Topic: Behavioral Decision Making

Emma Gonzalez speaking a podium for a March For Our Lives event Research Brief / Politics

The Odd History of Gun Legislation Following Mass Shootings

GOP legislatures often made firearm laws looser after infamous events

An illustration of two figures marching inside endless treadmills. Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

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

Qanon supporters in a crowd Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

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

Two people watching a Progressive Insurance ad on TV Research Brief / Advertising

The Limited Payoff in Auto Insurance Advertising

Ads aimed at brand awareness are shown to be more effective

Illustration of a young man looking into a mirror, reflecting his older self Feature / Time

The Healthy Upside of Thinking about an Older You

Consciously imagining our older self can spur us to take better care of ourselves now

Woman with headphones stands in crosswalk Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

The Connective Pull of Headphones

We literally feel closer to someone we’re hearing via headphones

A laptop with Netflix Research Brief / E-commerce

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

Illustration of characters debating at a long table Feature / Organizational Culture

Status among Team Members: Conflict and Productivity

Groups with unsettled hierarchies can benefit from disagreements that establish a pecking order

Workers in a warehouse putting together packages Research Brief / Productivity

Startling Productivity Leap: an Algorithm, Not a Manager, Assigns Work

Warehouse pickers perceive process to be fairer

A brick home with solar panels on the roof Forecast / Sustainability

Solar Calculators Are Precise, But Data Don’t Always Persuade

A separate motivator: friends living in areas abundant in solar panels

Silhouette of female smoker Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

Shaming Smokers Actually Increases Their Urge to Light Up

Being stigmatized by stereotype feeds anxiety and depletes self-control

Illustration of eyes looking at a computer screen Research Brief / Taxes

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

Payday Loan office facade Research Brief / Debt

Sensitivity to Debt Type Predicts Financial Health

Research reveals that those wary of payday loans tend to manage their finances better

Broken piggy bank full of coins Feature / Retirement

Save, Save, Save, but Then What? Financial Structure and Spending in Retirement

Innumerable nudges help savings accumulation; now researchers turn to decumulation

Sale signs at a mall with people walking Feature / Behavioral Decision Making

Sales Promotions Influence People Beyond Purchasing Decisions

Exposure to discounts makes people impatient

Collage of famous CEOs Feature / Wealth

Rich People: Hated in China, Venerated in America?

Research suggests the nations actually have similar feelings toward wealth