr. Daniel Crosby PhD is a psychologist, behavioral finance expert, asset manager and bestselling author of four books including “The Behavioral Investor”: https://amzn.to/3Bl4s3t. We examine with him the question of whether financial success ultimately brings us happiness? Surprisingly it can, but not in the ways that we think it does.

Having studied the growing list of 200 odd behavioral biases and heuristics, Daniel has whittled them down to what he describes as the four “Big Daddy” biases: ego, emotion, attention and conservatism. We learn about why these matter so much and interestingly what Coke Zero can teach us about our biases!

Daniel touches on his other bestselling book “You’re Not That Great”: https://amzn.to/3ifiRFC which refreshingly embraces the fact that we are in fact all fairly average! That self esteem is built not by awarding prizes for participation, but by taking a risk, working hard and acknowledging that occasionally we will fall flat on our face along the way!

In our Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim, following our interview with Daniel we talk about the ways that we can apply Daniel’s insights to improve our wellbeing and our relationships. [Tim quotes the infamous “Man in the Arena '' quote from Theodore Roosevelt but apologies, we incorrectly credited the quote to Eisenhower, not Roosevelt in the episode.]

If you would like to invest in the work that Behavioral Grooves does to bring you interviews like Daniels every week, please support our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves thank you.

Topics

(3:09) Welcome and speed round.

(5:51) Why understanding people is vital to understanding markets.

(8:20) Daniel's journey into behavioral finance.

(11:02) What behavioral finance can help with beyond your bank balance.

(15:17) Can money really boost our happiness?

(20:05) The benefits of embracing our mediocrity.

(24:30) How stress impacts performance.

(26:58) Meta-biases: ego, promotion, attention, conservatism.

(31:09) What Coke Zero can teach us about conservatism bias.

(36:51) Ethics and behavioral finance.

(41:09) What music does Daniel invest in?

(48:44) Grooving Session on how to apply Daniel’s work in our own lives.

Books by Daniel Crosby

The Laws of Wealth: Psychology and the secret to investing success: https://amzn.to/36NsbuJ

The Behavioral Investor: https://amzn.to/3Bl4s3t

You're Not That Great: https://amzn.to/3ifiRFC

Personal Benchmark: Integrating Behavioral Finance and Investment Management https://amzn.to/3h5TjM1

Links

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Honeycomb: https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/

“Subjective Well-Being and Income: Is There Any Evidence Of Satiation?” Betsy Stevenson and Justin Wolfers (2013): https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/subjective-well-being-income.pdf

“The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness” by Morgan Housel: https://amzn.to/3onc5C2

Daniel Crosby TEDx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXUh3wNnFrw

“Nudge: The Final Edition” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/2ZqQn5O

Barry Ritholtz, Episode 47. How to Reduce Evolutionary Panic: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/barry-ritholtz-reducing-panic/

The Rocket City Trash Pandas: https://www.milb.com/rocket-city

“Sludge: What Stops Us from Getting Things Done and What to Do about It” by Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/3CNQJ4X

At Uber, a New C.E.O Shifts Gears, The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/09/at-uber-a-new-ceo-shifts-gears

Trevor Foulk episode (publishing at the end of Oct 2021)

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, Episode 246. Are You More Honest with Google or Your Friends? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/are-you-more-honest-with-google/

Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253. Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/

Ben Parr, Episode 237. Attention: How to Capture It and Keep It with Ben Parr: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/attention-with-ben-parr/

Musical Links

Phoebe Bridgers “Kyoto”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw0zYd0eIlk

Elliot Smith “Angeles”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMSU4QDbdew&ab_channel=lucilwinchester

Radiohead “Creep”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkzRNyygfk&ab_channel=Radiohead

Arcade Fire “The Suburbs”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Euj9f3gdyM&ab_channel=ArcadeFireVEVO

Father John Misty “Real Love Baby”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOspC5B69L4&ab_channel=SubPop

Vampire Weekend “This Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwkrrU2WYKg&ab_channel=VampireWeekendVEVO

Run The Jewels “Legend Has It”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWaljXUiCaE&ab_channel=RunTheJewels

Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential | Vanessa Bohns

Sun, 26 Sep 2021 03:03:00 -0600

To be influential you do not require power, but wielding your influence is powerful. Vanessa Bohns, social psychologist and professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University, joins us to discuss her enticing new book “You Have More Influence Than You Think”: https://amzn.to/39vCDIN. She draws from her research to illustrate why underestimating our influence can lead us to miss opportunities or worse yet, to misuse our power.

As with all of our episodes, we leave you with a Grooving Session discussion focusing on how we can use Vanessa’s research to improve our lives, our relationships and our workplaces. Maybe this episode will influence you more than you realize? If it does, please support our ongoing work by contributing to our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves (just imagine, if we asked you in person, would you say yes?).

Topics

(3:19) Welcome to Vanessa Bohns.

(5:46) How your enjoyment of chocolate is influenced by others.

(8:15) The spotlight effect; is everyone really looking at me?

(12:34) How can we influence people more than we think?

(17:20) How Vanessa discovered people are likely to help, if you ask.

(23:34) Why it’s so much harder to say no than we think.

(26:50) How power amplifies your influence.

(29:22) Why we need to recognize white privilege as a position of power.

(32:47) Communication: why our choice of words matter.

(34:13) Robert Cialdini’s Influence.

(36:30) What are the most common misconceptions about influence?

(41:07) What are the 2 biggest takeaways from the book?

(43:52) How music has influenced Vanessa.

(49:13) Grooving Session discussing how to apply Vanessa’s research.

Links

“You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters” Book by Vanessa Bohns: https://amzn.to/39vCDIN

John Bargh, Episode 248: Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? With John Bargh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/

Shankar Vedantam, Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Cristina Bicchieri, Episode 102: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

“Shared Experiences Are Amplified” Erica J. Boothby, Margaret S. Clark, John A. Bargh (2014): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614551162

Robert Frank on the Power of Peer Pressure in Fighting Climate Change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmOUNgXKd0c&ab_channel=Rare

Robert Cialdini, Episode 226: The Power Of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

How to Start a Movement | Dan Sivers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V74AxCqOTvg

Musical Links

Bronksi Beats “Smalltown Boy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88sARuFu-tc

Sleigh Bells “Locust Laced”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzLOcmRRUfg

The National “Light Years”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FQtSn_vak0

Vampire Weekend “This Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwkrrU2WYKg

David Bowie “Ashes to Ashes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyMm4rJemtI

Harry Styles “Watermelon Sugar”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKlD97TnYwM

Billie Ellish “Everything I Wanted”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgBJmlPo8Xw

Taylor Swift “Willow”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsEZmictANA

Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg

Leading Human™: How to Avoid Burnout and Create a Positive Organization

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 03:03:00 -0600

Employee burnout, The Great Resignation, Office Covid Regulations; these are all major concerns for leaders in the workplace right now. But how can managers successfully navigate these stresses, while still maintaining productivity among staff?

At the start of the pandemic, Behavioral Grooves began a series of podcasts with researchers and practitioners to understand the organizational shifts we were seeing. Over the course of our interviews, we discovered big changes in the way business was being conducted and that managers, specifically, were really caught off guard. They didn’t have a coach or a guide to help them through all the changes. We decided to change that. And so, we created Leading Human™.

In this Grooving Session with Kurt Nelson PhD and Tim Houlihan, they sit down to discuss the following topics about Leading Human™:

What is Leading Human™?
Who is Leading Human™ going to benefit?
Why did the Behavioral Grooves team feel inspired to write Leading Human™?

While Leading Human™ was initiated by the pandemic, it goes well beyond the current workplace dynamics and delves into the core of how work will happen in the future.

Ultimately Leading Human™ focuses on four key areas:

Creating Psychological Safety;
Building a Team Charter;
Implementing Human-Centered Routines;
Charting a Clear Path Forward.

Together, these can make a significant difference in employees' emotional connection to the company and successful re-entry to the workplace. Leading Human™ is full of practical tips and exercises to implement.

Where to Get More Info on Leading Human™:

Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist

Leading Human™ Workshop on Nov 2nd, 2021 (more dates to be added soon): https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/leading-human-workshop

Promo Code: GROOVERS to receive $20 off (limited time offer for listeners).

Kwame Christian: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch [Republish Episode 178]

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 03:04:00 -0600

[NOTE: This episode is republished from #178 in October 2020.]

Kwame Christian, Esq. is the author of “Nobody Will Play With Me: How to Use Compassionate Curiosity to Find Confidence in Conflict.” He is the host of two podcasts, “Negotiate Anything” and “Ask With Confidence.” He is a professor at The Ohio State University Law School and is the director of the American Negotiation Institute. Kwame’s educational background combines an undergraduate degree in psychology, a masters in public policy, and a juris doctor. Yup – a classic underachiever. (NOT)

Kurt and Tim got to talk to Kwame about the behavioral science hidden in his practical techniques. For instance, we discussed how to be more effective in negotiations by managing our emotions and how to reframe our negotiations as opportunities. He went on to say that negotiations are really “the art of discovery.” We also discussed the decades-old myth of the win-win negotiation – you guessed right: it’s a myth!

Kwame also dropped more sound-bite bombs in our conversation than any other guest. There are tons and tons of takeaways from this conversation that you can put to use in your work or home life right away.

And if that’s not enough, he’s got the most eclectic musical tastes of any guest on Behavioral Grooves so far. Check it out.

We are grateful to our friend Brian Ahearn who introduced us to Kwame in May 2020.

Links

Kwame Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwamechristian/

Kwame on Negotiations: https://americannegotiationinstitute.com/

Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life: https://amzn.to/3E19685

Kwame’s Podcast Negotiate Anything: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/negotiate-anything/id1101679010

Kwame’s TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Zg65eK9XU

Kwame as Ohio State Law Professor: https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/faculty/kwame-christian/

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610

Matthew Walker, “Why We Sleep”: https://amzn.to/3tuMeZC

Them-Us-Fit-Action: https://blog.cmbinfo.com/crc-2018-how-to-engage-todays-corporate-research-buyer

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Bob Marley “Wait in Vain”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtgP0EQmWVk

Calypso: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpUh5wUBkbM

Soca (Soul Calypso): https://medium.com/@jada.steuart/soca-then-and-now-d5674e9f2b0c

Reggae: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyscBx0UWkY

Dub Step: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ1txLdu6qg

Hip-hop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t-BLUi3eAI

Rap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGj3nv36M1o

Ska: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Weu3b8Nd40

Smooth Jazz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--cmYzvVASc

AC/DC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC/DC

“Under the Graveyard” by Ozzie Osbourne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuzyA5gDa4E

Major Lazer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqeW9_5kURI

The Clash “Should I Stay or Should I Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGIFublvDes

The Police: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4VjsqR5Vbc

George Benson “Breezin”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVc5rCl0BIs

Grover Washington “Just the Two of Us”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqX7WX6jFdw

David Benoit “Lucy and Linus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOg17QnLGVs

Earl Klugh & Bob James: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTOZxnBEPJA

Lee Ritenour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMXCSiufPYA

The Rippingtons: https://www.rippingtons.com/

Vaccinating the World: How Behavioral Science Helps. With Michael Coleman

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 02:41:20 -0600

How can behavioral science aid the mammoth task of vaccination the world against Covid? What common barriers cause vaccine hesitancy in populations around the globe? And how can behavioral design overcome them?

Born out of frustration, while trying to eliminate Polio from Pakistan, the global behavioral design agency Common Thread (www.gocommonthread.com) was born. They use findings from psychology, anthropology, economics and sociology, to identify and analyze behavioral insights. Bringing a people-centered approach to the world's toughest public health problems.

We are delighted to be joined on this podcast episode with the co-founder, director and lead storyteller of Common Thread, Michael Coleman. He talks with us about his new publication, “The Little Jab Book: 18 Behavioral Science Strategies for Increasing Vaccination Uptake” (www.vax-up.org) and the global projects that he is currently collaborating on.

Topics

(6:24) Speed round questions.

(8:55) Applying behavioral science to global health concerns.

(9:47) How Common Thread was started and why it focuses on putting people at the center of public health problems.

(11:30) The complexities Mike faced with the Polio Eradication Plan in Pakistan.

(14:02) What is the mission of Common Thread?

(15:52) What tools does Common Thread use to change behavior?

(18:59) How can removing friction from decisions make a big difference in people’s responses?

(23:00) About The Little Jab Book: 18 Behavioral Science Strategies for Increasing Vaccination Uptake.

(25:33) Who The Little Jab Book is intended for?

(27:01) What are the barriers to vaccinating the world against Covid?

(31:50) How vaccine hesitant conversations can impact public health responses.

(34:28) Work with UNICEF to create individual country responses to vaccination barriers.

(39:16) What music would Mike take to a desert island?

(41:43) How Common Thread uses music to foster an inclusive work culture.

(43:35) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim summarizing the application of Mike’s insights.

Behavioral Grooves has a Patreon page to help fund our work, please consider donating a small amount to our podcast at www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews, tweets and comments about the podcast; these help others find out about us too. But most of all, thanks for listening!

Links

Common Thread: www.gocommonthread.com/

Michael Coleman: www.gocommonthread.com/blog/person/michael-coleman/

Common Thread newsletter “The Stitch”: www.gocommonthread.com/the-stitch/

The Little Jab Book: 18 Behavioral Science Strategies for Increasing Vaccination Uptake: www.vax-up.org

Behavioral Insights lab set up with Gavi for immunization oriented to the global south: “From Idea to Immunization”: www.gocommonthread.com/work/global-gavi-bi/

Barry’s tea: www.barrystea.ie/

Sherine Guirguis: www.gocommonthread.com/about/

Harvard School of Public Health: www.hsph.harvard.edu/social-and-behavioral-sciences/

UNICEF: www.unicef.org/

The Global Vaccine Allowance: www.gavi.org

The Gates Foundation: www.gatesfoundation.org

Vax-Up: www.vax-up.org

PATH: www.path.org

BUSARA: www.busaracenter.org/

The New York Times Global Vaccination Tracker: https://nyti.ms/2WNx1Xt

Rob Burnet, Well Told Story: www.africa-asa.com/rob-burnet/

Episode 202: How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD: www.behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-chaning-jang-works-around-not-being-weird/

Episode 223: How Behavioral Science Can Impact Nonprofits: The Inspiring Story at Save The Children: www.behavioralgrooves.com/episode/behavioral-science-and-nonprofits/

Musical Links

Nina Simone “Stars” (Montreux Festival in 1976): https://bit.ly/38Dv7Lz

Jeff Buckley “Grace”: https://bit.ly/3BG9OW4

Jeff Buckley (Live in Frankfurt, 1995): https://bit.ly/3h0XMi7

The Tragically Hip “Ahead By a Century”: https://bit.ly/38G2kGm

Common Thread Spotify Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3yHvsYf

Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou, a 93 year old Ethiopian jazz pianist: https://spoti.fi/3zPhlBG

Can People Learn to be Better at Thinking? With Richard E. Nisbett

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 03:03:00 -0600

Few psychologists in the world have contributed more to scientific discovery than our guest Richard E. Nisbett. He joins us to discuss his latest book, the title of which embodies one of his favorite activities: Thinking: A Memoir. Thinking weaves Richard’s personal story through his research journey, painting a richer sense of the thought process behind his discoveries.

Richard E. Nisbett is the Theodore M. Newcomb Distinguished Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Michigan. Many of his previous books have been co-authored with his collaborator and friend, the late Lee Ross. The two first met in graduate school when they studied under the ground-breaking researcher Stanley Schachter at Columbia University.

Later in his career, alongside Tim Wilson, the two made the ground-breaking observation: they noted that we can only identify "what people think about how they think," but not "how they really think." Join our podcast conversation with Richard to explore how we can improve our thinking, reasoning and decision making.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Topics we Discuss with Richard E. Nisbett

(3:20) Welcome and speed round.

(7:25) What motivated Richard to write his memoir?

(12:12) Why do we so readily disregard base rates?

(15:56) Why do we disconnect ourselves from the behavior in Stanley Milgram’s experiment?

(17:21) Richard’s work on Attribution Theory.

(20:25) How does our unconscious mind affect our behaviors and decision making?

(23:27) Richard’s insight on why we rationalize our decision making.

(27:13) Working in a vacuum in academia.

(30:03) Interdisciplinary work at Michigan University.

(32:23) Can we teach people to become better at reasoning?

(39:15) The problems with replicating social psychology studies.

(46:28) What is Richard thinking about these days?

(51:32) What music would Richard take a desert island?

(57:13) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing their interview with Richard.

Books by Richard E. Nisbett

Thinking: A Memoir: https://amzn.to/341F4A4

Intelligence and How to Get It: Why Schools and Cultures Count: https://amzn.to/3fALT0L

The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why: https://amzn.to/3u728bj

Culture Of Honor: The Psychology Of Violence In The South (New Directions in Social Psychology): https://amzn.to/3ub2FJu

Thought and Feeling: Cognitive Alteration of Feeling States: https://amzn.to/2Rqgw1f

Rules for Reasoning: https://amzn.to/3hDj6LJ

The Person and the Situation: https://amzn.to/2S6tfGa

Links from our Interview

Lee Ross “The Person and the Situation: Perspectives of Social Psychology”: https://amzn.to/3iYN3q5

Stanley Schachter “The Psychology of Affiliation: Experimental Studies of the Sources of Gregariousness”: https://amzn.to/3sEQQw1

Malcom Gladwell “Outliers: The Story of Success”: https://amzn.to/3xWZdnw

Michael Lewis Book about Dnaiel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, “The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds”: https://amzn.to/3iYwIlg

Richard Thaler “Nudge: The FInal Edition”: https://amzn.to/3srwyWs

Stanley Milgram Experiment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

Cary Grant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cary_Grant

Timothy Wilson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Wilson

Russell Sage Foundation: https://www.russellsage.org/

University of Michigan: https://umich.edu/

Jean Piaget: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Piaget

Episode 155: John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/

Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/peggy-noonan

The Week: https://www.theweek.co.uk/

Episode 67: George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

Musical Links

Beethoven “The Emperor Concerto”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPx7P6YvHYw

Beethoven 7th symphony, 2nd Movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgHxmAsINDk

Schubert “Serenade”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biUv4VLW0fc

Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? With John Bargh

Sun, 22 Aug 2021 03:03:00 -0600

Can we control our unconscious behavior? How much does the situation we’re in control us? Can we prime people to behave a certain way? Is it even ethical to try? To what degree do cultural identity and stereotyping impact the automaticity of our actions?

Following on from our discussion with Dr Philip Zimbardo PhD, in our last episode (#247) about the Stanford Prison Experiment, we reached out to our friend and previous guest (episode #155), Dr John Bargh PhD, social psychologist at Yale University. As the world’s leading expert on the unconscious mind, John gave us fresh insight on how our behavior is primed by factors such as our cultural identity and even by who we are thinking about.

Interestingly our conversation shifted towards changing attitudes in society and in particular the inspiration stance that athletes such as Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have taken recently to prioritize their mental health. John describes them as pioneers: “what pioneers and leaders do is they give an alternative example for the other people and say, “You know what, you don't have to do this, here's what I did.””

In our last interview with John, he left us with some parting wisdom; to hug our children more. We couldn’t resist asking him for some more wise words, so listen to the end to find out John’s advice to all of us.

Word of mouth continues to be the best way for new listeners to find Behavioral Grooves. Please consider sharing your favorite episodes with your friends. And if you want to help more, your financial support goes a long way. You can donate via our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. And thank you to all of our loyal listeners who already donate to our podcast.

Topics we discuss with John Bargh

(3:58) Welcome to John Bargh and speed round questions.

(7:50) Nature vs nurture?

(11:51) A summary of John’s research on automaticity and priming.

(15:04) How you activate a different cultural identity.

(19:42) How did the Stanford Prison Experiment impact social psychology research?

(25:09) Do we control situations or do situations control us?

(30:14) Can you prime someone to commit murder?

(35:17) How Simone Biles is an example of changing attitudes in society.

(37:14) Are employees starting to self-select which corporation they work for?

(44:29) What direction is the research on priming and automaticity heading in the future?

(47:33) What research is John engaged in right now?

(50:08) How can we prevent ourselves from being influenced by our context?

(52:46) John’s wise parting advice.

(56:28) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing the interview.

Links

John Bargh book “Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do”: https://amzn.to/3yUHka8

Episode 155: John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/

William James: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James

Rozin, Paul. (1976): “The evolution of intelligence and access to the cognitive unconscious.” Progress in Psychobiology and Physiological Psychology: https://bit.ly/37JnBhI

Cushman, Fiery (2019): “Rationalization is Rational”, Behavioral and Brain Sciences: https://bit.ly/2VRicTG

Episode 229: From Holding the Mic to Theory of Mind: Rob Leonard’s Love of Language: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rob-leonards-love-of-language/

Stanford Prison Experiment: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stanford-prison-experiment/

Rosanna Summers: http://www.roseannasommers.com/

Vanessa Bohns: “You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters”: https://amzn.to/3g5Omlg

Lee Ross: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ross

Kerri Strug: https://www.today.com/news/kerri-strug-shares-her-support-simone-biles-rest-usa-gymnasts-t226636

Simone Biles: https://www.simonebiles.com/

Naomi Osaka: https://www.naomiosaka.com/

Episode 147: Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-goal-setting-prompts/

Support Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Jimi Hendrix “Somewhere”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-THhwh5mNI

Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin) “Stairway to Heaven”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkF3oxziUI4

Stanford Prison Experiment, 50 Years On: What Have We Really Learnt? With Dr Philip Zimbardo

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 03:03:00 -0600

The Stanford Prison Experiment has been the topic of movies, newspaper articles, textbooks and TV shows. Extensively published controversy has surrounded the social psychology experiment ever since it was conducted in 1971. Now on the 50th Anniversary, we invite you to listen to a very unique interview with the man who orchestrated it all; Dr Philip Zimbardo PhD.

Was the Stanford Prison Experiment designed to measure the corruption of power?
Were participants influenced by the context of the experiment itself and pressured into performing a role?
How exactly did the environment influence the behavior of the participants, including Dr Philip Zimbardo himself? As he quotes; “a bad barrel can take a good apple, and make it bad”.

At Stanford University in 1971, influenced by the work of his friend Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo assembled a mock prison in the basement of the university and used male student volunteers to become the guards and prisoners. What unfolded in the coming days surprised even Philip Zimbardo.

What is less known about Philip Zimbardo is that he has since done extensive research on shyness, cult behavior, time perception, and more recently on heroism. According to him, we are all “heroes in waiting”, and he has founded the Heroic Imagination Project to help cultivate the heroes among us.

Our discussion with Dr Z (as he asked us to call him!) weaves through an enlightening reflection on his upbringing, the influence of his family and peers, and his transition into academia. Kurt and Tim intercept the conversation throughout to provide explanation and insights. And we end with how Dr Z’s work can influence our behavior now. What can we really learn from the Stanford Prison Experiment? And how can we all become a hero in waiting?

Topics

(2:59) Introducing Dr. Philip Zimbardo.

(4:30) Dr Z’s upbringing in the Bronx.

(6:40) The significance of Dr Z’s classmates at James Monroe High School.

(11:06) How racism influenced Dr Z’s application to Yale.

(16:18) How Dr Z started the Stanford Prison Experiment.

(19:05) What Dr Z was trying to understand from the experiment.

(20:04) What went wrong.

(21:59) How abusive guard David Eshelman explained his behavior.

(23:10) Controversy around the experiment and why it ended early.

(27:07) Chip Frederick’s abusive behavior at Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraqi War.

(30:15) If you can cultivate evil behavior, can you also cultivate heroic behavior?

(33:36) The 4 steps to becoming a "Hero in Training".

(35:14) Dr Z’s offer to help with police brutality in the US.

(37:04) Takeaways: how to be aware and intentional with our behavior.

We look forward to welcoming you back next week for more about why context matters with esteemed Yale social psychologist, Dr John Bargh PhD.

Please consider donating to our podcast work through Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves).

We also love hearing from our listeners, please leave us a podcast review or reach out to us on Twitter:

Kurt Nelson @motivationguru

Tim Houlihan @THoulihan

Mary Kaliff @BeSciMary

Links

Stanley Milgram: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Milgram

Solomon Asch - Conformity Experiment: https://www.simplypsychology.org/asch-conformity.html

Charlie Parker “All The Things You Are”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTORd2Y_X6U

Episode 76: Nurit Nobel: De-Biasing the Recruiting Process: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nurit-nobel-de-biasing-the-recruiting-process/

Chip Frederick: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/oct/22/usa.iraq

Heroic Imagination Project: https://www.heroicimagination.org/

[INTERVIEW] Are You More Honest with Google or Your Friends? With Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 03:20:00 -0600

The truth is we divulge more information to Google that we do to our friends, our family or even our doctors. Our social media persona can paint a very different picture to what we secretly search for on Google. So what do search trends in Google tell us about ourselves and our society? Does it matter that we are different on Google than in person?

Author of bestseller Everybody Lies (https://amzn.to/32ULlgD), Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, tells us how data can unlock the keys to happier relationships and even how to better parent our children.

Topics We Discuss with Seth:

(3:15) Welcome and speed round questions.

(12:53) Are people more honest with Google or with their friends?

(16:01) The juxtaposition between our social media presence and our Google searches.

(21:03) Does everybody really lie?

(26:06) Why people lie about sex.

(30:00) Why your children’s outcome is affected by your location.

(36:37) Using more data and less intuition to make decisions.

(44:28) The data to use and not to use for successful dating.

(47:57) What age do we get hooked on music?

(54:10) Do people lie about music?

Join us for our follow-on discussion in Episode 245 where Kurt and Tim have a Grooving Session on what they have talked about with Seth: the effect of context with honesty, tips for successful dating and the influences surrounding our children.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves). We also love reading your reviews on the podcast, which gives other listeners social proof that we’re worth listening to!

Links

Behavioral Grooves new website: www.behavioralgrooves.com

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: http://sethsd.com/

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: “Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are”: https://amzn.to/32ULlgD

The Myth of the “Relationship Spark” with Logan Ury (featuring a guest appearance by Christina Gravert, PhD): https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/relationship-spark-logan-ury/

Dan Ariely, “Let Me Come Right Out and Say It: You Cheat”: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/let-me-come-right-out-and-say-it-you-cheat/

Bernie Madoff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Madoff

Shankar Vedantam, “Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain”: https://amzn.to/2PUkzlv

Raj Chetty: http://www.rajchetty.com/

Dan Levitin, “This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession”: https://amzn.to/3C45iSh

Episode 171: Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For with Roy Baumeister https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Moneyball movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneyball_(film)

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, “The Songs That Bind”: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/10/opinion/sunday/favorite-songs.html

Episode 219: Why Music Makes You Feel Better with Pablo Ripollés and Ernest Mas Herrero: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-music-makes-you-feel-better/

Elizabeth Ki, Behavioral Scientist at Spotify: http://elizabethdkim.com/

Episode 218: Share, Like, Comment: Sandra Matz PhD Exposes The Truth Behind your Digital Footprint: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/your-digital-footprint/

Musical Links

Leonard Cohen “Famous Blue Raincoat”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohk3DP5fMCg

Leonard Cohen “Alexandra Leaving”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELGaHaZzwjU

Leonard Cohen “Suzanne”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svitEEpI07E

Bruce Springsteen “Dancing in the Dark”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs

Bob Dylan “Too Late”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUT7N8RYgSI

Paul Simon “Late in The Evening”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K5qIA1IVIA

Crosby, Stills and Nash “Just a Song Before I Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UoneXjfBC0

Dave Matthews Band “Funny The Way it Is”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNiS9T-I2Eg&pp=sAQA

Katy Perry “Smile”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZA5heWazIQ

Duran Duran “Invisible”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMCd5zrsFpE

Justin Bieber “Intentions”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AyMjyHu1bA

The Beatles “Come Together”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45cYwDMibGo

[GROOVING SESSION] Are You More Honest with Google or Your Friends? With Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 03:05:00 -0600

This follow-up episode is a free-flowing Grooving Session where Tim and Kurt chat about their discussion with Seth Stephens-Davidowitz (Episode 246). You’re more than welcome to listen to this as a stand alone episode, but we recommend first tuning in to our interview with Seth, and then joining us here for some banter about Seth’s work.

Questions we discuss:

Are we more likely to be untruthful in certain contexts?
Is lying a useful delusion?
Can we ever justify lies?
How do the connections we make with others affect our relationships and our children?
Does where we are born really influence us the rest of our lives?
What traits should we definitely look for when dating?
How is our brain influenced by music?

Tim and Kurt chat about these questions and more in this Grooving Session, which follows on from our interview episode with Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, author of bestselling book Everybody Lies (https://amzn.to/32ULlgD).

Grooving Session Links

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: http://sethsd.com/

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz “Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are” https://amzn.to/32ULlgD

Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Episode 110: Steve Martin and Joe Marks: The Messenger is the Message: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/steve-martin-and-joe-marks-the-messenger-is-the-message/

Episode 240: Why Good, Honest Employees Really Do Steal With Kelly Paxton: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pink-collar-crime-kelly-paxton/

Dr Melody S. Goodman, PhD “Zip code better predictor of health than genetic code”: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/zip-code-better-predictor-of-health-than-genetic-code/

Episode 244: Does Money Really Make You Happy? The Research with Johannes Haushofer: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/does-money-make-you-happy/

Episode 230: How Good People Fight Bias with Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-good-people-fight-bias/

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Behavioral Grooves musical links for all of our guests: https://behavioralgrooves.com/artists/

[INTERVIEW] Does Money Really Make You Happy? The Research with Johannes Haushofer

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 03:22:00 -0600

What link is there between happiness and income? Does winning the lottery make you happier? What does the research say about poverty and our mental health?

Our guest on this episode has researched the psychological effects money has on our wellbeing and on our society. Johannes Haushofer is the Assistant Professor of Economics at Stockholm University and has taught at Princeton University for the past six years.

Johannes realized that not enough research on these topics has been conducted outside of the Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic countries (WEIRD countries). So he founded the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics in Nairobi, Kenya: https://busaracenter.org/. We talk with him about how he founded the center and what research he has been able to do there.

A few years ago, in an effort to make a friend feel better Johannes published his ‘CV of Failures’ that detailed every degree program that had rejected him and all the research funding he didn’t get. It went viral as people lapped up the counterintuitive idea of celebrating failure.

Despite having a well published list of failures, Johannes has a multitude of successes. One of which is that he is a serious vocalist with access to a deeper range in his lower voice known as the vocal fry register. We have a great discussion about the central role that music has played in his life.

Topics We Discuss with Johannes

(2:21) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:06) What is the relationship between income and happiness?

(12:24) How spending changes when people are given one lump sum of money vs. monthly payments.

(15:51) What research is there about Universal Basic Income?

(17:43) What effect does winning the lottery have on us?

(21:17) Why Johannes’ “CV of Failures” that went viral.

(26:00) Johannes’ views on the replication crisis in psychology.

(29:21) How Johannes founded the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics in Kenya.

(33:20) The link between mental health and poverty.

(35:07) How stress impacts choices.

(36:16) Johannes’ experience of singing in Swedish Choirs.

Listen next to our Grooving Session (episode #243) where Kurt and Tim discuss the insight from our interview with Johannes.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews on the podcast, which gives other listeners social proof that we’re worth listening to!

Links

Johannes Haushofer site: https://haushofer.ne.su.se/

Busara Center for Behavioral Economics: https://busaracenter.org/

TEDMED Talk: "Johannes Haushofer, The Psychological Consequences of Poverty" https://www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=621424

Vocal Fry Register: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocal_fry_register

Johannes Haushofer, CV of Failures: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/document/download/bed2706fd34e29822004dbe29cd00bb5.pdf/Johannes_Haushofer_CV_of_Failures[1].pdf

Episode 41: Michael Hallsworth: From MINDSPACE to EAST: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/michael-hallsworth-from-mindspace-to-east/

Melanie Stefan “Keeping a visible record of your rejected applications can help others to deal with setbacks”: https://www.nature.com/articles/nj7322-467a

Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers, “Subjective Well-Being and Income: Is There Any Evidence of Satiation?”: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.103.3.598

Episode 176: Annie Duke on How to Decide: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/

Episode 202: How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-chaning-jang-works-around-not-being-weird/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Johannes singing a Sea Shanty: https://twitter.com/jhaushofer/status/1351267627461734402?s=20

Johannes singing on the streets of Stockholm: https://twitter.com/jhaushofer/status/851066608109924352?s=20

Johannes’ Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/16NMYSIfdiaz7K81AFGPtJ?si=gdqJ7xQSRQObxsJaN7r1Og

Joan Baez “Diamonds and Rust”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrVD0bP_ybg

St Olaf Choir, “Shenandoah”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBiP_kDI-Ak

Alex Dmitrieff (Basso Profondo) - Alliluia - Russian Orthodox Male Choir of Australia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv0nuACLqJE&ab_channel=TheOktavismChannel

Simon & Garfunkel "The Boxer": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3LFML_pxlY&ab_channel=SimonGarfunkelVEVO

[GROOVING SESSION] Does Money Really Make You Happy? The Research with Johannes Haushofer

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 03:05:00 -0600

Kurt and Tim discuss the links between poverty and mental health, how higher income is linked to better well-being, and the idea of a Universal Basic Income. This is a free-flowing discussion delving into the insights from their most recent interview with Johannes Haushofer (episode #244), Assistant Professor of Economics at Stockholm University. While you are welcome to listen to this episode as a stand-alone, we recommend you download our interview with Johannes first before joining us here.

Topics You Will Learn About:

Higher income being related to better well-being.
The effects of poverty on cognitive function, creativity, stress, health and long-term outcome decisions.
Universal Basic Income; the behavior changes it could induce.
The replication crisis of research studies in psychology.
The value of Johannes studying poverty outside of WEIRD countries.

“So there was a pretty strong relationship between income and happiness, both within and across countries. Rich people are happier than poor people within the same country. But also richer countries, on average, are happier than poor countries.” ~ Johannes Haushofer quote from Behavioral Grooves podcast interview.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews on the podcast, which gives other listeners social proof that we’re worth listening to!

Links

Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers, “Subjective Well-Being and Income: Is There Any Evidence of Satiation?”: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.103.3.598

Episode 155: John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/

Busara Center for Behavioral Economics in Nairobi, Kenya: https://busaracenter.org

Episode 202: How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-chaning-jang-works-around-not-being-weird/

Honesty Tea: https://www.honesttea.com/our-story

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz “Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are”: https://amzn.to/32ULlgD

Kurt and Tim mention our interview with Richard Nesbitt, which will be released on 8/29/21!

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

[INTERVIEW] Smart Behavioral Economics Secrets Every Marketer Needs with Melina Palmer

Sun, 25 Jul 2021 04:40:13 -0600

What does your customer want but can’t tell you? What effective marketing techniques use behavioral economics? If only you had a way of understanding how your customer’s brain made decisions. Well our guest, Melina Palmer sits down to discuss exactly that.

Melina Palmer is the founder of The Brainy Business, which provides behavioral economics consulting to businesses of all sizes from around the world. She also hosts a podcast, The Brainy Business, and has recently published her first book What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You: Unlocking Consumer Decisions with the Science of Behavioral Economics: https://amzn.to/36Rm88I.

What You Will Learn From Melina Palmer

(6:23) Melina explains her book “What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You”

(13:30) Why should we care about dopamine?

(16:26) The effectiveness of using a lottery draw

(20:43) Why is priming so important in marketing?

(27:41) How Melina helps you to apply her insight

(30:59) What sparked Melina’s interest in Behavioral Economics?

(32:24) What is the biggest secret that customers can’t tell you?

(33:54) Is the marketing industry still sexist?

(34:40) The music Melina would take to survive on a desert island

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews on the podcast, which gives other listeners social proof that we’re worth listening to!

Links

Melina Palmer, What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You: Unlocking Consumer Decisions with the Science of Behavioral Economics: https://amzn.to/36Rm88I

Episode 109: Melina Palmer: Using Behavioral Economics to Help Businesses: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/melina-palmer-using-behavioral-economics-to-help-businesses/

The Brainy Business: https://thebrainybusiness.com/

The Brainy Business Podcast: https://thebrainybusiness.com/podcast/

Melina Palmer, INC: https://www.inc.com/author/melina-palmer

Melina Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrainybiz/

Melina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrainybiz/

Melina YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebrainybusiness

Melina Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebrainybiz

Melina LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melina-palmer-36ab8712/

The Brainy Buiness LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-brainy-business/

BE Thoughtful Revolution: https://be-thoughtful-revolution.mn.co/share/Wwg4nTN8qVp21XB3?utm_source=manual

Episode 232: Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/

Episode 226: The Power Of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

McDonald’s Monopoly: A Masterclass in Promotions: https://www.talon.one/blog/mcdonalds-monopoly-a-masterclass-in-promotions

Human Behavior Lab, Certificate Program: https://hbl.tamu.edu/certificate-program/

Musical Links

Paul McCartney “Find My Way”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oSmP3GtOBk

Lady Gaga “Stupid Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L6xyaeiV58

John Mayer “Last Train Home”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66Ne5dVDfLM

Melina’s Pandora station: https://pandora.app.link/UrWQ28B6l3

[GROOVING SESSION] Smart Behavioral Economics Secrets Every Marketer Needs with Melina Palmer

Sun, 25 Jul 2021 04:32:39 -0600

How can your organization improve its marketing messaging using proven behavioral science techniques? As part of our series on Marketing & Employee Engagement this month, we were joined by Melina Palmer on our latest interview episode (#242). Melina Palmer is the founder of The Brainy Business podcast and author of “What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You: Unlocking Consumer Decisions with the Science of Behavioral Economics”: https://amzn.to/36Rm88I. She is an expert on both marketing and behavioral economics and blends techniques from both fields in her writing and podcast.

This follow-up episode is a free-flowing Grooving Session where Tim and Kurt discuss the business applications of their discussion with Melina. This episode is best enjoyed after listening to our interview episode.

What you will learn from this episode:

The science behind dopamine release.
How to use rewards (incentives or lotteries) effectively to motivate employees.
Why priming is one of the most underutilized marketing tools.
And one of our favorite topics; why context matters when communicating a message.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews on the podcast, which gives other listeners social proof that we’re worth listening to!

Links

Melina Palmer, What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You: Unlocking Consumer Decisions with the Science of Behavioral Economics: https://amzn.to/36Rm88I

Episode 147: Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-goal-setting-prompts/

Episode 235: Make Choice Rewarding: Behavioral Insights in Marketing with Matthew Willcox https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/marketing-matthew-willcox/

The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal https://www.learningjourneys.net/post/the-willpower-instinct-by-kelly-mcgonigal

[INTERVIEW] Why Good, Honest Employees Really Do Steal With Kelly Paxton

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 03:14:07 -0600

Do honest people steal? Our guest, Kelly Paxton investigates and researches low level crimes such as book-keeping fraud; also known as Pink Collar Crime. She discusses how a hostile work environment and the prospect of financial difficulties at home can lead “good” people to rationalize dishonest behavior.

Kelly Paxton is a former federal agent who was used to dealing with “bad guys.” Once she started working embezzlement cases, she quickly realized that honest people steal.

The term pink-collar crime describes embezzlement type crimes that are typically committed by females. Can a man be a pink collar criminal? The simple answer is yes. It's the position not the gender but in these "pink" positions there are just more women than men.

Topics we Discuss With Kelly Paxton

(4:25) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:39) Why you should be concerned if your bookkeeper never takes a vacation.

(7:15) What is Pink Collar Crime?

(10:20) How Kelly’s career and curiosity lead her into investigating Pink Collar Crime.

(14:48) What is The Fraud Triangle?

(19:14) Do women steal differently than men?

(28:35) What are the common behaviors of people who embezzle?

(31:17) Who benefits and who takes the blame for embezzlement?

(37:53) Who should you trust?

(42:39) How people rationalize their dishonesty.

(45:49) What should companies do to prevent pink collar crime?

(49:49) Kelly's favorite music and playlists.

Join us on our follow-on discussion in Episode 239 where Kurt and Tim have a Grooving Session on what Kelly has brought up in her interview and how we can apply insight from her interview into our own businesses.

Links

Kelly Paxton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellypaxton/

Kelly Paxton, Embezzlement: How to Detect, Prevent, and Investigate Pink-Collar Crime: https://amzn.to/3i57hN1

Great Women in Fraud: https://greatwomeninfraud.com/

Great Women in Fraud Podcast: https://podcast.greatwomeninfraud.com/

Dan Ariely: https://danariely.com/

The Dishonesty Project: https://www.thedishonestyproject.com/film/

Pink Collar Crime: https://pinkcollarcrime.com/what-is-pink-collar-crime

How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life by Caroline Webb: https://amzn.to/3eAaNhJ

Episode 33: Caroline Webb: Having a Good Day: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/caroline-webb-having-a-good-day/

Go Fraud Me: http://gofraudme.com/

Rita Crundwell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Crundwell

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell: https://amzn.to/3i1sKGw

Duped: Truth-Default Theory and the Social Science of Lying and Deception by Timothy Levine: https://amzn.to/3ehpWUC

Big Little Lies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Little_Lies_(TV_series)

Episode 86: Christian Hunt: Mitigating Human Risk and The Algorithmic Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/christian-hunt-mitigating-human-risk-and-the-algorithmic-mind/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Foo Fighters “The Pretender”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBjQ9tuuTJQ

Harold Van Lennep “Liberation”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEzMeDybBG0

Micheal Kiwanuka “Cold Little Heart”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOubjLM9Cbc&ab_channel=MichaelKiwanukaVEVO

[GROOVING SESSION] Why Good, Honest Employees Really Do Steal With Kelly Paxton

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 03:13:27 -0600

Continuing our series on Marketing and Employee Engagement this month, we were joined by Kelly Paxton on our latest interview episode: Why Good, Honest Employees Really Do Steal With Kelly Paxton (#240).

Tim and Kurt discuss their fantastic conversation with Kelly who has authored Embezzlement: How to Detect, Prevent, and Investigate Pink-Collar Crime: https://amzn.to/3i57hN1 and is also the podcast host of Great Women in Fraud: https://podcast.greatwomeninfraud.com/. Kelly investigates and researches low-level crimes such as book-keeping fraud; also known as Pink Collar Crime. We were interested in her insight that a hostile work environment and financial difficulties at home can lead “good” people to rationalize dishonest behavior.

We Discuss:

Rationalizing dishonesty.
Steps business leaders can take to avoid fraud.
How to convince business leaders that they are vulnerable to embezzlement.
Consider the environment you’re creating at work. It matters a great deal.
Reviewing your own business habits.

Links

Kelly Paxton https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellypaxton/

Kelly Paxton, Embezzlement: How to Detect, Prevent, and Investigate Pink-Collar Crime https://amzn.to/3i57hN1

Great Women in Fraud https://greatwomeninfraud.com/

Great Women in Fraud Podcast https://podcast.greatwomeninfraud.com/

From Prison Cells to PhDs https://www.fromprisoncellstophd.org/

Who Makes You Feel Grateful? Tell Them! With Chester Elton

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 03:52:07 -0600

When did a colleague last thank you for your work? Managers generally underappreciate their employees, but more importantly, they tend to undervalue the benefits of expressing their gratitude. Best-selling author, speaker and executive coach, Chester Elton has a lighthearted discussion with us about the value of expressing gratitude. What makes gratitude different to recognition? And how do you create a grateful work environment?

Chester, along with his co-author, Adrian Gostick, have sold millions of books on how to lead with gratitude. In our conversation with Chester, he tells us how there is disparity between how well managers believe they are expressing their gratitude and how employees feel they are valued. To create a work environment based on gratitude, your colleagues need to know their work is appreciated. Showing gratitude to employees is the easiest, fastest and most inexpensive way to boost performance.

Topics

(5:07) Welcome to Chester Elton and speed round questions

(8:03) Why being grateful brings us joy

(14:27) Be specific with praise

(17:16) The benefits of random acts of kindness

(22:33) What’s the difference between gratitude and recognition?

(23:48) How to create a work environment filled with gratitude

(31:36) Your inner voice and why it matters

(35:08) Chester’s Covid playlist

(43:16) Grooving Session discussing how to apply Chester’s insights:

Gratitude at work
Recognition that we’re on track
Expressing gratitude is not always through words
Psychological safety at work

Links

Chester Elton https://chesterelton.com/

Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results by Adrian Gostick & Chester Elton https://amzn.to/36Cy8uo

Leading with Gratitude Podcast with Chester Elton https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzI1MDUzLnJzcw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwjAoN-0keDxAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg&hl=en

Leading with Gratitude Live https://vimeo.com/search?q=Leading%20with%20Gratitude%20Chester%20Elton

We Thrive Together https://www.wethrivetogether.global/

The Gratitude Journal – LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-gratitude-journal-6665677019063345152/

Anxiety at Work with Adrian Gostick & Chester Elton https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/anxiety-at-work-with-adrian-gostick-chester-elton/id1549312484

Roger Federer https://www.rogerfederer.com/

Rod Laver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Laver

John McEnroe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McEnroe

Chris Hadfield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hadfield

Bill Manning https://www.torontofc.ca/content/bill-manning

Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day by Jay Shetty https://amzn.to/3h8mptC

Calm app https://www.calm.com/

Dan Airely https://danariely.com/

IKEA Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IKEA_effect

Episode 170: Seven Questions to Assess the Psychological Safety of Your Teams with Susan Hunt Stevens https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/seven-questions-to-assess-the-psychological-safety-of-your-teams-with-susan-hunt-stevens/

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Books by Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick

Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results https://amzn.to/36Cy8uo

Anxiety at Work: 8 Strategies to Help Teams Build Resilience, Handle Uncertainty, and Get Stuff Done https://amzn.to/3dr7gBK

All In: How the Best Managers Create a Culture of Belief and Drive Big Results https://amzn.to/3AgtSyk

The Best Team Wins: The New Science of High Performance https://amzn.to/2USP4KN

The Orange Revolution: How One Great Team Can Transform an Entire Organization https://amzn.to/3ybULSb

Musical Links

Bonnie Raitt “Something to Talk About” https://youtu.be/mJ58TVYNFro

Talking Heads “Psycho Killer” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O52jAYa4Pm8

Pharrell Williams “Happy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZSe6N_BXs

Danny Boy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ppdB6JX99Q

[INTERVIEW] Attention: How to Capture It and Keep It with Ben Parr

Sun, 11 Jul 2021 07:26:07 -0600

What is the science behind capturing people’s attention? And what do you do after you have someone’s attention; what is your intention? Is our attention fleeting and fickle, like a goldfish? Or is it something that can be recaptured and rekindled easily? Our guest today, Ben Parr cleverly uses a great Bonfire Analogy to describe how we ignite, build and rekindle attention.

Ben Parr is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, investor, and journalist. He is the author of the best-selling book Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention and the Co-founder of Octane AI, the marketing automation platform for Messenger and messaging apps.

Ben has a unique journey as an entrepreneur. In studying the science of attention, Ben has become deeply appreciative of storytelling; how we can capture and keep someone’s attention through a narrative. But one of the tricks that we can learn from Ben is the art of how to curate a story. How we can be intentional with our presentations, our writing or even our conversations so our audience remain enthralled.

In our discussion with Ben, we talk about the reason he decided to research and write a book on attention. In a world where it feels like everyone is trying to grab our attention, Ben talks about how attention is something you need to both earn and be intentional about.

(23:43) “Attention is not something that you just get, it's something that you have to both earn, and that you have to be intentional about and the way you get attention. Because I can get attention by running down the street streaking, but I'm not going to get the kind of attention I want and not from the people I want. And this podcast would be done from a jail cell!”

Ben loves to discover new music which opens up a great conversation about his playlist and even though he is a saxophonist, Ben never set his aspirations on emulating one of the great saxophonists like Kenny G. But instead, always strives to be the best possible version of himself.

Next, you can listen to our follow-on episode (#236); our Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim where we discuss how to apply Ben’s insights to improve our lives, relationships and work environments.

Behavioral Grooves strives to bring you insight and research from world-leading experts. And we do this without the use of paid advertising. If you would like to support our continued ad-free work, please consider becoming a Behavioral Grooves Patreon by visiting https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Thank you!

Topics

(2:28) Welcome and Ben’s new suggestion for our speed round!

(10:30) Why Ben wrote Captivology?

(12:59) Goldfish vs. humans - who has a longer attention span?

(15:47) Why capturing attention is like building a bonfire

(18:43) How musicians Joshua Bell and Susan Geiser orchestrate your attention

(22:15) Why David Copperfield is the master of keeping your attention

(24:07) Curating the most important information

(31:05) Techniques for curating information and how to tell a captivating story

(35:40) Ben’s favorite trigger for capturing attention

(39:26) How Ben discovers new music

(41:34) Why Ben ultimately strives to just be a better version of himself

Links

Ben Parr “Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention” https://amzn.to/3ejByXB

Captivology http://captivology.com/

Octane AI https://www.octaneai.com/

Dessa: On Being Deeply Human https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dessa-being-deeply-human/

Inside the Backlash Against Facebook http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1532225,00.html

Joshua Bell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJhZ0J3bIYc

David Copperfield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Copperfield

Episode 226: The Power Of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

Episode 155: John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/

Dr. Michael Posner https://ion.uoregon.edu/content/michael-posner

Michael Gazzaley https://neuroscape.ucsf.edu/profile/adam-gazzaley/

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Episode 212: Scrutinizing Hype: Powerful lessons from The Hype Handbook with Michael F. Schein https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/scrutinizing-hype-with-michael-f-schein/

Discover Weekly Spotify https://www.spotify.com/us/discoverweekly/

Musical Links

John Legend “All Of Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=450p7goxZqg

OAR “Hey Girl” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb17JzKSiVA

Bube Fiasco “The Show Goes On” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rmp6zIr5y4U

Afro Jack DJ “Rock The House” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6h0_9Zv7aM

Imogen Heap “Hide and Seek” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYIAfiVGluk

Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkF3oxziUI4

Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ

Guns n’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1tj2zJ2Wvg

Kid Cudi “The Void” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKDY5YMpyUc

Cosmo Sheldrake “Cuckoo Song” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbQyFZmuA58

Kenny G “Songbird” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN2RnjFHmNY

Stan Getz “Misty” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3qS363m7-w

Branford Marsalis “Cianna” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unRHCRsbJM0

[GROOVING SESSION] Attention: How to Capture It and Keep It with Ben Parr

Sun, 11 Jul 2021 07:24:58 -0600

Continuing our series on Marketing and Employee Engagement this month, we were joined on our latest interview episode (#237) by Ben Parr, author of “Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention” https://amzn.to/3ejByXB. His insights and research have valuable applications in marketing and entrepreneurship.

We’re also doing things a little differently this month on Behavioral Grooves. Instead of discussing Ben Parr’s interview in our Grooving Session at the end of the episode, we’ve decided to make it a separate episode. We suggest you listen to Ben’s interview first (#237), and then join us on this episode where we discuss the practical applications of his fascinating work:

How to gain and maintain attention.
The importance of intentionality and context.
Why synthesizing and curating is vital in maintaining attention.
And, mostly importantly, how to be yourself.

[INTERVIEW] Make Choice Rewarding: Behavioral Insights in Marketing with Matthew Willcox

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 14:34:54 -0600

Welcome to our series of episodes on Marketing and Employee Engagement. We'll be sharing insights into how to apply behavioral science in business. And we’ve started the series off with award-winning marketer, Matthew Willcox. He understands the fundamental importance of using behavioral insights to help organizations align with how people choose. He is one of the pioneers of applying behavioral science in marketing.

In this episode, Tim and Kurt speak to Matthew about his book The Business of Choice – Marketing to Consumers Instincts (https://amzn.to/3qSYB0q). It was named the "Marketing Book Of The Year” and is the winner of the American Marketing Association’s prestigious Berry Book Prize. This book is full of practical tips for marketers. But what we truly love about Matthew’s work is that it lays out some fundamental insights into human behavior.

Matthew is also the Behavioral Insights Lead at The Curious Company, which focuses on social impact and uses anthropology, behavioral economics and human centered design to make beneficial behaviors easy and natural. And over the years, Matthew has worked with Levi Strauss, Electronic Arts, Unilever, Nestlé, Shell and GlaxoSmithKline to help them craft their brand strategies. He has also acted as an expert on behavior change for the US Food and Drug Administration anti-smoking programs.

“Make the behavior you need people to adopt an easy, natural and rewarding choice.” Our discussion with Matthew explores the idea of why marketing is more about choice, than consumption. Matthew describes the LENS model (Loss, Ease, Now, Social) that he uses as a framework to understand the behavior of choices. And a subject close to our heart; why context matters! And we learn more about Matthew through the list of music that he would take to a desert island.

As we continue to adapt our podcast to our listeners' choices, we are publishing our interviews as a separate episode to our Grooving Session where we discuss how you can apply insights from our guest. Please tune in to the accompanying episode of Behavioral Grooves to listen to the practical applications of Matthew’s work.

Topics we Discuss with Matthew Willcox

(3:35) Welcome and speed round questions

(9:05) When do we actually read product reviews; before or after a purchase?

(11:19) Why marketing is about choice, not consumption

(19:14) The LENS Model

(28:52) Why context matters

(33:30) What music would Matthew take to a desert island?

Links

The Business of Choice https://thebusinessofchoice.com/

The Business of Choice – Marketing to Consumers Instincts https://amzn.to/3qSYB0q

José Mourinho https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Mourinho

Sandpiper bird https://www.birds-of-north-america.net/sandpipers.html

Availability Heuristic https://behavioralgrooves.com/behavioral-science-glossary-of-terms/

Dos Equis Mexican Beer https://dosequis.com/

Laphroaig https://www.laphroaig.com/en/

Vlad Griskevicius https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/faculty/vlad-griskevicius

BBC Desert Island Discs - Daniel Kahneman https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0381l2v

Musical Links

Bach, Cantata 37 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im1ZVQdB-TY

Neil Diamond “Sweet Caroline” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vhFnTjia_I

Carolan “Fanny Power” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRv3rLNP8pE

Gary Moore “Parisienne Walkways” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkUpfw4Hf3w

Rita Ora “Anywhere” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksdAs4LBRq8

Baby Rexha “I’m Going To Show You Crazy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEDZZin4_eM

Bach “Goldberg Variations” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15ezpwCHtJs

Bach “The Art of Fugue” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9OUfBDIGhw

Beethoven “The Emperor Concerto” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDXWK3W477w

[GROOVING SESSION] Make Choice Rewarding: Behavioral Insights in Marketing with Matthew Willcox

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 14:33:36 -0600

We’re doing things a little differently this month on Behavioral Grooves. Instead of discussing Matthew Willcox’s interview in our Grooving Session at the end of the episode, we’ve decided to make it a separate episode. We suggest you listen to Matthew’s interview first (episode #235), and then join us on this episode where we discuss practical applications of Matthew Willcox’s fascinating work.

At the start of our series on Marketing and Employee Engagement, Kurt and Tim discuss how we can apply Matthew Willcox’s techniques and research to improve our lives and our organization.

Does reframing "consumers" to "choosers" change how we think about marketing? What the LENS model can teach us about human behavior. How do cognitive biases influence our decisions?

These are the applications of Behavioral Science that we talk about in our Grooving Session:

Marketing is About Choice
The LENS Model
Cognitive Biases as Design Features

Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last [GROOVING SESSION]

Sun, 27 Jun 2021 03:17:13 -0600

We’re doing things a little differently this week. Instead of discussing Katy Milkman’s research at the end of our interview (Episode 232), we’ve decided to make our Grooving Session a separate episode. We suggest you listen to Katy’s interview first in the previous episode, and then join us here where we discuss how Katy's work will help you find your behavior-changing groove!

In this Grooving Session we will learn to:

Look for the obstacles that are preventing you from adopting new behaviors.
Use the appropriate change technique based on the obstacles that are preventing you from changing.
Give junior people a chance to lead, expect the best, and don’t punish them for failure.
Work on becoming a Flexible Fernando so you don’t give in to the What-The-Hell Effect.

Links

Katy Milkman, How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be https://amzn.to/3wTSxH7

Kurt Lewin Behavior https://www.change-management-coach.com/kurt_lewin.html

Force Analysis https://creately.com/blog/business/force-field-analysis/

Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last [INTERVIEW]

Sun, 27 Jun 2021 03:13:12 -0600

We all appreciate a fresh start. Time to start again. A clean slate. Maybe we want to go to the gym more often, eat more vegetables, or read more books. But why do we often fail to maintain our new healthy habits?

Our guest today, Katy Milkman PhD, believes that we often focus too much on the final outcome, rather than the steps that will get us there. Thinking about what is going to trigger our actions and what barriers are going to get in the way of our new behavior, are much more effective techniques than aiming for the finishing line.

Katy Milkman is the James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a secondary appointment at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. Her research explores ways that insights from economics and psychology can be harnessed to change consequential behaviors for good. She is no stranger to podcasts, as host of the Charles Schwab podcast Choiceology with Katy Milkman, she explores key lessons from behavioral economics about decision making.

More recently, Katy has published a new book, which is already a best-selling hit: How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be https://amzn.to/3wTSxH7. We are thrilled to delve into some of the groundbreaking research behind the book, as well as Katy's motivation for writing.

In our conversation, we talk about a project she started with Angela Duckworth PhD, The Behavior Change for Good initiative that uses large scale or “Mega” experiments to explore many different behavior change ideas with over 150 of the top researchers in the world.

Katy attributes a lot of her career success to her PhD mentor, Max Bazerman, one of our favorite guests on Behavioral Grooves (Episode 196: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/living-happier-by-making-the-world-better-with-max-bazerman/). We discuss the magic “algorithm” that Max uses to get the best out of his students and how we can all learn from these mentoring steps.

Our conversation also touches on the more topical application of behavioral science; encouraging vaccination uptake. Katy’s early response to the COVID-19 pandemic was to start researching different message reminders sent to patients. We talk about how the endowment effect plays an important role in effective vaccination messaging.

Next, you can listen to our follow-up Grooving Session (in separate episode #233) where Kurt and Tim do a deep dive discussion into Katy's interview and leave you with some actionable insight on how to change your habits.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Your donations help support the cost of publishing the Behavioral Grooves podcast. We also love reading your reviews on the podcast, which in turn, helps others find our content.

Topics We Discuss with Katy Milkman

(5:38) Welcome to Katy Milkman and speed round questions

(6:36) The behavioral science behind a “Fresh Start”

(10:25) Why being a Flexible Fernando is better than being being a Rigid Rachel

(17:01) Does goal setting help change your behavior?

(17:55) The value of breaking down a goal

(20:24) What was the impetus behind Katy writing the book How to Change?

(24:55) What is the Behavioral Change for Good initiative?

(29:31) How did Katy become interested in Behavioral Science?

(32:17) Why Max Bazerman is such a successful mentor?

(40:24) How do we encourage more people to get vaccinated?

(45:54) What music has Katy listened to through the pandemic?

Links

Katy Milkman, How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be https://amzn.to/3wTSxH7

Hengchen Dai PhD – Baseball research https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/management-and-organizations/faculty/dai

Marissa A Sharif, Suzanne B Shu (2017), The benefits of emergency reserves: Greater preference and persistence for goals that have slack with a cost https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1509/jmr.15.0231

Al Bandura, Stanford University https://albertbandura.com/

Hal Hershfield, UCLA https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/marketing/faculty/hershfield

Shlomo Benartzi, UCLA https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-directory/benartzi

Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance https://amzn.to/3wVoWwO

Behavioral Change For Good https://bcfg.wharton.upenn.edu/

Daniel Kahneman https://amzn.to/3zRNHvL

Episode 196: Living Happier By Making the World Better with Max Bazerman https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/living-happier-by-making-the-world-better-with-max-bazerman/

Lauren Eskreis-Winkler, Dear Abby: Should I Give Advice or Receive It? https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797618795472

Episode 226: The Power Of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

Gretchen Chapman, Speaking of Psychology: Will people accept a COVID-19 vaccine? https://www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/covid-19-vaccine

Kurt Lewin Behavior https://www.change-management-coach.com/kurt_lewin.html

Force Analysis https://creately.com/blog/business/force-field-analysis/

Episode 217: 3 Ways To Have A Positive Chat About Vaccine Hesitancy With Friends And Family https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/vaccine-hesitancy/

Musical Links

Just Dance YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChIjW4BWKLqpojTrS_tX0mg

Taylor Swift “Blank Space” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ORhEE9VVg

Megan Trainor “All About That Base” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk

Katy Perry “This Is How We Do” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RMQksXpQSk

Why We Work At Our Best, When We Feel At Our Best with Larry Senn

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 06:01:49 -0600

Today's guest is Dr. Larry Senn, PhD, a pioneer in the field of corporate culture. He founded Senn Delaney as a culture shaping firm back in 1978, based on his principle that organizations become shadows of their leaders. Larry works with CEO teams and organizations from top to bottom to create the behaviors needed to support strategies and enhance business results. And he was recently named “The Father of Corporate Culture” by CEO Forum magazine.

Larry is also author of The Mood Elevator: Take Charge of Your Feelings, Become a Better You (https://amzn.to/2Us1clM), which is a way of exploring your moods, and resetting them.

One way that Larry resets his mood? By listening to music! We love how Larry uses music as a way of motivating and resetting the mood and we talk to Larry about his personal music choices. Doing things that quieten your mind and becoming more peaceful, is one of Larry's Mood Elevator tools to help change your perspective.

The purpose in Larry’s life has always been to help people live their best version of themselves: mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. He also believes that to be a good leader, you first have to take care of yourself. And he certainly practices what he preaches! Larry runs regularly to keep his body physically fit and enjoys competing in triathlons and bodyboarding with his son.

We have edited this episode in a slightly different style. Instead of the normal format of discussing the interview in our Grooving Session at the end of the show, Kurt and Tim pause the interview throughout and take a few minutes to highlight some of Larry’s key take-away points. Let us know if you enjoyed this different format on Twitter @behavioralgroov or drop us an email at info@behavioralgrooves.com.

Topics We Discuss with Larry Senn

(3:48) Welcome and speed round questions

(5:14) Why is Larry fascinated by peak human performance?

(8:10) Can you engineer an epiphany?

(13:27) How Larry was influenced by Kurt Lewin’s organizational behavior work

(16:05) Influencing cultural change in large organizations

(19:28) The power of purpose

(20:48) What is The Mood Elevator?

(27:47) Why Larry keeps a gratitude journal

(35:08) How to start a gratitude journal

(38:10) How Larry cares for his physical and mental wellbeing

(41:43) Owning your feelings

(44:25) What are the biggest challenges facing corporate culture?

(51:27) How Larry lifts his mood with music

Links

Larry Senn https://www.senndelaney.com/01_larry_senn.html

Larry Senn, The Mood Elevator: Take Charge of Your Feelings, Become a Better You https://amzn.to/2Us1clM

On YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBZD_fKz4i08JczrN5FFelQ

Kurt Lewin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Lewin

Martin Seligman https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/people/martin-ep-seligman

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Hanlon’s razor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor

Episode 226: The Power Of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

Peter Drucker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker

Malcolm Gladwell; The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference https://amzn.to/3qmhpF6

Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Musical Links

Cat Stevens “Where Do The Children Play” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXxcMw5PTDg

The Cab “Endlessly” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoWXANu5Rts

Stress Relief, Deep Relaxation Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58ZNeCS05lI

Aretha Franklin “Respect” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOUqQt3Kg0

How Good People Fight Bias | Dolly Chugh

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 02:55:43 -0600

Dolly sits down with Kurt and Tim on this episode, to talk about the concept of “good-ish” which is a central theme to her book The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias https://amzn.to/35tGwMe. Psychology and neuroscience have proven that our minds do things on autopilot. These shortcuts (or heuristics) are laden with unconscious biases, which are juxtaposed to our self identity as a “good” person; one that isn’t racist, sexist or homophobic. Dolly believes we should set a higher standard for ourselves by being good-ish people. By implementing a Growth Mindset, a concept pioneered by Carol Dweck, we don’t hang on too tightly to our identity. We learn to change, and to be taught and to grow.

What You Will Learn from Dolly Chugh

(2:41) Speed round questions

(4:12) What is the difference between good and good-ish?

(9:09) Why is a growth mindset so difficult?

(12:28) Why we should integrate psychology more into our educational and political systems

(15:48) How systemic racism and unconscious bias are related

(29:12) Hmmm Framework and thought experiments

(34:04) How do we discover our own blind spots?

(38:58) How Dolly incorporates music into her teaching and writing

(43:21) Applications from our interview with Dolly in our Grooving Session:

Step back and be intentional, use “when...then…” statements.
Don’t hold on so tightly to our identity and the status quo.
Thought experiments to unveil our own ignorance.
The Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT).
Self audit - look at our library, our magazines, our TV shows, what we talk about with friends. How are we showing up in the world? Are we being intentional with where we put our effort?

Links

Dolly Chugh: http://www.dollychugh.com/about-dolly

Dolly Chugh, The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias https://amzn.to/35tGwMe

Carol Dweck, Mindset, The New Psychology of Success https://amzn.to/3wDv10I

Episode 196: Living Happier By Making the World Better with Max Bazerman https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/living-happier-by-making-the-world-better-with-max-bazerman/

Mahzarin Banaji https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/mahzarin-r-banaji

Molly Kern https://www.molly-kern.com/

Happy Days https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee0gziqT2Yk&ab_channel=ChiefScheiderChiefScheider

Grey’s Anatomy https://youtu.be/dSGLObjyFvA

Katy Milkman, How to Change https://amzn.to/3wDZHzc

Confronting the legacy of housing discrimination https://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs_this_morning/video/vLnaRgBIed_ph_NxZa2ZaivfdC_FeD1f/white-americans-confront-legacy-of-housing-discrimination/

Harvard Implicit Association Test https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

Alec Lacamoire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Lacamoire

Lake Wobegon Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wobegon

Episode 214: Observing the Non-Obvious: How to Spot Trends Around You with Rohit Bhargava https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-non-obvious-rohit-bhargava/

Musical Links

Hamilton “Alexander Hamilton” https://youtu.be/VhinPd5RRJw

In the Heights “Blackout” https://youtu.be/T0V2cCjf1Tk

Something Rotten! “A Musical” https://youtu.be/1KFNcy9VjQI

Bruno Mars “The Lazy Song” https://youtu.be/fLexgOxsZu0

38 Special “Hold On Loosely” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJtf7R_oVaw

Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” https://youtu.be/80_39eAx3z8

From Holding the Mic to Theory of Mind: Rob Leonard's Love of Language

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 02:38:23 -0600

Talk about a unique career path! From performing at Woodstock before Jimi Hendrix, with his band Sha Na Na, to now being a Forensic Linguist, testifying for infamous court cases, one theme runs throughout the life journey of our guest Rob Leonard; his love of language.

Rob Leonard started his unique career as a band member of Sha Na Na, one of only 32 bands who played at Woodstock in August of 1969. He played at the request of Jimi Hendrix and was the last band to go on to perform before Jimi went on to play one of his most memorable performances; the unforgettable rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

Sha Na Na shot to fame when Rob was studying for his undergraduate degree at Columbia University. Since his commitment to the band’s rehearsals and performances was so time consuming, Rob chose to study the only language that had classes available on Saturdays: East African Bantu (also known as Swahili). So after graduating, and leaving the band, he spent 7 years in East Africa carrying out socio linguistic fieldwork, and subsequently earning his PhD.

Rob now practices as a forensic linguistics expert, analyzing the use of spoken and written language in a legal arena. He worked on the murder case of JonBenét Ramsey by analyzing the ransom note and testifying that it had not been written by the man who falsely confessed to her murder. Not only has he worked to solve cases in the US with the FBI, but he's also worked with Canada, and UK, law enforcement agencies as well. And he's worked on big corporate cases between Microsoft and Apple by carefully analyzing the way emails were written.

Quotes From Our Conversation with Rob Leonard

(24:41) we can sort of use another metaphor, lift up the cover of the language and see what's going on underneath. And we can infer that there are certain patterns happening here that we then test for and we find

(26:09) “Most of the information that is transmitted in a conversation does not come from the words that a speaker says, they come from the mind of the listener.”

Topics we Discuss with Rob Leonard

(4:48) Speed Round

(6:08) Can you determine someone’s innocence from the way they speak?

(8:40) What is forensic linguistics?

(11:57) Non-random distribution of language

(13:21) Rob’s journey into learning East African Bantu

(19:18) How Rob found the career path into linguistics

(25:55) Theory of Mind

(34:12) Rob’s stories from playing at Woodstock

(47:40) Grooving Session about Rob

Links

Robert Leonard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Leonard

“Sha Na Na and the Woodstock Generation,” by George Leonard '67 and Robert Leonard '70

JonBenét Ramsey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_JonBen%C3%A9t_Ramsey

Tammy A. Gales PhD https://www.hofstra.edu/faculty/fac_profiles.cfm?id=3587&t=/Academics/Colleges/HCLAS/CLL/

Andy Warhol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Warhol

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Musical Links

Sha Na Na “Teen Angel” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqN9n2FbuJE

Jimi Hendrix “The Star Spangled Banner” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKAwPA14Ni4

Janis Joplin “Ball & Chain” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h66qXAK-q3o

Sha Na Na “Tears on my Pillow” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3He_gyNG6A&ab_channel=Foofsmom

The Mamas and The Papas “California Dreamin’” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-aK6JnyFmk&vl=en

Getting to Yes, And...Behavioral Grooves: Two Podcasts in One

Sun, 13 Jun 2021 03:03:00 -0600

This episode is a Behavioral Grooves first: we bring you our first ever joint podcast! Mid-way through the episode the tables turn and our guest interviews us! Our guest is the amazing Kelly Leonard, host of the great podcast called “Getting to Yes, And…” presented by Second City Works and WGN in Chicago. This unique conversation with Kelly, Kurt and Tim gives us a glimpse of the people behind the podcasts. It is a light-hearted, raw conversation scattered with some really personal, touching stories about challenges each of them have faced in their lives.

For over 30 years, Kelly has worked at Second City Improv - in all capacities moving up to Executive Vice President. He’s worked with some of the most unforgettable and influential comedians on the planet, such as Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Keegan Michael Key, Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler! His book, "Yes, And," received rave reviews in Vanity Fair and the Washington Post.

But what we really wanted to talk to Kelly about was his work as executive director of insights and applied improvisation at Second City. He now co-leads a new partnership with Booth School at the University of Chicago that studies behavioral science through the lens of improvisation. Their mission is to use humor and empathy, interactivity and dialogue, to elevate conversations and inspire people to perform better.

Kelly talks to us about what improv actually is. He believes it’s fundamentally different from comedy and says many people tell him that improv training changed their life. He likens improv to “yoga for your social skills”!

We discuss Kelly’s concept of “Yes, And”. So often as humans, our default setting when asked to be involved with something, is to do nothing or say no. But our regrets are almost always about the things that we didn't do. He describes saying “yes, and'' as a little nudge. And he has some innovative ways of sharing this idea through improv exercises

Kelly has discovered that real value is added to the “Yes, And” approach by adding a final step called “Thank You, Because”. Those are the words that help bridge a gap between us and someone else we fundamentally disagree with. By thanking someone for sharing information, their “fear brain” isn’t triggered, and they feel gratitude. The “Because” part forces us to find something in what they’ve said that is true for both of us. We then have some space to stay in the conversation together.

Our conversation with Kelly then flips! And for the first time ever on Behavioral Grooves, the interviewers become the interviewees! We delve into the behavioral science work that Tim and Kurt are passionate about; negativity bias and how to overcome it, talking to our emotions and naming our fears, the 4-Drive model of Motivation, as well as how to improve really dull work meetings!

Kurt and Tim tell us the “yes, and” story of how the Behavioral Grooves podcast actually started! And Kelly shares how an office fire was the spark that ignited his podcast journey. In this unique episode you will learn what makes these 3 great podcast hosts really tick and what techniques and exercises they use to stay positive, grateful and what they’ve learnt by saying “yes, and”.

Topics We Discuss in This Episode

(3:36) Welcome to Kelly and speed round questions

(5:00) What is improv?

(10:32) The concept of “Yes, And”

(17:15) Obstacles as gifts

(20:08) Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset

(21:46) “Wish” - a resilience exercise

(23:36) Kelly talks music

(26:56) Switch! Kelly welcomes Tim and Kurt

(27:09) Negativity Bias

(29:06) Talk to the emotions

(31:23) How writing connects with your emotions

(36:44) How Kurt started his business

(37:03) The 4-Drive Model of Motivation

(39:25) How Behavioral Grooves and Getting To Yes, And podcasts started

(42:18) Meetings suck! How can we improve them?

(44:29) Emotional safety at work

(52:30) Who do Kurt and Tim REALLY want as a guest on their podcast?

(59:42) Kurt and Tim’s Yes, And stories

(1:04:18) Grooving session

Links

Kelly Leonard: https://www.secondcity.com/people/kelly-leonard+

Second City: Secondcity.com

“Getting to Yes, And” Podcast: https://www.secondcityworks.com/podcast

Art In An Instant: The secrets of improvisation https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/lifestyle/science-behind-improv-performance/

The Big Short Movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Short_(film)

Richard Thaler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Thaler

The Second Science Project https://www.secondcityworks.com/about/research-insights

Nicholas Epley “Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want” https://amzn.to/34M4GRM

Tim Harford “Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives” https://amzn.to/34JN9dc

Kurt Nelson PhD, Communicating To Your Team During A Pandemic https://medium.com/@kurtnelson_84317/communicating-to-your-team-during-a-pandemic-insights-and-tips-for-leaders-rooted-in-behavioral-aebd938d0310

Devon Price PhD “Laziness Does Not Exist” https://amzn.to/3cqZl6Z

“Getting To Yes, And...podcast with Devon Price PhD” https://www.secondcityworks.com/podcast-posts/guest-dr-devon-price

Tim Houlihan “The Benefits Of Pre-industrial Revolution Life” https://www.behavioralchemy.com/news-1/2020/5/19/the-benefits-of-pre-industrial-revolution-life

David Byrne “American Utopia” https://americanutopiabroadway.com/

The 4-Drive Model. “Employee Motivation: A Powerful New Model”

https://hbr.org/2008/07/employee-motivation-a-powerful-new-model

Jane Dutton University of Michigan “Compassion at Work” https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/145016032.pdf

Liz Fosslien “No Hard Feelings: Emotions at Work and How They Help Us Succeed” https://amzn.to/3v2LhXF

Episode 120: Covid-19 Crisis “Emotional Impact Of Wfh With Liz Fosslien” https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/c-19-crisis-emotional-impact-of-wfh-with-liz-fosslien/

Kimberlé Crenshaw “Intersectionality” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersectionality

Amy Edmondson “Psychological Safety” https://hbr.org/2021/04/what-psychological-safety-looks-like-in-a-hybrid-workplace

Adam Alter “Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked” https://amzn.to/3iuzAX0

Episode 204 “How Shellye Archambeau Flies Like an Eagle” https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shellye-archambeau-like-an-eagle/

Joann Lublin “Work-Life-Sway” https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/author-talks-joann-lublin-on-lessons-for-working-mothers-their-families-and-their-employers#

Alan Alda https://aldacenter.org/

Daniel Kahneman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

Barry Schwartz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Schwartz_(psychologist)

David Byrne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Byrne

Robert MacFarlane “The Lost Words” https://amzn.to/35dxmnj

Tina Seelig at Stanford University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Seelig

Episode 67 “George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom” https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

John Sweeney https://bravenewworkshop.com/author/sweeney/

Katy Milkman “How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” https://amzn.to/350WJbK

Episode 220 “How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets” https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Musical Links

Django Reinhardt “Three-Fingered Lightning” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQhTpgicdx4

Keith Jarrett “If I Were A Bell” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr42YR4rHbE

Taylor Swift “Cardigan” from Folklore album https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-a8s8OLBSE

Taylor Swift “Willow” from Evermore album https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsEZmictANA

Lake Street Dive “Obviously” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0XOy0XjKIg

Switched on Pop Podcast https://switchedonpop.com/

Neil Young “Harvest Moon” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2MtEsrcTTs

David Bowie “Lazarus” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-JqH1M4Ya8

Get More from Reading your Favorite Books with Pique founder Bec Weeks

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 02:47:23 -0600

On this episode of Behavioral Grooves we chat with the founder of the engaging new app PIQUE. Bec Weeks is a behavioral scientist turned accidental entrepreneur! By joining forces with some of the brightest minds in behavioral science, including partners Sendhil Mullainathan, Eldar Shafir and Mike Norton, they have developed an amazing app that accompanies your favorite books.

Pique takes users' interests in books to a new level with their slogan: Don't just read the book. DO the book. By using insights from psychology research, the app creates three-minute adventures that change how you see yourself and others. Pique helps you DO things. They know that just reading books doesn’t lead to change. Doing leads to change. That’s where the app can help.

Pique has created curious, engaging content from some of the bestselling books from the last year:

Katy Milkman's new book “How to Change” https://amzn.to/2RSeJCj
Lidy Klotz “Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less” https://amzn.to/3p6XcT0
Annie Duke “How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices” https://amzn.to/3yRPWyO
And many more.

You can check out the new app Pique here: https://getpique.app.link/4voB1E9VOgb. But first, listen in to Bec's chat with us.

What You Will Learn About In This Episode

(2:38) Welcome and speed round

(5:06) What is Pique?

(12:50) Why humor is an important part of the app

(17:03) Why is the app called Pique?

(21:13) How Bec has used analytics and algorithmic techniques

(23:05) Bec’s journey to becoming an entrepreneur

(26:49) The surprises of being an entrepreneur

(32:43) How Bec first became interested in behavioral science

(34:37) What music would Bec take to a desert island?

(41:11) Grooving Session

I you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, we would really appreciate your support by writing us a podcast review or becoming a Behavioral Grooves Patreon Member at https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Thank you!

Links

Bec Weeks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becweeks/

Pique: https://getpique.app.link/4voB1E9VOgb

Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir “Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much” https://amzn.to/3uzvyz2

Ashley Whillans “Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life” https://amzn.to/3wSy4lD

Wendy Wood “Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick” https://amzn.to/2TzXxSr

Dolly Chugh “The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias” https://amzn.to/34BinTD

Katy Milkman “How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” https://amzn.to/2RSeJCj

Annie Duke “How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices” https://amzn.to/3yRPWyO

Lidy Klotz “Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less” https://amzn.to/3p6XcT0

Mike Norton and Elizabeth Dunn “Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending” https://amzn.to/3c8Mlm1

Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas “Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (And how anyone can harness it. Even you.)” https://amzn.to/3paWZhB

Daniel Kahneman “Thinking Fast and Slow” https://amzn.to/3fZDvbA

Episode 205: The Myth of the “Relationship Spark” with Logan Ury (featuring a guest appearance by Christina Gravert, PhD) https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-myth-of-the-relationship-spark-with-logan-ury-featuring-a-guest-appearance-by-christina-gravert-phd/

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Episode 38: Linnea Gandhi: Crushing On Statistics https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/linnea-gandhi-crushing-on-statistics/

Episode 224: Why Is Noise Worse Than Bias? Olivier Sibony Explains https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/noise-with-olivier-sibony/

Deese–Roediger–McDermott paradigm (DRM): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deese%E2%80%93Roediger%E2%80%93McDermott_paradigm

Musical Links

Hamilton “Alexander Hamilton” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhinPd5RRJw

Radiohead “No Surprises” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5CVsCnxyXg

Taylor Swift “Love Story” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXzVF3XeS8M

Dua Lipa “We’re Good” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr47YisIsz8

Wicked “Defying Gravity” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glsmLGpqMzA

Frozen “The Next Fight Thing” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuC_-7vy_F0

Moana “You’re Welcome” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79DijItQXMM

Billie Eilish “Your Power” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzeWc3zh01g

Tame Impala “Let It Happen” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFptt7Cargc

Powderfinger “These Days” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XaSm9-r_4U&ab_channel=Powderfinger

Spiderbait “Black Betty” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU1VfYYKMDk

The Cat Empire “Brighter Than Gold” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM_rIaUm7ac

The Power of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence

Sun, 30 May 2021 03:03:00 -0600

The GodFather of Influence, Robert Cialdini joins us again on Behavioral Grooves to share his motivation for expanding his bestselling book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (https://amzn.to/3tyCpZ6) which now includes a completely new Seventh Principle of Influence: Unity. This additional principle can help explain our political loyalties, vaccine hesitancy and why media headlines can be so inflammatory.

Another motivation for the revised edition to the book is to include more application to the Principles of Influence. So our conversation highlights some of Bob’s advice for start-up businesses and how they can harness the principle of Social Proof. And as general advice, Bob recounts how he recently advised a teenager to be generous to others - this in turn stimulates the Rule of Reciprocity, nurturing a relationship which is mutually beneficial.

Topics we Discuss on Unity with Robert Cialdini

(3:55) Speed round

(6:50) Ideal number of stars on your online review

(9:00) Why Cialdini wrote a new edition of Influence

(12:13) The new Seventh Principle: Unity

(15:10) How to harness social proof as a start-up

(20:02) A new color of lies

(22:22) Principle of Unity with politics

(24:42) Tribalism and vaccine hesitancy

(28:35) Why Trump getting vaccinated hasn’t influenced his voters

(30:50) How framing of media headlines influences our perception of the news

(33:24) The Petrified Forest Wood Principle

(36:56) Where will the next generation of research go with Cialdini’s work?

(40:52) What advice would Cialdini give your teenager?

(48:23) Music and influence

(53:05) Grooving session

Robert Cialdini's Books

Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion https://amzn.to/3tyCpZ6

Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade https://amzn.to/3eGdyOW

Links

Episode 50: Robert Cialdini, PhD: Littering, Egoism and Aretha Franklin https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/robert-cialdini-phd-littering-egoism-and-aretha-franklin/

Increase Your Influence https://www.influenceatwork.com/

Godfather 2 Movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_Part_II

Richard Thaler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Thaler

Daniel Kahneman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Donald Trump vaccine https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2021/04/20/trump-i-dont-know-why-republicans-are-vaccine-hesitant-again-floats-pfizer-conspiracy-theory/

Mike Pence https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/pence-set-receive-covid-vaccine-televised-appearance-n1251655

Petrified Forest Wood Principle https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-shaping-us/201909/the-petrified-wood-principle

Stanley Schachter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Schachter

Jerome Singer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_E._Singer

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

The psychology of misinformation: Why it’s so hard to correct: https://firstdraftnews.org/latest/the-psychology-of-misinformation-why-its-so-hard-to-correct/

How to combat fake news and misinformation: https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-to-combat-fake-news-and-disinformation/

Teaching skills to combat fake news and misinformation: https://www.washington.edu/trends/teaching-skills-to-combat-fake-news-and-misinformation/

Episode 102: Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Episode 214: Observing the Non-Obvious: How to Spot Trends Around You with Rohit Bhargava https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-non-obvious-rohit-bhargava/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Behind NOISE and Beyond The Book: Linnea Gandhi Shares her New Course on Noise

Wed, 26 May 2021 05:15:23 -0600

Linnea Gandhi is one of our favorite people to talk with and we had the pleasure of welcoming Linnea back to Behavioral Grooves recently. We last spoke to her in 2018 when she confessed to having a crush on statistics (a crush she clearly still harbors!) Since that time though, she has made a significant contribution to the infamous new book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony and Cass Sunstein (https://amzn.to/3heyr5r). Linnea served as the chief of staff; project managing, researching and editing the groundbreaking work on the book. When we interviewed Olivier Sibony about Linnea’s contribution, he was glowing with compliments about her:

“it took someone as miraculously organized, helpful and smart, always positive and in a consistently cheerful, good mood. And I can't imagine anyone else on the planet who could have pulled this off, but Linnea did. So she's amazing.”

Linnea is a researcher, teacher, and practitioner of behavioral science in business settings. And she’s obsessed with error. Studying it, fixing it, and even embracing it – to enable better decisions by individuals and organizations.

Linnea is passionate about bridging the gap between behavioral science in academia and its application in the real world. She teaches decision science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, studies it as part of her PhD at the Wharton School of Business, and consults on it through her company, BehavioralSight (https://behavioralsight.teachable.com/). This foothold in both worlds, has given Linnea the expertise for her current project which sees her teaching the topic of noise in an “edu-tainment” online video course.

The tremendous new course (we got a sneak peak...it’s fantastic) is called Beyond Bias: How Noise May Be Drowning Out Your Decision Making Accuracy which is due to be published in June 2021. The course is purposefully designed for busy professionals who want to understand noise and how to mitigate it in organizations. Linnea and her team have meticulously planned the course videos so that they are short yet informative and entertaining. She is well aware that they are competing with Netflix for people’s attention!

Our conversation weaves in some endearing anecdotes about her personal experience of working with Kahneman, Sunstein and Sibony on the book. As well as some of the hurdles of working (and recording) from home that many of us can identify with from the last year. But Linnea’s passion for her work on noise and her enthusiasm for statistics is contagious. So much so that it has almost convinced Kurt to start reading about statistics in his spare time (almost!)

We hope you enjoy listening to Linnea’s work in behavioral science. At Behavioral Grooves, we are passionate about bringing you cutting edge interviews with the world’s best behavioral science practitioners, researchers and authors. If you would like to help support our work, please consider becoming a Behavioral Grooves Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves, we really appreciate the support.

Topics We Discuss With Linnea

(3:07) Speed Round

(6:39) About Linnea’s new course on NOISE

(16:45) Why humans don’t see easily see randomness

(19:58) Working behind the scenes on NOISE

(22:48) How did the authors first collaborate on NOISE

(26:53) What finally convinced Linnea to get a PhD

(36:12) Decision Hygiene and Linnea’s favorite technique

(41:20) Music

(43:20) Grooving Session

Links

“Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment” by Kahneman, Sibony and Sunstein, 2021 https://amzn.to/3heyr5r

Statistics As Principled Argument https://amzn.to/3uhRU8c

Linnea’s Video Course on Noise (coming in June 2021) “Beyond Bias: How Noise May Be Drowning Out Your Decision Making Accuracy” https://www.behavioralsight.com/online-learning

Episode 224: Why Is Noise Worse Than Bias? Olivier Sibony Explains https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/noise-with-olivier-sibony/

Episode 38: Linnea Gandhi: Crushing On Statistics https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/linnea-gandhi-crushing-on-statistics/

Daniel Kahneman https://amzn.to/2QQksId

Cass Sunstein https://amzn.to/3uj61Kp

Olivier Sibony https://amzn.to/3u8LBnp

Noise: How to Overcome the High, Hidden Cost of Inconsistent Decision Making https://hbr.org/2016/10/noise

Episode 176: Annie Duke on How to Decide https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/

Tania Lombrozo (Explanations) https://psych.princeton.edu/person/tania-lombrozo

Mona Lisa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa

A Structured Approach to Strategic Decisions https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/a-structured-approach-to-strategic-decisions/

Duncan Watts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_J._Watts

Angela Duckworth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Duckworth

Episode 99: Katy Milkman: Behavior Change for Good https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/behavior-change-for-good/

Barbara Mellers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Mellers

Maurice Schweitzer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Schweitzer

Richard E. Nisbett “Thinking: A Memoir” https://amzn.to/341F4A4

Pareidolia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia

Musical Links

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis “Thrift Shop” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes&ab_channel=MacklemoreLLC

White Noise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMfPqeZjc2c&ab_channel=RelaxingWhiteNoiseRelaxingWhiteNoiseOfficialArtistChannel

Why Is Noise Worse Than Bias? Olivier Sibony Explains

Sun, 23 May 2021 02:20:49 -0600

NOISE is set to be the next behavioral science bestseller. Daniel Kahneman, Cass Sunstein and Olivier Sibony describe noise as the unwanted variabilities in our judgments. In our exclusive interview with co-author Olivier Sibony (https://oliviersibony.com/about/) we delve into the fundamentals of noise. What different types of noise are there? Where do we find noise? Why does bias get more attention than noise? And finally, Olivier’s favorite topic; how we can mitigate noise by using decision hygiene and actively open minded thinking.

Olivier Sibony is a professor, writer and advisor specializing in the quality of strategic thinking and the design of decision processes. Olivier teaches Strategy, Decision Making and Problem Solving at HEC Paris. He is also an Associate Fellow of Saïd Business School in Oxford University. Olivier’s research centers on improving the quality of decision making by reducing the impact of behavioral biases. He is the author of numerous articles in academic and popular publications, including Before You Make That Big Decision, co-authored with Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman.

Our interview with Olivier is, as I’m sure you will agree. absolutely mesmerizing. Learning about the extent of noise in our lives from Olivier and from the new book, is truly enlightening. As their cleverly crafted catchphrase says "wherever there is judgment, there is noise, and more of it than you think."

Thankfully, the brilliant team of authors have included lots of ways to combat the noise around us. And we know that our discussion with Olivier is just the first of many that we will have around this groundbreaking topic.

Behavioral Grooves strives to bring you insight and research from world-leading experts in behavioral science, like Olivier. And we do this without the use of paid advertising. If you would like to support our continued ad-free work, please consider becoming a Behavioral Grooves patreon by visiting https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves thank you.

Topics We Discuss

(4:38) Welcome to Olivier Sibony and speed round questions
(7:51) The difference between bias and noise
(11:32) Why has bias received more attention than noise?
(14:15) Where noise can be found?
(22:32) What is Decision Hygiene?
(26:35) How to implement mitigation techniques against noise?
(29:32) Actively Open Minded Thinking and what it means for leadership and education
(38:45) What are the different types of noise?
(44:18) The role of moral philosophical foundations and noise
(49:28) Music
(54:06) Grooving Session and Bonus Track

Olivier Sibony’s Books

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Kahneman, Sibony and Sunstein, 2021 https://amzn.to/3heyr5r

You're About to Make a Terrible Mistake: How Biases Distort Decision-Making and What You Can Do to Fight Them https://amzn.to/3u8LBnp

Links

Olivier Sibony https://oliviersibony.com/about/

Languedoc wine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languedoc-Roussillon_wine

Rhones Valley wine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rh%C3%B4ne_wine

Dr Itiel Dror https://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucjtidr/

Apgar Checklist https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2015/10/the-apgar-score

John Maynard Keynes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Maynard_Keynes

Max Bazerman “Better, Not Perfect: A Realist's Guide to Maximum Sustainable Goodness” https://amzn.to/3f4vvqm

Bentham's Utilitarianism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism

Kant's Deontological Approach https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/

Noise: How to Overcome the High, Hidden Cost of Inconsistent Decision Making https://hbr.org/2016/10/noise

Behavioral Grooves Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Yo-Yo Ma cellist “Bach Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prweT95Mo0

Billy Evans “My Foolish Heart” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2LFVWBmoiw

Keith Garrett “I Grew Up Today” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PerFVC6KbU

Oscar Peterson “C Jam Blues” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTJhHn-TuDY

More Great Episodes Of Behavioral Grooves

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Episode 211: A Thousand Thanks: A Lifetime of Experiments and Gratitude with AJ Jacobs https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/a-thousand-thanks-with-aj-jacobs/

Episode 204: How Shellye Archambeau Flies Like an Eagle https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shellye-archambeau-like-an-eagle/

Episode 176: Annie Duke on How to Decide https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/

Episode 147: Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-phd-goal-setting-prompts-priming-and-skepticism/

Episode 38: Linnea Gandhi: Crushing On Statistics https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/linnea-gandhi-crushing-on-statistics/

How Behavioral Science Can Impact Nonprofits: The Inspiring Story at Save The Children

Wed, 19 May 2021 05:10:45 -0600

Allison Zelkowitz seized the opportunity to use behavioral science at Save The Children to make a big impact on global projects. By building a world-first “nudge unit” within the organization, her story is an inspiring example of how application of behavioral science principles can make a real difference in the world.

Allison Zelkowitz is the Founder and ‎Director of the Center for Utilizing Behavioral Insights for Children (CUBIC) https://www.savethechildren.net/cubic, part of the international nonprofit organization Save the Children. CUBIC is the first behavioural insights initiative or "nudge unit" in the world to focus on the most marginalised children’s rights and welfare. At CUBIC, they focus on nudging the behaviours and actions of decision-makers, educators, families and communities, so more children get the best possible start in life.

Ultimately, Allison is well aware that changing behavior isn’t about telling people what to do, it’s about facilitating ways for them to change: understanding the barriers and effectively removing them. The projects of CUBIC are not just inspiring, they are also life-saving. Projects such as

Nudging children in Thailand to wear bicycle helmets,
Encouraging breastfeeding in Laos, and
Increasing playful teaching methods to enhance children’s learning in Bangladesh.

In our chat with Allison, she reveals the vast personal dedication that it took to enable CUBIC to be formed. We love that Allison first carved her interest in behavioral science by listening to podcasts in her spare time (Allison has since become a Behavioral Grooves Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves - thank you for your support!) But within the space of 14 months, her idea had grown into an international collaboration with other leading behavioral scientists, a huge fundraising effort, and eventually to the global launch of CUBIC in April 2020.

In this episode you will learn:

(11:05) What inspired Allison to start CUBIC at Save The Children International.
(15:03) Why just giving people good information doesn't change their behavior.
(19:45) An overview of setting up a Nudge unit.
(23:55) The steps Allison took to build CUBIC in 14 months.
(30:18) About the current project in the Philippines texting parents to encourage them to positively engage with their children.
(41:54) Upcoming project on increasing vaccination uptake in the global south.
(43:59) Music Allison enjoys.
(48:58) Grooving Session and Bonus Track.

Links

CUBIC - Save The Children International: https://www.savethechildren.net/cubic

Save The Children: https://www.savethechildren.org/?cid=Referral::POPUPwww.savethechildren.net::123199&utm_source=sciweb&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=member_popup

CUBIC: Save The Children initiative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCy9B-k2044

Eliud Kipchoge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge

United States Parachute Association: https://uspa.org/

Allison's Blog on Skydiving with Behavioral Science: https://www.patreon.com/posts/behavioral-in-32008134

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Fadi Makki, Founder of Nudge Lebannon: https://nudgelebanon.org/our_team/fadi/

The Busara Center for Behavioral Economics: https://www.busaracenter.org/

Faisal Naru, OECD: https://www.oecd.org/gov/behavioural-insights.htm

Josh Martin, Ideas 42: https://www.ideas42.org/blog/incorporating-behavioral-science-cash-transfer-programs-changing-lives/

The Behavioral Insights Team: https://www.bi.team/

Dr Susanna Loeb, The Annenberg Institute, Brown University: https://annenberg.brown.edu/publications/one-step-time-effects-early-literacy-text-messaging-program-parents-preschoolers

The Lantern Group: https://lanterngroup.com/

Behavioral Alchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Musical Links

Hamilton Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV78EPlNCZ5B1vHkRicCAdpbDqZ1DpLgM

Journey “Don’t Stop Believing”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k8craCGpgs

Video for Allison’s wedding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD38az2cUsg

Other Episodes You Will Enjoy

Episode 202: How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-chaning-jang-works-around-not-being-weird/

Episode 209: GAABS and Improving the Future for Every Applied Behavioral Scientist https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/improving-the-future-for-every-applied-behavioral-scientist/

Episode 190: Cornelia Walther on POZE: Pause, Observe, Zoom in, and Experience https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cornelia-walther-on-poze-pause-observe-zoom-in-and-experience/

Episode 168: The Stages of Grief, Pandemics and the Psychology of Protests with Nicole Fisher https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-stages-of-grief-pandemics-and-the-psychology-of-protests-with-nicole-fisher/

Episode 165: Shlomi Ron: Visual Storying Telling In a Time of Crisis https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shlomi-ron-visual-storying-telling-in-a-time-of-crisis/

Episode 146: Covid-19 Crisis: Mariel Beasley on Increasing Short Term Savings During the Crisis https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/covid-19-crisis-mariel-beasley-on-increasing-short-term-savings-during-the-crisis/

Episode 139: Iris Tzafrir: A Kind Word https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/iris-tzafrir-a-kind-word/

Episode 73: Terry Esau: Carbon Fiber Therapist https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/terry-esau-carbon-fiber-therapist/

Episode 19: The Teaspoon Hustle – Part 1 with Rob Burnet https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-teaspoon-hustle-part-1-with-rob-burnett/

Episode 20: The Teaspoon Hustle – Part 2 with Rob Burnet https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-teaspoon-hustle-part-2-with-rob-burnett/

Episode 221: Donating Our Money Is Irrational, So Why Do We Do It? Tim Kachuriak Explains Our Motivations https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-we-donate-our-money/

Episode 1: Behavioral Grooves 1: James Heyman, Phd https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/behavioral-grooves-1-james-heyman-phd/

Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How

Sun, 16 May 2021 03:04:19 -0600

In this episode, we are delighted to welcome Shankar Vedantam, host of the wildly popular podcast, Hidden Brain and esteemed author of the new book Useful Delusions (https://amzn.to/2PUkzlv).

In our discussion with Shankar we cover:

(6:38) Speed round questions.
(11:04) The difference between self delusions being useful and being harmful.
(16:23) How nations are a delusional construct.
(23:00) Awareness of self-delusions and how daily gratitudes can shift our perspective of the world.
(25:56) Shankar’s personal story of delusional thinking.
(29:58) The role emotions play in our mood and delusions.
(35:23) How avoidance of delusional thinking is a sign of privilege.
(37:30) Why our perceptions play an important role in understanding delusions.
(44:36) Shankar’s unique approach to conspiracy theories.
(52:28) What music Shankar has been listening to during COVID.
(52:15) Grooving Session and Bonus Track with Kurt and Tim.

Books

Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain https://amzn.to/2PUkzlv

The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars and Save Our Lives https://amzn.to/3e1qgWY

Links

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Kahneman, Sibony and Sunstein, 2021 https://amzn.to/3heyr5r

Richard Dawkins https://richarddawkins.net/

Mahabharata https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabharata

Lake Wobegon Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wobegon

Other Episodes We Talk About

Robert Cialdini, PhD: Littering, Egoism and Aretha Franklin: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/robert-cialdini-phd-littering-egoism-and-aretha-franklin/

George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-phd-goal-setting-prompts-priming-and-skepticism/

John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/

Donating Our Money Is Irrational, So Why Do We Do It? Tim Kachuriak Explains Our Motivations

Wed, 12 May 2021 03:04:00 -0600

Tim Kachuriak is the founder and Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer for NextAfter (https://www.nextafter.com/), a fundraising research lab and consulting firm that works with businesses, nonprofits, and NGOs to help them grow their resource capacity.

By his own admission, Tim is not a behavioral scientist, but what we love about Tim’s work is that he is using knowledge and research from the world of behavioral science and applying it to improve the efficiency of gift giving for nonprofit organizations. And not only does he use behavioral science techniques, he tests the theories in the nonprofit sector and generously publishes the findings on the NextAfter website (https://www.nextafter.com/research/).

In our conversation with Tim, he underscores the need for thinking about value proposition, a term widely used in the digital marketing world, but rarely thought of in terms of nonprofit organizations. He argues that potential donors are constantly weighing up the perceived value vs. the perceived cost of donating their money.

Tim also brings up the idea of reducing friction for donors: how can the giving experience be improved to make donating money a more seamless transaction. And we couldn’t help but see the parallels with the infamous new behavioral science book NOISE coming out later this month (Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment (https://amzn.to/3heyr5r) by Kahneman, Sibony and Sunstein, 2021).

There are many reasons why we donate to nonprofits; emotional reward, belonging, anger, guilt (or as Tim positively reframes it - gratitude!). Understanding these motivations is a huge part of Tim’s work and why, as behavioral scientists, we are fascinated to understand the research he has conducted around donations.

Edit

Hey groovers, just wanted to let you know that somehow, at 29:28 mins of the podcast we ended up cutting Tim’s response to the Susan G Komen question and can’t find it on the cutting room floor…sorry about that.

What he answered was that it is important to look at the scale that these organizations work at and that sometimes spending 50% on marketing to raise a $100 million is more effective and can drive a larger change than only spending 10% on marketing, but only raising $10 million. We then went in and asked about how the pandemic has impacted giving.*

We hope you enjoy our discussion with Tim Kachuriak and if you are a regular Behavioral Grooves listener, perhaps you feel motivated to donate to our work by becoming a Behavioral Grooves Patreon Member (https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves).

Topics

(0:06) Introduction to our guest, Tim Kachuriak

(3:50) Speed Round Questions

(5:57) Why do People Give?

(9:41) The Principle of Reciprocity

(12:10) Effective Messaging and Value Proposition

(22:25) Reducing Friction

(34:48) Music

(40:27) Grooving Session

(58:44) Bonus Track

Links

NextAfter (https://www.nextafter.com/)

NextAfter Research To Grow Generosity (https://www.nextafter.com/research/)

Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy (https://www.philanthropy-institute.org.uk/)

Roger Dooley: Friction and Engagement (https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/roger-dooley-friction-and-engagement/)

Susan G. Komen (https://www.komen.org/)

Dan Pallotta, TED - The Way We Think About Charity Is Dead Wrong (https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong?language=en)

John Hopkins University, Coronavirus Resource Centre (https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/)

Rotary Club (https://www.rotary.org/)

Salvation Army (https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/)

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment (https://amzn.to/3heyr5r) by Kahneman, Sibony and Sunstein, 2021

Phish, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City on 10.30.2010 (https://phish.net/setlists/phish-october-30-2010-boardwalk-hall-atlantic-city-nj-usa.html)

Behavioral Grooves Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves)

Musical Links

Billy Joel “Scenes from An Italian Restaurant” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxx8IWIvKg0)

Phish “Whole lotta love” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6XcIOGWUhY)

Other Episodes We Talk About

Robert Cialdini, PhD: Littering, Egoism and Aretha Franklin (https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/robert-cialdini-phd-littering-egoism-and-aretha-franklin/)

Linda Thunstrom: Are Thoughts and Prayers Empty Gestures to Suffering Disaster Victims? (https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/linda-thunstrom-are-thoughts-and-prayers-empty-gestures-to-suffering-disaster-victims/)

How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets

Sun, 09 May 2021 03:03:54 -0600

Our guest, Jon Levy, is arguably one of the most influential behavioral scientists in the world. Over 10 years ago, Jon founded The Influencers Dinner, a secret dining experience for industry leaders ranging from Olympians, Nobel laureates, executives, to musicians. Over the course of the last decade, these dinners have developed into a wide community of influential people.

Our opening speed round with Jon did not disappoint. We learn his unique perspective on which Star Trek Captains was the best, and the surprising answer to who his dream guest was at one of his dinners.

In our discussion with Jon, he shares the secrets behind his influential approach: what motivated him to start this novel idea, how he developed it and the key steps behind the ongoing success of the community that he has curated.

Jon’s second book, “You’re Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence” https://amzn.to/2RmlUlA is released on May 11, 2021. Which follows his hugely successful first book: “The 2 AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure” https://amzn.to/3eS3p0m. We had the privilege of previewing his latest book for this interview and we were blown away by Jon’s unique approach to cultivating human connections through trust and community.

Of course, we discuss what music Jon has been listening to at home and we are surprised to learn what has recently sparked his musical interest. Jon has found that through his Influence Dinners, he has hosted a lot of his childhood pop idols, which he still enjoys listening to.

Thanks for listening and thank you for taking a minute to join the others who have already left us a review.

Jon Levy's Books

You're Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence https://amzn.to/2RmlUlA

The 2 AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure https://amzn.to/3eS3p0m

Links

Jon Levy https://www.jonlevytlb.com/

Peter Cullen (voice of Optimus Prime) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Cullen

James T. Kirk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_T._Kirk

Jean-Luc Picard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Luc_Picard

Neil deGrasse Tyson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson

Oprah https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey

Beyonce https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyonc%C3%A9

Sir Richard Branson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Branson

Stephen Hawking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking

Disney https://www.disney.com/

Mark Zuckerberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zuckerberg

Nicholas Christakis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Christakis

James H. Fowler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Fowler

The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years

Christakis and Fowler (2007) https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmsa066082

Nike Run Club https://www.nike.com/gb/nrc-app

Bill Nye the Science Guy https://billnye.com/

Parkour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour

The Daily Show https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Show

The New York Times: Want to Meet Influential New Yorkers? Invite Them to Dinner

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/10/fashion/want-to-meet-influential-new-yorkers-invite-them-to-dinner.html

SNVTA - Ventral tegmental area of the brain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventral_tegmental_area

Davos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davos

Bill Gates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates

Angela Merkel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel

TED https://www.ted.com/

My Octopus Teacher https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Octopus_Teacher

United States Navy SEAL selection and training https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_SEAL_selection_and_training

The IKEA Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IKEA_effect#:~:text=The%20IKEA%20effect%20is%20a,of%20furniture%20that%20require%20assembly

Common Biases & Heuristics https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit?usp=sharing

Brené Brown https://brenebrown.com/about/

Adam Grant https://www.adamgrant.net/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Bridgerton Soundtrack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rowHZd7-F1U&ab_channel=LoopedSongs

Vitamin String Quartet “Thank u, next” (Ariana Grande) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmljfYBkGVg

John Williams “The Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7HF4JG1pOg&list=PL2yW2adfehiV0-wSa784KIT1ZJ5_YEVjd&index=2&ab_channel=JohnWilliamsVEVO

Tribe Called Quest “Electric Relaxation“ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHRnvjCkTsw&ab_channel=TribeCalledQuestVEVO

Biggie Smalls (The Notorious B.I.G.) “Big Poppa” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phaJXp_zMYM

Maroon Five “Sugar” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09R8_2nJtjg&ab_channel=Maroon5VEVO

98 Degrees “I Do (Cherish You)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09R8_2nJtjg&ab_channel=Maroon5VEVO

Cowboy Junkies “Sweet Jane” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa9nN3G2CSg&t=173s

The Tragically Hip “Ahead by a Century” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE2joQsWXJg

Topics

(4:46) Speed Round Questions

(9:03) Power vs Influence

(13:00) Why do we want influence?

(20:21) Jon discusses his new book

(25:41) Jon became influential

(32:11) How to create a community

(37:03) How trust is made and how to trigger it

(41:00) Music

(1:13:11) Bonus Track and Groove Idea

Other Episodes You’ll Enjoy

Dessa: The Attention Shepherd On The Curious Act Of Being Deeply Human (Episode 208) https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dessa-being-deeply-human/

Mapping the Influence of Corporate Cultures – Silke Brittain (Episode 12) https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/mapping-the-influence-of-corporate-cultures-silke-brittain/

Robert Cialdini, PhD: Littering, Egoism and Aretha Franklin (Episode 50) https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/robert-cialdini-phd-littering-egoism-and-aretha-franklin/

Why Music Makes You Feel Better with Pablo Ripollés and Ernest Mas Herrero

Sun, 02 May 2021 02:07:47 -0600

In this episode we are thrilled to be discussing our two favorite topics: human behavior and music. We learn that music, more than any other activity, can help lift our mood, during COVID. Our guests Pablo Ripollés PhD and Ernest Mas Herrero have spent years studying how the brain responds to rewards, learning and memory. Early in the pandemic, they decided to conduct research on a long list of activities that people were doing at home to manage their stress and increase the pleasure in their lives. While a number of the activities were found to help with mental health, the research overwhelmingly showed that engaging with music was the best way to lift your mood.

We have a really engaging conversation with Pablo and Ernest about their research findings on wellbeing and music. They believe that because listening to music is a passive activity and is so accessible, or “fun and free” as they call it, everyone can experience pleasure from it. And it’s not just listening to music; dancing, singing or playing music are all beneficial. We also learn that the best type of music to engage with is whatever music you really enjoy: “It will be beneficial as long as it is pleasurable.”

The questionnaire Pablo and Ernest discuss in the podcast is the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire http://brainvitge.org/z_oldsite/bmrq.php. It will take you only a few minutes to find out about your individual sensitivity to musical reward. And you can also read Pablo and Ernest’s full research article: “Rock ’n’ Roll but not Sex or Drugs: Music is negatively correlated to depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic via reward-related mechanisms” https://psyarxiv.com/x5upn/.

Listen in to find out more from Pablo and Ernest about how music can benefit your mental wellbeing. And If you’d like to support the work we do at Behavioral Grooves bringing you interesting research insights, please consider becoming a Patreon member at https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

(0:06) Introduction

(5:20) Speed Round Questions

(8:44) Research Insights with Pablo and Ernest

(36:50) Grooving Session

(50:26) Bonus Track

Musical Links

Dropkick Murphys https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIRZxNH7xcEt1fu4pfqFRg

Rumba https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrsK48Bp6T8

Catalan music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjJnF95TWN8

Zoo https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBh82sG2OKv1J6Ij43mdFiw

Depeche Mode https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM-CWGUijAC-8idv6k6Fygw

Aretha Franklin “Think” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqYnevHibaI

Links

“Rock ’n’ Roll but not Sex or Drugs: Music is negatively correlated to depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic via reward-related mechanisms” Herrero et al (2020): https://psyarxiv.com/x5upn/

“Neural correlates of specific musical anhedonia” Martínez-Molina et al (2016): https://www.pnas.org/content/113/46/E7337

Pablo Ripollés: https://as.nyu.edu/faculty/pablo-ripolles.html

Ernest Mas Herrero: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3607-8489

Jamón ibérico https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam%C3%B3n_ib%C3%A9rico

Lionel Messi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Messi

Michael Jordan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan

Roger Federer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Federer

“Goal Gradient Theory” Kivetz et al (2006): https://home.uchicago.edu/ourminsky/Goal-Gradient_Illusionary_Goal_Progress.pdf

Robert Zatorre, PhD https://www.mcgill.ca/neuro/robert-zatorre-phd

Neomi Singer, PhD https://neuroscience-innovation.org/music-to-my-brain-neomi-singer

Laura Ferreri, University of Lyon https://emc.univ-lyon2.fr/laura-ferreri-785895.kjsp

Michael McPhee, NYU https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/people/michael-mcphee

Hedonia and anhedonia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anhedonia

Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire http://brainvitge.org/z_oldsite/bmrq.php

Spotify https://www.spotify.com/us/

The Ikea Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IKEA_effect#:~:text=The%20IKEA%20effect%20is%20a,of%20furniture%20that%20require%20assembly

The Singing Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_Revolution

Music of the Civil Rights Movement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_songs

Baroque Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApSoNBu2wt8

Agatha Christie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie

Other Podcast Episodes

Dessa: The Attention Shepherd on the Curious Act of Being Deeply Human”

https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dessa-being-deepl y-human/

The Counterintuitive Persuasion of The Catalyst with Jonah Berger

https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-catalyst-with-jonah-berger/

Chris Matyszczyk: Listening to Music While You Work

https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/chris-matyszczyk-listening-to-music-while-you-work/

Covid-19 Crisis: Emotional Impact of WFH with Liz Fosslien

https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/c-19-crisis-emotional-impact-of-wfh-with-liz-fosslien/

Jonah Berger episode: “The Counterintuitive Persuasion of The Catalyst with Jonah Berger” https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-catalyst-with-jonah-berger/

Share, Like, Comment: Sandra Matz PhD Exposes The Truth Behind your Digital Footprint

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 03:05:00 -0600

Our guest this week, Sandra Matz PhD exposes the truth behind our online presence. In our conversation, Sandra reveals that with simple analytics, the digital footprints we leave behind online (our Facebook Likes, our credit card transactions, our Google Map searches) add up to paint a very revealing picture of our personality and state of mind.

Sandra Matz PhD is an associate professor at Columbia Business School. She takes a Big Data approach to studying human behaviour. Her methodologies use psychology, computer science and data collection to explore the relationships between people’s psychological characteristics and their digital footprints.

Sandra’s work has been published in top-tier journals such as Psychological Science and the American Psychologist, and has attracted worldwide media attention from outlets like the Independent, the BBC, CNBC, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and the World Economic Forum.

Our discussion delves into Sandra’s experience around social media profiles, digital ethics, data privacy and our understanding of informed consent. As always we find out about our guest’s musical taste but this week we even find out what our musical preferences can reveal about our personality and social identities.

We hope you enjoy our discussion with Sandra Matz PhD, and if you do, please leave us a quick review or join our Patreon team at https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Topics

3:04 Welcome to Sandra Matz PhD and speed round questions

4:52 Discussion about Sandra Matz’s Research

52:32 Grooving Session

1:10:37 Bonus Track with Kurt

Links

Sandra Matz https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/cbs-directory/detail/sm4409

Cambridge Analytica https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Analytica

Cass Sunstein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Sunstein

GDPR https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation

Kate Crawford, NYU https://ainowinstitute.org/about.html

Helen Nissenbaum, Cornell https://nissenbaum.tech.cornell.edu/

Tory Higgins, Shared Reality: What Makes Us Strong and Tears Us Apart https://amzn.to/3aywWdW

SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/

Brene Brown https://brenebrown.com/

Steve Bannon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bannon

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Behavioral Grooves @behavioralgroov https://twitter.com/behavioralgroov

Kurt @motivationguru https://twitter.com/motivationguru

Tim @THoulihan https://twitter.com/THoulihan

Mary @BeSciMary https://twitter.com/BeSciMary

Musical Links

Taylor Swift https://www.youtube.com/user/taylorswift

Justin Bieber https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIwFjwMjI0y7PDBVEO9-bkQ

Bob Dylan https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnRI0ay61tY-fKYzzB3fCnw

Britney Spears https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u5WLJ9Yk4

Coldplay https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDPM_n1atn2ijUwHd0NNRQw

ACDC https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB0JSO6d5ysH2Mmqz5I9rIw

Lady Gaga https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNL1ZadSjHpjm4q9j2sVtOA

3 Ways to have a Positive Chat About Vaccine Hesitancy with Friends and Family

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 03:05:00 -0600

Research is showing that there are four broad groups of people who are the most vaccine hesitant:

African Americans
Latinos
Women between the ages of 20 and 36
Rural Americans and Republicans

Many of us have a family or friend who feels hesitant about the vaccination. In this episode, Kurt and Tim address how you can have a positive conversation with them, using proven behavioral science techniques.

Compassionate curiosity

Listen with compassion
Understanding motivations
Be genuine with curiosity

Leverage the right messenger

Framing what you’re going to share
Think about their perspective
Find an authority figure who they respect
Trumpcine

The Message

Change the social norm
Being able to take our masks off “Take a shot, take off your mask”
Personalise the message

Links

Morgan Freeman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Freeman

Kwame Christian https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Steve Martin & Joe Marks: BG episode

https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/steve-martin-and-joe-marks-the-messenger-is-the-message/

Robb Willer, Stanford University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robb_Willer

Donald Trump https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

Ivanka Trump https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivanka_Trump

Ted Cruz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz

Trumpcine https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2021/04/12/trump-calls-covid-19-vaccine-trumpcine-mocks-fauci-again/

Frank Luntz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Luntz

Robert Cialdini https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/robert-cialdini-phd-littering-egoism-and-aretha-franklin/

The Petrified Forrest https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-shaping-us/201909/the-petrified-wood-principle

Katy Milkman https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-phd-using-behavior-change-for-good/

Surfacing norms to increase vaccine acceptance https://psyarxiv.com/srv6t/

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

How a Compelling Story Packs a Persuasive Punch with Melanie Green

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 03:05:00 -0600

Dr. Melanie Green is a professor at the University of Buffalo. She joined us on the podcast to explain how the power of a compelling narrative, including the effects of fictional stories, can be used to change beliefs and attitudes. Her theory of "transportation into a narrative world" focuses on how immersive storytelling is a mechanism of narrative influence.

It was an in-depth conversation that explored concepts around how stories move us, the power of narrative to affect both cognitive and emotional feelings, and how restorative narratives can be used to help heal communities after disasters. We touch on the psychological response of reactance, the appeal of conspiracy theory stories and the elements needed to create a compelling story.

We also introduce - in a slightly more proper fashion - our production and research assistant, Mary Kaliff. We are excited to introduce Mary to our listeners and hope you will welcome her with a happy greeting on social media!

Finally, no episode of Behavioral Grooves would be complete without understanding our guest’s musical tastes. Melanie’s upbringing in Gainesville, Florida influenced her lifelong love of music, in particular the hometown hero, Tom Petty. She’s also a fan of James Taylor, which delighted Tim. More recently, Melanie’s house is often filled with the sound of the Hamilton soundtrack, thanks to her children’s love of the musical, which delighted Kurt. So, it was wins all around.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Melanie and if you like it, please jump down to the bottom of your listening app and share a quick rating or a short review with us. It goes a long way in helping others decide if they should listen to Behavioral Grooves.

Topics

0:07 Introduction

1:00 Hello from Mary Kaliff

3:46 Welcome and Speed Round with Melanie Green

7:44 Reactance and empathy

16:25 What makes a good story?

22:26 Storytelling in different mediums

27:12 Parasocial Interaction

33:10 Storytelling for social good

38:50 Conspiracy Theories

43:07 Melanie’s music and playlist

47:30 Grooving Session

Quotes

(14:13) If you do have a story that's not representative, the danger of it kind of having an undue influence on people's thinking and decision making is, I think, a real one, especially with something consequential, like these medical decisions.

(18:21) the way that stories can inform us and change our minds, is through this process of being immersed in them.

(31:17) And so a story can be a really nice kind of way of summarizing and illustrating the guiding principles maybe that people want the organization to follow

(33:37) restorative narratives tell those stories, you know, how people move from something bad to kind of come back to a better place.

Social Media

Tim @THoulihan

Kurt @motivationguru

Mary @BeSciMary

Secrets of Subtraction: Donut Holes, Lego and Bruce Springsteen with Leidy Klotz

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 03:04:00 -0600

Leidy Klotz is the Copenhaver Associate Professor of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Virginia. His research fills in underexplored overlaps between engineering and behavioral science, in pursuit of more sustainable environmental systems. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles in venues that include top academic journals in built environment engineering, engineering education, and design, as well as imprints of both Science and Nature.

We explored the rarity of subtraction from our lives and the fact that we tend to add things much more than we remove things. Granted, we’ve been builders of things since the dawn of civilization, but when is enough, enough? Leidy suggested we begin any initiative by subtracting before we start adding.

We traced the concept from Lao Tzu through DaVinci through Kurt Lewin and right up into today’s literature with Marie Kondo and Tim Ferriss. But Leidy’s thoughts are truly fresh because he is adding to this historical narrative with scientific data. He offered us fresh ways to think about this uphill battle with our natural desires.

We also discussed Leidy’s view of the Planetary Tipping Point: where our very fixed-resource planet gets maxed out by humans with an unlimited desire for more. And we were pleased to talk about Kurt Lewin and his force-field analysis and, as you might expect, we enthusiastically discussed Bruce Springsteen as a prolific and gifted writer.

We hope you enjoy our discussion with Leidy Klotz, and if you do, please leave us a quick review or join our Patreon team at https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Links

Leidy Klotz, PhD: https://engineering.virginia.edu/faculty/leidy-klotz

Lego https://www.lego.com/en-us

Harry Potter Lego Set - Hogwarts https://www.lego.com/en-us/search?q=harry%20potter%20hogwarts

Wildlife Bingo https://www.nature-watch.com/wildlife-bingo-game-p-176.html

Michael Jordan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan

Bruce Springsteen https://brucespringsteen.net/

Mayan City of Coba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coba

Marie Kondo https://konmari.com/

Tim Ferris https://tim.blog/

Da Vinci https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci

Lao Tzu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laozi

Bowerbird https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowerbird

Allison Zelkowitz https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-zelkowitz-197431a/?originalSubdomain=lb

Chaning Jang https://www.busaracenter.org/staff-bios/chaning-8f39x

Kurt Lewin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Lewin

Kate Orff, Lexington Waterway Project https://www.scapestudio.com/people/kate-orff/

Dan Ariely “Predictably Irrational” https://danariely.com/books/predictably-irrational/

Roger Dooley “Friction” https://www.rogerdooley.com/books/friction/

Musical Links

Bruce Springsteen “Darkness On The Edge Of Town” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg0ekQBmzKs

Bruce Springsteen “Born In The USA” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPhWR4d3FJQ

Bruce Springsteen “Western Stars” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IXzAAKrsFE

Bruce Springsteen “Letter to You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQyLEz0qy-g

Topics

3:20 Leidy’s 6-year-old son answers a speed round question

4:34 Speed round with Leidy

7:14 Leidy’s book - Subtraction

13:00 “More-ality”

24:00 Planetary tipping points

26:15 Kurt Lewin force field theory

29:28 Kate Orff Lexington Waterways Project

33:40 Subtraction checklist

37:57 Springsteen

45:24 Grooving

Interview Quotes

(8:10) we're doing these mental searches for solutions, and our mind goes to additive solutions before it goes to subtractive ones.

(12:01) as people are trying to change things from how they are to how they want them to be, we systematically think of adding first and then, only subsequently or with effort or with reminders, think of subtraction

(35:15) so often we kind of come to a problem and don't actually spend time defining what the what the problem is, right

(9:51) My favorite is Lao Tzu, even farther back talking about, to gain wisdom, you have to subtract something every day.

Observing the Non-Obvious: How to Spot Trends Around You with Rohit Bhargava

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 02:56:00 -0600

Rohit Bhargava is on a mission to help everyone in the world become a non-obvious thinker. In this episode, he talks with us about how intentionality is the key to seeing the non-obvious and how he uses The Haystack Method to gather insights from the world. He also shared how he has become a speed-understander and the benefits that go with it.

In 2011, Rohit embarked on the annual task of documenting the digital trends of the year, which after a decade, culminated in his book on megatrends in 2021 #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of seven books including “Non-Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss and Predict the Future” https://amzn.to/3mpkJgn. Rohit discusses with us how he analyses trends, not just on the superficial level, but digging deeper into the “why” question.

Our conversation with Rohit is full of compelling insights about the human condition, unique analysis of the world around us, and actionable tips on how to train yourself to observe with intention. You’ll also get a quick education in contemporary Latin music and some head-scratching about why He-Man ever became a superhero in the first place.

Two of Rohit’s books are currently being republished into new editions;

The Non-Obvious Guide to Virtual Meetings and Remote Work (Non-Obvious Guides) https://amzn.to/2OoxdbB
The Non-Obvious Guide to Marketing & Branding (Without a Big Budget) (Non-Obvious Guides) https://amzn.to/3moIllg

If you’re a regular Behavioral Grooves listener, please consider supporting us through Patreon. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Links

Rohit Bhargava: https://www.rohitbhargava.com/

Isaac Asimov: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov

Ali Pittampalli “Persuadable”: https://www.alpitt.com/

Henry Coutinho-Mason “The Future Normal”: https://henrycoutinho-mason.com/

Maysoon Zayid: https://maysoon.com/

Telemundo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telemundo

Dan Simons Invisible Gorilla video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQmdoK_ZfY

Tom Cruise “Cocktail”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YbjzztYbUo

He-Man: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He-Man

Telemachus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telemachus

Meave Leakey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meave_Leakey

Dan Hill - Episode 151: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dan-hill-phd-on-the-facial-coding-of-trump-hendrix-prince-gretzky-and-the-beatles/

Hedgefox: https://www.russellsage.org/sites/default/files/Vohs_intro_0.pdf

Books

The Non-Obvious Guide to Virtual Meetings and Remote Work (Non-Obvious Guides):

https://amzn.to/2OoxdbB

The Non-Obvious Guide to Marketing & Branding (Without a Big Budget) (Non-Obvious Guides): https://amzn.to/3moIllg

Non Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss and Predict the Future (Non-Obvious Trends Series): https://amzn.to/3mpkJgn

Musical Links

Neil Peart (Rush): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Peart

Fanny Lu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A1grimas_C%C3%A1lidas

Maná “Rayando del Sol”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY3O_Fbfjjs

Carlos Vives “Cumbiana”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baUk9YcCxBQ

Carlos Vives & Shakira “”La Bibcicleta”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UV0QGLmYys

Juaness “Es Por Ti | One World: Together” At Home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pgvjxtHBOg

Coffitivity: https://soundcloud.com/coffitivity

Topics

6:37 Trends vs Fads

11:10 Haystack Method

13:18 Trends

19:15 Brave Enough to Change Your Mind

28:00 Non Obvious Brand

30:28 Spare Time

35:30 Rohit’s Inspiration

40:45 The Yellow Balloon Light Bulb

45:04 Naming

47:14 He-Man

Quotes

(6:37) ...trend is something that implicates behavior, which is very topical for us. And whereas a fad is just usually a thing or a platform, but doesn't always correlate to behavior.

(7:55) ...a speed understander is someone who thinks about what to pay attention to as an end is intentional about what they choose not to pay attention to.

(10:55) ...if you spend enough time gathering interesting, fascinating stories, instead of obsessing about why they're interesting or fascinating in the moment, then later on, you can start to spot the patterns that you would never have otherwise seen.

(16:37) ...being observant is not a skill you're born with, or not born with. Being observant is a choice.

(19:45)...being persuadable requires You to rethink those things, those assumptions, those points of view that you have. And I think the only way that anyone can do that is by not letting themselves be defined by the stands that they have taken. Because the more you see a stand that you've taken, or a belief or something that you've put out in the world as core to your identity, the less likely you are to change.

(20:07) ...the more you see a stand that you've taken, or a belief or something that you've put out in the world as core to your identity, the less likely you are to change

Why It's Astoundingly Easy, But Not Better, to Be Tribal with Tim Ash

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 03:03:00 -0600

Tim Ash is a very interesting guy. He is both an authority on evolutionary psychology and digital marketing, which puts him in pretty rarified air. He is the bestselling author of Unleash Your Primal Brain and Landing Page Optimization (with over 50,000 copies sold worldwide and translated into six languages). He has been identified by Forbes as a Top-10 Online Marketing Expert, and by Entrepreneur Magazine as an Online Marketing Influencer To Watch.

Our conversation with Tim focused on his most recent book, Unleash Your Primal Brain, and addressed a question very central to behavioral science today: What is rational? This led to addressing how biases and heuristics are grounded in important evolutionary foundations. Tim likens the way we talk about biases today as glitches in the matrix when we should be acknowledging them for what they are: important evolutionary tools to help us survive our environments and thrive in our tribes.

We also discussed the importance of culture and its central focus on the way humans learn to be human. A paradox we discussed is that culture is dependent on tribe members passing down the cultural (social) norms to the next generation without interruption, and yet cross-tribal collaboration is what has given us an evolutionary edge. Tim notes, that what we need to do today is to “stretch beyond our current tribes needs to go and make the effort to contact other people that are very different from us.” And the consequences of not doing that, according to Tim, “ …are going to be the ones that are going to bring down the larger society.” Fascinating stuff.

We hope you’ll find this conversation with this insightful researcher and speaker as exciting as we did. And if you do like it, please give us a quick 5-star rating or a two-sentence review. And thank you for listening to Behavioral Grooves.

Links

Tim Ash: https://timash.com/

“Primal Brain”: https://timash.com/books-and-media-mentions/

Latin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin

Robert Sapolsky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sapolsky

Aristotle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle

Hopper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopper_(particulate_collection_container)

Carl Sagan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan

Neil deGrasse Tyson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson

Robert Cialdini: https://www.influenceatwork.com/

Robert Heinlein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein

Antonio Damasio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Damasio

Carlos Castaneda “Journey to Ixtlan”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_Ixtlan

“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_Maintenance

Sabre fencing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabre_(fencing)

Tai Chi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi

Kung Fu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_martial_arts

Don Miguel Ruiz “The Four Agreements”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Agreements

Bhagavad Gita: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita

Coleman’s Boat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGaz0xKG060

Musical Links

Pat Metheny Group “Last Train Home”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goXJTv_U-PM

Chet Baker “Almost Blue”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4IridL_2XU

Elvis Costello “Almost Blue”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt8f1Sda8_4

Miles Davis “So What”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNTltOGh5c

Salsa “Al Monte”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2JnyCuAQMg

Scrutinizing Hype: Powerful lessons from The Hype Handbook with Michael F. Schein

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 03:02:00 -0600

Michael F. Schein is a hype specialist and the author of The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Secrets from the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers. He is also the founder and president of MicroFame Media, a marketing agency that specializes in making idea-based companies famous in their industries.

We caught up with Michael recently to talk about his book about how hype can be a very good thing. In and of itself, hype can be a powerful tool of promotion and its bad reputation may be well deserved, but it’s not carved in stone. Hype has a place in a world abundant with choice and Michael has some ideas on how to use hype to cut through a crowded field.

Michael offers some tips on how to manage your way – ethically – through the world of hype to help you and your ideas breakthrough.

We also talked about Tim Ferriss’s claim on the world kickboxing championship, and we discussed which world would be a better world to live in: a world that was imagined in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, or Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World. Buckle up, Buttercups!

Links

Michael Schein: https://michaelfschein.com/

You can download Michael’s recommendations on hype ideas at www.hypereads.com/list

Access to Anyone podcast: https://www.accesstoanyonepodcast.com/

George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four

Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World

Tim Ferriss: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Ferriss

Anarchist Cookbook: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anarchist_Cookbook

Shep Gordon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shep_Gordon

“Wall Street” movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_(1987_film)

Wembley Stadium: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wembley_Stadium

Frans de Waal Capuchin Monkey Experiments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Black Flag “Nervous Breakdown”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=302oEzSPCqE

Violent Femmes “Blister in the Sun”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE-dqW4uBEE

David Bowie “Modern Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLMUZahN7NU

Alice Kooper “No More Mister Nice Guy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN6ngThqMEs

Ministry “Jesus Built My Hotrod”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpPOX6-sP7g

Dead Milkmen “Punk Rock Girl”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF7fgEMrk0k

Sonic Youth “Superstar”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y21VecIIdBI

California Raisins “Heard it Through the Grapevine”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UShiwymsX0w

WWF “Land of A Thousand Dances”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHZCcu9ltcs

Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK4hweZRU0k

Boomtown Rats “I Don’t Like Mondays”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcZW0GFLSdw

The Specials “Monkey Man”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49FbSq_JNeQ

Sex Pistols “God Save The Queen”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02D2T3wGCYg

The Clash “Rock the Casbah”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9r8LMU9bQ

Husker Du “Camden Palace”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsGw8DyWkik

The Replacements “I Will Dare”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4ynSTN8bkc

Depeche Mode “Personal Jesus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1xrNaTO1bI

The Dead Kennedy’s “In God We Trust”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bqIS0n64Ig

Joy Division “She’s Lost Control”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD2SfQJOK08

A Thousand Thanks: A Lifetime of Experiments and Gratitude with AJ Jacobs

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 03:02:00 -0600

AJ Jacobs is an author, journalist, lecturer, and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers, including The Year of Living Biblically, that combine memoir, science, and humor with a dash of self-help. AJ has said that he sees his life as a series of experiments in which he immerses himself in a project or lifestyle, for better or worse, then writes about what he learned.

His most recent book, Thanks A Thousand: A Gratitude Journey, starts with wanting to thank the people who brought him his cup of coffee. It starts with the barista and ends up in South America on a mountainside coffee plantation. The book is based on some simple ideas that gratitude can be the catalyst for a journey around the world, and how experimentation keeps our brains flexible in ways that enhance our lives.

We loved our conversation with AJ because he made a passionate case for learning to pay more attention to things. To immerse ourselves in the moment where we can appreciate that moment for what it is. He encourages us to see the details, and in those details, to see the connections. He challenges us to be grateful for the life we are given. If we can slow down, savor these moments for what they are, we can curate a better life for ourselves.

You’ll find lots about AJ that is fun and informative – but above it all, you’ll find him inspiring. If AJ can do these things on such a grand scale, we ought to be able to experiment with our lives – even if it is just not making your bed in the morning.

Links

AJ Jacobs: https://ajjacobs.com/

“Thanks A Thousand”: https://thanksathousandbook.com/

AJ’s TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/a_j_jacobs_my_journey_to_thank_all_the_people_responsible_for_my_morning_coffee

George Clooney: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clooney

The Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/

Windshield Wiper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windscreen_wiper

The New York Times Crossword Puzzle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_crossword_puzzle

Alex Trebek: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Trebek

George Loewenstein: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/people/faculty/george-loewenstein.html

Ambient Noise: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Background_noise

Coffitivity (ambient noise generator): https://coffitivity.com/

Melanie Brucks: https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/cbs-directory/detail/mb4598

Michael Phelps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps

French Horn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_horn

Electronic Dance Music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_dance_music

MDMA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDMA

Jonathan Mann, Episode 207: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/jonathan-mann-is-it-possible-to-design-an-experience/

Mark Landau: https://www.mindful.org/how-mindfulness-shifts-our-perception-of-time/

Neil Gaiman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gaiman

Masterclass: https://www.masterclass.com/

Gratitude / Gratia / Grace: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gratitude

Robert Emmons: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/in-praise-of-gratitude

Francesca Gino, Episode 60: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/francesca-gino-curiosity-and-rebellion-makes-your-career/

Tony Robbins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Robbins

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

ZZ Top “La Grange”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vppbdf-qtGU

Lil’ Wayne “2 Diamonds”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrLSro5XNzY

Sex Pistols “God Save the Queen”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02D2T3wGCYg

Linda Thunstrom: Are Thoughts and Prayers Empty Gestures to Suffering Disaster Victims?

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 05:04:00 -0600

Linda Thunstrom, PhD is a Swedish economist working as an assistant professor of economics at the University of Wyoming. (That’s in Laramie, Wyoming, not Wyoming, Sweden.) Her research interests include behavioral, experimental, public, and health economics. Her interests merged after Hurricane Florence when she became curious about the effect that offering thoughts and prayers might have on potential donors to natural disasters.

She set up a study to see if potential donors might feel like they don’t need to make a monetary donation to the victims if they’ve already offered up some thoughts and prayers. Her results may surprise you.

And she didn’t stop there. She also looked at this question from the recipient’s end. As an economist, she framed the study in monetary terms and wondered if disaster victims might take less money in a donation if they knew someone was praying for them – especially if it were a Christian stranger or a priest. Again: fascinating results!

We also talked about willful ignorance and the role it plays in our decision-making. Willful ignorance involves neglecting information about how your actions will affect others or yourself. It’s different from and less harmful than outright self-deception. Self-deception is commonly associated with lying to make yourself feel better. The big worry with self-deception is that you start believing your own lies.

Willful ignorance is like heading into the basement to get a Coke Zero and noticing a box of Oreo cookies and deciding that now is probably a pretty good time to have one, or two, of those chocolate calorie bombs. We are neglecting the facts that we already know about Oreo cookies: they’re not really good for. But we nab a couple anyway.

We’d like to thank you to Andrea Mannberg, a guest from Episode 199, for introducing us to Linda. Both of these economists are applying their training to fantastically interesting topics and we’re grateful for both of their work.

Links

Linda Thunstrom: https://lindathunstrom.com/

Linda Thunstrom, PhD: https://www.uwyo.edu/economics/faculty-staff/linda-thunstrom/

Shiri Noy, PhD: https://denison.edu/people/shiri-noy

“Exploiting moral wiggle room: experiments demonstrating an illusory preference for fairness” Dana, et. all (2007): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00199-006-0153-z

George Loewenstein, PhD: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/people/faculty/george-loewenstein.html

Todd Cherry, PhD: http://www.uwyo.edu/economics/faculty-staff/todd-cherry/index.html

George Loewenstein, PhD: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/people/faculty/george-loewenstein.html

Dan Gilbert, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Gilbert_(psychologist)

Contemporary Folk Music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_folk_music

Americana Music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americana_(music)

Hurricane Florence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Florence

“Temporal View of the Costs and Benefits of Self-Deception” Gino, Norton, Ariely: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=39857

Eric Oliver, Episode 172: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-talk-to-your-friends-about-their-conspiracy-theories-with-eric-oliver/

Andrea Mannberg, Episode 199: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-decision-making-is-critical-for-back-country-skiers-and-sex/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon Site: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Jay Shogren “Let’s Fall Behind”: http://www.jshogren.com/https/jshogrenshanghaidbandcampcom/track/lets-fall-behind

David Bowie “Under Pressure” with Annie Lennox and Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCP2-Bfhy04

GAABS and Improving the Future for Every Applied Behavioral Scientist

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 05:05:00 -0600

GAABS is an organization that was recently founded to act as an accrediting body for applied behavioral scientists. GAABS is The Global Association of Applied Behavioral Scientists and is open for membership for those who demonstrate their ability to ethically apply behavioral science to their work.

In this episode, we spoke with co-founding members Nuala Walsh and Steve Martin. Nuala is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and is the founder of MindEquity – a behavioral science consultancy based in Dublin. And Steve Martin is the co-author, with Robert Cialdini and Noah Goldstein, of Yes! 50 secrets from the Science of Persuasion, which has sold more than a million copies and been translated into 27 languages. Nuala is a repeat guest that was featured in episode 203 about whistleblowers and fake memories, and Steve was featured in episode 110 with his co-author, Joe Marks. Together, they wrote “Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don’t, and Why.”

In our conversation, we discussed what GAABS is and what they’re hoping to do to help both practitioners of behavioral science as well as the professionals and institutions that hire those services. On a more philosophical note, we steered into what is lacking in applied behavioral science these days and agreed that there are many fields that could benefit from a behavioral science lens. And across the board, we agreed that education for all parties is critical for the field to be successful.

On an educational note, Steve wryly noted that students could use more psychology and less geography in the classroom, and teed up the novel concept of prac-ademics. And, later, Nuala introduced the idea of leveraging trends, like big data, and noted, “if we marry behavioral science with data science, we actually have an in.”

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Nuala and Steve and that you’ll check out the Behavioral Grooves Patreon site at www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Now go out this week and find YOUR groove.

Links

Nuala Walsh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nualagwalsh/?originalSubdomain=uk

Steve Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-martin-13832b5/

EEG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroencephalography

Oxbow Lake: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/oxbow-lake/

Annie Duke Alliance for Decision Education: https://alliancefordecisioneducation.org/learn/about-the-alliance/team/board/annie-duke

Mya Shankar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Shankar

Robert Cialdini: https://www.influenceatwork.com/robert-cialdini-phd/biography/

Jennifer Lerner: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/jennifer-lerner

Nuala Walsh – Episode 203: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/on-fake-memories-and-whistleblowers-with-nuala-walsh/

Steve Martin – Episode 110: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/steve-martin-and-joe-marks-the-messenger-is-the-message/

Steve Martin and Joe Marks “Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don’t, and Why”: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43522604-messengers

Harlow Gale, PhD: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/203619125_Harlow_Gale_and_the_Origins_of_the_Psychology_of_Advertising

Musical Links

Sinead O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-EF60neguk :

Electric Light Orchestra “Don’t Bring Me Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATuX7V4XOlk

The Cranberries “Linger”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_5B14-VytM

Van Morrison “Into the Mystic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0gvodQgu-Y

Fleetwood Mac “The Chain”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBYHwH1Vb-c

Rod Stewart “Maggie May”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2CQ0FvAZuw

Carly Simon “Nobody Does it Better”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaV-6qerkqI

Joan Baez “Diamonds & Rust”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGMHSbcd_qI

Mike + The Mechanics “The Living Years”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hr64MxYpgk

The Who “Eminence Front”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx6Zgz0TZuA

Dessa: The Attention Shepherd on the Curious Act of Being Deeply Human

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 05:02:00 -0600

Dessa is a singer, rapper, writer, speaker, science and philosophy connoisseur, podcast host, and ice cream flavor inventor. (Her flavor is Dessa’s Existential Crunch which consists of crème fraîche, brown sugar ice cream, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Disaronno Amaretto Liqueur, and a cashew and praline pecan brittle crunch).

Dessa has made a career of bucking genres and defying expectations — her résumé as a musician includes being part of the Doomtree collective, a solo artist with performances at Lollapalooza and Glastonbury, co-composer of pieces for 100-voice choir, performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, and top-200 entries on the Billboard charts. She also contributed to the #1 album The Hamilton Mixtape.

As a writer, she published a memoir-in-essays called My Own Devices which was released in 2018 in addition to two literary collections along with many articles in journals such as The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler.

And now she is the host of a new podcast that explores “why we do the things we do” called Deeply Human. The podcast is a fun exploration of a number of topics and brings in experts to help explain why we behave the way we do.

We wanted to talk to Dessa before we knew about her podcast. Here is part of the e-mail that we sent to her publicist to ask for an interview:

“While it may seem a bit off-brand for us to ask for an interview with Dessa, we think that it would be fascinating, and we’d love to talk to her about the intersection of music and emotion. While we typically interview behavioral science researchers and practitioners, we often interview what we call “accidental behavioral scientists.” These are people who are applying the aspects of behavioral science to their work without really knowing that they are doing it. Dessa captures a lot of our human experience in her lyrics and discussing that would be a wonderful way of exploring this concept. We would also love to talk to her about her experience with the scientific fMRI research that she talks about in her essay, “Call of your ghost.”

Our conversation with Dessa examined a wide range of topics – moving from her podcast, to music’s ability to create synchronicity between people, to how we can’t compare subjective experiences, to how emotional connection comes from dropping veils and getting out of our “practiced mirror face.”

This is an episode that you definitely don’t want to miss.

Links

Dessa: www.dessawander.com or www.doomtree.com

Deeply Human: wherever you get your podcasts from

Lute: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lute

The Diary of Ann Frank: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diary_of_a_Young_Girl

Alan Alda: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Alda

Helen Fisher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Fisher_(anthropologist)

Barry Schwartz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Schwartz_(psychologist)

Oxytocin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin_receptor

QEEG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_electroencephalography

Autism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism

Epilepsy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsy

Penijean Gracefire: https://penijean.com/home

Cheryl Olman: http://www.neuroscience.umn.edu/people/cheryl-olman-phd

fMRI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_magnetic_resonance_imaging

Neurofeedback: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurofeedback

Harry Haslow – Wire Monkey experiments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Harlow

Research on Emotion and Narrative - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325962169_Emotion_and_Narrative_Perspectives_in_Autobiographical_Storytelling

Drummer Boy (Military): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drummer_(military)

“Rock ’n’ Roll but not Sex or Drugs: Music is negatively correlated to depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic via reward-related mechanisms”: https://tinyurl.com/yw4v5avs

Pew Research (2016) The Joy and Urgency of Learning: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/03/22/the-joy-and-urgency-of-learning/

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit?usp=sharing

Musical Links

Dessa “Fighting Fish”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9bwKI-fb7k

Dessa “The Chaconne” (Kurt’s favorite version of the song with Aby Wolf and Jeremy Messersmith): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8dt8mY2WiQ

London Bulgarian Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GEDbKe038o

Lady Midnight “Bloodsong”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRb6Uqsvq5w

Chopin’s Mazurkas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5D46aHhRDM

Erik Satie “Gymnopédie No. 1”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL0xzp4zzBE

“Hamilton” soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPSWZUExZ8M

“Hamilton Mix Tape”: https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Mixtape-Explicit-Various-artists/dp/B01M3XVPL4

Dessa Live - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5n1lsfZI3A

Mayada “Haydn Sonata in D”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpTfxMmBsLY

Chopin “Mazurka Op. 68 n. 2”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL4_uD0Vp5U

Yann Tiersen “La valse d'Amélie”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj9BihmugmI

Tim Houlihan “I Get Lonesome, Too”: http://www.timhoulihan.com/music

Jonathan Mann: Is it Possible to Design an Experience?

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 05:03:00 -0600

Can you design an experience for someone else? Jonathan Mann, the Vice President of User Experience at Renaissance Learning says, “Umm, not really.” Prior to joining Renaissance, Jonathan led user experience teams at Target Corporation and PayPal. And as a practitioner, he’s always valued good research to help him, and his teams, deliver better work.

Our discussion centered around the question, “is it possible to design an experience?” Jonathan’s research discovered that “an experience” is more than just what we think of as the element that happens in the moment we consider it an experience.

Jonathan reminded us that the totality of “an experience” combines three key elements: the anticipation of the experience, the experience itself, and the memory of the experience. A vacation is a great example of this: we plan and anticipate lots of experiences before we arrive at our destination. Then we are flooded with experiences in the moment, and afterward, we have photos to remind us and memories to interpret our experience after the fact. We know that the remembered self is one of the most important reasons we do anything: how we’ll remember it. So why shouldn’t we consider it identifying the experience in its broadest sense?

We talked about Jonathan’s meeting with Bob Cialdini and how Jonathan’s work with Bob’s crew brought incredible results to the initiatives they were working on at PayPal. We are always happy to see how nicely behavioral science and business results dovetail.

And maybe most importantly, this episode features a live fingerstyle guitar micro-concert by Jonathan. We asked him about playing and he instantly turned around, grabbed his guitar, and started playing for us. His fingerstyle abilities are very fine, and that part of the recording was nothing short of delightful – in every aspect of the word. Enjoy it!

We hope you enjoy our episode with Jonathan Mann and discover new ways that you can integrate his clever thinking on designing an experience into your own work.

Links

Jonathan Mann LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdmann/

Jonathan Mann Album: http://jonathanmanndesign.com/music (with links to Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, etc)

Jonathan Mann YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVtiHkr4xdBzVZ6Oc3ybsUw

Jonathan Mann Woodworking: https://www.behance.net/fynedesign

Dan Gilbert, “Stumbling on Happiness”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56627.Stumbling_on_Happiness

Robert Cialdini - Towel study: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/dont-throw-in-the-towel-use-social-influence-research

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit?usp=sharing

The Dakota: https://www.dakotacooks.com/

Fingerstyle Guitar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerstyle_guitar

Musical Links

Green Day “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soa3gO7tL-c

Stone Temple Pilots “Interstate Love Song”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10MQY33cYCg

Leo Kottke “Last Steam Train”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E_s4vQJx-k

Tommy Emmanuel “Classical Gas”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S33tWZqXhnk

The Jimi Hendrix Experience “Voodoo Child”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFfnlYbFEiE

Why We Need Robots with Kind Faces with Bertram Malle

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 05:02:00 -0600

Bertram Malle, PhD teaches social cognitive science and social psychology at Brown University, he’s the author of dozens of articles and has focused his recent work on how humans feel about robots, and researches how the etiquette and facial abilities of robots impact how we perceive them.

His research indicates that the more human-looking a robot is – especially in its “face” – the more humans are likely to attribute emotions or moral codes to them. Bertram’s work reminds us that the context we experience robots in influences the relationships we build.

Maybe more importantly, Bertram reminded us that robots must be designed to exist in very specific contexts. The appearance and communication abilities of a robot that checks us into a doctor’s office needs to be very different from the robots we use to assist us with making an airline reservation.

While that may be intuitive on one level, it highlights the remarkable complexity required in the design and manufacturing of these robots. Each one needs to be built for a specific purpose – there is no one-size-fits-all with robots. Bertram reminded us that it’s difficult to imagine that robots will ever reach the complexity and flexibility of their human counterparts.

We also parsed out the differences between hope and optimism. This topic was particularly important to because we’re too often conflating the two. Hope, Bertram explained, is something we have when we lack confidence or influence in the outcome. And optimism exists where we might have some degree of influence over the outcome.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Bertram Malle.

Links

Bertram Malle, PhD email: bfmalle@brown.edu

Social Cognitive Science Research Lab (Brown University): http://research.clps.brown.edu/SocCogSci/index.html

Bertram Malle, “Theory of Mind”: https://nobaproject.com/modules/theory-of-mind

Bertram Malle & Patty Bruininks “Distinguishing Hope from Optimism and Related Affective States”: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226421327_Distinguishing_Hope_from_Optimism_and_Related_Affective_States

Bertram Malle Selected Publications: http://research.clps.brown.edu/SocCogSci/Publications/publications.html

ABOT: http://www.abotdatabase.info/

MIT Lab on Automated Vehicles: https://www.media.mit.edu/research/?filter=everything&tag=autonomous-vehicles

“Her” film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_(film)

“Ex Machina” film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_Machina_(film)

TAY: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_(bot)

Isaac Asimov: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov

Jóhann Jóhannsson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3hann_J%C3%B3hannsson

Hildur Guðnadóttir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildur_Gu%C3%B0nad%C3%B3ttir

Fritz Heider, PhD & Marianne Simmel, PhD, “An experimental study of apparent behavior”: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1945-01435-001

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit?usp=sharing

Minnesota Timberwolves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Timberwolves

Musical Links

Radiohead “Hail to the Thief”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MdwaUtW_D4

Esbjörn Svensson Trio “Seven Days of Falling”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7KXq6RJ0PA

Bill Dixon “Motorcycle ‘66”: https://youtu.be/ZcO8zfp-FLg

Tyshawn Sorey “Unfiltered”: https://tyshawn-sorey.bandcamp.com/album/unfiltered

Sigur Ros “Brennisteinn”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc6zXSdYXm8

Hildur Gu∂nadottir “Unveiled”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzaxVFc9oIs

Anders Hillborg “Violin Concerto No. 1”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrJ7rhQDjsE

Daniel Lanois with the Venetian Snares: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9u93SDxNsk

Daniel Lanois with Parachute Club: https://www.discogs.com/The-Parachute-Club-Rise-Up/release/1209691

The Bad Plus “Never Stop II”: https://thebadplus.bandcamp.com/album/never-stop-ii

Iceland Symphony Orchestra, “Recurrence”: https://nationalsawdust.org/thelog/2017/02/16/playlist-9/

David Chesky, “Jazz in the new harmonic”: https://chesky.com/products/jazz-in-the-new-harmonic-david-chesky-download

Kings of Leon, “Sex on Fire”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF0HhrwIwp0

“Annihilation” soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9eidResq9g

“Tenet” soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVMkvCTT_yg

The Myth of the "Relationship Spark" with Logan Ury (featuring a guest appearance by Christina Gravert, PhD)

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 05:03:00 -0600

Aside from those cool things, we wanted to talk to her because she is the author of How To Not Die Alone.

In our conversation with Logan, we talked about the challenges people face in getting prepared for dating, making the most of their dating experiences, and maintaining great relationships once they’ve landed in one. She shared her insights into how to overcome some of the common hurdles and to make the most out of each phase of the dating life.

We had an interesting discussion about why moving from ‘romanticizer’ or ‘maximizer’ to ‘satisficer’ can make a big difference in your relationships (and in life). We talked about the Monet Effect and how we need to work hard to overcome some of our biggest biases – like the fundamental attribution error and negativity bias.

She was also kind enough to share a little bit about her communal living conditions and her recommendation that we all need more significant others – OSO’s – in these turbulent times.

NOTE #1: The “F” word features prominently in our conversation since it’s in the title of one of her book’s chapters.

Links

Logan Ury: https://www.loganury.com/

“How to Not Die Alone”: https://www.loganury.com/book

Ira Glass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Glass

Dan Ariely: https://danariely.com/

Esther Perel: https://www.estherperel.com/

John Gottman, The Gottman Institute: https://www.gottman.com/

Eli Finkel: https://elifinkel.com/

Daniel Gilbert: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Gilbert_(psychologist)

Jane Ebert: https://www.brandeis.edu/facultyguide/person.html?emplid=0fd6834b65b0eddec69f2ab77539fd341d63b270

Alain De Botton “School of Life”: https://www.theschooloflife.com/about-us/faculty/alain-de-botton/

Reiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki

“Algorithms to Live By”: https://algorithmstoliveby.com/

John Nash “A Beautiful Mind”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Forbes_Nash_Jr.

Nicole Prause: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Prause

36 Questions That Lead to Love: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/09/style/no-37-big-wedding-or-small.html

The School of Life books: https://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/us/books/

Shelley Archambeau – Episode 204: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-shelley-archambeau-flies-like-an-eagle/

Christina Gravert – Episode 16: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nudge-a-thon-with-dr-christina-gravert/

Christina Gravert, “Online Dating Like a Game Theorist”: https://behavioralscientist.org/online-dating-like-a-game-theorist/

Christina Gravert – Impactually: https://impactually.se/

“10 Behavioral Scientists You Should Know”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/10/29/10-behavioral-scientists-you-should-know/?sh=36ad80b442e0

Musical Links

“Hamilton” soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPSWZUExZ8M

Chance the Rapper “Coloring Book”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeChAs-bI3A

Bush “Glycerine”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvXbHN5Gijw

How Shelley Archambeau Flies Like an Eagle

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 05:02:00 -0600

Shellye Archambeau is the author of “Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms.” It’s part memoir, part inspiration, and career guidebook. While Shellye argues it’s for everyone, we reckon it’s really best suited for the most ambitious among us. In the book, Shellye shares how she went from being the only black girl in her high school to being the CEO of a Silicon Valley tech firm, MetricStream. And it’s an amazing tale of an amazing woman.

In our conversation with Shellye, she talked with us about the challenges she faced growing up. But what was more interesting to us was talking with her about the way she makes decisions. She has this ability to see how things fit – or don’t fit – into her personal and business goals. And then she acts on them with amazing conviction. She is one remarkable person.

We talked about how she has a strong inclination to set lofty goals – that we call BHAGS (big, hairy, audacious goals) – that never changes over the course of her career. These BHAGS gave her a North Star to navigate by. But the BRICKS (the steppingstones to needed to achieve long-term goals) she used along her journey were flexible and changed as her situation changed.

This flexibility is something we wanted to call out, because it wasn’t just being flexible that got her where she is today. Her incredible ability to create plans and execute those plans is what really set her apart from her peers. And we can imagine that all of her peers at IBM were talented, skilled, smart, and driven. Just not as much as Shellye.

INTERESTED IN BEING A PART-TIME INTERN FOR BEHAVIORAL GROOVES?

If you’d like to pursue being a part-time intern with Behavioral Grooves, please contact Kurt or Tim directly.

Kurt Nelson, PhD: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: tim@behavioralchemy.com

“Transfiguration” by Jonathan Benson is used for the interstitial music in this episode.

Links

Shellye Archambeau on Twitter: @ShelArchambeau

Shellye’s web site: https://shellyearchambeau.com/

“Unapologetically Ambitious”: https://shellyearchambeau.com/books

Carol Dweck – Growth Mindset: https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/

George Bernard Shaw: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw

Stephen Curtis, Episode # 148: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/covid-19-crisis-stephen-curtis-on-neuroplasticity-and-creating-the-ideal/

Locke & Latham on Goals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal_setting

Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler, “The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years”: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmsa066082

Musical Links

Steve Miller “Fly Like an Eagle”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a6lAwbE1J4

Spinners “I’ll Be Around”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq5VXTO3HDI

Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPkM8F0sjSw

The O’ Jays, “Love Train”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECZr3-a_rDA

Teddy Pendergrass, “Turn Off the Lights”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK4wofMj5-k

Alfie Pollitt, "Say It (Over and Over)": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTaDr1lq8mY

Earl Klugh, “This Time”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7fF_eRYM5k

Dave Koz, “You Make Me Smile”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cshiIac91U

Brian Culbertson, “Colors of Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MM5hSddIcg

Praful, “Don't Fight with Life/Om Namah Shivaya”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D51CbCMY10

George Benson, “On Broadway”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ef0kThw5VY

Elton John, “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncuiQAfPhTg

Audrey Hepburn, “Moon River”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uirBWk-qd9A

On Fake Memories and Whistleblowers with Nuala Walsh

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 05:03:00 -0600

Nuala Walsh is a strategic adviser with MindEquity, working with organizations to create reputation, commercial and cultural change. She is a global leader, an award-winning marketeer, and a behavioral scientist. Nuala has nearly 3 decades of strategic, commercial, and governance experience in asset management, investment banking, and consulting. All her strategic solutions are informed by decision science & behavioral frameworks.

Nuala is also the Non-Executive Director of GAABS, the Vice-Chair of UN Women, and she has been the Chief Marketing Officer, Standard Life Aberdeen. In short, she’s a remarkable person whose insights are worth paying attention to as both a practitioner and a researcher.

We spoke with Nuala recently about some investigations she completed on two topics. The first was to understand the impact that fake news has on our ‘remembering’ self. What she discovered is that our memories don’t discriminate between true or false information – we tend to remember it all roughly the same way, when we believe it at the start.

The second area we discussed was about whistleblowers in modern corporations. Without the proper environment, whistleblowers don’t act or can be maltreated within an organization when they do raise their hands. Nuala’s got some ideas on how to change that. Here’s her list of tips for improving your corporate culture to support whistleblowers:

Reframe. The word whistleblowing is a negative word, so reframing it as “speaking up” could be more positive. There's a shift in how companies can rewrite how they message to employees.
Economic. Scandalized companies earn 4% less than firms that have not experienced major scandals. So by definition, a company could earn 4% more if it’s clean and could impact employees' wages should they go to another firm.
Rewards. Rewarding employees with relevant incentives and she is quick to recommend against financial, such as appropriately recognizing people, sharing salient stories of courage, talking about people in the company, people outside the company as role models…all of these can contribute positively to better company culture.
By taking bad behavior out of the shadows or removing the Social Norming effect of removing it from secrecy is a powerful tool. But you can't just point to somebody internally to highlight their courage, leaders need to appropriately highlight teams that have called out errors that prevented disasters. It’s best to not pinpoint an individual because of personal risk and a lot of potential threats.
Make it Normal. Employees won’t speak up in a dangerous work environment. The more you make the environment open and communal and part of the cultural norm, the less fear that is induced on people and the greater likelihood they’ll point out bad behavior when it happens.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Nuala as much as we did. If you like it, please don’t hesitate to give Behavioral Grooves a quick rating on your listening app.

Links

Nuala Walsh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nualagwalsh/

Anthony Hopkins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Hopkins

Robert De Niro: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_De_Niro

Dan Gilbert: https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/daniel-gilbert

Daniel Kahneman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

Elizabeth Loftus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Loftus

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit?usp=sharing

Merle van den Akker: https://www.moneyonthemind.org/about

The Innocence Project: https://innocenceproject.org/

Josef Mengele: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Mengele

Ted Bundy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Bundy

Ann Rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Rule

OJ Simpson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._J._Simpson

Bibb Latané: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibb_Latan%C3%A9

John Darley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Darley

Kitty Genovese and The Bystander Effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese

Robert Cialdini: https://www.influenceatwork.com/

Cass Sunstein: https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/10871/Sunstein

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2020/12/08/943812834/what-is-your-time-worth

Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/

Nudge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_(book)

Predictably Irrational: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictably_Irrational

On False Creating False Memories: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5407674/#:~:text=The%20Deese%2C%20Roediger%20and%20McDermott,recall%20or%20recognize%20these%20words.

“On the prediction of occurrence of particular verbal intrusions in immediate recall” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/13664879/

Musical Links

Tim Houlihan “Another Orion”: https://timhoulihan.bandcamp.com/track/another-orion

Eurythmics “Here Comes the Rain Again”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko8Ec7ojahU

Tina Turner “Proud Mary”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqIpkMDRjYw

Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAZOFABpmIs

Michael Jackson “Billy Jean”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3t9-kf7ZNA

Carmen Monarca “Habanera”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icJRTdpS2pU

U2 “Sunday, Bloody Sunday”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCKcULlEydo

Van Morrison “Into the Mystic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpPSBzGEklE

Elvis Presley “Heartbreak Hotel”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP6qK589_Bo

How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 05:05:00 -0600

Chaning Jang is the CSO of the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics and has helped lead the organization since 2013. He is responsible for strategy, and a portfolio of projects, primarily focused on research. Prior to joining Busara, Chaning worked as an English teacher in the Czech Republic and an equities trader in Los Angeles. Chaning completed a Postdoc at Princeton University in Psychology and Public Affairs, holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Hawai'i with specialization in Behavioral Economics and Development, and a bachelor's in Managerial Economics from the University of California, Davis. He is also a CFA level II holder.

We spoke to Chaning one night (for him) from his office in Nairobi, Kenya and we focused our discussion on context and how so much of psychological research has been focused in WEIRD countries (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic). Because of this focus and how behavior can be linked to cultural and social norms, countries that are not WEIRD are often unable to successfully apply the research that was executed in WEIRD cultures. Chaning is trying to change that.

The work that the Busara Center is doing is important on many levels, the most significant is trying to eliminate poverty at the heart of where it is the worst on earth: Africa. Chaning’s work is fascinating, his ideas sparkle with intensity, and his comments are inspiring. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Chaning Jang.

We are grateful to Allison Zelkowitz from Save the Children for connecting us.

Links

Chaning Jang, PhD: https://www.busaracenter.org/staff-bios?tag=Chaning%20Jang

Busara Center for Behavioral Economics: https://www.busaracenter.org/

Dan Ariely, PhD: https://danariely.com/

WEIRD: https://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~henrich/pdfs/WeirdPeople.pdf

Johannes Haushofer, PhD: https://www.tedmed.com/speakers/show?id=621210

Kahneman & Tversky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

The Linda Problem (Conjunction Fallacy): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunction_fallacy

Jeremy Shapiro, PhD: https://www.poverty-action.org/people/jeremy-shapiro

Economic and psychological effects of health insurance and cash transfers: Evidence from a randomized experiment in Kenya: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304387818310289

Trier Social Stress Test: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trier_social_stress_test

Cold Pressor Test: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_pressor_test

Kevin Parker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Parker_(musician)

Poverty Decreases IQ: https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/sendhil/files/976.full_.pdf

Musical Links

Tame Impala (Australian psych-rock): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C24hUt18RWY

John Lennon “Instant Karma”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfBPbFEel5k

Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams “Get Lucky”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkeIwhKIi84

Fleetwood Mac “The Chain”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6P2_i0Y6ms

Joji “Your Man”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrtkU7i0qD8

Fleet Foxes “Can I Believe You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2E2DpWO3-Y

Freddie Mercury “I’m The Great Pretender”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLRjFWDGs1g

The Counterintuitive Persuasion of The Catalyst with Jonah Berger

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 05:36:00 -0600

Jonah Berger is a marketing professor in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the internationally best-selling author Contagious and Invisible Influence. He consults with some of the largest corporations in the world and derives great insights from his interactions with business leaders wrestling with strategic issues.

In this episode, we caught up with Jonah to discuss his most recent book called The Catalyst. His book takes a counter-intuitive view on persuasion by focusing on reducing barriers to change rather than learning just the right lines, information, or coercive measures to use. Jonah advocates for first understanding why people are doing what they’re doing before we try to get them to do something else.

He shared his REDUCE model with us - Reactance, Endowment, Distance, Uncertainty, and Corroborating Evidence – and we dove into Reactance as a major component of how we resist change. The harder you push on someone to change, the more likely they are to push back. It’s natural for us to push back and to illustrate, just try this little experiment with someone in your household (another adult).

Ask your adult counterpart to hold up their hand at shoulder level and have your palms meet. Tell them you’re going to push on their hand, then do it with some force. Do they push back to slow the advance of your hand or do they just go limp and let you push their hand as far as you can? It’s likely that they’ll push back. The same is true of any behavior change.

And that’s okay. Our natural tendencies serve us well in many situations, but not all. Jonah’s perspective on how catalysts change behavior will open your mind to new ideas. We hope you enjoy it and, this week, find your groove.

Links

Jonah Berger, PhD: https://jonahberger.com/author-bio/

Jonah Berger Additional Resources: https://jonahberger.com/resources/

Lee Ross, PhD: https://profiles.stanford.edu/lee-ross

Mark Lepper, PhD: https://psychology.stanford.edu/people/mark-lepper

Kurt Lewin, PhD “Force Field Analysis”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Lewin

Musical Links

Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ardglr9MVVQ

Queen “We Will Rock You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKkIttJLcc

Tim Houlihan “Thinking About You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS-PsjRktUk

Dolly Parton “I Will Always Love You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0bEZH6ZqG4

Time is Money – How Do You Value It?

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 05:39:00 -0600

Recently, NPR’s Planet Money penned an article about how much our time is worth based on some research that was sponsored by the rideshare company Lyft. According to the article, Lyft economists tried to determine how much people were willing to pay to save some time.

After crunching data from nine different cities, Lyft estimated the average value of time is $19.00 per hour.

In this episode, Kurt and Tim discussed Ashley Whillan’s new book, “Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life,” some of the fundamental errors humans experience with time such as temporal discounting, loads of stats you’ll probably never need.

We discover that better time management leads to greater happiness and combining habits and mindset is critical to wellbeing. By the way, the US Department of Transportation’s official value of people’s time is $14.00 per hour. Go figure.

Links

Planet Money (NPR): What Is Your Time Worth?:

Big Think – Life in Numbers: https://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/how-many-days-of-your-life-do-you-have-sex-your-lifetime-by-the-numbers

Ashley Whillans, “Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life”: https://www.amazon.com/Time-Smart-Reclaim-Your-Happier-ebook/dp/B0842X6L2C

How Decision Making is Critical for Back Country Skiers and Sex

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 14:02:31 -0600

Have you ever been caught in an avalanche or spoken to someone who survived? In this episode, you’ll hear what living through an avalanche is really like.

Audun Hetland (a psychologist) and Andrea Mannberg (an economist) are researchers at the White Heat Project in Tromsø, Norway. The project is a collaboration between The Arctic University of Norway, Montana State University, and Umeå University, in Sweden. Their international team also includes researchers in geography, snow science, and political science. They are focused on the effects of positional preferences and bounded rationality on risk-taking behavior, and more specifically, skiing in avalanche terrain.

As project leader, Andrea spoke about how this interdisciplinary team is helping backcountry skiers do a better job of managing their risk in avalanche terrain. To do so, they are studying decision-making under uncertainty and the curious way cold and hot states affect our choices.

Their work has clear implications for corporate leaders who make decisions about budgets and human resources, and in many situations, the consequences can be quite high.

In case you’re not familiar with Tromsø, Norway, it is a 2-hour flight north of the Arctic Circle.

Links

Andrea Mannberg, PhD and Audun Hetland, PhD: https://uit.no/research/care

White Heat Project: https://whiteheatproject.com/

Bridger Bowl: https://bridgerbowl.com/

George Loewenstein & Dan Ariely’s paper on hot states vs. cold states: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bdm.501

Seinfeld Morning Guy vs. Night Guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEe2pN8oksc

Max Bazerman “Better, Not Perfect” Episode 196: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/living-happier-by-making-the-world-better-with-max-bazerman/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit?usp=sharing

Musical Links

John Coltrane “Green Dolphin Street”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePScRElDHOY

Tom Waits “Tom Traubert’s Blues”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvFyt2kmrZk

White Stripes “Seven Nation Army”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKdmdCtPtnQ

Monster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_(band)

Monster: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0c9qOU7URKA43mMlgJApmV?si=we-OrwjYS4GVksnTwNOt4g

The Clash “London Calling”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlLbrID7oDg

Folk og Røvere: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5jVLZ3NoJJ5kRcSnYOgSHO

Philter: http://open.spotify.com/album/1sbcw2kjPf5ZcLU5n7oGSt

Andrea’s “dance song”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9GqMuW9_Z8

Isolation Years (A band from Andrea’s home town): https://open.spotify.com/album/4nNOnikF2OVzBF9BqNxkHb?si=7Tkv4JujTPy99WytOG1H8A

The Knife: https://open.spotify.com/album/7lbXNgtug37CDpS7N7NkrL?si=AAwopJtDRQKpUe-EOJAYCw

First Aid Kit: https://open.spotify.com/artist/21egYD1eInY6bGFcniCRT1?si=ASWNJUigSPKAjgUkG66DcQ

The Role of the Unconscious in Everyday Behaviors with Joel Weinberger

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 05:25:00 -0600

Joel Weinberger is a Professor of Psychology at the Derner Institute at Adelphi University with Postdoctoral training in motivation at Harvard University. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and of the American Psychological Association. His research has focused on unconscious processes and worked closely during his post-doc with motivation guru David McClelland.

Joel is the founder of the consulting firm Implicit Strategies, where he helps political campaigns, non-profits, and businesses discover what consumers unconsciously think and feel about their candidate, product, or brand. In addition to roughly 100 peer-reviewed articles, his political and business commentaries have appeared in various outlets, including The Huffington Post, Anderson Cooper, and Good Morning America.

In addition to writing, teaching, and consulting, Joel is a practicing clinical psychologist. We are here to talk with him about his seminal book, The Unconscious, that we came to because of a generous recommendation from Yale scholar, John Bargh, PhD.

We spoke with Joel in late June 2020 and, regrettably, we failed to publish our conversation earlier. So, you’ll hear some references to the 2020 campaign that are asynchronous to where we are today; that said, Joel successfully predicted the outcome of the US Presidential election back in June!

Predictions aside, Joel’s encyclopedic knowledge of research on the unconscious is - dare I say - thrilling. We discussed Joel’s admiration for the work of Sigmund Freud, his collaborations with David McClelland, the interplay between the conscious and the unconscious, and research he’s done with his long-time partner, Drew Westen.

We covered political campaigns, deniers of the unconscious, and the liberating voice of Sam Cooke.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Joel and happy new year! (And good riddance to 2020!)

Links

Joel Weinberger, PhD: https://www.adelphi.edu/faculty/profiles/profile.php?PID=0275

“Unconscious: Theory, Research and Clinical Implications”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44658840-the-unconscious?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=kvDgbgcuys&rank=1

Mickey Mantle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Mantle

David McClelland, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_McClelland

David McClelland and Joel Weinberger on Implicit vs. Self Attributed: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1990-03570-001

Sigmund Freud “The Interpretation of Dreams”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Interpretation_of_Dreams

Sigmund Freud “The Unconscious”: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Freud_Unconscious.pdf

Drew Westen, “The Political Brain”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/853648.The_Political_Brain

Weinberger & Westen “RATS, We Should Have Used Clinton: Subliminal Priming in Political Campaigns”: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-9221.2008.00658.x

Heddy Lamarr: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr

Blues music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues

AJ Jacobs “The Year of Living Biblically”: https://ajjacobs.com/books/the-year-of-living-biblically/

Kwame Christian on Compassionate Curiosity – Episode 178: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Musical Links

“Yesterday” by the Beatles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YWyFIzSeXI

Sam Cooke “Bring it on Home to Me” (Harlem Version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYdX4_9VbBA

Tedeschi Trucks Band - "Bring It On Home To Me": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwuhY8mbu2s

Leadbelly “Goodnight, Irene”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn50JSI0W-E

BB King “The Thrill is Gone”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLAAzOBoBI

Successful New Year’s Resolutions in 4 Quick Tips

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 05:04:00 -0600

If you’re like the rest of us, your new year’s resolutions don’t last beyond St. Valentine’s Day. That’s okay – it’s normal. The trouble is it’s not what you want.

If you WANT success with your resolutions – to accomplish your goals – then listen to this podcast. We’ve broken down the best behavioral science advice into 4 easy-to-follow tips that will help you achieve what it is you’re passionately committed to at the start of the year.

We’ve incorporated research from some of the best work in the field is combined with the real-life experiences of our hosts, Kurt Nelson, PhD, and Tim Houlihan. Enjoy and please join us in saying “So long!” to 2020 with our last episode of the year.

If you like our work, please give us a super quick rating or take a luxurious minute while you’re waiting for the oven to heat up for your holiday bake and give us a short review. Thank you and we look forward to a better year ahead.

Living Happier By Making the World Better with Max Bazerman

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 05:04:00 -0600

Max Bazerman is the Jesse Isidor Strauss Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and is the author of “Better, Not Perfect.” It is the latest in a string of 21 books Max has authored and stands on the platform of hundreds of peer-reviewed papers on decision-making, negotiations, and ethics.

Max began by discussing the Myth of the Fixed Pie problem, which is quite common in negotiations. The Myth of the Fixed Pie indicates that we tend to rely on the way a problem is initially framed rather than thinking beyond it. We also talked about the importance of using our time wisely by being conscious of the things and experiences we focus on.

Max’s worldview seems to be stitched together with the thread of human kindness. We found him, and our conversation with him, to be incredibly inspiring. Even though we caught up with Max early in the Fall, we felt so much joy and optimism in our conversation, that we decided to conclude 2020 with Max’s take on how much better humanity – not just everyone, but you and I individually, too – can be, if we just pay attention to our decisions

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Max and if you liked it, please give us a quick rating or a review. Thanks for a good year, Groovers, and now on to 2021

Links

Max Bazerman: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6420

Bazerman “Better, Not Perfect”: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/better-not-perfect-max-h-bazerman?variant=32129879736354

Bazerman “The Power of Noticing”: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Power-of-Noticing/Max-Bazerman/9781476700304

Silver Oak Cabernet – Alexander Valley: https://silveroak.com/shop/category/wine/alexander-valley/

Sam Smith chocolate stout: https://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/shop/bottles/stout-bottles/organic-chocolate-stout/

David Messick: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/directory/messick_david_m.aspx

Ann Tenbrunsel: https://mendoza.nd.edu/mendoza-directory/profile/?slug=ann-tenbrunsel

Mazarin Bhanaji: https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/mahzarin-r-banaji

Dolly Chugh: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/dolly-chugh

Chugh “The Person You Want to Be”: http://www.dollychugh.com/book

Jeremy Bentham: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/bentham/

John Stuart Mill: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill/

Peter Singer: https://petersinger.info/

Josh Greene: https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/joshua-d-greene

Greene “Moral Tribes”: https://www.joshua-greene.net/moral-tribes

Utilitarianism: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/utilitarianism-history/

Mort Seligman Learned Helplessness Lab: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_helplessness

Robert McCollum, Department of Justice: https://casetext.com/case/mccollum-v-secy-of-health-human-servs-1

Matt Meyers: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO05/20190725/109846/HHRG-116-GO05-Wstate-MyersM-20190725.pdf

Kahneman & Tversky: https://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/prospect.htm

Thaler & Sunstein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_(book)

Effective Altruism: https://www.effectivealtruism.org/

Givewell.org: https://www.givewell.org/

David Ricardo – Comparative Advantage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_advantage

Musical Links

Aoife O'Donovan“Oh, Mama”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSmZCCtyq3Q

Tracy Grammar “If I Needed You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOXSc0N1AH4

Simon & Garfunkel “Sound of Silence”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwP3vPQi0nI

Simon & Garfunkel with Andy Williams “Scarborough Fair”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_T7HgZKZjo

Scarborough Fair / Canticle - Jadyn Rylee, Sina and Charlotte Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAlys2LOX5Q

Joan Baez “Blowin in the Wind”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBP59jSU4Ag

Tom Rush “No Regrets”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pxEKfEBOWM

Carole King “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOyvYnkdEcc

Crooked Still “Little Sadie”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uRAHnRoWts

Reflecting on the Best Podcast Insights from 2020

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 05:36:00 -0600

This is THE episode to listen to if you have missed the last 90 episodes.

We can all agree that 2020 has been one hell of a year. Many people have been severely impacted by the pandemic, by financial uncertainty, with civil unrest, and the general malaise that the year seemed to have. Many are excited to say, “Good riddance!” The same goes for us, but Kurt and Tim have also used 2020 to surpass several milestones that we’d like to share with you.

#1 Best Behavioral Science Podcast as voted by listeners of Habit Weekly (which was very, very cool – thank you to everyone who voted for us – we are humbled!)
Global Top 20 Behavioral Science Podcast by Chartable
90 episodes this year (started with Rory at 107, will end with New Year’s Resolutions at 197)
72 unique guests
120 countries download Behavioral Grooves
3rd year in a row of fantastic growth (110% growth this year over last year)
30 episodes dedicated to putting a behavioral science lens on the coronavirus pandemic

This episode is a rear-view mirror glance at some of our favorite conversations from 2020. We’ve included great quotes from terrific guests – in their own voices – so you can get a quick feel for what Behavioral Grooves is all about.

And we are pushing full steam ahead into 2021 with plans for more remarkable insights from amazing guests, more grooving sessions on topical issues from Kurt and Tim, and a couple of new series that will bring applied behavioral science to you in ways that will enrich your personal and professional life.

Links

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @motivationguru

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Nudge.It North Conference: https://www.nudgeitnorth.com/

Habit Weekly: https://www.habitweekly.com/

Annie Duke – Episode 176: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/

Max Bazerman – Episode not yet published:

Gary Latham – Episode 147: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-phd-goal-setting-prompts-priming-and-skepticism/

Ryan McShane – Episode 191: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/evolving-hr-using-behavioral-science-with-ryan-mcshane/

Chiara Varazzani – Episode 118: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/chiara-varazzani-behavioral-science-needs-more-neuroscience/

Roy Baumeister – Episode 171: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

Eric Oliver – Episode 172: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-talk-to-your-friends-about-their-conspiracy-theories-with-eric-oliver/

Bill von Hippel – Episode 187: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/bill-von-hippel-on-the-social-leap-context-and-max-weinberg/

Amy Bucher – Episode 192: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/amy-bucher-on-participatory-design-trust-and-engaging-your-audience/

Jessica Mayhew – Episode 179: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/play-reciprocity-and-context-the-keys-to-happy-communities-with-jessica-mayhew/

Eli Finkel – Episode 174: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/secrets-to-a-successful-marriage-with-eli-finkel/

Steve Martin & Joe Marks – Episode 110: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/steve-martin-and-joe-marks-the-messenger-is-the-message/

John Bargh – Episode 155: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/

Kwame Christian – Episode 178: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Rory Sutherland – Episode 107: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rory-sutherland-the-opposite-of-a-good-idea-is-a-good-idea/

The 10 Best Behavioral Science Books for 2020

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 05:52:00 -0600

Pretty much everyone around the world agrees that 2020 was a challenging year and we’re glad it’s all but over. However, 2020 was a year we upped the number of guests (to 90), upped our reading habits (20+ books for the show), and had more authors as guests than in any previous year.

In short, Kurt and Tim read a lot of new books. And because we read bunches of them, we’re here to save you time by offering you our view of the top 10 books – 5 from Kurt and 5 from Tim – on behavioral science from 2020. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did – and as always, let us know what you think!

For quick reference, here’s our list with links for your enjoyment. And here’s to happy reading in 2021!

Top Book List from Kurt

“Behave,” by Robert Sapolsky: https://amzn.to/3p5MJWF
“Good Habits, Bad Habits,” by Wendy Wood: https://amzn.to/3p6v1lK
“Scarcity,” by Eldar Shafir and Sendhil Mullainathan: https://amzn.to/3nsMS62
“Think Like a Rocket Scientist,” Ozan Varol: https://amzn.to/34n8OI7
“Before You Know It,” by John Bargh: https://amzn.to/3r7SbtT

Top Book List from Tim

“How to Decide,” by Annie Duke: https://amzn.to/38nHsmK
“Behavioral Insights,” by Michael Hallsworth and Elspeth Kirkman: https://amzn.to/2WsJ1Kr
“Alchemy,” by Rory Sutherland: https://amzn.to/2LEwRfd
“Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don’t, and Why,” by Steve Martin & Joe Marks: https://amzn.to/38gRHsH
“Unleash Your Primal Brain,” by Tim Ash: https://amzn.to/3gYM1rr

Honorable Mentions

“Elevate,” by Robert Glazer
“Designing for Behavior Change,” by Steve Wendel
“Invisible Influences,” by Jonah Berger
“White Fragility,” Robin DeAngelo
“The All-Or-Nothing Marriage: How the Best Marriages Work,” by Eli Finkel
“The Power of Bad,” by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney
“Better, Not Perfect,” by Max Bazerman
“Time Smart,” by Ashley Whillans
“Blindsight: the mostly hidden ways marketing shapes our brains,” by Prince Ghuman and Matt Johnson

Thanks for listening and we hope you find your groove with these books!

How to Deal With Anxiety Over COVID Vaccines

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 10:29:41 -0600

Are the new COVID-19 vaccines are safe? It will probably take time to know for sure; however, this week Kurt and Tim discuss the behavioral aspects of the transition. Kurt was engaged by an article in Bloomberg called “Vaccines May Have Social Side Effects,” by Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University.

Professor Cowen raised the idea that the mere presence of vaccines may give people an unwarranted boost in confidence and lead to less mask-wearing and social distancing.

In this 8-and-a-half-minute grooving session, we discuss some of the behavioral aspects of the transition.

Links

“Vaccines May Have social Side Effects”: https://www.startribune.com/vaccines-may-have-social-side-effects/573096121/?refresh=true

How a Covid-19 Vaccine Could End Up Helping the Virus Spread: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-11/if-we-re-not-careful-a-vaccine-might-help-covid-19-spread

Amy Bucher on Participatory Design, Trust and Engaging Your Audience

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 05:43:00 -0600

Amy Bucher, PhD is the Vice President of Behavior Change Design at Mad*Pow and the author of “Engaged” a new book on how to apply behavioral science to the design and development of products. At Mad*Pow, she designs motivating interventions to help people live healthier and happier lives and, in her spare time, knocks 150 books off her reading list every year. (OMG!)

Amy was recently recognized as one of 10 behavioral scientists you should know in Forbes magazine. While we did spend a bit of time on the article and her work at Mad*Pow, most of our conversation focused on the book.

We talked about motivation and the incredible power that idiosyncratic messaging can have on customers when used properly by marketing and sales. We also discussed participatory design, trust, and how important it is for product developers and marketers to demonstrate trust.

She also offered her thoughts on how designers need to do a better job of integrating behavioral science into their products. Some are doing it, but there are lots of opportunities for improvement Amy offered some ideas on this.

Lastly, we want to note that Amy wrote that one of the most important reminders for the corporate world: Almost everything a designer makes has behavior change built into it. The smart designers will be thinking about that as they design their products (or enhancements).

We hope you enjoy this conversation with Amy as much as we did and hope that this week, you find your groove.

Links

Amy Bucher, PhD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybucher/

“Engaged”: https://amzn.to/3BkG1mb

“Super Better” by Jane McGonigal: https://amzn.to/2YwILOY

“Atomic Habits” by James Clear: https://amzn.to/3ad9Nxn

Forbes Article: “Top Behavioral Scientists You Should Know”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/10/29/10-behavioral-scientists-you-should-know/?sh=72ddbe3c42e0

Pattern Health: https://pattern.health/

Ran Kivetz, PhD “Idiosyncratic Fit”: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/publications/idiosyncratic-fit-heuristic-effort-advantage-determinant-consumer

Peppers & Rogers 1:1 Marketing: https://hbr.org/1999/01/is-your-company-ready-for-one-to-one-marketing

McDonald’s milkshake innovation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stc0beAxavY

Adam Hansen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adhansen/

Bent Handle Snow Shovel: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/snow-removal-and-equipment/snow-shovels-and-pushers/7200439

Musical Links

R.E.M. “Losing My Religion”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwtdhWltSIg

Michael Stipe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Stipe

Britney Spears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u5WLJ9Yk4

Robyn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcNo07Xp8aQ

The Doves “There Goes The Fear”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SneuvKIkM3A

Pulp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuTMWgOduFM

Manchester Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ui9umU0C2g

Depeche Mode “Personal Jesus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1xrNaTO1bI

Evolving HR Using Behavioral Science with Ryan McShane

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 05:50:00 -0600

Ryan McShane is the President and CEO of HR Evolution, a consultancy that designs systems that support employee alignment to organizational purpose through HR best practices, organizational development initiatives, and professional development solutions.

We discussed a variety of HR related topics including psychological safety, emotional intelligence, and what can be done when it comes to improving the mindset of leaders. Ryan stressed that WIIFM (what’s in it for me) is central to the impetus to change at all levels of the organization.

Plus, he offered a particularly cool insight: Change comes about when the pain of staying the same is higher than doing something different.

We also discussed how the social contract between the employer and the employee has changed dramatically. And we got to hear Ryan’s rationale for being so optimistic about a future where employers need to put forth extra effort to attract and retain the best and brightest workers. It got us thinking: could the growing gig economy actually offer more value to the employees than the employers?

Lastly, we appreciated Ryan’s approach to working through the pandemic and the reminder that intimidation and scare tactics have no place in today’s workplace. Frederick Taylor’s vision of work should be a thing of the past. Period.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with this very bright behavioral science practitioner, and as always, let us know what you think!

Links

Ryan McShane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-mcshane-743382a/

Ryan’s email: rmcshane@hrevolutionllc.com

HR Evolution: https://hrevolutionllc.com/

Zappos: https://www.zappos.com/

US Census Bureau Pulse Surveys: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/household-pulse-survey/data.html

Schumann Resonance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schumann_resonances#:~:text=The%20Schumann%20resonances%20(SR)%20are,Earth's%20surface%20and%20the%20ionosphere.

Fredrick Taylor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Winslow_Taylor

Muir Woods: https://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm

Musical Links

Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xTHMDrRUKo

Grateful Dead “Ripple”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yJmBC7cMTM

Nirvana “About a Girl”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_24pJQUj7zg

Radio Head “Hail to the Thief”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MdwaUtW_D4

Smashing Pumpkins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smashing_Pumpkins

432 Hertz Music (Musik): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg1_DXazvKI

JS Bach “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdsyNwUoON0

Linda Diaz “Green Tea Ice Cream”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ursri8GmlW4

“Sunny Side of the Street”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn3soYbSpS4

Fabiano de Nascimento: https://www.npr.org/2020/07/02/885766987/fabiano-do-nascimento-tiny-desk-home-concert

Depeche Mode: http://www.depechemode.com/

Nine Inch Nails: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Inch_Nails

Trent Reznor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_Reznor

Cornelia Walther on POZE: Pause, Observe, Zoom in, and Experience

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 12:16:54 -0600

Cornelia Walther has spent most of her professional career with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program (WFP). She was the head of communications in large-scale emergencies in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. She earned her PhD in Law and is a certified yoga instructor and her current work is a remarkable amalgam of her studies and her life’s journey.

In recent years, she developed POZE as a way of exploring the world to help uncover deeper levels of happiness. (POZE is an opening spiral that can stand for, among a few things, to Pause for a moment, Observe what’s going on around you, Zoom in on yourself, and Experience what is going on in the world.) These are wise and weighty thoughts and we thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with her.

We also discussed how we are all interconnected – that your world and my world may be very different, yet we share connections if we only give ourselves the chance to experience them. The hope is that we recognize this connectedness – both at a personal level and at a larger global level – and bring greater meaning and happiness to our lives through this connectedness.

One of our favorite lines from our discussion with Cornelia was this: “So driven was I by the craving for some thing or another, that I omitted to savor the beauty of now.” We all need to take a moment, pause, and savor the beauty of now.

Links

Cornelia Walther: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corneliawalther/?originalSubdomain=ht

POZE: https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/the-source/blog/blogposts-communicating-research/sdg-interview-cornelia-walther-sustainability-holistic-perspect/17463138

Gary Latham, PhD, Episode 147: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-phd-goal-setting-prompts-priming-and-skepticism/

Creole Language: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_language

Brad Shuck, PhD, Episode 91: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/brad-shuck-being-ignored-is-worse-than-having-a-stapler-thrown-at-you/

Development, Humanitarian Aid and Social Welfare. Social Change from the Inside Out (May 2020): https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9783030426095#aboutBook

Humanitarian Work, Social Change, and Human behavior. Compassion for Change (June 2020):https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9783030458775

Development and Connection in times of Covid. Corona’s Call for Conscious Choices (October 2020): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-53641-1

Social Change from the Inside Out. From Fixation to Foundation. From Competition to Change: https://rdcu.be/b9GrF

From Individual wellbeing to collective welfare: https://rb.gy/xsuauh

Musical Links

Pink “So What”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJfFZqTlWrQ

Verdi, “Aida”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3w4I-KElxQ

Dvorak, “Symphony of the New World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_1N6_O254g

Beatles, “Don’t Let Me Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtzkaL2t_Y&list=PLf9cCqxaRfcMcL5yU9UZDdNJwkDNbh3ce

Depeche Mode, “People Are People”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1FVmBHbPNg

Mariza, “Quem Me Dera”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sze5rpbklM

Ayub Ogada, “Kothbiro”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L48PCisRZ7s

Giberto Gil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECtYYiHbIcQ

Fabiano do Nascimento, “Nana”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4iukkBmDGg

Tim Sparks, “Klezmer Medley”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkiCFzWTYRg

Kevin Vallier: What to Do About Polarization

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 09:33:37 -0600

Kevin Vallier, PhD is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University, where he directs their Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law programs. Kevin’s interests span a wide spectrum including political philosophy, ethics, philosophy of religion, politics, and economics. He is the author of peer-reviewed book chapters and journal articles, and his recent books include Must Politics Be War? Restoring Our Trust in the Open Society (Oxford UP 2019) and, his newest book, Trust in a Polarized Age (Oxford UP 2020).

We focused our discussion on Kevin’s philosophical viewpoint of political issues, traversing the axes of polarization and trust. We spent some time discussing how focusing on progress and process might be good short-term balms for our broken nation.

We also asked him about potential solutions to our current situation in the United States and his answers might surprise you. Kevin offered approaches that only a political philosopher might have, and we enjoyed his unique perspective. His best tip for healing our nation’s divides (in the short term) might be as simple as joining a church or non-political non-profit organization to help your community.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Kevin Vallier.

Links

Kevin Vallier, PhD: kevinvallier@gmail.com

Revolving Door: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolving_door_(politics)

Ranked Choice Voting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranked_voting

Trump/Obama Valedictorian Speech: https://time.com/5302250/obama-quote-graduation-speech/

Robert Cialdini, PhD: https://www.influenceatwork.com/robert-cialdini-phd/biography/

Ideas42: https://www.ideas42.org/

Coleman’s Boat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGaz0xKG060

Robber’s Cave Experiment: https://www.simplypsychology.org/robbers-cave.html

Nudge.It North: https://www.nudgeitnorth.com/

Musical Links

Dolly Parton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2RBS_U0GoQ

Chet Atkins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6cXqM21KbE

Alison Kraus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To1_nOjlLBQ

Maynard Ferguson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNbsnBZOwqE

Sufjan Stevens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOvSy3yepd8

Gregorian chant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuK59jQ5bwU

Valaam chant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMtyTXDc9Fw

Byzantine notation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_music

Organum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGZJ8XQJcmk

“Be Thou My Vision”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OUqRUAbl4w

IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY BY MAKING YOUR WORKFORCE PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:27:00 -0600

[NOTE: This episode was originally published as a Weekly Grooves podcast. We wanted to share it with our Behavioral Grooves listeners and we hope you enjoy it.]

We were inspired by a recent article on CNBC’s website by Cory Steig, called “ ’Psychological safety’ at work improves productivity–here are 4 ways to get it, according to a Harvard expert.” The piece reviews some research on psychology safety that Kurt and I have been focused on for years.

Psychological safety is a concept that was identified by Harvard Professor Amy Edmondson from work in the 1990’s. Professor Edmondson defines psychological safety as “a workplace where one feels that one’s voice is welcome with bad news, questions, concerns, half-baked ideas and even mistakes.” One way we experience this is when we feel that the team has my back through both good and bad.

Kurt and Tim believe that psychological safety is both undervalued and under-implemented in companies today and we hope listeners can apply some of the key points in this brief discussion to their workplace.

Links

Kurt Nelson, PhD: Kurt@LanternGroup.com

Tim Houlihan: Tim@BehaviorAlchemy.com

Psychological Safety at work improves productivity: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/05/why-psychological-safety-is-important-at-work-and-how-to-create-it.html

How Making a Mistake in the Interview Could Land You the Job: https://www.vault.com/blogs/interviewing/how-making-a-mistake-in-the-interview-could-land-you-the-job

Re:Work – Google shares much of the insights that they learned from Project Aristotle and how to implement those ideals: https://rework.withgoogle.com/print/guides/5721312655835136/

Forbes article by Shane Snow that overviews Psychological Safety and describes what it is and is not – nice summary that helps clarify key aspects of this concept: https://www.forbes.com/sites/shanesnow/2020/05/04/how-psychological-safety-actually-works/#51e147dbf864

How to foster psychological safety in virtual meetings: https://hbr.org/2020/08/how-to-foster-psychological-safety-in-virtual-meetings

Elliot Aronson, PhD Coffee Study: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratfall_effect

Bill von Hippel on The Social Leap, Context, and Max Weinberg

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 05:48:00 -0600

Bill von Hippel, PhD is an evolutionary psychologist from Alaska who has lived in Australia for more than 20 years. Bill teaches at the University of Queensland and his body of research is so wide we struggled to focus our conversation. We spoke with him about his research into the ways in which our species’ behaviors have evolved over millions of years into the behaviors we see in our present-day lives. His insights are clever, thoughtful, and thought-provoking.

We talked about reciprocity, collectivism, and most importantly, how being cooperative and social propelled our species forward well beyond anything else in the animal kingdom. We discussed Bill’s latest book, “The Social Leap.” It’s a groundbreaking thesis that applies evolutionary science to help us understand how major challenges from our past have shaped some of the most fundamental aspects of our being.

One of the book’s key lessons is for us to remember that it is our collaboration, our collective abilities as a species, that sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. This unique capability for humans to cooperate is an important reminder these days and Bill articulated the evolution of collaboration and competition in memorable terms.

We talked about the futility of not trusting your friends and the likely risk of getting lots of false positives from motivated thinking. And we discussed how social context matters when it comes to happiness. Bill explained how we choose our contexts wisely, and we do so to compare ourselves favorably to those around us. In this way, we tend to avoid comparisons with those we wouldn’t compare well to.

Lastly, Bill shared an evolutionary perspective that really struck us. He noted that, as we age, we are likely to increase our reliance on stereotypes and that can lead to prejudice. As Bill suggested, to stop ourselves from this unnecessary psychological deterioration, we should slow down our judgments and ask if we’re feeling this way because of that person’s group membership or gender or whatever. Stop, pause, and give it some consideration.

Bill was recommended to us by Roy Baumeister and we’re grateful for the introduction as well as Bill’s generous conversation. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Bill and that you go out and find your groove this week.

Links

Bill Von Hippel, PhD: https://psychology.uq.edu.au/profile/3034/bill-von-hippel

University of Queensland: https://www.uq.edu.au/

“The Social Leap”: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-social-leap-william-von-hippel?variant=32207123873826

Peter Singer, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Singer

Homo Erectus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_erectus

Michael Tomasello, PhD: https://psychandneuro.duke.edu/people/michael-tomasello

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz “Everybody Lies”: http://sethsd.com/everybodylies

Dan Ariely on comparison: https://theconversation.com/the-decoy-effect-how-you-are-influenced-to-choose-without-really-knowing-it-111259

Ed Diener on “Wealth and happiness across the world”: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20565185/

Embouchure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embouchure#:~:text=Embouchure%20(English%3A%20%2F%CB%88%C9%92,mouthpiece%20of%20a%20brass%20instrument.

Musical Links

Lynyrd Skynyrd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxIWDmmqZzY

Boston: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc78RnDRQ_4

Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_DKWlrA24k

Mozart: Sonata in C, K. 545, Allegro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xeAsc6m35w

Keith Moon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5Up-qHTJdY

Rush “Tom Sawyer”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrhnhXHVSQg

Neal Peart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWRMOJQDiLU

Max Weinberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zylXeuWPk9o

Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbhCPt6PZIU

Bob Dylan “Like a Rolling Stone”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xz7WfVYxok

Al Kooper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZGN7T70rgY

Max Weinberg Experience: https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ott-max-weinberg-springsteen-0413-story.html

World Kindness Day Through a Behavioral Lens

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:03:13 -0600

World Kindness Day is November 13th and has been celebrated in many countries around the world since 1998. World Kindness Day was developed to promote good deeds in communities and focus on how kindness binds us together. Around the world are efforts to encourage “random acts of kindness” for others and acting in a more kind way.

We decided to look at kindness in general through a behavioral science lens.

Webster’s definition of “kind” is “of a sympathetic or helpful nature; being gentle.” In other words, kindness is basically doing something nice for someone. A Mother Jones article about World Kindness day, by Daniel King, states, “Don’t worry, kindness is not niceness,” so we looked at how the University of Santa Clara differentiates between KIND and NICE.

They used an example of how holding the door for others can be described as either “nice” or “kind.” If the underlying motivation is to create a favorable impression for the purpose of asking for a favor later, then the action can be considered NICE due to its pleasing effect.

On the other hand, if the motivation is to spare the other person from extra effort or inconvenience, then the action can be considered KIND (as well as nice) if it pleases the other person.

We encourage each and every one of you around the world today to show some act of kindness to a loved one, friend or stranger. And we hope you enjoy this episode.

Links

Science Made Fun: Celebrating World Kindness Day: https://sciencemadefun.net/blog/world-kindness-day/

World Kindness Day: https://worldkindness.org/be-involved/

Mother Jones: Kindness Day is Actually a Day: https://www.motherjones.com/recharge/2020/10/world-kindness-day/

World Kindness Day in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Kindness_Day

Psychology Today: The Importance of Kindness: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pieces-mind/201712/the-importance-kindness

Time: Random Acts of Kindness make Marriage Better: https://time.com/4674982/kindness-compassion-marriage/

Rewards of Kindness Hui, B. P. H., Ng, J. C. K., Berzaghi, E., Cunningham-Amos, L. A., & Kogan, A. (2020). Rewards of kindness? A meta-analysis of the link between prosociality and well-being. Psychological Bulletin.: https://doi.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000298

Psychology Today: Random Acts of Kindness Matter to Your Well Being: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-nourishment/201711/why-random-acts-kindness-matter-your-well-being

Being Kind, Not Nice: https://www.scu.edu/the-big-q/being-nice-vs-being-kind/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CNice%E2%80%9D%20is%20defined%20as%20%E2%80%9C,way%20they%20treat%20each%20other.

How Do We Deal with Disinformation?

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:05:00 -0600

[NOTE: This episode was originally published under our sister-podcast, Weekly Grooves. We are republishing it here to share relevant behavioral science information. We hope you enjoy it.]

We saw an article in The Atlantic that caught our attention because of its hook into behavioral science: our willingness to believe disinformation. In this week’s episode, we talk about the underlying behavioral science into why we humans are so susceptible to information that is not accurate.

What can we do? We can use the OODA loop to interrupt our too-quick decision to simply accept suspicious content: Observe – Orient – Decide – Act. The OODA loop, in a very simplistic manner uses these four elements in this way: to take in and observe the context in which you’re seeing this information; orient yourself with the source in a critical way; make a decision by asking, “if this is from someone I might not trust, would I still believe it?”; and take action by deleting content created to DIS-inform you.

And since our podcast is relatively new, we are very interested in knowing how you think we’re doing. Please leave us a review or drop us a line. @THoulihan or @WhatMotivates

Disinformation: “False information, which is intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media.”

Misinformation: “False or inaccurate information, especially that which is deliberately intended to deceive.”

Conspiracy Theory: “A belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for a circumstance or event.”

Links

“The Billion Dollar Disinformation Campaign to Reelect the President,” by McKay Coppins in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/the-2020-disinformation-war/605530/

The Donation of Constantine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donation_of_Constantine

The National Enquirer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Enquirer

The Daily Mail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Mail

The Messenger Effect: https://www.nber.org/papers/w25632.pdf

OODA Loop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop

Leveraging the OODA Loop with Digital Analytics to Counter Disinformation, by Jami Carroll (2019): https://search.proquest.com/openview/0a78c42e27ef89dab1bd4969bd6d0974/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=396497

Viktor Frankl: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Frankl

FactCheck.org: https://www.factcheck.org/

Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/about-snopes/

Gallup Polls Believing in the Media: https://news.gallup.com/poll/267047/americans-trust-mass-media-edges-down.aspx

Elspeth Kirkman and Michael Hallsworth on Designing Behavioral Interventions

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 05:11:00 -0600

CORRECTION: In this episode, we incorrectly state that Michael Hallsworth started the BIT North American team. In fact, the BIT North America team was founded in 2015 by Elspeth Kirkman. Under Elspeth’s leadership, the team delivered over 100 trials to cities across the US before she returned to the UK in 2018, which was when Michael Hallsworth came to Brooklyn to manage the group. We regret the error and thank Elizabeth Linos, PhD for calling attention to it.

In their book, “Behavioral Insights,” Michael Hallsworth and Elspeth Kirkman took time to think through the critical steps in the design and execution of a behavioral intervention. It’s a framework that could be applied to any significant behavior change you might consider and it comes from a book that Kurt and Tim consider among the best of 2020.

Michael Hallsworth is the Managing Director of the North American Behavioral Insights Team and has helped develop frameworks such as MINDSPACE and EAST. He is a thoughtful researcher with outstanding work to his credit; at the same time, he’s quick to point out when his research ideas don’t play out as he expected them to.

Elspeth Kirkman helped open the North American BIT unit but is now back in London, where she is responsible for BIT’s work on health, education, and local government. We first featured Elspeth for her work on frameworks and models in Episode 166 and we're so happy to see that she and Michael co-authored what we consider one of the best behavioral science books of 2020.

Their book, “Behavioral Insights,” was commissioned and published by MIT Press for their Essential Knowledge Series. The book very explicitly outlines HOW to design and implement a behavior change initiative. Their 10-step model carefully lays out this process and we were extremely happy to see that the first 7 steps are all about design.

We discussed ethics and transparency in the way interventions are implemented. These considerations are central to much of the work that they do, especially when it comes to the development of governmental policies.

We also discussed rationality and who gets to decide what is rational and what isn’t. This was a particularly powerful concept since we know that humans do a great job defending their actions. To what degree is it rational or rationalizing?

Regrettably, due to time constraints, we were not able to chat about music. We’ll save it for next time. Right now, we hope you enjoy our conversation with Elspeth and Michael.

Links

Michael Hallsworth: @mhallsworth

Elspeth Kirkman: @karminker

“Behavioral Insights”: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/behavioral-insights

Menorca Island: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menorca

Gerd Gigerenzer: https://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/staff/gerd-gigerenzer

Dan Ariely, “Predictably Irrational”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictably_Irrational

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit?usp=sharing

Eugen Dimant, Episode 169: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/eugen-dimant-phd-what-to-do-about-bad-apples/

NYC Cab Driver Study (Loewenstein, Thaler, Babcock and Camerer): https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/docs/loewenstein/NYCCabdrivers.pdf

Behavioral Grooves Episode 41 on Hallsworth: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/michael-hallsworth-from-mindspace-to-east/

Behavioral Grooves 100th Episode: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-100th-episode-celebration-in-philadelphia/

Behavioral Grooves Episode 166 on Kirkman: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/elspeth-kirkman-best-models-for-identifying-a-problem/

Nudge.It North: https://www.nudgeitnorth.com/learn

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @whatmotivates

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan

Iowa Caucus Conspiracy Theories – How to Inoculate Yourself

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 05:42:00 -0600

[NOTE: This episode was originally published under our sister-podcast, Weekly Grooves. In our effort to share relevant behavioral science information, we are republishing it here. We hope you enjoy it.]

Listeners, especially in the United States, are already aware of the debacle from the Iowa Caucuses and how the Iowa Democratic party used a new app to help streamline the caucus results. You’re probably also aware that the processes and technologies failed, and results were not available for days afterwards.

The delay has caused a plethora of online conspiracy theories and that’s our topic for this week. In the absence of good data, we make it up.

Some of the richest conspiracy theories Kurt and Tim found include: 1.) The Democratic party didn’t like the results that they were seeing, so they were changing them. 2.) The Russians or the Chinese had hacked the app and were messing with us. 3.) The Republicans had hacked the app and were trying to rig the election. 4.) Hillary Clinton had helped build the app and was using it to get back at Sanders. And our all-time favorite conspiracy theory (5.) involves the Illuminati and how they were controlling the outcome.

With all this swirling around, Kurt and Tim discuss why it’s humans to engage in conspiracy theories and some of their psychological underpinnings, the personality types that are most prone to believing a conspiracy theory, and what we can do to inoculate ourselves from this sort of thinking.

We are reason-seeking machines and are more likely to ask “why” before we fully understand “what” happened.

Join us for a quick review of why we experience conspiracy theories in the first place and what we can do about them.

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan

Links

Online conspiracy theories flourish after Iowa caucus fiasco: https://apnews.com/8ae0e5172130f81265172fbd3e65094a

The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories, 2017, Douglas, Sutton and Cichocka: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0963721417718261

The psychology of conspiracy theories: Why do people believe them, John Grohol PsyD: https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-psychology-of-conspiracy-theories-why-do-people-believe-them/

Closed Belief System: https://issuepedia.org/Closed_belief_system

Conspiracy theories: the science behind belief in secret plots, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2013/sep/05/conspiracy-theories-science-belief-secret-plots

Fundamental Attribution Error: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_attribution_error

Hanlon’s Razor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor

Illuminati: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170809-the-accidental-invention-of-the-illuminati-conspiracy

Lantian, A., Muller, D., Nurra, C., Douglas, K. (2017). “‘I know things they don’t know!’: The role of need for uniqueness in belief in conspiracy theories,” Social Psychology, 48, 160-173

Mercier, H. & Sperber, D., “Why do humans reason? Arguments for an argumentative theory” BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES (2011) 34, 57–111 doi:10.1017/S0140525X10000968

Motivated Reasoning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivated_reasoning

Oliver, Eric on “Big Brains” Episode 25: https://news.uchicago.edu/podcasts/big-brains/science-conspiracy-theories-and-political-polarization-eric-oliver

Pareidolia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia

Pattern Recognition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern_recognition_(psychology)

Pattern Recognition: The Science Behind Conspiracy Theories, Steven Novella: https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/why-do-we-give-into-conspiracy-thinking/

Project Mogul: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Mogul

Resulting (Annie Duke): https://www.annieduke.com/how-to-make-the-right-decisions-even-when-you-dont-have-all-the-facts/

Rippling with Jez Groom and April Vellacott

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 05:58:00 -0600

Jez Groom and April Vellacott, our guests in this episode, are co-authors of “Ripple - The Big Effects of Small Behavior Changes in Business.” It’s a practical, application-focused romp that uses a behavioral science lens to solve all sorts of real-world problems.

Jez Groom is the founder of Cowry Consulting and has established himself as one of the world's leading practitioners in the field. Jez has played instrumental roles in projects like Babies in the Borough – which we featured in Episode 167 – that used murals of babies faces to fight crime, to changing handwashing behavior in a slaughterhouse in Santiago, to using bright pink walls to reduce unsafe behavior on a high-rise construction site in London. He is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Psychology at City University, London.

April Vellacott is the Behavioral Consulting Lead at Cowry. Aside from being a dedicated and experienced practitioner, she holds degrees in Psychology and Behavior Change. Owning the heavy lifting for the book, April stole the show with some of the best lines (see “you can’t make a bucket without bucketloads of money”). We urge you to check out their book as it’s more than just informative, it’s also a pleasure to read.

In our conversation with Jez and April, we discussed the salient points from the book, the case study format they used, the very international feel from those case studies, and some of the techniques they’ve used to get business professionals to adopt behavioral science.

We also covered a key pillar of their personal and professional missions: to demystify and democratize behavioral science. It’s a terrific conversation and we hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.

Links

Jez Groom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jezgroom/

April Vellacott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-vellacott-68b08257/

Cowry Consulting: https://www.cowryconsulting.com/

“Ripple”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49190518-ripple

Rory Sutherland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/

Daniel Levitin “This is Your Brain on Music”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Levitin

Adam Hansen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adhansen/

Episode 167 – Babies in the Borough: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-babies-faces-on-shop-doors-can-reduce-crime-with-tara-austin/

Musical Links

John Legend “Wild”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=279RNoP5UyU

House Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBJk0Tq3JDU

Stormzy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-EW4-B11hw

Drill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_music

Flava Flav: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavor_Flav

Public Enemy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy

Sade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcPc18SG6uA

Grooving: The Single Largest Driver of Misinformation

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 07:11:34 -0600

Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Noah Weiland of The New York Times wrote an article titled, “Study Finds ‘Single Largest Driver’ of Coronavirus Misinformation: Trump.” The article is based on research from the Cornell Alliance for Science that analyzed over 38 million articles around the world on the pandemic. They found that “Mentions of Trump made up nearly 38% of the overall “misinformation conversation,” making the president the largest driver of the “infodemic.”

Of the 38 million articles on the pandemic, 1.1 million of them “disseminated, amplified or reported on misinformation related to the pandemic.” The study found 11 topics of misinformation that were prevalent in these articles – ranging from the pandemic being a hoax facilitated by the Democrats to the virus being a deep state or bioweapon of China to the most common one – miracle cures.

Kurt and Tim decided to break down the discussion into three parts: 1.) The psychology of misinformation. 2.) The messenger effect and 3.) The psychology behind why Donald Trump might be doing this.

Links

“Study Finds 'Single Largest Driver' of Coronavirus Misinformation: Trump”: https://news.yahoo.com/study-finds-single-largest-driver-120309389.html

CORONAVIRUS MISINFORMATION: Quantifying sources and themes in the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’: https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Evanega-et-al-Coronavirus-misinformationFINAL.pdf

What drove the COVID misinformation ‘infodemic’: https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/2020/10/what-drove-the-covid-misinformation-infodemic/

“Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don’t, and Why”: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43522604

Vote Now (for Behavioral Grooves)

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 12:57:35 -0600

The presidential election is going full tilt in the United States and we want to emphasize the importance of acting on your constitutional rights if you are eligible to vote here. However, Kurt and Tim’s Behavioral Grooves is in the running for Best Podcast and Best YouTube on Samuel Salzer’s Habit Weekly Annual Awards. We’d love it if you’d take this opportunity to cast a vote in our direction. Thank you!

Voting for Habit Weekly: https://samuelsalzer1.typeform.com/to/vDs1cWlD

Voting in US Presidential Election: https://www.usa.gov/election

Play, Reciprocity and Context: The Keys to Happy Communities with Jessica Mayhew

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 05:05:00 -0600

Jessica Mayhew, PhD teaches Biological Anthropology as well as Primate Culture & Cognition at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. She got our attention when her comments about how primates play together are related to the way humans play. Not that that in and of itself is a big surprise, but the way we play and the context we play in are – of course – highly influential in how we play.

She reminded us about the important role reciprocity has in the animal kingdom, just as it does among humans. She talked about context and environment and she gave us a couple of key examples. She noted how primate communities that value cooperation with their juveniles end up with adults that cooperate. And the opposite is true as well. Highly competitive groups foster more competitive behaviors in their juveniles. Kinda gets you thinking about human communities, right?

Jessica inspires us with her interdisciplinary focus and the way she’s always looking for ways to cross into new fields. That’s why we call her a hedgefox: she’s super deep into primatology, but she also likes to dabble in anthropology and other disciplines as well.

And, in a related note, she reminded us that none of us are disconnected from the whole – we are all a part of the same ecosystem, and we can take a lesson from that.

Links

Jessica Mayhew, PhD: https://www.cwu.edu/anthropology/jessica-mayhew

Mia Hamm: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mia_Hamm

Scottie Pippen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottie_Pippen

Jane Goodall: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall

Dian Fossey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dian_Fossey

Birutė Galdikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birut%C4%97_Galdikas
“Clue” Movie on Monkey’s Brains: https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/dff98e0a-f5c1-42f9-9124-478c1e070e37

“Where the Wild Things Play,” by Erik Vance in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/parenting/animal-behavior-play-games.html

Frans de Waal “Mama’s Last Hug”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45894068-mama-s-last-hug

“Homo Ludens”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_Ludens

Michael Boden, Episode 136: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/covid-19-crisis-michael-boden-on-how-field-sales-reps-are-adapting-to-the-crisis/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Jez Groom/Cowry Consulting: https://www.cowryconsulting.com/

Minneapolis Uses Opera to Reduce Crime: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2006/04/06/opera-fights-crime-on-block-e

Todd Fonseca, Episode 8: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-value-of-understanding-microexpressions-for-leaders/

Musical Links

Yo-Yo Ma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uiUHvET_jg

Pablo Casals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhcjeZ3o5us

Kendrick Lamar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvTRZJ-4EyI

Planet Earth II Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpgvmHBpatA

Kwame Christian: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 05:55:00 -0600

Kwame Christian, Esq. is the author of “Nobody Will Play With Me: How to Use Compassionate Curiosity to Find Confidence in Conflict.” He is the host of two podcasts, “Negotiate Anything” and “Ask With Confidence.” He is a professor at The Ohio State University Law School and is the director of the American Negotiation Institute. Kwame’s educational background combines an undergraduate degree in psychology, a masters in public policy, and a juris doctor. Yup – a classic underachiever. (NOT)

And if that’s not enough, he’s got the most eclectic musical tastes of any guest on Behavioral Grooves so far. Check it out.

We are grateful to our friend Brian Ahearn who introduced us to Kwame in May 2020.

Links

Kwame Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwamechristian/

Kwame on Twitter: @KwameNegotiates

Kwame on Negotiations: https://americannegotiationinstitute.com/

Kwame (and Kai) on Instagram: KwameNegotates

Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54736049-finding-confidence-in-conflict

Kwame’s Podcast Negotiate Anything: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/negotiate-anything/id1101679010

Kwame’s TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Zg65eK9XU

Kwame as Ohio State Law Professor: https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/faculty/kwame-christian/

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610

Matthew Walker, “Why We Sleep”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep

Them-Us-Fit-Action: https://blog.cmbinfo.com/crc-2018-how-to-engage-todays-corporate-research-buyer

Musical Links

Bob Marley “Wait in Vain”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtgP0EQmWVk

Calypso: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpUh5wUBkbM

Soca (Soul Calypso): https://medium.com/@jada.steuart/soca-then-and-now-d5674e9f2b0c

Reggae: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyscBx0UWkY

Dub Step: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ1txLdu6qg

Hip-hop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t-BLUi3eAI

Rap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGj3nv36M1o

Ska: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Weu3b8Nd40

Smooth Jazz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--cmYzvVASc

AC/DC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC/DC

“Under the Graveyard” by Ozzie Osbourne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuzyA5gDa4E

Major Lazer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqeW9_5kURI

The Clash “Should I Stay or Should I Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGIFublvDes

The Police: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4VjsqR5Vbc

George Benson “Breezin”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVc5rCl0BIs

Grover Washington “Just the Two of Us”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqX7WX6jFdw

David Benoit “Lucy and Linus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOg17QnLGVs

Earl Klugh & Bob James: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTOZxnBEPJA

Lee Ritenour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMXCSiufPYA

The Rippingtons: https://www.rippingtons.com/

Matt Johnson & Prince Ghuman on Mid-Liminal Marketing and the Ethics of Applied Neuroscience

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 08:39:37 -0600

Matt Johnson, PhD and Prince Ghuman are the authors of “Blindsight: the mostly hidden ways marketing shapes our brains.” We caught up with them to discuss the book, basketball, ethics, and old school hip hop.

Matt is a professor at Hult International Business School and he likes to explore the intersections of neuroscience, psychology, and consumerism in his graduate and undergraduate classes.

Prince is also at Hult International Business School where he teaches marketing. He is also the founder of PopNeuro, a firm that helps companies to ethically apply neuroscience to their marketing strategies.

In our conversation, Matt and Prince introduced us to a new term in neuromarketing they call mid liminal. Not subliminal, but mid liminal. We also talked about the natural partnership between neuroscience and marketing and we covered one of our favorite linguistic games – the Kiki and Bouba studies.

Most importantly, we discussed their views on the ethical application of neuromarketing.

We also want to note that Prince and Matt are hosting the World’s First Neuromarketing Certification Bootcamp. It will be held live on December 4th through the 6th of 2020. They will be condensing years of neuroscience and marketing insights into a three-day Bootcamp with the intent of outfitting professionals with the latest tools in neuromarketing. Best yet for those looking to build credibility at work: successfully completing the Bootcamp earns you a certification.

They also shared a link to the Bootcamp along with a special code (GROOVES) to save $500 off of the registration fee. Use the link in the notes below and type in GROOVES to receive your discount. Of course, this fantastic discount code is ONLY available to listeners of Behavioral Grooves. We encourage you to check it out as we think these guys have a lot to share.

Thanks for listening and we hope you go out and find your groove this week.

Links

Matt Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjohnsonisme/

Prince Ghuman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/princeghuman/

“Blindsight”: getbook.at/blindsight

Neuromarketing Certification Course: https://www.popneuro.com/neuromarketing-bootcamp

Special Discount Code: GROOVES

Master Classes: https://www.popneuro.com

Nick Van Exel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Van_Exel

Steph Curry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Curry

Klay Thompson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klay_Thompson

Wine Shop Study: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232593421_The_Influence_of_In-Store_Music_on_Wine_Selections

Kiki and Bouba Effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouba/kiki_effect

Phillip Kotler: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Kotler

OCEAN/BIG 5: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits

Cass Sunstein on Ethics: http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/olin_center/papers/pdf/Sunstein_809.pdf

Charlotte Blank on Don’t Be Creepy episode 9: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dont-be-creepy-data-transparency-with-charlotte-blank/

Porsche: https://www.porsche.com/usa/

Breitling: https://www.breitling.com/us-en/

Purple: https://purple.com/

Serta: https://www.serta.com/

IKEA: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/

Sleep Number Bed: https://www.sleepnumber.com/

Onomatopoeia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBQCgjo1QTU

Kurt Nelson, PhD: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Musical Links

“Old Town Road” remix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ysFgElQtjI

Grandmaster Flash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PobrSpMwKk4

Busy Bee Starski: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busy_Bee_Starski

Tribe Called Quest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tribe_Called_Quest

Van Morrison: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Morrison

The Beatles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvkICbTZIQ

Al Green “Let’s Stay Together”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSu6tcbMOu0

Beatnick Music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatnik

Flora Cash: https://www.floracash.com/

Sea Wolf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF3sOmW6jCA

Iron & Wine: http://ironandwine.com/

Angus & Julia Stone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY7MqreuccI

Ministry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fx_IkuTRp0

Debussy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ip64cG7gK4

Hank Williams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yCQraOX4Bw

The Romantics “What I Like About You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqnw5IfbZOU

Annie Duke on How to Decide

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 11:39:18 -0600

Annie Duke first guested on Behavioral Grooves on Episode 31, which was released on September 30, 2018. For some reason, the three of us hit it off and we’ve had the pleasure of each other’s company for several more episodes (more than any other guest). She even asked Kurt and Tim to provide some feedback on an early draft of her latest book.

With that background, Kurt and Tim sat down with Annie to talk about the new book (hitting the store shelves on October 13, 2020), the key themes in it, and the decision tools a reader can put to use in their own life. We love it and we hope you get a copy of “How To Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices.”

“How To Decide” is really the first of its kind as a book that offers decision tools that the reader can try out through Annie’s guided narrative and exercises. Better decision making can lead to all sorts of improvements in your life, including more happiness, and our guest is all about people living happier lives.

As much as we love books describing the neuroscience behind decision making and the behavioral consequences of the biases and heuristics that impact our decisions, we find “How To Decide” to be a fantastic journey into the practical world of the tools to help you make better decisions.

To emphasize these principles, Annie talked about the Archer’s Mindset, Free Rolls, and how negative thinking can be a boon to your goal setting and goal achievement. Of course, there’s a mention of Jack White, her musical hero, and lots of pop references from the mind of a certifiable news junkie (at least these days).

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Annie, and we ask that you take a moment to subscribe to our Patreon page. For the price of one coffee per month, you can advance our mission to bring insights from thought leaders, researchers and practitioners to those who are curious about behavioral science.

We hope you go out and find your groove this week with the help of Annie’s decision-making tools.

[Photo of Annie by Jessica Evelynka]

Links

Annie Duke: https://www.annieduke.com/

“How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices”: https://amzn.to/3FraukT

Alliance for Decision Making: https://www.alliancefordecisioneducation.org/

False Dichotomy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dilemma

Robert Cialdini, PhD: https://www.robertcialdinibf.com/

Michael Phelps on the Worst Case Scenario: https://www.inc.com/wanda-thibodeaux/michael-phelps-uses-this-mental-trick-to-prepare-for-any-difficult-situation.html

Cass Sunstein & Annie Duke on Free Rolling: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3658663

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit

Perry Mason (2020 TV series): https://www.hbo.com/perry-mason

Elizabeth Schoenfelt, PhD study: http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Support/AcadAffairs/Spring03/Game.pdf

Lantern Group: www.lanterngroup.com

BehaviorAlchemy: www.behavioralchemy.com

Patreon Site: www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Drake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_(musician)

Jack White: https://www.today.com/popculture/saturday-night-live-jack-white-honor-eddie-van-halen-snl-t193951

The Beatles: https://www.thebeatles.com/

Andy Luttrell: Pro’s and Con’s of Persuasion When Issues are Moralized

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 13:59:40 -0600

Andy Luttrell, PhD is an assistant professor of psychological science at Ball State University and the podcaster/host of Opinion Science, one of Kurt and Tim’s favorites.

Andy’s research centers on people’s opinions, including when and how attitudes change. More importantly, Andy is curious about what happens when people moralize their attitudes and how moral arguments can sometimes be compelling and sometimes backfire. Our conversation focused on these areas and we loved the research Andy presented.

We were particularly interested in hearing about how people who based their positions on careful analysis tend to be the ones who open enough to be persuaded with the right argument.

So our willingness to be open to a fresh idea is in part based on how strong or weak the arguments were in coming to our own conclusions. We found the research fascinating that indicates that people with weak arguments are harder to persuade to new ideas. That was a head-scratcher.

Our discussion also covered some thoughtful positions on the so-called Replication Crisis and Andy’s first-hand experience with replication – and non-replication – was insightful.

We also want to remind you that Andy’s podcast, Opinion Science, is one of our favorite podcasts – period. We highly recommend it.

Links

Andy Luttrell, PhD: http://www.andyluttrell.com/

Opinion Science Podcast: http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/episodes/

Richard Petty, PhD: https://psychology.osu.edu/people/petty.1

Arie W. Kruglanski, PhD: Need for Closure: https://psyc.umd.edu/facultyprofile/kruglanski/arie

PSA (Public Service Announcement): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_service_announcement

Matt Feinberg and Rob Willer on Moral Reframing: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337861541_Moral_reframing_A_technique_for_effective_and_persuasive_communication_across_political_divides

Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Registered Report Experiments: https://www.cos.io/initiatives/registered-reports

RadioLab: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab

99% Invisible: https://99percentinvisible.org/

Petty, DeMarree, Brinol, Xia, “Documenting individual differences in the propensity to hold attitudes with certainty”: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-45471-001

Musical Links

Weird Al Yankovic: https://www.weirdal.com/

Blue Man Group: https://www.blueman.com/

“Robots” Movie Sound Track: https://music.apple.com/us/album/robots-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/723430411

Secrets to a Successful Marriage with Eli Finkel

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 08:03:06 -0600

Eli Finkel, PhD is a social psychology professor who studies interpersonal attraction, marriage, and how our social relationships influence our goal achievement. He is the author of the bestselling book The All-Or-Nothing Marriage: How the Best Marriages Work and is a professor at Northwestern University, where he has appointments in the psychology department and the Kellogg School of Management. In his role as director of Northwestern’s Relationships and Motivation Lab (RAMLAB), he has published over150 scientific papers and is a contributor to the Op-Ed page of The New York Times.

Eli got our attention because his book points to some very important tips about how to make the best of a relationship during a global pandemic. We thought it would be good to check in with him. He also shared a historical perspective on marriage that is instrumental in understanding how marriage got to where it is today and why marriage is so much more complicated, for some people, than it has ever been.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy what you hear there are three things that you can choose to do: first, leave a quick 5-star rating, second, write a brief review, and lastly, you could subscribe on our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Thanks for your help and keep on grooving.

Links

Eli Finkel, PhD: https://elifinkel.com/about-eli

“The All or Nothing Marriage”: https://elifinkel.com/allornothingmarriage/

Romeo & Juliet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet

Tristan & Isolde: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_and_Iseult

Anna Karenina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina

The Scarlet Letter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Letter

“Wild”: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2305051/

“Eat Pray Love”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eat_Pray_Love

Netscape Navigator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape_Navigator

eHarmony: https://www.eharmony.com/

Nate Silver “The Signal and The Noise”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13588394-the-signal-and-the-noise

John Gottman, PhD: https://www.gottman.com/

Brad Shuck, PhD: https://louisville.edu/education/faculty/shuck

Indian Matchmaking: https://www.netflix.com/title/80244565

Musical Links

Nirvana “Nevermind”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIGl_qth81c

Pearl Jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM0zINtulhM

Alice In Chains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWK0kqjPSVI

Red Hot Chili Peppers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlUKcNNmywk

Screaming Trees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE5f561Y1x4

Poison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCChxBSRo1Y

Grooving: Colleges and the Coronavirus

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 07:32:00 -0600

[NOTE: You may or may not know that Kurt and Tim host a sibling podcast called Weekly Grooves. We thought this was such an important topic that we wanted to share it with the Behavioral Grooves community.]

We got a call recently from Eugen Dimant, a friend of ours who is an associate professor in behavioral and decision sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, about how the University of Michigan was trying to let students know that they should only gather in groups of 25 of less.

Eugen suggested we tee it up as a topical issue for Weekly Grooves and we readily agreed. It led to a discussion about what colleges are doing to regulate student activites to contain the coronavirus, the punishments involved in breaking those regulations, the environment in which students make deicisons on how to behave, and the importance of proper communication.

Also, in this episode we include some of the conversation we had with Eugen, which is a departure from our standard approach and we hope you enjoy it. Eugen’s insights from a sociological perspective make for important reminders in an age when when the words we choose to communicate impacts whether get sick or not people.

As always, please let us know what you think and share it with a friend or colleague.

Links

Eugen Dimant, PhD: https://www.lps.upenn.edu/degree-programs/mbds/faculty/eugen-dimant

University of Michigan Tweet: https://twitter.com/UMich/status/1299069416202739712

University of Alabama outbreaks: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/29/us/university-of-alabama-covid-19-cases-trnd/index.html

How to Talk to Your Friends About Their Conspiracy Theories with Eric Oliver

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 09:44:40 -0600

We have been fans of his work for some time and are grateful that Eric shared his insights with us. We think you’ll become a fan, too, if you’re not already one.

Links

Eric Oliver, PhD: https://political-science.uchicago.edu/directory/eric-oliver

Jonathan Haidt, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Haidt

James Frazer, “The Golden Bough”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough

Katherine Surma on Credulity: https://www.jericoliver.com/uploads/1/1/8/9/118973414/surmaoliver3.5.18-final.pdf

Laurie Santos, PhD: The Joe Effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GimHHAID_P0

Steve Kerr: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Kerr

Colin Kaepernick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Kaepernick

Charles Manson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Manson

Musical Links

LCD Sound System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqq3BtGrpU8

Kurt Weil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Weill

Phillip Glass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M73x3O7dhmg

Keith Richards and Chuck Berry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERVLy-ltjHs

Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For with Roy Baumeister

Sat, 12 Sep 2020 17:56:26 -0600

Roy Baumeister, PhD is a world-renowned researcher known for his work on the subjects of willpower, self-control, and self-esteem and how they relate to human morality and success. Most recently, he is the author of The Power of Bad, with John Tierney, which explores how powerful bad experiences can be and how life is better when we seek out the good. We discussed a bit of the new book as well as some of his highly researched topics.

Roy’s peer-reviewed papers have been cited more than 200,000 times and he’s published more than 30 books. As one might imagine, our conversation was packed with insights into how we feel, think and act based on the complex ways we view and experience the world. We felt like we were starting a master class when we hit the record button and we love sharing this conversation with you.

Suffice it to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with this pioneer and we hope you do too.

Links

Roy Baumeister, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Baumeister

George Loewenstein, PhD: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/people/faculty/george-loewenstein.html

“The Power of Bad”: https://roybaumeister.com/books/

Dan Gilbert, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Gilbert_(psychologist)

John Gottman, PhD: https://www.gottman.com/author/john-gottman-ph-d/

Suzanne Segerstrom, PhD: https://psychology.as.uky.edu/users/scsege0

Mark Maraven, PhD: https://www.albany.edu/psychology/faculty/mark-muraven

John Cacioppo, PhD: https://news.uchicago.edu/story/john-t-cacioppo-pioneer-and-founder-field-social-neuroscience-1951-2018

Musical Links

YoYo Ma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prweT95Mo0

Louis Armstrong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmfeKUNDDYs

John Coletrane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsBbM5PIAHk

Miles Davis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNTltOGh5c

Cannonball Adderley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN1SwOdbdBU

Big Bands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGq-eCoPSwA

Bix Beiderbeck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW7YYt0F-K4

John McLaughlin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHbLq694PoU

Stan Getz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqQWVrfjatA

Snarky Puppy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk0WRHV_vt8

Ministry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXCh9OhDiCI

Seven Questions to Assess the Psychological Safety of Your Teams with Susan Hunt Stevens

Sun, 06 Sep 2020 13:22:03 -0600

Susan Hunt Stevens is the Founder and CEO of WeSpire, a technology platform that helps achieve the company’s goals through better employee engagement. WeSpire delivers applications at scale including sustainability, diversity and inclusion; moreover, they enable employees to be recognized for shaping a welcoming community both inside and outside the firm.

We talked to Susan about her observations on the value of building diverse teams, the creation of the psychologically safe workplace, and most importantly, the ethical application of behavioral science. She shared seven simple questions, created by Amy Edmonson, PhD at Harvard, to identify the levels of psychological safety within her client organizations. We encourage you to consider them for yourself.

If you make a mistake on this team, it is often held against you.
Members of this team are able to bring up problems and tough issues.
People on this team sometimes reject others for being different.
It is safe to take a risk on this team.
It is difficult to ask other members of this team for help.
No one on this team would deliberately act in a way that undermines my efforts.
Working with members of this team, my unique skills and talents are valued and utilized.

Susan’s insightful comments mix a passion for the application of good research and a desire to help build productive, profitable organizations that treat their people with respect.

We also want to give a special shout to Emily Wagner for turning us on to Susan’s work. Thank you, Emily!

Links

Susan Hunt Stevens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huntstevens/

WeSpire: https://www.wespire.com/

Amy Edmondson, PhD: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451

Nir Eyal “Hooked”: https://www.nirandfar.com/hooked/

How to Measure Psychological Safety on Your Team: https://www.business2community.com/strategy/measure-psychological-safety-team-01730787

“I Hired a Wife” article: https://medium.com/@chrismorgan_1657/i-hired-a-wife-and-my-career-took-off-16dc8ae481fe

Cass Sunstein Ethics Guide: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2526341

Susan Cain “Quiet”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8520610-quiet

Google’s Project Aristotle: https://www.inc.com/michael-schneider/google-thought-they-knew-how-to-create-the-perfect.html

Musical Links

Irish Step Dancing from Riverdance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B718RsboGEI

Drop Kick Murphys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-64CaD8GXw

Abba “Dancing Queen”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s

Eugen Dimant, PhD: What To Do About Bad Apples

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 13:03:58 -0600

[NOTE: Republished in its entirety from original episode #104 on December 15, 2019.]

Eugen Dimant, PhD is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences Department and a Senior Research Fellow at the Identity and Conflict Lab, Political Science Department – both at the University of Pennsylvania.

His research is rooted in economics and sits at the crossroads of experimental behavioral economics, behavioral ethics, crime, and corruption, with much of his recent work focusing on the ways “bad apples” (people will malintent) can be thwarted. This is also manifest in his research on behavioral contagion of pro- and anti-social behavior among individuals and groups. Because we met up with him presenting a paper at NoBeC, a social norms conference, we also discussed the role of social norms in pro- and anti-social behaviors.

We are inspired by Eugen’s work with social nudges and what can be done to minimize the impact of people who are out to corrupt systems and communities. And, we had a great time talking with this incredibly passionate researcher about his wide variety of interests.

We are grateful to Eugen for reaching out to us as we were planning our 100th Episode celebration in Philadelphia. He invited us to the University of Pennsylvania’s NoBeC Conference – the Norms and Behavioral Change Conference – that was happening the same days that we were recording our 100th Episode. Eugen, along with his colleague Chris Nave, PhD, helped us arrange conversations with many researchers and speakers at the conference and we are forever grateful.

Finally, we invite you to keep listening after our discussion with Eugen to hear Kurt and Tim’s Grooving Session and then the Bonus Track where we recap the key insights from the episode.

LINKS:

Eugen Dimant, PhD: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/lps/graduate/mbds/faculty/eugen-dimant

NoBeC (Norms and Behavior Change Conference): https://web.sas.upenn.edu/nobec/

Cristina Bicchieri, PhD: https://upenn.academia.edu/CristinaBicchieri

Gary Bolton, PhD: https://personal.utdallas.edu/~gxb122130/

Nudge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_theory

Social Norms: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/social-norms/

Injunctive and Descriptive Norms: https://study.com/academy/lesson/injunctive-and-descriptive-group-norms-definitions-differences-examples.html

Pluralistic Ignorance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluralistic_ignorance

Peer Effects: https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/applied-and-social-sciences-magazines/peer-effects

Coleman’s Boat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGaz0xKG060

Chris Nave, PhD: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/lps/graduate/mbds/contact/christopher-nave

Bobo Doll Effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobo_doll_experiment

Robert Cialdini, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cialdini

Kiki and Bouba: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouba/kiki_effect

Pollstar: https://www.pollstar.com/

Musical Links

Drake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_(musician)

Bushido: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushido_(rapper)

U2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U2

Ed Sheeran: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Sheeran

Eagles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagles_(band)

Rolling Stones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones

Fleetwood Mac: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleetwood_Mac

Working through the Stages of Grief, Pandemics and the Psychology of Protests with Nicole Fisher

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 13:00:22 -0600

Nicole Fisher, DrPH is the president of Health and Human Rights Strategies and is a regular contributor to Forbes magazine on social justice issues. Her piece in Forbes about “The Psychology of Protests” is an excellent analysis of why people take to the streets.

Nicole earned a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Chicago, then her Doctorate of Public Health from Chapel Hill, and she was also an Economics Fellow at George Mason University. We felt we could go wide and deep on our conversation with her and that’s exactly what happened.

In our discussion, we talked about the need for grace and understanding, a concept called peer permission, the psychology of protests (from a piece that was written prior to George Floyd’s murder and the global outpouring of peaceful dissent throughout the world), and how the heart of the matter with a pandemic is public health.

In the Grooving Session, Kurt and Tim also discussed the Peace Prayer of St. Francis and recommended, in the Bonus Track, to consider sidling up to someone you don’t see eye to eye with and learn about how and why they feel the way they do. You just might learn something!

We hope you enjoy this episode and we encourage you to take a moment to give us a review as ratings go a long way in introducing us to new listeners.

Links

Nicole Fisher, DrPH: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Fisher

Nicole-related links:

Health & Human Rights Strategies: https://www.hhrstrategies.com

Dr. Nicole Fisher Forbes Column: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefisher/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYU0m9Esz1rFzx6pqvP0OIA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nic_fisher

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicfisher/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.f.fisher

Groups and things we chatted about (that I remember...):

NOCOVID: https://nocovid.us

NPR CodeSwitch: https://www.npr.org/2020/06/16/878963732/why-now-white-people

Mythunderstood Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/69yTv2hOdUqmPe6tybNLCy?si=1hFJmcX8SfW5D2oXx1FAww

Second Story Books: https://www.secondstorybooks.com/

Chris Graves: https://www.ogilvyconsulting.com/people/chris-graves/

John Barry, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Barry

The Prayer of St. Francis: https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/prayer/traditional-catholic-prayers/saints-prayers/peace-prayer-of-saint-francis/

Sheriff who walked with protesters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j1k9459pYk

How Babies’ Faces on Shop Doors Can Reduce Crime: With Tara Austin

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 07:17:35 -0600

Tara Austin is a strategist and was recently the Chief Strategy Officer for Kindred in London. Many of us know her for her public speaking events, like her presentation at Nudgestock in June 2020, and the amazing work she did with Rory Sutherland, Sam Tatam, and Jez Groom at Ogilvy over many years.

We discussed a project she did with Ogilvy Change referred to as the Babies in the Borough. On the heels of the London riots in 2011, Tara wanted to see how a paper she’d read a few years earlier might apply to reduce crime in England. With the help of a master street painter, Ben Eine, the team gathered photos of babies from locals in the neighborhood and had them rendered on the security doors of businesses. After the babies’ faces were added to the shop shutters, the city saw declines in theft, vandalism and public urination year-over-year.

We also talked about Edward de Bono, his development of lateral thinking and the six thinking hats. De Bono’s work can help us improve our decision making, which is likely to lead to greater happiness in our lives, and that’s always a win.

Thank you for checking out our conversation with Tara, and if you like it, please leave us a review.

Links

Tara Austin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-austin-78b2a780/

HOME Creative Consultancy: https://www.homeagency.co.uk/

The Grocer magazine: https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/

Ben Eine, street artist: https://beneine.co.uk/

Pinkie Campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hWxU_ICoHM

Edward DeBono, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_de_Bono

“Six Thinking Hats”: https://www.debonogroup.com/services/core-programs/six-thinking-hats/

The “Cute Matters” paper is actually “Baby Schema in Infant Faces Induces Cuteness

Perception and Motivation for Caretaking in Adults”: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3260535/

Glocker, Melanie L et al. “Baby Schema in Infant Faces Induces Cuteness Perception and Motivation for Caretaking in Adults.” Ethology: formerly Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie vol. 115,3 (2009): 257-263. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01603.x

Lateral Thinking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateral_thinking

Jaywalking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywalking

Beggar’s Banquet Records: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beggars_Banquet_Records

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit

Ozan Varol: https://ozanvarol.com/

Musical Links

Dolly Parton “9 to 5”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbxUSsFXYo4

The Killers “Human”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIZdjT1472Y

Lou Reed “Satellite of Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH2EgYq_NCY

U2 “Satellite of Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q1zWNITuyg

Gretchen Peters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r07tGdLpKIQ

Loretta Lynn “The Pill”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DcdONaKSQM

Loretta Lynn “Coalminers Daughter”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlHJ9Tp24yY&list=PLsZQ89o7KvqJPUf2oKv8iHDhb25Puqbpd&index=28

“Pan Pipes of the Andes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNCuRpdemew

Spice Girls: “Who Do You Think You Are": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YriinrRGug

Elspeth Kirkman: Best Models for Identifying a Problem

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 13:25:32 -0600

Elspeth Kirkman is responsible for BIT’s work on health, education, and local government. Prior to this role, she oversaw the establishment and growth of BIT’s North American office from New York. She has taught behavioral science at Harvard, acts as an expert advisor to a number of global institutions, and serves as a Senior Fellow for Casey Family Programs, advising on the applications of behavioral and decision science to child welfare systems.

Prior to joining BIT in 2013, Elspeth was a management consultant working with government clients around the world.

Due to some technical challenges, we weren’t able to record a full hour of conversation. However, in the time we had available we discussed how important models can be in helping us solve problems, especially the COM-B model. (COM-B focuses on three aspects of behavior change and they are Capability, Opportunity and Motivation.)

We also discussed the central pillars for good application of behavioral science. Elspeth used words like, “context” and “pragmatism” and “actual impact” and it made us happy to hear those words.

Finally, we talked about the future of behavioral science and Elspeth laid out a couple of important themes. On one hand, she suggested we study behavioral sciences in order to integrate the findings into the mainstreams of business and government policy. On the other hand, she imagines a future with more crossover of behavioral science with fields like AI and how Quantitative and Qualitative tools might work better together.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Elspeth as much as we did!

Links

Elspeth Kirkman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elspethkirkman/

And…https://www.bi.team/people/elspeth-kirkman/

Co-Author with Michael Hallsworth: “Behavioral Insights” book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/behavioral-insights

Katy Milkman Episode # 99 “Behavior Change for Good”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-behavior-change-for-good/

EAST Framework: https://www.bi.team/publications/east-four-simple-ways-to-apply-behavioural-insights/

COM-B Model: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3096582/

Musical Links

Joni Mitchell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAxjPfWOiqI

Smashing Pumpkins: https://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

Violent Femmes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHapDS2fcFE

James Taylor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfJWqjoekow

Rolling Stones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kl6q_9qZOs

Paul Simon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmf9ZJ_Yn0A

David Bowie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ_wnJSRFso

Michael Jackson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA

U2 “Achtung, Baby”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdXczOeDVbw

U2 “Joshua Tree”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AOQysQKE8A

Shlomi Ron: Visual Storying Telling In a Time of Crisis

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 09:13:28 -0600

Shlomi Ron is the CEO of the Visual Storytelling Institute. He co-founded the institute after 20 years of digital marketing with some of the largest brands in the world. Its purpose is to help business leaders rise above the noise through the power of storytelling and the effectiveness of visual media.

Shlomi is an author and his latest book is “Total Acuity: Tales with Marketing Morals.” In it, he offers readers relatable real-world stories that reinforce the powerful visual storytelling principles.

We talked to Shlomi in the days just prior to Miami’s 2nd wave in the Coronavirus pandemic about the value that visual storytelling can have on pro-social initiatives such as homelessness. We also discussed the challenges advertisers and brands have at capturing our attention and some tips for accomplishing that.

We were also introduced to the concept of Social Semiotics, the way communication tools vary in social settings and context.

Links

Shlomi Ron: http://www.shlomiron.com

Visual Storytelling Institute: http://www.visualstorytell.com

1000 Miami Stories: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=%231000MiamiStories

“Total Acuity: Tales with Marketing Morals”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZCCM11F?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

Dove Beauty Sketches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=litXW91UauE

Justin Trudeau Pause: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79nHwsqQNBA

Audi 3-Hour Ambient Travel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqYFgqN_q-w

Scrubs Television Show on Hand Washing: https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2020/3/18/21184967/coronavirus-covid-19-scrubs-clip-infection-spreads

Death of George Floyd: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html

“Visual Grammar: A Design Handbook” by Christian Leborg: https://www.amazon.com/Visual-Grammar-Design-Briefs-Christian/dp/1568985819

Social Semiotics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_semiotics

Snapchat Logo: https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/a/ghost-logo-usage

Avenue3 Miami 1001 Stories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRtM2mTjoH8&feature=youtu.be

“The Good The Bad & The Ugly”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1PfrmCGFnk

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit?usp=sharing

Music vs. Words for Memory: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-13047-013

Call and Response Songs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_and_response_(music)

Musical Links

Tori Amos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ipCKIxdHTs

Steve Wendel, PhD: Designing for Behavior Change

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 08:42:28 -0600

Stephen Wendel, PhD is an applied behavioral scientist who studies how digital products can help people take action more effectively. He currently serves as Head of Behavioral Science at Morningstar, leading a team of behavioral scientists and practitioners who conduct original research on saving and investment behavior.

Steve has authored “Designing for Behavior Change,” “Improving Employee Benefits,” and “Spiritual Design.” He is also a co-founder of the non-profit Action Design Network that focuses on educating the public on how to apply behavioral research to product development with monthly events in fifteen cities.

In our conversation, we talked about epistemic humility, which is a cool concept that was new to both Kurt and Tim. We also discussed a few of our favorite topics including the role of behavioral science in the corporate world, the ethical application of behavioral science, and how important context is to … well, everything.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Steve and encourage you to take a moment to leave a review or check out our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Links

Stephen Wendell, PhD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sawendel/

BehavioralTechnology.co: https://www.behavioraltechnology.co/

Stephen Wendell, PhD, “Designing for Behavior Change”: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089VDCG8C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=sawendel-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B089VDCG8C&linkId=9eb146b1f7ac7c968bc2bc2c2bdeb6c1#ace-6308736939

Cass Sunstein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Sunstein

Wendy Wood, PhD: https://www.marshall.usc.edu/personnel/wendy-wood

Dan Ariely, “Honest Truth About Dishonesty”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Honest_Truth_about_Dishonesty

Irish Bohnet, “What Works”: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674089037

Musical Links

Shakira: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUT5rEU6pqM

Daddy Yankee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGIm0-dQd8M

Raggaeton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJXkYF-Oscg

Christian Contemporary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjzLN8uYCig

Johnny Cash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5126CibNsk

Merle Haggard “She Still Thinks I Still Care”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dx3rS2N8yE

Robert Cialdini, PhD: Littering, Egoism and Aretha Franklin

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 07:51:00 -0600

[NOTE: This episode is republished from #50 in January 2019.]

Robert Cialdini, PhD is counted among the greatest psychological researchers alive today and his published works have been cited thousands of times. His New York Times best-selling book, Influence, from 1984, is considered a classic for classroom and corporate use alike. He is an ardent author and a passionate professor, and his work has impacted millions. In short, Bob Cialdini has shaped the landscape of how sales and marketing workers do their jobs and how researchers frame their studies.

In this episode of Behavioral Grooves, Bob took a few minutes to discuss some of his most underappreciated research and some of the new things he’s working on. We began with a study that used littering as a way to predict, before the polls closed, the outcome of an election by watching how voters treated candidate fliers left on their cars. One of the very elegant aspects of this study was that it required no surveys – merely the observation of behaviors in the parking lots of the polling places. The question the researchers sought to answer was this: How do voters treat the fliers of candidates they favor and of those they oppose? More specifically, do voters keep fliers from candidates they like and litter with the fliers of candidates they dislike?

Then, our conversation moved to a line of research that he’d investigated for over a decade: the motivations for pro-social behavior, such as giving to those in need. Bob reminds us that there are many motivators at play when one person helps out another, as when a passerby gives money to some asking for money on the street, but there is one motivator that stands out: egoism. Many of us believe that being charitable is an obligation or is driven by guilt, and while that is true to some degree, Bob’s collective research over more than a dozen years revealed that egoism, that selfish desire to feel good about ourselves, is at the heart of helping others.

Then we went a step farther. Bob noted that helping others is more likely to occur when the person in need appears to be in-group or in-tribe. In other words, we’re more likely to be charitable if it appears the person asking for help is “like me.” The primary way we decide if someone is like us is to look at how they’re dressed. What kind of clothes are they wearing? In his studies, Bob found that soccer (football) fans were more likely to assist someone on the street if they were wearing the jersey of their favorite team. It’s unnerving to think that the clothes you wear could determine whether someone helps you or not.

In our grooving session, Kurt and Tim discussed the impact of social identity and self-identity. We discussed articles by Michael Hogg and Roy Baumeister. We brought in books by Harvard Professor Teresa Amabile and Dan Levitan’s great treatise on the neurological effects of music. And on music, we chatted about how music makes us feel and we cited Semisonic’s “Closing Time” and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony as examples.

Lastly, Bob is interested in hearing from YOU! He’d like listeners to send reports on how the principles of influence are being used in the real world to be included in his next book. If you’d like to be considered for his next work, please send your stories to info@influenceatwork.com

We hope you enjoy our discussion with Bob Cialdini

Sponsor: The Creative Group, Inc.

This episode is brought to you by Creative Group Inc. Kurt and Tim have worked with CGI and have found that their process of co-creation of incentive program provides clients with more robust solutions. Because their incentive and employee engagement programs are co-created, they reflect the truest aspects of the client’s organization and culture. CGI shares our belief that incentives and rewards shouldn’t be used to create brand mercenaries – but instead, should be about creating brand missionaries. Check them out at https://www.creativegroupinc.com/.

A Note of Gratitude

We are grateful to Bob for sharing his insights with us in this very fun conversation. However, it wouldn’t have happened without the concerted effort of Bobette Gordon. We thank her for her coordination and support to make put make our conversation with Bob a reality.

Links

Robert Cialdini, PhD and Influence at Work: https://www.influenceatwork.com/

The Principle of Continuation in Gestalt Psychology. The Continuity Principle: http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Gestalt_principles#Continuity_principle

Daniel Levitin: This is Your Brain on Music. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Your_Brain_on_Music

Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). “The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation,” Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497–529.

Festinger, L. (1954). “A theory of social comparison processes,” Human Relations, 7, 117–140.

Hogg, M. A. (2001). “Social categorization, depersonalization, and group behavior. In M. A. Hogg & R. S. Tindale (Eds.), Blackwell handbook of social psychology: Group processes (pp. 56–85). Malden, MA: Blackwell.

Walton, G., Cohen, G., Cwir, D., and Spencer, S. (2012) “Mere Belonging: The Power of Social Connections,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,, Vol. 102, No. 3, 513–532.

Amabile, T., Kramer, S., Williams, S. (2011) The Progress Principle, Harvard Business Review Press.

Aretha Franklin: “Think” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsL9UL9qbv8

Semisonic: “Closing Time” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGytDsqkQY

Ludwig von Beethoven: “5th Symphony” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxF7hDsU-HY

Cassette tape: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassette_tape

Grooving: On the Principle of Scarcity

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 07:46:00 -0600

[NOTE: This episode is republished from #74 in June 2019.]

This episode is a discussion on the principle of scarcity. Kurt and Tim attempt to illuminate the power of this very fundamental effect in behavioral science with some real-world examples. Simply put, the scarcity effect is that people want more of those things they can have less of. It’s terribly powerful and is evident in many aspects of our lives.

“Sale ends tomorrow” is one of the strongest tools in a marketer’s handbook, and Kurt and Tim discuss that and others and the ways they impact behavior. We also talk about the implications of scarcity and how scarcity helps us prioritize and can actually increase focus in our lives.

This episode is the third in our series on the Principles of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini, PhD. The other principles from Cialdini’s work have been discussed in previous episodes and you can check them out at the Behavioral Grooves website. The principle of Reciprocity was overviewed in episode #57 and the principle of Consistency was discussed through the lens of politicians and politics in episode #49. Please check them out if you’re interested in Cialdini’s Persuasion Principles.

Also, please leave us a quick rating and review. We benefit greatly from your support and you only have a few minutes left to do it today!

Links

Principles of Persuasion – Robert Cialdini, PhD: https://www.influenceatwork.com/principles-of-persuasion/

Stephen Worchel, Jerry Lee & Akanbi Adawole, (1975) “Effects of supply and demand on ratings of object value” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32(5), 906-914. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1976-03817-001

Sendhil Mullainathan& Eldar Shafir, (2013) Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much, Times Books. https://www.amazon.com/Scarcity-Having-Little-Means-Much/dp/0805092641/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Tim Urban blog: Wait But Why? https://waitbutwhy.com/

Kurt Nelson: @motivationguru and https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtwnelson/

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan and https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-houlihan-b-e/

Check out the Behavioral Grooves website: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Katy Milkman, PhD: Using Behavior Change for Good

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 06:58:00 -0600

[NOTE: This is a republished episode from #99 in November 2019.]

Katy Milkman is no ordinary behavioral scientist. She’s a Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions at Wharton. She has a secondary faculty appointment in the University of Pennsylvania’s Medical School in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy. She’s Co-Director, with Angela Duckworth, at the non-profit Behavior Change for Good Initiative. She’s the host of one of our favorite podcasts, called Choiceology, she is in the middle of writing a book, and she’s a Mom and Partner all at the same time!

We are grateful to her for taking time to record a conversation with us about her work on temptation bundling, the sorts of projects she’s getting at the Behavior Change for Good organization, and a few tidbits about what her book, coming out in 2021, will have in store for the readers.

Most importantly, Katy shared three important pieces of wisdom about behavior change during our conversation: 1. Behavior change is hard – cut yourself some slack. 2. We humans are not built to do the right thing all the time. 3. Just keep trying.

Links

Katy Milkman, PhD: http://www.katherinemilkman.com/

Katy Milkman – Twitter: @katy_milkman

Behavior Change for Good: https://bcfg.wharton.upenn.edu/

Choiceology podcast: https://www.schwab.com/resource-center/insights/podcast

Temptation Bundling: https://mayooshin.com/temptation-bundling/

Fresh Start Effect: https://faculty.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Dai_Fresh_Start_2014_Mgmt_Sci.pdf

Charles Duhigg: https://charlesduhigg.com/

BJ Fogg Maui Habit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L1R7OtJhWs

Robert Cialdini, PhD: https://www.robertcialdinibf.com/

Francesca Gino, PhD: https://francescagino.com/

Angela Duckworth, PhD: https://angeladuckworth.com/

Kurt Nelson: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Grooving: On Goals and Goal Setting

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 09:46:33 -0600

[NOTE: This episode is republished from #92 in October 2019.]

Goals are often misunderstood. Goals are much more than just objectives that are handed down to subordinates. Rather, goals are self-determined in the best cases, and at the very least, are set collaboratively to get the most out of them.

We discuss Goal Setting Theory (GST), results from research that Tim conducted, and we address the three key elements that must be included to maximize the effect of the goals: 1. The goals must be perceived as achievable. Without perceived achievability, the goal is not accepted and, therefore, not a goal. 2. There must be some involvement with those who are executing the goals. If the goal is handed down from on high without meaningful participation from the person who’s going to act on it, it’s not a goal. 3. There must be a positive relationship between the goal and the reward (including a perceived assessment of risk). As the risk of achievability increases, so must the perceived value of the reward.

This short grooving session also delves into some myths and how to deal with them. Ultimately, we want listeners to come away with a clear understanding of the powerful results than can be obtained with practical and effective use of self-selected goals.

Links

Zig Ziglar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zig_Ziglar

Goal-Setting Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal_setting

Edward Locke: https://peakon.com/us/blog/future-work/edwin-locke-goal-setting-theory/

Gary Latham: http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/FacultyAndResearch/Faculty/FacultyBios/Latham

Howard Klein: https://fisher.osu.edu/people/klein.12

Ran Kivetz: https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/cbs-directory/detail/rk566

George Loewenstein: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/people/faculty/george-loewenstein.html

Saurabh Bhargava: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/people/faculty/saurabh-bhargava.html

Raghuram Bommaraju: https://www.isb.edu/faculty-research/faculty/directory/bommaraju-raghuram

Covid-19 Crisis: Caroline Webb, Senior Advisor at McKinsey, on The Value of Where We Place Our Attention and Amplifying Certainty

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 05:57:00 -0600

Caroline Webb, a Senior Advisor at McKinsey, is an executive coach, author, and speaker specializing in insights from behavioral science to improve our lives at work. Her book on that topic, How To Have A Good Day, has been published in 14 languages and in more than 60 countries. One of her past jobs was to contribute to the world economic forecast, and she is fluid in her ability to speak with authority on a wide spectrum of topics. This session was recorded in February 2020 in the early days of the lockdown and we realize Caroline's words of encouragement to identify even the smallest things that we can control stand up well today.

We found profound value in her reminder that in times of great upheaval, we can still control our kindness,

She spoke with determination on the importance of intentionality and deliberateness in our daily lives, but she tweaked these ideas with a special twist. Caroline noted that ‘batching’ our lives - the use of compartments and guardrails for work, news, work-outs, socializing...etc. - can reduce cognitive load and increase subjective wellbeing.

And, as always, we appreciate Caroline’s openness and authenticity in revealing her personal challenges with the lockdown and the uncertainties of the crisis. And with all that serious exchange, we found plenty of times to enjoy a good laugh.

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Irrational Labs Bootcamp: https://irrationallabs.com/learn/

“How to Have a Good Day”: https://carolinewebb.co/books/how-to-have-a-good-day/

Covid-19 Crisis: Margaret Robinson Rutherford, PhD on Perfectly Hidden Depression

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 08:48:08 -0600

Margaret Robinson Rutherford, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice with more than twenty-five years of experience treating individuals and couples for depression, anxiety, and relationship issues.

She also offers her compassionate and commonsense therapeutic style to the general public through her popular blog and podcasts, with the goal of decreasing the stigma around psychological treatment. Her podcasts and shows on perfectly hidden depression (PHD) have reached thousands, as she sheds light on this overlooked presentation of the disease.

She is also the author of PERFECTLY HIDDEN DEPRESSION: How to Break Free from the Perfectionism that Masks Your Depression.

We wanted to speak to Margaret about a syndrome she’s identified that is increasingly common during the lockdown. Perfectionism and shame are getting in the way of people living healthy lives, especially now. Also, what may sound like bird sounds and wind chimes in the background are actually the sounds of live birds and wind chimes! Yes, we are living and recording in the natural world.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Dr. Rutherford.

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Irrational Labs Bootcamp: https://irrationallabs.com/learn/

"Perfectly Hidden Depression": https://drmargaretrutherford.com/perfectlyhiddendepressionbook/

Grooving: Where Will You Live if You WFH?

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 06:39:47 -0600

We saw an article in the Wall Street Journal titled “When Workers Can Live Anywhere, Many Ask: Why Do I Live Here?” and it got us thinking. Millions of white-collar workers have been displaced from their offices and are being told they are on indefinite work-from-home status. And many of those workers are opting to leave the big cities where the virus has been most aggressive.

In addition to the temporary exodus to more rural settings, some people are leaving big cities to find permanent solace in the countryside.

This got us thinking about how humans are predictably irrational about decisions about their futures. The biases about future happiness go hand in hand with changing where you live.

The article that got us thinking about this was written by Rachel Feintzeig and Ben Eisen. Together, they do a great job of assembling data on the movement during the heart of the crisis and notes that even with a major recession hitting the global economy, many people feel the need to move.

Links

“When Workers Can Live Anywhere, Many Ask: Why Do I Live Here?” from the Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2020: https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-workers-can-live-anywhere-many-ask-why-do-i-live-here-11592386201

“Is It Time to Let Employees Work from Anywhere?” by Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury, Barbara Z. Larson and Cirrus Foroughi, August 14, 2019, in HBR: https://hbr.org/2019/08/is-it-time-to-let-employees-work-from-anywhere

Remote Work Statistics: Shifting Norms and Expectations from February 2020: https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/remote-work-statistics/#:~:text=Remote%20Work%20Is%20Increasing&text=Over%20the%20last%20five%20years,or%203.4%25%20of%20the%20population.

“U.S. Workers Discovering Affinity for Remote Work,” Gallup Polls, April 3, 2020: https://news.gallup.com/poll/306695/workers-discovering-affinity-remote-work.aspx

Schkade, D. A., & Kahneman, D. (1998). Does Living in California Make People Happy? A Focusing Illusion in Judgments of Life Satisfaction. Psychological Science, 9(5), 340–346. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00066

“The evolution of decision and experienced utilities” by Robson and Samuelson, Theoretical Economics, September 2011: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.3982/TE800

Dan Buettner: On Quality of Life, “Thrive”: https://www.wbur.org/npr/131571885/how-to-thrive-dan-buettner-s-secrets-of-happiness

Dan Gilbert: On Predicting Future Happiness. https://positivepsychology.com/daniel-gilbert-research/#:~:text=Daniel%20Gilbert%20completed%20his%20Ph,emotional%20state%20in%20the%20future.

George Loewenstein, Ted O’Donoghue & Matthew Rabin on Projection Bias: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/docs/loewenstein/projectionbias.pdf

Covid-19 Crisis: Elizabeth Gilbert, PhD on Adaptability, Imaginal Exposure and Lists

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 11:22:15 -0600

Elizabeth Gilbert, PhD is the Head of Research at PsychologyCompass, a content platform that uses insights from psychology and neuroscience to teach people how to be happier and more productive. She has a PhD in social psychology from the University of Virginia and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina. And she’s been engaged in the replication of studies that were, on one level or another, considered questionable.

We talked with Elizabeth about her work on Imaginal Exposure, the process of imagining your worst fears to overcome those very concerns and how they might prove relevant in such uncertain times as these. We also discussed human’s native power of adaptability and the tremendous benefits of making lists - again, the payoff during uncertain times is even greater.

Elizabeth’s comments combined her work as a researcher and her role as a mother in the most authentic ways and we thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with her. We hope you will, too.

John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 06:50:08 -0600

John Bargh, PhD is a Professor of Psychology and Management at Yale University. His name may be familiar because of the replication crisis, but there is so much more to John Bargh than a couple of experiments that were challenged during replication. John has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, chapters in over 30 books, and he founded The ACME lab at Yale in order to research the unconscious and implicit influences on social judgment, motivation, and behavior.

Over the years, his research has focused on embodied cognition effects, or how physical experiences (such as washing one’s hands or holding something warm or rough) influence metaphorically related social variables (like how physical warmth leads to feelings of physical warmth, for example).

Recently, he’s been focused on how social goals and political attitudes can be influenced by the satisfaction of underlying physical-level motivations; for example, how immunization against the flu virus influences attitudes towards immigration as ‘invaders’ of one’s ‘cultural body.’

We feel fortunate to have such a wide-ranging and fun conversation with John and we’re pleased to share his insights and humor with our listeners.

If you’ve not subscribed to our Patreon site, please check it out at www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Links

John Bargh, PhD: https://psychology.yale.edu/people/john-bargh

ACME Lab: https://acmelab.yale.edu/

Bargh & Williams’ Coffee Study: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/suppl/2008/10/23/322.5901.606.DC1/Williams.SOM.pdf

Jeff Simpson, PhD: https://twin-cities.umn.edu/content/faculty-profile-jeffry-simpson

John Bowlby, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bowlby

Dante Alighieri “The Divine Comedy”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Comedy

Priming: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priming_(psychology)

Richard Nisbett, PhD: https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/people/emeriti-faculty/nisbett.html

Tim Wilson, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Wilson

Gary Latham, PhD: https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/FacultyAndResearch/Faculty/FacultyBios/Latham

Peter Gollwitzer, PhD: https://as.nyu.edu/psychology/people/faculty.peter-m-gollwitzer.html

Howard Gardner, PhD “The Mind’s New Science”: https://www.amazon.com/Minds-New-Science-Cognitive-Revolution/dp/0465046355

“The Effect of Primed Goals on Employee Performance: Implications for Human Resource Management,” Shantz & Latham: https://www-2.rotman.utoronto.ca/facbios/file/37%20-%20Shantz%20&%20Latham%20HRM%202011.pdf

On Diederik Stapel’s bad data: “The case of Diederik Stapel”: https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2011/12/diederik-stapel

Jeff Greenberg, PhD on “Terror Management Theory”: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/terror-management-theory

Sigmund Freud: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud

William James: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James

Susan Fiske, PhD: https://psych.princeton.edu/person/susan-fiske

Apocalypse of St. Paul: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypse_of_Paul

The Zeigarnik Effect: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit

Feng Shui: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui

Chameleon Effect: https://acmelab.yale.edu/sites/default/files/1999_the_chameleon_effect.pdf

Lucien Stryk: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucien_Stryk

Adam Grant “Pre-Crastination”: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/opinion/sunday/why-i-taught-myself-to-procrastinate.html

Kristen Berman on Behavioral Grooves – Episode 149: https://behavioralgrooves.com/uncategorized/covid-19-crisis-kristen-berman-on-remote-work-quaranteams-and-marinades/

Wim Hof: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Hof

Gary Latham on Behavioral Grooves – Episode 147: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-phd-goal-setting-prompts-priming-and-skepticism/

Artist Links

King Louie & Bo$$ Woo “Gumbo Mobsters” (Drill): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA1XYIdz3TA&feature=emb_title

Jimmy Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Page

Robert Plant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Plant

Talking Heads “Fear of Music”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_Music

Alan Parsons Project “Sirius (Eye in the Sky)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkC_oi0ksuw

YoYo Ma on Bach Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major Prelude: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prweT95Mo0

Covid-19 Crisis: Howard Friedman, PhD on The Value of Human Life

Sun, 07 Jun 2020 07:56:00 -0600

Howard Friedman is a data scientist, health economist, and writer with decades of experience in both the private and public sectors, as well as academia. He is widely known for his work as a statistical modeler and he currently lives in New York City and teaches at Columbia University.

Howard's new book, Ultimate Price: The Value We Place on Life, is about how the monetary values assigned to our lives by governments, medical professionals, and insurers can determine who will survive during times of crisis.

We talked to Howard about different models for the valuation of human life and how the crisis has revealed many opportunities for improvement. The conversation’s content is sobering, but Howard keeps things light, whenever possible. We hope you’ll enjoy listening as much as we did.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Irrational Labs Bootcamp: https://irrationallabs.com/learn/

Claire Bidwell Smith “Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief”: https://clairebidwellsmith.com/

Grooving: Protests Sparked by the Death of George Floyd in Minneapolis

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 14:50:59 -0600

On May 25, 2020, a white Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by holding him down with a knee on his neck for over 8 minutes. This was done while three other officers either helped in holding down Mr. Floyd down or stood by watching.

Mr. Floyd’s death is an unimaginable horror as it was not the result of a split-second or hair-trigger decision, but a callous, calculated effort that lasted more than 8 minutes.

This killing kicked off a week of protests which grew darker as the nights went on. As many as 81 buildings in Minneapolis have been burned, with 25 of them completely destroyed, and 270 businesses have been vandalized since Mr. Floyd’s death.

This hits home for Tim and Kurt. Tim lives only a few miles from the epicenter but has had people racing down his street, as they were deterred from the closed freeways by roadblocks – some of them threatening his neighbors with harm. Kurt lives only blocks away from where some of the protests occurred and could smell the smoke and tear gas in the air, hear the chants of protesters, and see the police and national guard units patrolling up and down his street in the middle of the night as they stood watch to protect the neighborhood. The bank and post office that were burned down is where Kurt did his banking and sent his mail from.

The loss of property in no way compares to the loss of human life – that is, Mr. Floyd’s life – and in no way compares to the hundreds of years of black suppression. These are terrible tragedies on many levels.

We’ve decided to talk about this on this podcast because it is personal for us – we have gone through a range of emotions and we thought that many of you might have been going through the same. There have been similar incidents of outrage and protests in the past – Eric Garner and Michael Brown are just two that come to mind – but this one seems different. Maybe it’s different because we live here and it’s so close…but maybe it’s different because it was the last straw that finally tipped the scales…let’s hope so.

Links

Tally of Buildings Damaged in Minneapolis: https://www.startribune.com/these-minneapolis-st-paul-buildings-are-damaged-looted-after-george-floyd-protests/569930671/

Kareem Abdul Jabar – People Pushed to the Edge: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-05-30/dont-understand-the-protests-what-youre-seeing-is-people-pushed-to-the-edge

“Psychological Research Explains Why People Protest” Forbes, May 20, 2020. By Nicole Fisher: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefisher/2020/05/29/the-psychology-of-protests-reveals-why-americans-are-ready-for-action/#334d1f3bbbb6

White guy with AR-15 vs. Black guy with AR-15 video: https://www.facebook.com/KeithKuder/videos/866107570115697

Covid-19 Crisis: Chris Pfeiffer on Tips for Adjusting Sales Comp Plans

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 08:06:09 -0600

Chris Pfeiffer is a Senior Business Analyst at Tegra Analytics. Chris specializes in salesforce effectiveness in the life science industry, which includes incentive compensation, targeting and segmentation, sales force sizing and optimization, statistical analysis, and business intelligence.

Chris graduated from The Johns Hopkins University, where he received his Master of Science in Government Analytics, and La Salle University, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (major in Finance with a minor in Economics).

We spoke to Chris about some of the challenges brought on by the coronavirus crisis. We discussed sales quotas and sales compensation in an era where nearly nothing can be forecasted because there is nothing “business as usual” about our world today. He offered some excellent tips on how sales leaders can help manage their way through these uncharted waters.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Irrational Labs Bootcamp: https://irrationallabs.com/learn/

Claire Bidwell Smith “Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief”: https://clairebidwellsmith.com/

Dan Hill, PhD: On the Facial Coding of Trump, Hendrix, Prince, Gretzky and the Beatles

Sun, 31 May 2020 09:06:19 -0600

Dan Hill, PhD is an internationally recognized expert on the role of emotions in politics, business, sports, and popular culture. He pioneered the use of facial coding (the analysis of facial expressions) in market research and has done work for over half of the world's top 100 consumer-oriented companies. He’s even received seven U.S. patents related to facial coding and he is an author on top of that.

We talked to Dan about one of his recent books called Famous Faces Decoded: A Guidebook for Reading Others. Unless you’ve never been lied to in your life, you know that words don’t tell the whole story: our faces often give away our true emotions. Frankly, we needed a break from our series on the coronavirus and Dan was just the balm we were looking for.

Dan shares humous anecdotes and insights into the real emotions of the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and you may imagine, Donald Trump. And in our grooving session, Kurt and Tim explore the potential evolutionary reasons for our conscious minds’ poor processing of facial expressions on others.

Links

Dan Hill, PhD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hill-emotionswizard/

Sensory Logic: https://www.sensorylogic.com/

Faces of the Week: https://emotionswizard.com/

Seven Emotions in Facial Coding: https://www.humintell.com/2010/06/the-seven-basic-emotions-do-you-know-them/

Soren Kierkegaard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard

Donald Trump on Charlottesville: https://www.npr.org/2017/08/15/543743845/another-reversal-trump-now-says-counterprotesters-also-to-blame-for-charlottesvi

Wayne Gretzky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Gretzky

Michael Jordan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan

Scottie Pippen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottie_Pippen

Dennis Rodman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Rodman

“The Rational Animal”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17290697-the-rational-animal

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @whatmotivates

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

The Beatles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles

Johnny Cash: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash

Jimi Hendrix: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimi_Hendrix

Prince: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)

Covid-19 Crisis: Claire Bidwell Smith on Grief During the Crisis

Wed, 27 May 2020 09:49:56 -0600

Claire Bidwell Smith is a licensed therapist specializing in grief and the author of three books of nonfiction, most recently ANXIETY: The Missing Stage of Grief. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and a variety of other publications.

She received her Master’s Degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University, and has recently transitioned her therapeutic practice to the East Coast of the United States while working with clients around the globe.

Our discussion with Claire focused on how a crisis is unique in its ability to generate grief, as well as anger and pain and anxiety. We talk about common problems that surface from not being able to grieve during the crisis in the same ways we would have traditionally. Claire shares some tips on how to manage grief during the pandemic and, interestingly, her list begins with “cut down on your screen time.”

In our grooving session, Kurt and Tim discuss anticipatory grief and how difficult this experience is with no reasonable end date.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Claire as much as we did.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Irrational Labs Bootcamp: https://irrationallabs.com/learn/

Claire Bidwell Smith “Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief”: https://clairebidwellsmith.com/

Covid-19 Crisis: Kristen Berman on Remote Work, Quaranteams and Marinades

Sun, 24 May 2020 11:56:52 -0600

Kristen Berman is the co-founder of Irrational Labs and co-founder and principal at Common Cents Lab, a non-profit behavioral consulting company, with Dan Ariely. They work focuses on the financial well-being of low-to-middle-income Americans.

She was also on the founding team for the behavioral economics group at Google and hosts one of the top behavioral change conferences globally, StartupOnomics. She co-authored a series of workbooks (with Dan Ariely) called Hacking Human Nature for Good: A Practical Guide to Changing Behavior.

Our conversation with Kristen began with some straightforward tips on boosting productivity while working in isolation, including intentional coordination and informal things like virtual lunch meetings. And she pointed out how too many emails and Zoom meetings crowd out time to think, analyze and, well, work.

She also suggested a framework for creating “Quaranteams” and how we need to develop new social norms on how non-nuclear families can work and play together.

We’re wondering if listeners have ideas on why SKYPE was blown out of the water by Zoom? Let us know!

We hope you enjoy the conversation with Kristen.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Irrational Labs Bootcamp: https://irrationallabs.com/learn/

Covid-19 Crisis: Stephen Curtis on Neuroplasticity and Creating the Ideal

Tue, 19 May 2020 06:15:00 -0600

Stephen Curtis, PhD is a Clinical Psychologist with a doctorate in Neuroscience Experimental Psychology. He specializes in Performance Psychology with professional and college athletes, musicians, and corporate leaders to help them reach their highest levels of performance.

Steve is the author of the proprietary Clarity Survey which has become a business research best practice instrument with Fortune 500 companies. Clarity uses common language answers to detect what consumers and employees consider their ideal CX and EX experiences, and in so doing, it offers tremendous insights for business leaders.

In this episode, we focused on the ways in which our brain literally changes as we reinforce particular behaviors, as described by Hebb’s Law, and the enormous benefit of neuroplasticity. We also discussed the impact that BHAG’s (big hairy audacious goals) have on the frontal polar cortex of the brain and how it’s those monstrous goals that engage our imaginations, emotions, and as a result, our behaviors.

Most importantly, Steve shared with us one of the greatest tips for life and work: practicing how to calm yourself. This was a terrific insight that upended years of rehearsing for musical performances and business presentations with a critical message: spend more time practicing how to be calm in uncertain situations.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism

Sun, 17 May 2020 15:58:44 -0600

Gary Latham, PhD is the Secretary of State Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the Rotman School of Management in the University of Toronto. His research in the field of organizational psychology has yielded over 200 peer-reviewed publications and he has written several books on the topic of goal setting. He and his lifelong research partner, Ed Locke PhD, are responsible for Goal Setting Theory, prized by both the scientific community and sales leaders around the world.

He is the only recipient of both the Distinguished Contributions to Science award and the Practice award from SIOP. Top it off, he is only the second researcher we’ve talked to on Behavioral Grooves that was cited in Kurt’s dissertation.

In our discussion with Professor Latham, we reviewed Goal Setting Theory, specific goals, participatory goals and talked about the relative importance of inductive and deductive reasoning. More importantly, we covered some of our favorite research on priming and were able to have a discussion about Kurt’s socks: are they prompts or primes? (You’ll have to listen to find out.)

If you like what you hear, please feel free to give us a quick review or sign up for cool rewards on our Patreon site (link below). Thanks for your support.

NOTE: We encountered some technical challenges while recording our conversation with Professor Latham and it’s audio quality is slightly below our standards. We considered a re-do, but we decided to stick with our original conversation, which is what we present in this episode. We hope you enjoy it.

Links

Gary Latham, PhD: https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/FacultyAndResearch/Faculty/FacultyBios/Latham

Ed Locke, PhD: https://edwinlocke.com/

“Effects of goal setting and supervision on worker behavior in an industrial situation” (pulpwood industry study): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1974-28825-001

“The effect of priming goals on organizational‑related behavior: My transition from skeptic to believer”: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-56606-020

Amanda Shantz, PhD: https://www.tcd.ie/business/people/amanda-shantz.php

John Bargh, PhD: https://psychology.yale.edu/people/john-bargh

Scott Jeffrey, PhD: https://www.monmouth.edu/directory/profiles/scott-a-jeffrey/

Ron Piccolo, PhD: https://business.ucf.edu/person/ron-piccolo/

Farrah Fawcett Poster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farrah_Fawcett

Jana Gallus, PhD and Bruno Frey, PhD: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0001839218777229

Victoria Shaffer, PhD: https://psychology.missouri.edu/people/shaffer

“The Influence of In-Store Music on Wine Selections”: https://mindhacks.com/2006/02/06/music-wine-and-will/

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @whatmotivates

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Covid-19 Crisis: Mariel Beasley on Increasing Short Term Savings During the Crisis

Wed, 13 May 2020 07:15:44 -0600

Mariel Beasley is the Co-Director of the Common Cents Lab at the Center for Advanced Hindsight at Duke University. She works on applications of behavioral research, primarily in the financial services sector and public policy arena. She holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Duke University and her previous work experience includes a variety of nonprofits and charitable foundations.

As the leader of Common Cents Lab, she often develops partnerships with financial institutions to put behavioral science to good use through improving products, services and experiences for low-to-moderate households.

We talked to Mariel about their work with low-to-middle-income households and the way the crisis is impacting them in ways that are not making headlines. Specifically, short-term savings rates are changing because so many households were caught flat-footed by mass layoffs, furloughs, and pay reductions. We also talked about how behavioral science helps us all to see problems better and gives us the tools to make better changes.

We also discussed upward and downward social comparisons that occur when peeking into the homes of coworkers on video calls, and about expectations for productivity might change as a result of our massive work-from-home experience.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Mariel.

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Samuel Salzer: Benefits and Perils of Streaks

Mon, 11 May 2020 12:20:48 -0600

Samuel Salzer is a leading behavioral strategist and habit expert, having worked with organizations across Europe, Australia, and North America. Among other things, he’s one of the first Chief Behavioral Officer's (CBO) in tech, applying insights from behavioral science and behavioral economics to build user-centered and habit-forming products and services.

At the forefront of the emerging field of Behavioral Design, Samuel is a frequent keynote speaker, curates the popular newsletter Habit Weekly, and has co-authored “Nudging in Practice - Helping organizations make it easy to do the right thing.” The book offers a comprehensive guide to organizations interested in understanding and systematically utilizing behavioral insights.

In our conversation with Samuel, we discussed streaks, those things that happen when we do something consistently over a long-period of time. They provide ongoing motivation to do the behavior which can help it become automatic. However, they can also feel daunting. We also talked about how habits are contextual. And lastly, we discussed how powerful and underappreciated cognitive dissonance is.

In our Grooving Session, Kurt and Tim discussed streaking and why having dinner with a favorite musician (songwriter) might be better than a sports celebrity. Hope you enjoy our conversation!

Finally, we end with a cut from a yet-unreleased record by Kurt and Tim: “Cognitive Dissonance.” Some of the lyrics: “I’m making up a story / To relieve the contradiction / Between what I want to be and what I do.”

Links

Samuel Salzer: https://samuelsalzer.com/

Habit Weekly: https://habitweekly.com/

Behavioral Science & Design Thinking Online Course: besci.org/grooves

Wendy Wood, “Good Habits, Bad Habits”: https://goodhabitsbadhabits.com/

Charles Duhigg: “The Power of Habit”: https://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/

Phillippa Lally: https://centrespringmd.com/docs/How%20Habits%20are%20Formed.pdf

Maxwell Maltz – 21 Days to Habit: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonselk/2013/04/15/habit-formation-the-21-day-myth/#1f194c7bdebc

James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/

“Mistakes Were Made (but not by me)”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistakes_Were_Made_(but_Not_by_Me)

Streaking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exhibitionism#Streaking

Deci & Ryan: https://www.apa.org/members/content/intrinsic-motivation

Teresa Amabile, PhD: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6409

Musical Links

Hans Zimmer “Inception”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdYYN-4ttDg

Ray Stevens “The Streak”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtzoUu7w-YM

David Byrne: https://livemusicblog.com/news/david-byrne-saturday-night-live-video/

Talking Heads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBIlxmug8PU

Covid-19 Crisis: Kaveh Yasdifard on Uniting Innovators from Tehran

Tue, 05 May 2020 07:29:29 -0600

Kaveh Yazdifard is the Chief Innovation Officer at Sahab Pardaz located in Tehran, Iran. He is also the Director of Urban Innovation for the city and COO of Avatech Accelerator, a firm focused on empowering business startups through a values-driven culture.

While much of Kaveh’s work is focused on collaborating and creating value through Innovation, we were particularly interested in speaking with him about the way he applies Cognitive Psychology and Data Science to his work.

And at this writing, Kaveh and his teams are developing initiatives in Iran to help individuals and businesses survive the uncertainty and ambiguity of the crisis. And we found this particularly interesting.

Of all of the business ideas that were exchanged, we landed on a particularly provocative comment: Happiness is overrated. During this time, it caused us to stop and ponder a bit. Maybe you will, too.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Covid-19 Crisis: Gretchen Chapman, PhD on The Psychology of Vaccinations

Sun, 03 May 2020 07:33:19 -0600

Gretchen Chapman, PhD researches how we make decisions about vaccines. She is a Professor in the Social & Decision Sciences department at Carnegie Mellon University and works across disciplines in both fields of judgment and decision making as well as health psychology.

She is the recipient of an APA early career award and an NJ Psychological Association Distinguished Research Award, a fellow of APA and APS. She is a former senior editor at Psychological Science, a past president of the Society for Judgment & Decision Making, the author of more than 100 journal articles, and the recipient of 20 years of continuous external funding.

Our discussion covered a great deal of her work based on laboratory and field experiments, where she has tested behavioral interventions, simultaneously exploring the theoretical mechanisms of decision making and also yielding policy insights into methods for improving health behavior and health outcomes.

We talked about vaccination rates on influenza (between 33% to 50% of adults), measles (around 95%) and what impact a potential coronavirus vaccine might have on other vaccinations.

Her expert knowledge was particularly valuable in a world with lots of noise.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Covid-19 Crisis: Jules Nolan on The Kids are Alright - Insights on Coping Through the Crisis

Fri, 01 May 2020 08:33:04 -0600

Jules Nolan, PhD is a psychologist, speaker, and author. She is the president of the Minnesota School Psychology Association and chairwoman for the Human Diversity Committee for the International School Psychology Association.

Her research, which has been conducted and published internationally, focuses on behavior, achievement, and wellbeing for school-aged children. She consults with parents and educators on how to manage family life and classrooms to help all children thrive.

We talked to Jules to get her thoughts into how she assists families with the unfamiliar experience of being together constantly. Jules delivered insightful comments, terrific research references, and relevant tips on what real families can do at this time.

If you’re a parent, you’ll benefit from her real-world directives; and if you’re a teacher, you’re likely to pick up some tips that could make your own virtual work a little less stressful.

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Thanks For No Memories During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 06:15:20 -0600

Our inspiration this week comes from an article written by Shayla Love for Vice titled, “You’ll probably forget what it was like to live through a pandemic.” We thought it would make a great jumping-off point for how we will remember this time as well as a discussion on memory in general.

We explore how memories get shaped during historically significant times and how vividness and emotion play into those memories. But, as Shayla notes, we don’t remember things all that accurately.

She points out that our specific memory of this time, even with all it’s heightened emotions and significance, will become, as she says, “a blur.”

She goes on to say, “Those on the frontlines, like healthcare workers, will remember it differently. They'll witness the toll on human life firsthand and emotions like grief, fear, and anxiety will heighten their memories….[but] For those whose lives remain unscathed, who have the privilege of waiting out the weeks without much daily variety, this stretched out "historical event" isn't conducive to creating sharp, defined memories. Despite having conscious awareness of each moment now, a lot of it will slip away.”

We hope you enjoy this episode of Weekly Grooves.

Links

“You’ll probably forget what it was like to live through a pandemic.” By Shayla Love: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/5dmxvn/what-will-we-remember-from-the-coronavirus-covid19-pandemic

You have no idea what happened (New Yorker): https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/idea-happened-memory-recollection

A new false memory study suggest people can’t tell what's real: https://gizmodo.com/a-new-false-memory-study-suggests-people-cant-tell-what-1842751404

How our brains make memories: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-our-brains-make-memories-14466850/

Did That Really Happen? How Our Memories Betray Us: https://www.npr.org/2019/12/16/788422090/did-that-really-happen-how-our-memories-betray-us

Covid-19 Crisis: Greg Davies, PhD on the Fetish of Optimization

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 08:14:22 -0600

Greg Davies, PhD is a specialist in applied behavioral finance, decision science, impact investing, and financial wellbeing. He founded the banking world’s first behavioral finance team at Barclays in 2006, which he led for a decade. In 2017 he joined Oxford Risk to lead the development of behavioral decision support software to help people make the best possible financial decisions.

Greg holds a PhD in Behavioural Decision Theory from Cambridge; he has held academic affiliations at UCL, Imperial College, and Oxford; and is author of Behavioral Investment Management. Greg is also Chair of Sound and Music, the UK’s national charity for new music, and the creator of Open Outcry, a ‘reality opera’ premiered in London in 2012, creating live performance from a functioning trading floor.

We invited Greg to have a conversation about COVID-19 because of his very academic view of how our financial decisions are made in the real world. We found his insights to be invaluable as we discussed the importance of using NOW as the time to build resistance for the next crisis – it’s only a matter of time.

We discussed how to use Odysseus contracts to ensure we make decisions in a “cold” state that will bind us to behaviors in “hot” states. And one of the more provocative comments, especially coming from a financial guy, was how our world would benefit from giving the “fetish of optimization.”

You’ll want to check it out.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Iris Tzafrir: A Kind Word

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 08:05:00 -0600

Iris Tzafrir is an inspirational and influential cross-functional leader in strategy and business development, deal making, value actualization, and merger integration. She grew up in a Kibbutz in the Negev Desert of Israel, the daughter of 2 Holocaust survivors, and emigrated to the US for graduate school where she studied virology. She loves to learn and is committed to making the world a better place.

We asked her to join us to discuss her insights on anti-racism, recognition of the other, and the importance of working together in teams (a key element of this is inclusion). Iris is, in our opinion, an accidental behavioral scientist. She’s not trained in the terminology or interventions of behavioral science, yet it’s evident that she possesses great skills in framing and messaging. We found her journey from telling her parent’s Holocaust story to telling her own story an important example of applied behavioral science.

This episode is not so much about her life as the daughter of 2 Holocaust survivors as it is about her insights into the human condition. We hope you find her practices and insights helpful.

Lastly, our discussion with Iris ends around 36:20 where left us with a unique proposition. We urge you to listen to her read a short poem composed by her father. It’s called, “A Kind Word.”

Links

"A Kind Word": https://www.linkedin.com/posts/iris-tzafrir_kindnessmatters-kindness-kindnessiscontagious-activity-6651629471386394624-NqLD

Iris Tzafrir: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iris-tzafrir/

The Holocaust: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust

Robert Cialdini, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cialdini

Cristina Bicchieri, PhD “The Grammar of Society”: https://www.amazon.com/Grammar-Society-Nature-Dynamics-Social/dp/0521574900

Albert Bandura, PhD: “The Bobo Doll Effect”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmBqwWlJg8U

Musical Links

Idan Raichel: https://idanraichelproject.com/en/
Achinoam Nini: http://www.noasmusic.com/
Hadag Nachash: http://hadagnahash.com/en/main/
Chava Albershtein: https://www.aviv2.com/chava/

Rhianna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfN4PVaOU5Q

Billie Eilish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgBJmlPo8Xw

Miles Davis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcg2Do13RJc

“We Are The World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I04FcfIVtcU

“What the World Needs Now”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv7jI5ACHCw

Covid-19 Crisis: Anurag Vaish on Risk is a Feeling, Not a Number

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 06:59:00 -0600

Anurag Vaish is the co-founder and director of The FinalMile in Mumbai, India. In building the company's practice of Behavior Architecture, Anurag led the conceptualization and development of digital games as a platform for research.

Anurag brings over 17 years of experience in strategic planning, research and marketing communication. Our conversation with him allowed him to highlight some of the work FinalMile is doing with the Indian government.

More importantly, Anurag and his team are building a Pandemic Playbook (link below) which is an archive of data points, interventions, communication, trends in activities and observations and it will be available for the world and for future crises.

One of his greatest observations is that because we experience risk as a feeling, not a set of numbers, many world leaders are missing an opportunity to improve the effectiveness of their communication. He’s also looking at how self (distance) learning could be carried on after the virus.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Artem Petakov: Our Biggest Competitor is the Couch

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 08:50:42 -0600

Artem Petakov is a co-Founder of Noom, a behavioral change and weight loss product that marries both psychology and AI to help people form more healthy behaviors and lose weight. You’re probably seeing Noom everywhere these days – on television, social media, YouTube – and with high frequency. The media exposure is generating terrific growth for the company and we wanted to talk to Artem about how Noom applies behavioral science to the core of their offering.

Our conversation with Artem was ripe with terrific insights. We discussed behavioral science facets in the app, how Noom grew and changed over time, how the company experiments with interventions, and how the organization has adapted and innovated along their journey.

We discussed Artem’s experience of being inspired by Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman and the Heath brothers' concept of Maslow’s Basement. We talked a bit about Burning Man Music (highly tech-driven beats) and were left wanting more.

We think you will be, too.

Links

Piaget Developmental Psychology: https://www.verywellmind.com/piagets-stages-of-cognitive-development-2795457

Maslow’s Basement: https://www.fastcompany.com/1603043/want-motivate-people-get-them-out-maslows-basement

Daniel Kahneman, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

Chip and Dan Heath “Switch”: https://heathbrothers.com/books/switch/

Doug Burgum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Burgum

4 Drive Model: https://thelanterngroup.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/four-drive-model-new-theory-on-employee-motivation/

Musical Links

EDM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQzy_TGDEqg

Burning Man Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7KGsI9Xgsw

Covid-19 Crisis: Michael Boden on How Field Sales Reps Are Adapting to the Crisis

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 12:09:25 -0600

Michael Boden is the Head of U.S. Crop Protection Sales at Syngenta, a global agrochemicals and seeds firm based in Basel, Switzerland. He joined the company in 1986 and has held global sales and marketing positions throughout his career. Michael grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and is currently based in Syngenta’s North American headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Michael shared a vivid image of his business: it’s what he calls belly-to-belly relationships his reps and agronomists have with growers (farmers), retailers and distributors. He also shared an insight about the need for corporate redundancy that was refreshing to hear from a business leader, rather than an academic.

Also, an interesting part of our grooving session was about Robin Dunbar’s research on the importance of physical touch and proximity and trust. We also asked the question about work-life balance and is it possible that we are redefining, in ways not seen since the industrial revolution, what work-life means.

He left us with these four tips for business leaders on making it through the crisis:

Keep people safe – the heroes will stay safe
Leverage technology – don’t fear it
This will pass – and be patient
Enjoy the exercise

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Covid-19 Crisis: Alessandro del Ponte on Moral Dilemmas with Economic Consequences

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 07:15:20 -0600

Alessandro del Ponte is a research fellow at the National University of Singapore working in the Behavioral Change program at the Global Asia Institute. He recently earned his PhD in behavioral political economy from Stony Brook University in New York. His recent research uses simple video games to understand how people feel about making tradeoffs between jobs and paying off national debt, or between saving lives in the national healthcare system or paying off the national debt.

We decided to connect with Alessandro because of President Trump’s recent comment: The cure shouldn’t be worse than the problem. Clearly, we have a moral dilemma: open the country to save the economy or kill 10’s of thousands of people with the virus?

We hope you enjoy this very philosophical discussion.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Stuart King: On the “What The Hell” Effect

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 11:48:59 -0600

Stuart King designs evidence-based interventions for children and adults to change their behavior and manage their weight. He has worked with the UK’s NHS as an Obesity Lead, as a Senior Scientist in the Obesity and Healthy Weight Team, and is now the CEO and Head of Distraction at his company, BeeZee Bodies. The firm provides behavior change services across all of England.

Our conversation was recorded just after the World Health Organization had declared the coronavirus a pandemic, but before countries like Italy and Spain had ordered more severe lockdown measures. In this dynamic world, it’s important to know that because, as Kurt and Tim like to say, context matters!

Stuart’s observations on behavioral science combine his scholarly knowledge of the literature and a very practical approach to applying those principles. We found his ideas about the Whole Systems Approach, growth mindset, and the power of defaults very interesting.

We hope you will, too.

PS…it’s regrettable when we make mistakes, but it’s on us to call them out. At about 1:15:30 in this episode, Tim said two erroneous things that necessitate correction. First, the Symphony he’s referring to is the 5th Symphony, not the 9th. And second, the composer was Beethoven, not Bach. Such an error is unexplainable and somewhat unbelievable given his familiarity with both composers. We ask you to forgive this error, and enjoy a listen to Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic (favorite!) on Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.

Links

Stuart King: https://beezeebodies.com/meet-the-team/

Lady Gray Tea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Grey_(tea)

Real World Behavioural Science Podcast: https://beezeebodies.com/professionals/real-world-behavioural-science-podcast/

“Habit Before the Habit”: https://beezeebodies.com/habit-before-the-habit/

Habitus: http://routledgesoc.com/category/profile-tags/habitus

Pierre Bourdieu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Bourdieu

Rich Sheridan: https://menloinnovations.com/services/keynotes-and-talks

Menlo Innovations: https://menloinnovations.com/

Tim Chadborn: https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/author/tim-chadborn/

Dan Ariely: http://danariely.com/

Whole Systems Approach: https://publichealthreform.scot/whole-system-approach/whole-system-approach-overview

Carol Dweck “Mindset”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Dweck

Susan Michie, PhD: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pals/people/susan-michie

Jim McManus: https://www.health.org.uk/fellow/jim-mcmanus

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

How to Stop Autoplay on Netflix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hoTWLQsECU

Birdsongs inspiring human music: https://theconversation.com/birdsong-has-inspired-humans-for-centuries-is-it-music-79000

Behavioral Grooves Patreon Site: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan

Musical Links

Stephen Fretwell “Emily”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPD9RXFJAao

Valentina Lisitsa “Rachmaninoff 1st Piano Sonata”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_KbyDBvxrU

Tim Houlihan (on Soundcloud): https://soundcloud.com/timhoulihan

Nathan Carter “Wagon Wheel”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3h6Nr1Smw0

Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, conducted by Herbert von Karajan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4IRMYuE1hI

Covid-19 Crisis: Cristina Bicchieri – Messaging Rules For Improving Social Behavior

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 12:50:23 -0600

Cristina Bicchieri, PhD is the S. J. Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics, a Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, a Professor of Legal Studies at the Wharton School, the Head of the Behavioral Ethics Lab, the Director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program, and is the Faculty Director of the Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research with UNICEF keeps her busy around the world, as well.

Our discussion with Cristina offers more than just a few tips (noted below). Cristina’s observations are based on a lifetime of excellent research and writing and we are happy to share them with you. Also, Cristina was our guest on episode 102, where you can help yourself to more insights on social norms and reference networks in that conversation.

We also asked Cristina to get out her crystal ball to share her visions of

Also, listeners might want to think about these tips for all of the corporate and customer-focused messaging.

6 Rules For April 2020

Do not send conflicting information
Make the desired behavior observable
Reinforce positive behaviors seen in others
Choose the appropriate reference network
Avoid moralizing messages
Avoid ambiguity

In our grooving session, Kurt offered a thought experiment for how the media might frame bad behaviors in their reporting.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How We Can Cope During This Crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science Links:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Deontological and Consequential Moralities: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan

Difference between descriptive and injunctive norms: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/6193/whats-the-difference-between-injunctive-norms-and-descriptive-norms

Emotion Research from FinalMile: http://finalmile.in/research/

Pandemic Playbook from FinalMile: https://www.playbookforpandemic.com/

Grooving: The Impact of Temporal Discounting

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 10:30:00 -0600

In this grooving episode, Kurt and Tim discuss Temporal Discounting and it’s closely related cousins. Temporal discounting is where we tend to value events in the near term more than similar events that are off in the distance. Another way to say it is that we discount – or reduce – our perceived value of events scheduled far off in the future. (The “timing” element is what gives it the name “temporal.”)

This is a very common bias and is closely related to Hyperbolic Discounting, which is the tendency for people to have a stronger preference for more immediate payoffs relative to later payoffs. (Think of Seinfeld’s Nighttime Guy vs. Morning Guy.) And Temporal Construal, where near-term events are valued in very concrete ways, but distant-term events seem very vague. And, a slightly more distant relative in this family of biases is Preference Reversal. With Preference Reversal, we see how the relative preference for one option over another changes with order or framing, such as when we see it.

All of these biases evolved for good reasons over thousands of years of human development and in much simpler times. But today, our world is very complex. And these biases can get in the way of our best decision making.

NOTE TO LISTENERS: This episode was recorded on March 11, 2020, just two days after the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a pandemic and Kurt and Tim were in the studio together. But it was still days before any cities declared shelter in place and a full two weeks before Minnesota, where Kurt and Tim live, made the declaration. Since then, we’ve been recording remotely.

Links

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Gretchen Chapman, PhD: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0272989X9501500408

Seinfeld Night Guy vs. Morning Guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-Cz-LK16g4

Tim Urban, “Wait, but Why?”: https://waitbutwhy.com/2016/03/doing-a-ted-talk-the-full-story.html

Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka “I Want It Now”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqsy7V0wphI

Christopher Hsee on General Evaluability Theory: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1745691610374586

Bazerman, Max, The Power of Noticing: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Noticing-What-Best-Leaders/dp/1476700303

Harris CJ, Laibson D., “Hyperbolic Discounting and Consumption.” Advances in Economics and Econometrics: Theory and Applications, Volume 1. Eighth World Congress; 2002 p. 258-298: https://scholar.harvard.edu/laibson/publications/hyperbolic-discounting-and-consumption

Covid-19 Crisis: Aline Holzwarth on Our Behavioral Immune System

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 13:20:25 -0600

Aline Holzwarth is the head of Behavioral Science at Pattern Health in Durham, North Carolina and a writer who supplies work to Behavioral Scientist and Forbes and has well as her blog on Medium. And she is also Principal of Dan Ariely’s Center for Advanced Hindsight, where she is responsible for directing the strategy, operations and communications for the Duke University research center.

Our conversation with Aline was relaxed and built on the underpinnings of abundance and gratitude. We talked first about some the great tips she offers for handwashing messages and how our behavioral immune systems are excellent when we can see, smell or touch something, but they are compromised when it comes to invisibilia such as a virus.

We also discussed the role that music can play in providing buoyancy to our feelings and gave up some excellent tips on what to do with video conferencing.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How we can cope or be better during this crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science and other info related or talked about in the series:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Jürgen Klopp: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/03/jurgen-klopp-goes-off-on-reporter-after-being-asked-about-coronavirus-again

UBI (Universal Basic Income): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income

7-Minute Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxYJcnvyMw

4 Drive Model: https://www.leadersbeacon.com/how-great-leaders-use-the-4-drive-model-to-impact-employee-motivation/

Universal Basic Income: https://behavioralscientist.org/checkscheckschecks-why-we-need-a-universal-basic-income-now-coronavirus/

Why we are not going back to normal: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615370/coronavirus-pandemic-social-distancing-18-months/

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

“16 Ways To Promote Hand Washing With Behavioral Science” article by Aline Holzwarth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/03/25/handwashing-with-behavioral-science/#261b4b9f768d

Aline Holzwarth’s Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H5fsQRrqslGdBhhx8d4Aw?si=0jra0rU1Qu2vQNtqjbRvZA

Covid-19 Crisis: Brad Shuck, PhD on Pausing, Building Capacity and "Not Business as Usual"

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 16:49:00 -0600

Brad Shuck, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Evaluation and Organizational Development at the University of Louisville. He is also the Program Director of the Center for Human Resource and Organizational Development. Brad has been researching employee engagement for many years and is a featured speaker at conferences on employee engagement around the world.

Talking to Brad was like having a friendly counselor talk you off the ledge while we covered meaningful topics starting with the fact that this is definitely NOT business as usual. His take on intentionality, deliberate action and boundaries was novel and we were intrigued by some new research he’s completing on capacity (for time, energy and resources).

We’re grateful for Brad’s insights and calming delivery in a very unsettling time.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity?: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How we can cope or be better during this crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science and other info related or talked about in the series:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Jürgen Klopp: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/03/jurgen-klopp-goes-off-on-reporter-after-being-asked-about-coronavirus-again

UBI (Universal Basic Income): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income

7-Minute Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxYJcnvyMw

4 Drive Model: https://www.leadersbeacon.com/how-great-leaders-use-the-4-drive-model-to-impact-employee-motivation/

Universal Basic Income: https://behavioralscientist.org/checkscheckschecks-why-we-need-a-universal-basic-income-now-coronavirus/

Why we are not going back to normal: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615370/coronavirus-pandemic-social-distancing-18-months/

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

Covid-19 Crisis: Eugen Dimant, PhD on the Roles of Social Norms and Good Science

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 09:03:00 -0600

Eugen Dimant, PhD is an Associate Professor of Practice in Behavioral and Decision Sciences, which is part of the new Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics under Cristina Bicchieri, Ph.D.’s leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. Much of his work is focused on how social norms are formed and impact our lives.

We talked about how social norms drive individual behaviors in different ways and how research on coronavirus-related behaviors is being completed at record speeds – but not necessarily all in good ways. He recommends slowing down, working across disciplines, and being clear on research objectives to insure test methods and data collection conform to the highest standards and deliver the most meaningful results. He also mentioned that sustainable behavior change requires more than nudges and the roles that both descriptive and injunctive norms play (they are described in greater detail in our grooving session after the interview).

It’s also important to be reminded that when we see empty shelves where toilet paper used to be, we almost always feel the need to buy more. Be careful out there.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity? https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How we can cope or be better during this crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science and other info related or talked about in the series:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Jürgen Klopp: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/03/jurgen-klopp-goes-off-on-reporter-after-being-asked-about-coronavirus-again

UBI (Universal Basic Income): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income

7-Minute Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxYJcnvyMw

4 Drive Model: https://www.leadersbeacon.com/how-great-leaders-use-the-4-drive-model-to-impact-employee-motivation/

Universal Basic Income: https://behavioralscientist.org/checkscheckschecks-why-we-need-a-universal-basic-income-now-coronavirus/

Why we are not going back to normal: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615370/coronavirus-pandemic-social-distancing-18-months/

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

Covid-19 Crisis: Wendy Wood, PhD on Habits, Productivity and Being Gentle with Yourself

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 10:20:11 -0600

Wendy Wood, PhD is a social psychologist whose research addresses the ways that habits guide behavior. She researches and teaches at USC both in psychology and in the business school and is a world-renowned expert on breaking old habits and creating new ones. Her book, “Good Habits, Bad Habits” is a New York Times bestseller and delivers a terrifically readable and scholarly approach to habits.

In our conversation with her, she shared what habits are and how habits get formed. We talked about how now could be a time for more pro-social behavior. And she reminded us to be kind to ourselves as we endeavor through a very challenging set of circumstances. You’re not going to be as productive as you might otherwise be because of all these new routines, she warns, but don’t let that stop you! Be intentional and keep pushing through!

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity? https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How we can cope or be better during this crisis:

Tip Sheet from HUMU: https://humu.com/remote-nudges/

Resources for learning at home: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/resources-learning-home-during-covid-19-school-closures?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=etcetera

General Behavioral Science and other info related or talked about in the series:

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Jonathan Haidt – 5 Moral Foundations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory

Jürgen Klopp: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/03/jurgen-klopp-goes-off-on-reporter-after-being-asked-about-coronavirus-again

UBI (Universal Basic Income): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income

7-Minute Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxYJcnvyMw

4 Drive Model: https://www.leadersbeacon.com/how-great-leaders-use-the-4-drive-model-to-impact-employee-motivation/

Universal Basic Income: https://behavioralscientist.org/checkscheckschecks-why-we-need-a-universal-basic-income-now-coronavirus/

Why we are not going back to normal: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615370/coronavirus-pandemic-social-distancing-18-months/

Annie Duke’s “How To Decide”: https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices/dp/0593084608

Deborah Small, PhD: Processing Probabilistic Events and Making Donations

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 06:47:36 -0600

Deborah Small, PhD is a professor of marketing in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research crosses the intersections of psychology and economics, examining fundamental processes that underlie human decision making. In recent years, her work has focused on both altruistic and self-interested motivations for philanthropic behavior. She has examined impediments to effective altruism, bragging about prosocial behavior, and the downsides of conspicuous consumption.

A NOTE TO OUR LISTENERS: We recorded this discussion with Deborah on March 6, 2020, and it was one of the last recordings that Kurt and Tim made in the studio together. On that day, the United States confirmed 311 cases of coronavirus out of roughly 100,000 worldwide. While we were all aware of the virus, the World Health Organization had not labeled it a pandemic, which happened on March 11th. At a little after the 26:00-minute mark, we discuss what was going on as “unfolding,” as it was at that time.

Our conversation with Deborah was filled with terrific insights as we pursued inquiries such as how difficult it is for humans to deal with probabilistic events, citing examples of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the 9/11 tragedies from 2001.

She shared highlights from her research on why people give to charities, the effects of availability bias on our behaviors, the influence of social norms in giving, and how we feel when we hear of boasting and bragging from people who make donations.

She also asked a really good question that is worth considering: Why do so many people make cash donations to charities that are terribly inefficient with their funds?

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Dr. Deborah Small.

Links

Deborah Small, PhD: https://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/deborahs/

Peter Singer, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Singer

The Effective Altruism Movement: https://www.effectivealtruism.org/

Jeremy Bentham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham

“Dread Risk, September 11, and Fatal Traffic Accidents” by Gerg Gigerenzer, PhD: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00668.x

Robert Cialdini, PhD on Ego or Altruism: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1449244?seq=1

Susan G. Komen article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2017/10/03/breast-cancer-charity-ratings-julia-louis-dreyfus/714899001/

GiveWell: https://www.givewell.org/charities/top-charities

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

Neuromarketing World Forum: https://www.neuromarketingworldforum.com/

Roger Dooley: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/roger-dooley-friction-and-engagement/

Musical Links

Taylor Swift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3aXpa1rQEY

Hamilton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5VqyCQV1Tg

Frozen II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIOyB9ZXn8s

Baby Shark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqZsoesa55w

“We Are The World”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_the_World#Humanitarian_aid

James Taylor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbeQqteag_k

Covid-19 Crisis: Rodd Wagner on The Zen of Staying Safe

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 07:42:48 -0600

Rodd Wagner is a Forbes columnist and bestselling author of books on leadership, employee engagement and collaboration. Rodd’s books have been published in 10 languages and his articles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, USA Today, ABC News, as well as Globe and Mail in Canada. One of his books was even parodied in Dilbert.

In our conversation, we discussed how humans perceive risk, regulation (by the self and by the government), and cumulative probabilities. We’ve known Rodd for many years and always find his perspectives fresh and ripe with curiosity. We were glad to talk with him and hope you find it as insightful as we did.

Also, we were struck by a couple of snappy phrases from Rodd that we hope become more common in our lexicon as our language evolves with the crisis: “The virus doesn’t care,” is a phrase Rodd shared that simply caught us off guard with brutal truth; and, “We are usually killed by things we didn’t see coming.” Gnaw on that for a bit as you’re washing your hands.

Links

Connect with Kurt and Tim:

Kurt Nelson, PhD: @WhatMotivates e-mail: kurt@lanterngroup.com

Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan e-mail: tim@behavioralchemy.com

Lantern Group: http://lanterngroup.com/

BehaviorAlchemy: https://www.behavioralchemy.com/

Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/

Weekly Grooves: https://weeklygrooves.podbean.com/

Common Biases & Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit#

General Coronavirus Info:

Daily Newsletter Summarizing data from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/newsroom/newsletters/e-newsletter-sign-up.html

Great videos on the science behind this by Dr. Peter Attia – this is the first in a series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVhLyAlfA4

What is herd immunity? https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615375/what-is-herd-immunity-and-can-it-stop-the-coronavirus/

A list curated by Liam.Delaney@UCD.ie

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GLhX7hLf64Bxkdpv5hvYHqOjS1imlcMQFjJBJ-9oUM/edit

Coronavirus & Behavioral Science:

Selected Links: The Behavioral Sice of Coronavirus: https://behavioralscientist.org/selected-links-the-behavioral-science-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/

Why no one is reading your coronavirus email: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/coronavirus-emails-effective-messaging-rogers/index.html

Handwashing can stop a virus, so why don’t we do it?: https://behavioralscientist.org/handwashing-can-stop-a-virus-so-why-dont-we-do-it-coronavirus-covid-19/

The behavioral science of handwashing: https://think.ing.com/articles/the-behavioural-science-of-hand-washing/

Ideas 42: The Behavioral Side of COVID-19 here: https://ideas42.org/covid19/