After two Nobel prize wins for behavioral economists, the burgeoning field has demonstrated its importance in shaping effective economic and government policy.
A man taking stairs at Washington-Dulles International Airport in 2013.
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Dropping old, bad habits is hard, but starting new, good ones may not be so difficult. Or so a recent study suggests. Read how a simple sign at an airport made a difference.
A product’s calorie label is a common form of nudging behavior.
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Government initiatives to prod people to make better decisions got a lot of attention after Richard Thaler won a Nobel in economics for his working on nudging.
We can encourage people to make healthy adjustments to their diets with simple behaviour techniques.
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A lot of money is spent by food producers and retailers to try and influence the type of food we buy and eat. But what can be done to encourage healthier choices?
Walt Disney used defaults to get children to eat healthier foods, but not all nudges have consumers’ interests at heart.
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Defaults are powerful tools that policymakers and marketers can use to nudge us to make certain choices, whether in our interest or in theirs. How do we ensure they’re used responsibly?
Should she trust her gut or her head?
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Dozens of governments have been using the insights from the burgeoning field to ‘nudge’ citizens in ways that improve their well-being. But some worry Trump might use it for less altruistic ends.
Give a little?
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Research suggests the answer, surprisingly, may be no, but behavioral science offers a few ways to encourage the wealthy to open their wallets a little wider.
Trump’s golf course in Scotland has already emerged as a conflict.
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The president-elect doesn’t think his extensive business and other conflicts will be a problem when he’s president. Research suggests it’s because of a behavioral bias that affects us all.
As Election Day approaches, candidates in races across the country will be doing everything they can to get out the vote – including turning to behavioral science.
The thousands of Wells Fargo low-wage employees who defrauded customers likely knew how it felt to face unfair overdraft fees or a deteriorating credit rating. So why did they do it?
Behavioral research shows why a heavy-handed approach like the UK’s soda tax works better than the mere warning that San Francisco wants to put in advertisements.
Is the water crisis in Flint, Michigan evidence that governments need a new way to make decisions?
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New research on first impressions offers hope that the presidential front-runners may still be able to win over voters who have unfavorable opinions of them.
Dana and David Dornsife Professor of Psychology and Director of the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences