Area: Behavioral Decision Making

Police cars and officers on highway at night. Research Brief / Bias

Smartphone Records Reveal Racial Disparities in Neighborhood Policing

Police patrol Black areas more frequently than others with similar homicide rates and income levels

Aerial view of marathon city runners. One person leading marathon. Research Brief / Forecasting

Experts Struggle to Accurately Forecast Societal Change

On COVID-19’s impacts, social scientists’ predictions weren’t much better than those of laypeople

Five open doors in various colors on a hilly grass expanse. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Why We Think Differently About Money Than About Probabilities

Learning gradually versus all at once and how we estimate value

Book Review / Behavioral Decision Making

Overcoming Obstacles to Taking Better Care of Your Future Self

Hal Hershfield’s book offers research-backed methods to build a healthier, happier, more financially secure life

Side-by-side view of the Robert Taylor housing project in Chicago before and during demolition. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Kids Who Moved from Public Housing More Likely to Vote as Adults

Demolition of Chicago projects dispersed thousands to other areas

A black and orange detour sign on a fance. Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

Another Political Trick? Inducing Forgetting By Mentioning Irrelevant Information

Positive views on, say, a social policy are more easily suppressed than negative ones

An illustration of a man holding an umbrella standing ina sea of alarm clocks. Research Brief / Nudges

Lack of Urgency Can Undermine a Popular Behavioral Nudge

Encouraging pre-commitment to a future behavior helps people do hard things — but it can backfire

A man sitting with his dog on the couch talking to his grandma on a cellphone Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

People Prioritize Shared Experiences, Even When Apart

People will endure inconvenience to synchronize events, regardless of proximity

A view of solar panels on the rooftop and the skyline at dusk Research Brief / Energy

The Relationship Between Adoption of Rooftop Solar and Attachment to One’s Surroundings

Applying the behavioral concept of “place attachment” to the logistics of battling climate change

Book Review / Happiness

A Method to Happiness: Tested in the Lab and in Life

Cassie Holmes’ book combines social science and personal history; jilted on the way to the altar

A hospital hallway full of mediical personnel and patients Research Brief / Health Care

Exhausted Doctors Less Likely to Prescribe Pain Meds

At the end of a night shift, empathy for patients’ hurting seems diminished

Hands holding a framed photograph of a father and son holding a fishing pole Research Brief / Happiness

The Sad Fact of Reminiscing About Good Times

Happy memories of life-stage transitions can be bittersweet

Reflection in the mirror of man brushing his teeth Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

Boring Tasks We Abandon Too Soon: a Method to Finish the Job

Pairing the mundane — hand washing, teeth brushing — with more engaging activities

Line of bananas in order of ripeness Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

Gesturing Left to Right for Passage of Time Occurs by Age 6

Cultural norms — reading and the calendar — affect native English-speakers’ motioning constructs

Poster with text that reads, "colorectal cancer screening tests here" Research Brief / Nudges

Cancer-Screening Procrastination Can Be Deadly: a Nudge Lifts Compliance

At-home test for colorectal cancer delivered with a deadline

Research Question / Happiness

As Income Rises, Link Between Meaning and Happiness Weakens

Globally, lower-income people feel a stronger connection