A scholar who studies consumer decision-making explains just what it is in the human mind that makes people susceptible to nudges toward one behavior or another.
Even if the thought counts, the effort might not be worth it.
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Anya Samek, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Like any personal touch, there’s a chance this common fundraising step makes people feel warm and fuzzy inside. But a five-year research project found that it doesn’t make donors more generous.
The Getty Fire burns next to the 405 freeway in the hills of West Los Angeles.
Reuters/Gene Blevins
Some Californians want to ban people from living in wildfire-prone areas. Behavioral economics offers a less heavy-handed approach to reducing the costs and risks.
Cheating in games may have more to do with personality than with economic necessity, a new study finds.
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Why do even the rich cheat on their taxes? Roesearch suggests some people may be genetically predisposed to break the rules for their own financial gain.
A proposed charitable law could simulate this sea of piggy banks.
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Uber’s IPO will value the company at more than $80 billion, yet the data it collects on its users may be worth even more – and creates the potential for dangerous manipulation.
The solution to too much screen time may just be more apps.
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Software makers including Apple have been creating apps aimed at limiting how much time we spend using our smartphones. A behavioral scientist explains how – and whether – they work.
Millennials carry more student loan debt than previous generations.
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People have to make countless decisions on a daily basis that involve some degree of risk, from boarding a plane to crossing the street. The trouble is most of us don’t weigh risk well.
Richard Thaler, laureate in economics, receives his Nobel in Stockholm in December.
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After two Nobel prize wins for behavioral economists, the burgeoning field has demonstrated its importance in shaping effective economic and government policy.
Holidays don’t always bring you closer.
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A scholar applies lessons from her research to negotiate with her spouse better and have an ‘awesome holiday.’ Here’s how you can too – and make your family life happier overall.
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.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
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.
As a founder of behavioral economics, Thaler has helped change the way economists look at the world.
AP Photo/Paul Beaty
David O'Connor, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)
Amazon.com and others are eager to fill the skies with drones delivering packages at all hours. Convenient, yes, but it could transform – and not in a good way – our ability to make informed choices.
Walt Disney used defaults to get children to eat healthier foods, but not all nudges have consumers’ interests at heart.
Gary Kazanjian/AP Photo
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?
When a player’s on fire, is it hot hands?
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For 30 years, sports fans have been told to forget about streaks because the ‘hot hand’ is a fallacy. But a reanalysis says not so fast: Statistics show players really are in the zone sometimes.
In the wrong hands, ‘nudges’ can be used in nefarious ways.
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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.