Topic: Behavioral Decision Making
The Deterrent Effect of Ignition Interlock Devices — Before They’re Even Installed
Adding a car breathalyzer to existing penalties could substantially discourage drunken driving
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 Limited Payoff in Auto Insurance Advertising
Ads aimed at brand awareness are shown to be more effective
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 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 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 Odd History of Gun Legislation Following Mass Shootings
GOP legislatures often made firearm laws looser after infamous events
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 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
Those Offering Opinions Are Better Remembered Than Those Uttering Facts
And recall of the source affects how we interpret information — and how we might act upon it
Unwelcome Gift Message: ‘I Know You Need Money’
The same gift, with a message on saving the recipient time, is more welcome
Using Ancestral Characteristics to Study Modern Economics
A database of pre-industrial sampling supports historical and ethnographic research
Voters Often Opt for Candidate They Expect to Win
The bandwagon effect boosts the top vote-getter in preliminary rounds
Want To Elicit User-Generated Content? Try User-Generated Rewards
Recognition by peers leads to longer, more thoughtful online reviews and discussion threads
We’re All Being Tracked. What Can We Learn From It?
A primer for researchers on use of smartphone location data offers a glimpse of how we’re watched
