Topic: Behavioral Decision Making
The Surprising Relationship Between Empathic Skill — the Ability to Read Others’ Feelings — and One’s Own Happiness
A surer path to contentedness might be believing one possesses empathy, even if one doesn’t
The Surprising Power of Giving Up Choice Control
Abdicating a decision to someone else is viewed as an act of generosity that is handsomely rewarded
The Odd History of Gun Legislation Following Mass Shootings
GOP legislatures often made firearm laws looser after infamous events
The More They Do It, the More Some People Prefer To Continue a Tedious Task
Even when there’s an easy-to-access better alternative, some prefer their rut
The Malleability of Who Falls for Conspiracy Theories
It’s not just sheep — even go-getters can be susceptible when they feel less in control
The Listening Gap: Speakers Assume They’re Heard, the Spoken-To Often Feign Attentiveness
A growing body of research questions the value of the nod, eye contact, ‘mm-hmm’ and ‘uh-huh’
The Limited Payoff in Auto Insurance Advertising
Ads aimed at brand awareness are shown to be more effective
The Healthy Upside of Thinking about an Older You
Consciously imagining our older self can spur us to take better care of ourselves now
The Deterrent Effect of Ignition Interlock Devices — Before They’re Even Installed
Adding a car breathalyzer to existing penalties could substantially discourage drunken driving
Streaming Choices: Do We Follow the Big Crowd or Our Friends?
The ubiquitous community-wide customer rating is the biggest pull in helping us pick a movie or show
Status among Team Members: Conflict and Productivity
Groups with unsettled hierarchies can benefit from disagreements that establish a pecking order
Startling Productivity Leap: an Algorithm, Not a Manager, Assigns Work
Warehouse pickers perceive process to be fairer
Solar Calculators Are Precise, But Data Don’t Always Persuade
A separate motivator: friends living in areas abundant in solar panels
Shaming Smokers Actually Increases Their Urge to Light Up
Being stigmatized by stereotype feeds anxiety and depletes self-control
Shaming of Tax Delinquents Works
34,334 letters were sent to test how sensitive those owing back taxes are to neighbors’ knowledge of the debts