Is a happy life one that is abundant with pleasure? Or one without pain? Or one that overcomes struggle? The quest for a good life may go beyond the scope of a psychological study. But bestselling author, Paul Bloom does believe that psychology can help us maximize the circumstances that contribute to our happiness.

 

In the second part of our interview with psychologist Paul Bloom we delve more into his book  “Psych: The Story of the Human Mind”. Not only do we discuss the factors that lead to a happy life, we talk to Paul about the evolution of selfish versus altruistic behaviors, the ongoing debate between nature versus nurture, how maximizers and satisficers differ and what exactly hypophobia is.

 

If you’d like to listen to the first part of Paul’s interview, tune in to episode 352 and you'll also enjoy our previous discussion with Paul about his book, The Sweet Spot in episode 241. 

 

Become a podcast follower of Behavioral Grooves and you will automatically be notified when our new weekly episodes go live.

 

Topics 

(2:23) Why Paul hasn’t written a psychology textbook.

(5:03) The evolution of kindness and selfishness. 

(11:57) Nature vs. nurture.

(15:30) Why do we care more about our differences than our similarities?

(18:07) Maximizers vs. satisficers? 

(20:28) Is language infinite in principle, but finite in practice?

(22:19) What is a good life?

(27:34) Do a lot of our politicians have hypophobia (lack of fear)?

(30:47) What music would Paul take to a desert island?

(34:30) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links 

Episode 352, Psychology: Should Freud Still Be On The Syllabus? Paul Bloom, Part 1: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/psychology-freud-on-the-syllabus/ 

Paul Bloom’s book “Psych: The Story of the Human Mind”: https://amzn.to/3MF6raM 

Episode 241 with Paul Bloom, Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/ 

Lila Gleitman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lila_R._Gleitman 

Noam Chomsky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky 

Randolph Nesse: https://www.randolphnesse.com/ 

 

Musical Links 

The White Lotus Soundtrack “I Want to Live”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I9ffEzCPIA 

Elton John “The Last Song”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5eEQJZm7ZM 

David Bowie “Changes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BgF7Y3q-as 

Tracey Chapman “Fast Car”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIOAlaACuv4 

Joan Armatrading “Already There”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChMcN0ke1eA 

Suzanne Vega “Walk on The Wild Side”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEXGLRLhWls 

Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly6ZhQVnVow 

Pink Floyd “Time”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr0-7Ds79zo 

Ask someone to name a famous psychologist and there’s a good chance they’ll say Sigmund Freud. Describing a person as “anal” or rebuking someone with “I'm not your mother”, are both references to Freud’s work. Since many of his outlandish theories have long been debunked, should he still be part of psychology teaching? Author Paul Bloom lays the case for why he has dedicated a whole chapter to Freud in his new book Psych.

 

This is the first of two episodes with Paul Bloom, who we are warmly welcoming back to the Behavioral Grooves Podcast following his previous interview in episode 274 back in 2022. Paul joins us to discuss his new book, Psych: The Story of the Human Mind. And since we had such a fascinating (and long!) conversation with Paul, we decided to break it into two, more digestible, episodes. 

 

In this first episode, we spend time discussing the history of psychology, delving into the importance of Freud, Skinner and Milgram and the impact that behaviorism had. We also jump to the hypothetical future of psychology and where the field may make seismic progress over the next 50 years.

 

By becoming a follower of Behavioral Grooves Podcast, you will automatically be notified when the second episode of Paul’s interview is released next week, on Monday, April 24th. In that interview, we will delve more into Paul’s book. We will talk about the impetus to write Psych, selfish vs altruistic behaviors, and what makes a good life. 

 

Topics 

(5:00) Welcome to Paul Bloom and speed round questions.

(9:33) Why Paul wrote the book Psych.

(12:15) Why Sigmund Freud had a whole chapter in the book.

(18:08) The reason Paul doesn’t have much love for B.F. Skinner.

(25:09) Milgram experiments during a wild west time in psychology.

(29:33) Do we have free will?

(33:42) How will the field of psychology change over the next 50 years?

(37:49) The failures of neuroscience.

(42:41) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on the history of psychology. 

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links 

Paul Bloom’s book “Psych: The Story of the Human Mind”: https://amzn.to/3MF6raM 

Episode 274 with Paul Bloom, Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/ 

Sigmund Freud: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud 

Episode 67, George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/ 

Carl Jung: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung 

B.F. Skinner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._F._Skinner 

Episode 247, Stanford Prison Experiment, 50 Years On: What Have We Really Learnt? With Dr Philip Zimbardo: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stanford-prison-experiment/ 

Stanley Milgram experiment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment 

Episode 312, How To Find Meaning IN Life | Dr Brian Lowery PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/meaning-in-life-brian-lowery/ 

Episode 248, Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? With John Bargh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/ 

With curiosity we can figure out what we actually want. Sometimes what we desire makes us feel uncomfortable, and as a therapist, our guest Charlotte Fox Weber makes space for that discomfort. Join us as she highlights her observations from the therapist's chair.

“I think curiosity is a life force. It engages us, it galvanizes us, it's inspiring, and it gets us to pay attention.” ~ Charlotte Fox Weber

Many people see a therapist to help them work through psychological issues. But have you ever considered what the dynamic is like from the point of view of the therapist? If you were a fly on the wall, what would you observe behind the closed doors? 

Charlotte Fox Weber brings a unique perspective to the therapist-client relationship. Her new book “Tell Me What You Want: A Therapist and Her Clients Explore Our 12 Deepest Desires”: https://amzn.to/3ZJ9XUl, expertly pulls out recurring themes from her years as a therapist which are beautifully illustrated with captivating stories.

According to Charlotte, we each have 12 fundamental psychological needs that we all share but often hide. These universal desires are: to love and be loved; understanding, power, attention, freedom; to create, to belong, to win, to connect, to control; and to want what we shouldn’t. With her experience as a therapist, Charlotte is aiming to help us navigate our desires through curiosity and authenticity. If we can more accurately acknowledge what we actually want, we can live a more fulfilled life.

“The 12 desires I describe, all have to do with recognition.” ~ Charlotte Fox Weber

Our interview with Charlotte was recorded a few weeks ago when Tim Houlihan was unwell, so our producer Mary Kaliff joins Kurt on this episode as co-host of the show. But you’ll be pleased to know that Tim is doing much better now and you’ll be hearing his familiar voice on all upcoming episodes again!

 

Topics 

(1:56) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:09) Why is it so hard for us to say what we want?

(8:14) Why curiosity is so important in therapy.

(11:37) The 12 desires that we each experience.

(13:27) Do we have desires that stay consistent throughout our life?

(18:22) How do we reconcile all of our identities?

(20:14) Why do we struggle holding two truths simultaneously?

(25:42) How jazz music helps us appreciate the notes unplayed.

(29:50) Of the 12 desires, which one makes us most uncomfortable?

(33:53) The cost of giving or paying attention.

(36:39) Grooving session with Kurt and Mary.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links 

Charlotte Fox Weber: https://charlottefoxweber.com/ 

Charlotte’s book: “Tell Me What You Want: A Therapist and Her Clients Explore Our 12 Deepest Desires”: https://amzn.to/3ZJ9XUl 

Shankar Vedantam TED Talk “You don't actually know what your future self wants”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtfaccGmCCs 

Episode 325, Can You Unlearn History And Still Love Your Country? With Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dolly-chugh/ 

Episode 178, Kwame Christian: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/ 

Episode 344, How To Frame Incentives To Drive The Desired Behavior with James Castello: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/incentives-to-drive-behavior/ 

Episode 237, Attention: How to Capture It and Keep It with Ben Parr: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/attention-with-ben-parr/ 

Episode 303, From Distracted To Focused: Nir Eyal’s Secrets On How To Be Indistractable: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nir-eyal-how-to-be-indistractable/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links 

Nina Simone “Feeling Good”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHRNrgDIJfo

Words matter. Unbelievably, tiny changes to language can have a big effect on behavior. Hear bestselling author, Jonah Berger reveal the magic words that can completely transform how we behave, in this riveting episode.

Almost everything we do involves words. But have you ever stopped to consider how much influence the words you choose can have on the person reading your email, or listening to your presentation? Some words are more impactful than others. In fact, we can captivate, motivate and convince people with our words. But which words are the most powerful? 

Listen in to find out:

• How words can shape our identity.
• Tips on using language to positively affect our relationships.
• How simply changing the words in an email can dramatically alter behavior.

Jonah Berger’s last book, “Magic Words: What To Say To Get Your Way” is a succinct summary of the latest scientific research on words and language. Jonah joins us on Behavioral Grooves, not only to tell us about what to expect in the book, but also to recount the story of how the idea for the book was sparked by a delayed flight.

Jonah is a former guest of Behavioral Grooves Podcast, having previously been on the show to discuss his bestselling book The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind. He is a professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and is known as a world-renowned expert on natural language processing, word of mouth, influence, consumer behavior, and why things catch on. 

Word of mouth is the number one way that new listeners find out about Behavioral Grooves podcast. If you feel wiser having listened to this episode, please share it on social media or email it to your friends and encourage them to become a listener too. Thank you!

Topics 

(3:27) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:09) Why asking for advice makes us actually seem smarter.

(7:17) Using abstract vs. concrete language.

(12:42) How Jonah researched the use of language.

(16:49) How can our language affect our relationships.

(19:31) Turning actions into identities.

(22:47) Priming behavior with language.

(25:00) Do the lyrics of songs help explain their success?

(28:27) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt on why words matter.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links 

Jonah Berger: https://jonahberger.com/ 

Jonah’s book, “Magic Words: What To Say To Get Your Way”: https://amzn.to/3Kp9r9T 

Episode 201, The Counterintuitive Persuasion of The Catalyst with Jonah Berger: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-catalyst-with-jonah-berger/ 

Episode 147, Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-goal-setting-prompts/ 

Episode 319, John Bargh: Want to Know How Priming Works? It Starts With Your Conscious, Not Your Unconscious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_UYYPb-Gk&ab_channel=RUNDMCVEVO 

Leonardelli, Geoffrey & Pickett, Cynthia & Brewer, Marilynn. (2010). Optimal Distinctiveness Theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241065845_Optimal_Distinctiveness_Theory 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links 

Suzanne Vega, DNA “Tom's Diner”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4jtIDaeaWI 

RUN DMC - Walk This Way featuring Aerosmith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_UYYPb-Gk&ab_channel=RUNDMCVEVO

What lies ahead for applied behavioral science? How can we learn from the massive growth in the field over the last 15 years? Our guest, Michael Hallsworth, has very recently published a manifesto on the future of behavioural science and we’re privileged to discuss this landmark publication with him on this episode.

 

Dr Michael Hallsworth PhD has been on the forefront of thought leadership and scholarship in behavioral science for many years. Having earned his PhD in Behavioural Economics from Imperial College in London, he has since spent most of his career working in either public policy or on corporate applications around the world. He is now the Managing Director, North America for the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT).

 

Stemming from the original Behavioural Insights Team formed at the heart of the UK government in 2010, BIT has grown into a global company, driving positive change in communities and organizations all across the world. Having grown international teams, demonstrated workable behavioral results and shaken up policies around the world, Michael felt it was a good time for BIT to reflect on how far they had come.

 

In the Manifesto for Applying Behavioural Science, Michael lays out 10 proposals that chart the path forward for behavioral science. We touch on these proposals in our discussion with Michael and the opportunities they present for the future.

 

* Behavioral science is a global field but unfortunately the spelling is not! In an effort to be diplomatic, we are using both spellings in the show notes!

 

Topics 

(4:54) Why does behavioural science need a manifesto?

(7:18) What are some of the major themes?

(11:15) How Michael is flipping the prospective on scaling.

(16:37) Using behavioral science as a lens.

(21:33) Putting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in their place.

(26:02) Choice infrastructure.

(30:25) The vulnerability of behavioral science to overconfidence.

(35:09) Reframing our language away from rational vs irrational behavior.

(39:25) Using algorithms to reduce inequities rather than exploit vulnerabilities. 

(47:28) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on applying behavioral science.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links 

Manifesto for Applying Behavioural Science: https://www.bi.team/publications/a-manifesto-for-applying-behavioral-science/ 

Misconceptions about the Practice of Behavioral Public Policy: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4328659 

EAST Model: https://www.bi.team/publications/east-four-simple-ways-to-apply-behavioural-insights/ 

Mindscape Framework: https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/neuroscience/mindspace-framework 

Ruth Schmidt, Zeya Chen, Veronica Paz Soldan (2022) Choice Posture, Architecture, and Infrastructure: Systemic Behavioral Design for Public Health Policy: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405872622000661 

Ruth Schmidt & Katelyn Stenger (2021). Behavioral brittleness: The case for strategic behavioral public policy: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioural-public-policy/article/behavioral-brittleness-the-case-for-strategic-behavioral-public-policy/200D5BBC2947F7AB0CD4B4CD71B6A607 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves 

What if there was a way to end poverty and solve climate change, that might actually work. Shouldn’t we try it? Our guest Erik Angner thinks economics holds the solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems but that economists have done a woeful job of PR! He’s on a mission to change that.

Erik Angner PhD is Professor of Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University. He holds, not one but two PhDs – in Economics and in History and Philosophy of Science – both from the University of Pittsburgh. 

Erik joins us on Behavioral Grooves to discuss his new book economics-can-save-the-world.html">How Economics Can Save the World. He is also the author of two other books, Hayek and Natural Law and A Course in Behavioral Economics as well as multiple journal articles and book chapters on behavioral and experimental economics; the science and philosophy of happiness; and the history, philosophy, and methodology of contemporary economics. 

Please join us on Behavioral Grooves Twitter (@behavioralgroov) to take part in some poll questions around Erik’s episode and discuss this conversation.

 

Topics 

(3:34) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:12) What exactly is economics and how is it useful?

(11:15) How can economics save the world?

(13:10) How we can actually solve poverty.

(17:14) Scarcity and how it influences our behavior.

(21:08) The scarcity of healthcare.

(24:35) Why trust is the critical factor in vaccination take-up.

(28:55) What are the unintended consequences?

(31:30) How can economics solve climate change?

(36:36) How social norms influence our behavior.

(41:29) Does money make us happy?

(49:11) What music would Erik take on a desert island?

(51:40) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on saving the world.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links 

Erik Angner PhD: https://www.erikangner.com/

Erik’s book “How Economics Can Save the World: Simple Ideas to Solve Our Biggest Problems”: https://amzn.to/3YU49qN 

Episode 102, Christina Bicchieri, PhD: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/ 

Friedrich Hayek: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Hayek 

Jeremy Bentham: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-010-9204-z#:~:text=Bentham%20defined%20happiness%20in%20terms,seen%20as%20contribution%20to%20happiness. 

Musical Links 

Tom Waits “Hold On”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P5jV4lHHR0 

PJ Harvey “This Is Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STxXS5lLunE   

To be influential you do not require power, but wielding your influence is powerful. Vanessa Bohns, social psychologist and professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University, joins us to discuss her enticing new book “You Have More Influence Than You Think”. She draws from her research to illustrate why underestimating our influence can lead us to miss opportunities or worse yet, to misuse our power.

Vanessa challenges us to examine our powers of persuasion and to recognize that we have more influence than we even realize. We learn exactly why it’s so hard for us to say no, even when we’re uncomfortable with saying yes. And why we should focus on communicating more with people face-to-face.

As with all of our episodes, we leave you with a Grooving Session discussion focusing on how we can use Vanessa’s research to improve our lives, our relationships and our workplaces. Maybe this episode will influence you more than you realize? If it does, please support our ongoing work by contributing to our Patreon page at (just imagine, if we asked you in person, would you say yes?).

This is episode is republished from our discussion with Vanessa in 2021, but her research and insights have come up in our discussions time and time again. 

 

Topics 

(3:19) Welcome to Vanessa Bohns.

(5:46) How your enjoyment of chocolate is influenced by others.

(8:15) The spotlight effect; is everyone really looking at me?

(12:34) How can we influence people more than we think?

(17:20) How Vanessa discovered people are likely to help, if you ask.

(23:34) Why it’s so much harder to say no than we think.

(26:50) How power amplifies your influence.

(29:22) Why we need to recognize white privilege as a position of power.

(32:47) Communication: why our choice of words matter.

(34:13) Robert Cialdini’s Influence.

(36:30) What are the most common misconceptions about influence?

(41:07) What are the 2 biggest takeaways from the book?

(43:52) How music has influenced Vanessa.

(49:13) Grooving Session discussing how to apply Vanessa’s research.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

“You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters” Book by Vanessa Bohns: https://amzn.to/39vCDIN 

John Bargh, Episode 248: Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? With John Bargh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/

Shankar Vedantam, Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Cristina Bicchieri, Episode 102: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations:  https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

“Shared Experiences Are Amplified”  Erica J. Boothby, Margaret S. Clark, John A. Bargh (2014): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614551162 

“Good Lamps Are the Best Police: Darkness Increases Dishonesty and Self-Interested Behavior” Chen-Bo Zhong, Vanessa K. Bohns, Francesca Gino (2010): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797609360754 

Robert Frank on the Power of Peer Pressure in Fighting Climate Change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmOUNgXKd0c&ab_channel=Rare 

Robert Cialdini, Episode 226: The Power Of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/

How to Start a Movement | Dan Sivers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V74AxCqOTvg 

Musical Links 

Bronksi Beats “Smalltown Boy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88sARuFu-tc 

Sleigh Bells “Locust Laced”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzLOcmRRUfg 

The National “Light Years”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FQtSn_vak0 

Vampire Weekend “This Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwkrrU2WYKg 

David Bowie “Ashes to Ashes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyMm4rJemtI 

Harry Styles “Watermelon Sugar”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKlD97TnYwM 

Billie Ellish “Everything I Wanted”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgBJmlPo8Xw 

Taylor Swift “Willow”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsEZmictANA 

Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg 

Working and parenting often feel like being pulled in two different directions. But what if we could reframe our thinking and actually appreciate that our experiences in one role can enhance the quality of life in the other. We explore the ways you can reframe your mindset with author and podcaster Yael Schonbrun.

“If we’re able to see that there are opportunities for our roles to feed each other, then we're more likely to to access those experiences and benefit more from them.” ~ Yael Schonbrun, Episode 346

Yael Schonbrun is an assistant professor of psychology at Brown University, a family therapist, and co-host of the podcast Psychologists Off the Clock. In her new book Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like Too Much) Yael offers practical strategies from clinical psychology and social science to better manage the conflict and enhance enrichment in work, parenting, and the balance of these meaningful roles. 

Regular listeners will have noticed that co-host of the show, Tim Houlihan is unfortunately off sick for a few episodes of Behavioral Grooves. So on this episode, producer of the show, Mary Kaliff, joins Kurt Nelson for the discussion with Yael. Listeners can jump on social media (Twitter: @THoulihan or LinkedIn) and wish Tim a speedy recovery.

We hope this episode provides you with some practical tools to help you work, parent and thrive. If you do enjoy Behavioral Grooves, please write a short review of the show on your podcast player. Just sharing a short sentence about why you like the show can make it easier for other people to find the podcast.

 

Topics 

(3:32) Welcome and speed round questions.

(8:33) Why parenting is difficult even for experts.

(12:07) How a mindset shift can change how we view our parenting and our work.

(16:00) The questions you can ask yourself to change your mindset.

(19:22) How Yael tapped into her own personal values during a difficult time.

(24:46) Pains live right alongside gains.

(29:32) How Jewish kibbutz communities raised children.

(32:42) Why we need to quit the things that aren’t working.

(36:36) How to nurture more independence in our children. 

(40:03) The 3 components of self compassion.

(45:34) Modeling the behavior that you want your kids to develop.

(46:54) What music would Yael take to a desert island?

(48:54) Grooving Session with Kurt and Mary on working, parenting and thriving.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links 

Yael Schonbrun: https://yaelschonbrun.com/ 

Yael’s book, “Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like Too Much)”: https://amzn.to/3IVEzNk 

Growth mindset, Carol Dweck: “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”: https://amzn.to/3J7V9tD 

Episode 327, A Proven Way Expectations Can Unlock A More Positive Life | David Robson: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/expectations-and-a-positive-life/ 

Episode 345, The Tools You Need To Embrace Uncertainty | Nathan and Susannah Harmon Furr: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/tools-to-embrace-uncertainty/ 

Episode 342: Why Resilience Is More Than Just Bouncing Back | Gabriella Rosen Kellerman MD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/resilience-more-than-bouncing-back/ 

 

Musical Links 

Weird Al Yankovic “Another One Rides The Bus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79QxturUolo 

Taylor Swift “Midnight Rain”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odh9ddPUkEY 

We all face uncertainty at some point in our lives. But do we embrace it or resist it? Our thoughts about uncertainty and ambiguity shape the actions we take when we are faced with change. If we reframe how we view uncertainty, we can rewrite the story we tell ourselves.

“The way we describe something to ourselves and others, shapes how we think, decide and act.”

Our guests on this episode are the most delightful husband and wife team, Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr who have written a fantastic book together, “The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown”.

Ironically recording this episode has been plagued with uncertainty. Our first attempt, last summer, was bugged with audio issues, and since then we have faced a number of technical glitches. When we finally got a chance to sit down and re-record an interview with them recently, it unfortunately fell at a time that our own Tim Houlihan was unable to join the conversation due to illness. So Kurt Nelson embraced the uncertainty and flew solo on this interview!

We learn from Nathan and Susannah about the types of uncertainty and some of the tools that they have devised to overcome those periods of our lives when everything seems unsure. We know you’ll take away a lot from this discussion, and we encourage you to also read their book which is packed full of useful advice.

One thing we are certain about at Behavioral Grooves is how much we appreciate and rely on the support of you, our wonderful listeners. If you feel able, please join our growing community of Patreon supporters.

 

Topics

(2:25) Welcome and speed round questions.

(8:20) How achievers step into uncertainty.

(11:05) Planned uncertainty vs. unplanned uncertainty. 

(14:30) Uncertainty and possibility are two sides of the same coin.

(21:32) Some of the tools to overcome uncertainty.

(27:54) The possibility quotient. 

(33:22) How do uncertainty balancers counteract the unknown? 

(36:09) Why we should take more risks with options that inspire us.

(39:32) Breaking down big uncertainties into small steps.

(44:31) Don’t wait until all the pieces are in place.

(47:36) The sustaining tools to help when you need a boost.

(50:38) How emotional hygiene can help you face the ups and downs of uncertainty.

(52:43) The UP School.

(55:13) The musical experience that changed Nathan’s life.

(1:00:54) Grooving Session with Kurt on grabbling with uncertainty.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links 

Nathan and Susannah’s book “The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown”: https://amzn.to/3ZiuXBv 

UP: https://www.theupsideofuncertainty.com/ 

UP School: https://www.theupsideofuncertainty.com/learn 

Buckminster Fuller: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller 

Reconstructed Living Labs (RLabs): https://rlabs.org/ 

Guy Winch, emotional hygiene: https://www.ted.com/talks/guy_winch_why_we_all_need_to_practice_emotional_first_aid?language=en 

 

Musical Links

Vincenzo Lamagna’s adaption of Giselle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27lgUp_FboE&ab_channel=VariousArtists-Topic 

If you want to incentivize an outcome, don’t just focus on the final reward, hone in on the behavior that will drive the result. Whether we’re motivating our employees, our kids or ourselves, we can all benefit from learning how to effectively drive behavior.

“ Incentives drive behavior. So if you don't get the behaviors right, that's where incentives go off the rail.” ~ James Castello, Episode 344

Our guest on this episode is James Castello, Vice President of Field Operations and Incentive Compensation Practices at TGaS Advisors. TGaS Advisors is one of the leading consultancies focused on the pharmaceutical industry.  They provide insights and real world knowledge to hundreds of the leading life science companies around the world. 

While this episode is focused on how incentives can be created effectively to reach sales targets, the takeaways from the discussion with Jim can be applied to many aspects of our lives. Be sure to join Kurt and Tim in the Grooving Session in the last portion of the episode, as they summarize the most applicable aspects of the interview.

 

Topics

(6:25) Welcome and speed round question.

(8:32) Collaboration is just a means to an end.

(10:49) Incentives drive behavior.

(13:44) The influence of the pandemic on incentives.

(17:25) How do you align incentives with behaviors?

(20:05) The importance of language in incentives.

(25:14) What exactly is goal setting?

(33:04) Breaking goals into manageable chunks to remove objections.

(38:54) Do contests work well for driving sales?

(47:00) What music would Jim take to a desert island?

(51:02) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing incentives.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Brain/Shift Journal Shopify: https://www.100behaviors.com/products/the-brain-shift-journal-volume-1

Brain/Shift Journal Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Shift-Journal-1/dp/B0BN2JZBJ2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=brain+shift&qid=1670950820&sr=8-1

James Castello: https://trinitylifesciences.com/our-experts/james-castello/ 

T-GaS Advisors: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tgas-advisors/ 

100th Episode of Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-100th-episode-celebration-in-philadelphia/ 

Lake Wobegon Effect: https://psychology.fandom.com/wiki/Lake_Wobegon_effect 

 

Musical Links 

Bob Dylan “Like a Rollin’ Stone”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0 

AC/DC “It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj_rvLVpqg8&ab_channel=AC%2FDC-Topic 

Metallica “Enter Sandman”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD-E-LDc384 

 

First impressions matter but when it comes to dating, don't get blown away by the myth of the "relationship spark". Some people can instead be characterized as a "slow burn"; a person who you like more and more each time. We revisit an episode with dating coach, behavioral scientist and author of How Not To Die Alone, Logan Ury about how to date successfully.

Logan Ury studied psychology at Harvard, was a TED Fellow, then became a behavioral scientist at Google, where she ran Google’s behavioral science team – which we now know as The Irrational Lab. She became a dating coach and is currently the Director of Relationship Science at the dating app Hinge, where she leads a research team dedicated to helping people find love. Her work has appeared in The New York Times and The Atlantic, among a variety of media outlets, including HBO and the BBC. 

Aside from those cool things, we wanted to talk to her because she is the author of How To Not Die Alone.

In our conversation with Logan, which was originally recorded in early 2021, we talk about the challenges people face in getting prepared for dating, making the most of their dating experiences, and maintaining great relationships once they’ve landed in one. She shared her insights into how to overcome some of the common hurdles and to make the most out of each phase of the dating life.

We had an interesting discussion about why moving from ‘romanticizer’ or ‘maximizer’ to ‘satisficer’ can make a big difference in your relationships (and in life). We talk about the Monet Effect and how we need to work hard to overcome some of our biggest biases – like the fundamental attribution error and negativity bias.

She was also kind enough to share a little bit about her communal living conditions and her recommendation that we all need more significant others – OSO’s – in these turbulent times.

NOTE #1: The “F” word features prominently in our conversation since it’s in the title of one of her book’s chapters.

NOTE #2: Christina Gravert joined for our Grooving Session as our first-ever Grooving Partner, and you’ll hear her in the introduction, as well. We’re pleased that our good friend was named by Forbes magazine as one of the top behavioral scientists you ought to know. Christina teaches Economics at the University of Copenhagen, is a co-founder of Impactually, a behavioral consultancy, she has been a guest on Behavioral Grooves (episode 16 on creating a Nudge-A-Thon), and was a speaker at Nudge.It North 2021.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Logan Ury: https://www.loganury.com/

“How to Not Die Alone”: https://amzn.to/3JSmDUz 

Ira Glass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Glass

Dan Ariely: https://danariely.com/

Esther Perel: https://www.estherperel.com/

John Gottman, The Gottman Institute: https://www.gottman.com/

Eli Finkel: https://elifinkel.com/

Daniel Gilbert: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Gilbert_(psychologist)

Jane Ebert: https://www.brandeis.edu/facultyguide/person.html?emplid=0fd6834b65b0eddec69f2ab77539fd341d63b270

Alain De Botton “School of Life”: https://www.theschooloflife.com/about-us/faculty/alain-de-botton/

Reiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki

“Algorithms to Live By”: https://algorithmstoliveby.com/

John Nash “A Beautiful Mind”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Forbes_Nash_Jr.

Nicole Prause: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Prause

36 Questions That Lead to Love: 37-big-wedding-or-small.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/09/style/no-37-big-wedding-or-small.html

The School of Life books: https://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/us/books/

Shelley Archambeau – Episode 204: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-shelley-archambeau-flies-like-an-eagle/

Christina Gravert – Episode 16: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nudge-a-thon-with-dr-christina-gravert/

Christina Gravert, “Online Dating Like a Game Theorist”: https://behavioralscientist.org/online-dating-like-a-game-theorist/

Christina Gravert – Impactually: https://impactually.se/

“10 Behavioral Scientists You Should Know”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2020/10/29/10-behavioral-scientists-you-should-know/?sh=36ad80b442e0 

 

Musical Links

“Hamilton” soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPSWZUExZ8M 

Chance the Rapper “Coloring Book”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeChAs-bI3A 

Bush “Glycerine”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvXbHN5Gijw%C2%A0 

There are actually 5 drivers of resilience; optimism, self compassion, cognitive agility, self efficacy and emotional regulation. We dive deep into each of these components and how they play a part in being resilient, with our guest Gabriella Rosen Kellerman MD.

Gabriella is a medical doctor and behavioral science researcher with training in psychiatry and fMRI research. She currently works as Chief Product Officer at BetterUp – a company focused on employee wellbeing. But today’s episode is dedicated to talking about her latest venture - co-writing a new book with none other than the “the father of positive psychology” Martin SeligmanPhD. 

Their book, Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection―Now and in an Uncertain Future is a hopeful look at how to flourish in an uncertain world. By capitalizing on a Tomorrowmind, we can utilize the universal psychological skills for thriving in an uncertain future: resilience and cognitive agility; mattering and purpose; rapid rapport for social support; prospection; and creativity and innovation (PRISM).

Join our insightful and thoughtful conversation with Gabriella to learn how we can adopt a tomorrowmind. And then stick around for our Grooving Session where Tim discusses the part of the interview that sent chills up his spine, and Kurt gets philosophical about what it means to be optimistic.

 

Topics 

(3:24) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:58) What is a Tomorrowmind?

(7:26) Why are creativity and prospection superpowers?

(10:05) The phases of prospective thinking.

(13:11) Why the right answer can be to ask a different question.

(15:45) What is positivity resonance and why does it matter?

(21:32) What are the consequences of time famine on connection?

(23:17) A story of resilience - Aggie Dunn of Heinz.

(26:55) What exactly does it mean to be resilient?

(29:31) How does self compassion play a part in resilience?

(31:53) The 5 building blocks of resilience.

(34:40) Writing a book with Martin Seligman.

(36:56) What music does Gabriella listen to at home?

(39:40) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt on Tomorrowmind.

 

Links 

Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection―Now and in an Uncertain Future: https://amzn.to/3jnu9Mt 

Episode 31, Leaving the Matrix: Annie Duke and Insights into how you can improve your thinking! https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/leaving-the-matrix-annie-duke-and-insights-into-how-you-can-improve-your-thinking/ 

Episode 225, Behind NOISE and Beyond The Book: Linnea Gandhi Shares her New Course on Noise: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/behind-noise-linnea-gandhi/ 

Episode 283, Is The Anus Really The Key To All Intelligent Life? | Henry Gee: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/anus-the-key-to-intelligent-life/ 

Growth After Trauma by Richard G. Tedeschi: https://hbr.org/2020/07/growth-after-trauma 

Episode 214, Observing the Non-Obvious: How to Spot Trends Around You with Rohit Bhargava: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-non-obvious-rohit-bhargava/ 

 

Musical Links 

Nickel creek “Reasons Why”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lyZQB1H_Zw 

Bach “Piano Concerto in D Minor”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_yGiFHbQR0 

Pharrell Williams “Happy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZSe6N_BXs 

 

“Brands really matter, when and only when they matter to consumers. And this is fundamentally a question of human connection.” ~ Matt Johnson

To get under the skin of how branding works, what makes it effective and how to build a successful brand, we talk with Matt Johnson PhD, who is an expert on the human side of business. Matt is a speaker, researcher, and writer specializing in the application of psychology and neuroscience to marketing. We discuss everything from the difference of brand strategy, brand personality and brand meaning, all the way to how brands can get involved in activism.

“What determines if you're a great brand is if your values and your attributes and your characteristics resonate with your target market.” ~ Matt Johnson

Our conversation doesn’t just appeal to marketers, however. In our usual lighthearted style, Kurt and Tim touch on Matt’s love of Arsenal, his appreciation for pumpkin spice lattes, and the music that helps him come up with creative ideas. 

As a former guest on Behavioral Grooves, we are delighted to welcome Matt back to discuss branding and marketing. Matt’s recent book, “Branding that Means Business: How to Build Enduring Bonds between Brands, Consumers and Markets” which is co-written with Tessa Misiaszek, provides a really informative overview of the application of marketing in organizations. Listen in to this episode to get a flavor for the expertise that Matt brings to his field.

Behavioral Grooves relies on the support of listeners. If you’d like to be part of the community of supporters of the show, please visit our Patreon page. 

Topics 

(5:27) Welcome and speed round questions.

(11:48) Why branding is at a crossroads now.

(15:30) What is the difference between brand strategy, brand personality and brand meaning?

(18:45) Why are some brands better at connecting with people?

(25:39) The intersection of neuroscience and marketing.

(27:47) Why Matt thinks we should steer away from the word consumer.

(30:20) How the communication landscape has changed branding.

(34:21) Social identity in branding.

(37:45) How brands can play a part in activism without becoming tribal.

(45:51) Can brands break through the noise?

(48:26) What music would Matt take to a desert island?

(53:10) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing branding.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

Links 

Behavioral Grooves on LinkedIn: Behavioral Grooves

Behavioral Grooves on Twitter: @behavioralgroov

Behavioral Grooves on YouTube: Behavioral Grooves

Behavioral Grooves on Instagram: @behavioralgrooves

Behavioral Grooves on Facebook: Behavioral Grooves

Send Behavioral Grooves an Email: info@behavioralgrooves.com 

Support Behavioral Grooves on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Matt’s book, co-written with Tessa Misiaszek, “Branding that Means Business: How to Build Enduring Bonds between Brands, Consumers and Markets”: https://amzn.to/3Jk2zdL 

Matt’s blog “Neuroscience Of”: https://www.neuroscienceof.com/branding-blog

Episode 177, Matt Johnson & Prince Ghuman on Mid-Liminal Marketing and the Ethics of Applied Neuroscience: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/matt-johnson-prince-ghuman-on-mid-liminal-marketing-and-the-ethics-of-applied-neuroscience/ 

Episode 235, Make Choice Rewarding: Behavioral Insights in Marketing with Matthew Willcox: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/marketing-matthew-willcox/ 

Musical Links 

The Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtzkaL2t_Y 

Pierre Boulez “Livres Pour Cordes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omeOdqO05W4&ab_channel=EuroArtsChannel 

Context heavily influences our behavior (regular listeners of the show know our “context matters” mantra well!). Sometimes, because of what life throws at us, we have to re-evaluate our options. The best choice isn’t always the perfect choice.

For instance, in an ideal world, we might be planning a 5 mile run after work. But instead we need to collect our sick child from school early and have to settle for a 2 mile run on the treadmill in the basement, or some dancing in the kitchen while we unload the dishwasher. It’s the perfect, imperfect choice, or what our guest, Michelle Segar calls The Joy Choice.

Michelle Segar PhD is an award-winning lifestyle coach and sustainable behavior change researcher at the University of Michigan. For nearly three decades, she has pioneered methods to create sustainable healthy behavior change that are being used to boost patient health, employee well-being, and gym membership retention.

“My approach to creating sustainable change is fundamentally grounded in changing people's mindsets.” ~ Michelle Segar PhD

In this episode, we are lucky enough to talk to Michelle about her new book, “The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise”. We discuss why Michelle steers away from habits as a way of framing behavior change, the role of the executive function, and of course, how music influences her life.

 

Topics

(3:20) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:31) Why we all need to find The Joy Choice.

(14:26) Why do we beat ourselves up about missing exercise and diet goals?

(17:35) How our identity can motivate our behavior change.

(20:22) The shortcomings of the habit loop.

(25:10) The role of the executive function in our decision making.

(30:45) To what degree do mindsets, belief systems and branding play?

(35:58) How the TRAP and POP models help us with selecting The Joy Choice.

(43:36) How Michelle finds joy in music.

(48:02) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on The Joy Choice.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Michelle Segar: https://michellesegar.com/ 

Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellelsegar/

Michelle on Twitter: @MichelleSegar

 

“The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise”: https://amzn.to/3GTve6m 

It’s Time to Unhabit and Think Critically About Whether Habit Formation Has Been Over Valued as a Behavior Change Strategy Within Health Promotion: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/08901171221125326f 

Episode 277, No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope | Daniel H. Pink: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/ 

 Episode 327, A Proven Way Expectations Can Unlock A More Positive Life | David Robson: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/ 

Episode 307, Groove Track | Mind Over Milkshakes: Why Expectations Matter A Lot: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/mind-over-milkshakes-groove-track/

Zingermans in Ann Arbor, MI: https://www.zingermansdeli.com/ 

Musical Links 

Earth, wind and fire “September”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk 

 

Ever need to read a book in a hurry? How can you absorb the most relevant content in a short period of time? Join Kurt and Tim as they talk to their friend Christian Hunt of the risk.com/podcast">Human Risk Podcast, for tips and tricks to read quickly and effectively.

We’ve all been stuck with a last minute deadline that involves getting through a large amount of reading material. How do you approach it? As podcasters, we read a lot of content before interviewing the guests. So how do Kurt and Tim from Behavioral Grooves Podcast and Christian from the Human Risk Podcast tackle such a mammoth task.

This is a special episode for Behavioral Grooves that was recorded a few months ago in Abbey Road studios when Kurt and Tim were in London, UK. Christian has joined us many times on the podcast so we enjoyed talking about a different topic on this episode.

 

Topics

(4:15) What to look for when you open the book - Kurt. 

(8:54) Christian on why it’s not always good to speed read the whole book.

(12:19) What Tim’s “Kahneman Index” is exactly!

(14:10) How speed reading a research paper is different from a book.

(20:22) The top 2 tips on speed reading from Christian, Kurt and Tim.

 

Other Episodes You Will Enjoy

Episode 86, Christian Hunt: Mitigating Human Risk and The Algorithmic Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/christian-hunt-mitigating-human-risk-and-the-algorithmic-mind/ 

Episode 336, The Best Behavioral Science Books Of 2022 (According to Kurt and Tim!): https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/best-2022-behavioral-science-books/ 

Episode 277, Daniel H. Pink - No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/

Small changes can have big effects. Standing on a different set of scales can affect our weight loss journey and adding friction to the share button online can reduce the spread of misinformation. Find out from Irrational Lab’s Managing Director, Evelyn Gosnell how they are researching the behavioral insights that make a big difference in the world.

Evelyn Gosnell is a frequent speaker in behavioral economics and consumer psychology. She is an expert in helping companies use the science of decision-making to better understand how real people think and behave, thereby creating better products and services for them. Evelyn and her team at Irrational Labs are using behavioral science to solve some of the big, wicked problems that plague us - from obesity to misinformation.

In our discussion with Evelyn, we also touch on the application of behavioral science in organizations and why you don’t need a PhD to transform yourself into a Behavioral Product Manager.

One of the best takeaways from the interview is the 3B Framework that anyone can use to unlock behavior change: 

• Define the behavior
• Reduce barriers 
• Increase benefits

We really hope you enjoy our conversation with Evelyn. If you did, we'd really like you to consider supporting the production of Behavioral Grooves, through our Patreon page. Or if you’d like a cost free way of supporting the podcast, please write a review of the show on your podcast app. Thanks!

 

Topics

(2:24) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:09) Using behavioral science to lose weight.

(11:17) How Irrational Labs researched weight loss programs.

(15:47) Reducing spread of misinformation on TikTok.

(26:06) The 3B Framework to unlock behavior change in organizations.

(34:47) How Evelyn’s childhood has influenced her relationship with music.

(37:41) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing Evelyn’s interview.

 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Evelyn Gosnell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelyn-gosnell-behavioral-design/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/evelyngosnell 

Irrational Labs: https://irrationallabs.com/ 

Burning Man: https://burningman.org/ 

Shapa: https://home.myshapa.com/

“Bringing Users Back to the Forefront: 3 Sustainable User Engagement Tips from Behavioral Science” by Evelyn Gosnell: https://irrationallabs.com/blog/putting-back-users-to-the-forefront-sustainable-engagement-tips-from-behavioral-science/ 

“How behavioral science reduced the spread of misinformation on TikTok”: https://irrationallabs.com/case-studies/tiktok-how-behavioral-science-reduced-the-spread-of-misinformation/ 

The 3B Framework to unlock behavior change: https://irrationallabs.com/3bs-download/ 

“TytoCare Case Study: How Can We Encourage People to Complete Virtual Medical Visits?“: https://irrationallabs.com/case-studies/tytocare-virtual-medical-visits/ 

“Move Over, Product Manager: Introducing the Behavioral Product Manager”: https://irrationallabs.com/blog/move-over-product-manager-introducing-the-behavioral-product-manager/  

Brain/Shift Journal Shopify: https://www.100behaviors.com/products/the-brain-shift-journal-volume-1

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Finding your groove - ever wondered what that actually means? And why is this podcast really called Behavioral Grooves?! Kurt and Tim explain what it means to get in your groove and the 3 foundational steps that will help you get there. If you need to find your groove again in 2023, listen to this expert advice.

 

It’s a long running joke on the podcast, that when settling on the name “Behavioral Grooves” for the show it meant two different things to hosts Kurt and Tim. While getting “in the groove” has parallels to being in a state of flow or routine, musical Tim equates it to being absorbed in a melodic rhythm. While finding your groove in your work, and getting your musical “groove on” could be seen as two opposing interpretations of the phrase, Kurt and Tim expertly weave them together in this episode. 

 

“Our life is made up of a playlist of many, many songs with many different keys and many different rhythms and many different tempos.”

~ Tim Houlihan, Episode 337

 

After identifying what finding your groove actually means, we discuss the three factors that help us get there:

1. Mindset
2. Rhythm
3. Environment

 

In a refreshing exchange which veers away from our normal New Year episode on setting goals and forming new habits, Kurt and Tim will help you find your groove in 2023. How appropriate that the first Grooving Session of the year is on how to get your groove back!

Scaling behavioral science initiatives from a small research study to a large population is a topic we have enjoyed delving into this year with John A. List in Episode 296. And we are delighted to be joined on this episode by Neela Saldanha PhD who focuses her work on developing the science around scaling policy interventions.  

Neela is the Executive Director of the Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE) which focuses on researching complexities of scaling policy interventions and bringing together global experts to overcome the challenges of scaling. Her work history touches academia, non-profits and the private sector, as well as spanning the globe, including India and the US.

We are grateful to Neela for giving us time to discuss her work on this episode. Our ongoing production of the Behavioral Grooves Podcast is gratefully aided by our Patreon members. If you have enjoyed listening to Behavioral Grooves in 2022, please consider donating to our work through the Behavioral Grooves Patreon page. We also love reading reviews of the podcast, which in turn, helps others find our content.

 

Topics

(3:37) Welcome and speed round questions.

(8:01) Neela’s work at Y-RISE.

(12:12) The challenges of scaling research findings.

(20:16) Applying behavioral science tools in the field of behavioral science.

(23:40) The bottlenecks to applying behavioral science in organizations.

(27:51) What are the WICKED problems that need to be solved?

(38:00) Music Neela would take to a desert island.

(40:33) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing Neela’s interview.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Neela Saldanha: https://neelasaldanha.com/ 

Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE) at Yale University: https://yrise.yale.edu/ 

“Behavioral Science in the Wild (Behaviorally Informed Organizations)”: https://amzn.to/3xxAD04

David Yokum PhD, Episode 282: Why Applying Behavioral Science to Public Policy Delivers Better Policy: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/behavioral-science-in-public-policy/ 

John A. List, Episode 296. Fail to Scale: Why Good Research Doesn’t Always Make Great Policy | John A. List:  https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/fail-to-scale-john-a-list/ 

John A. List’s book, “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale”: https://amzn.to/3a0GOjh

Episode 289, Why Not All Nudges Work ”In The Wild” | Nina Mazar PhD & Dilip Soman PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-not-all-nudges-work-in-the-wild-nina-mazar-dilip-soman/ 

Diversifi: https://www.diversifiglobal.com/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

Beethoveen’s 9th Symphony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkQapdgAa7o&ab_channel=OsloPhilharmonic 

Beethoven’s 5th Symphony oboe solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8axcI1K1I1U 

R.D. Burdman Bollywood hits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QE2NsbDM0M 

One of the ways we find our groove is through knowledge – sometimes new ideas, sometimes repeated ideas that are presented in new ways. Sometimes, it’s just reminders of old ideas that deserve a new look. And we love the fresh ideas that we’ve read about this year in the very notable Behavioral Science books of 2022.

Kurt and Tim sit down, in this episode, to discuss the highlights of the books they’ve read in 2022. To save you some time, they have compiled a summary of why they liked each book, and what you can expect to get from reading it.

We’d love to hear about your favorite books of the year. What stood out for you on your book shelf? Have any of your reads this year helped you find your groove? Share your thoughts with Behavioral Grooves on social media:

Twitter: @behavioralgroov

LinkedIn: Behavioral Grooves

Instagram: @behavioralgrooves

Facebook: Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Robert Livingston, “The Conversation: How Talking Honestly About Racism Can Transform Individuals and Organizations”: https://amzn.to/3j1tYGb 

David McRaney, “How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion”: https://amzn.to/3NvGMPp

Henry Gee, “A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: 4.6 Billion Years in 12 Pithy Chapters”: https://amzn.to/3I8HH4W

Annie Duke, “Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away”: https://amzn.to/3z47JEP

Ayelet Fishbach, “Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation”: https://amzn.to/3f3ooh4

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, “Don’t Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life”: https://amzn.to/3yICKwT

John A. List, “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale”: https://amzn.to/3a0GOjh

Daniel Pink, “The Power Of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward”: https://amzn.to/3gpU1C9

Jennifer Moss, “The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It”: https://amzn.to/3K3O4be

Jonathan Malesic, “The End of Burnout: Why Work Drains Us and How to Build Better Lives”: https://amzn.to/3tDdS8j

Max Bazerman, “Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop”: https://amzn.to/3UKjfNJ

Dolly Chugh, “A More Just Future: Psychological Tools for Reckoning with Our Past and Driving Social Change “: https://amzn.to/3Cgs9eq

Linda Babcock, “The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work”: https://amzn.to/3KPuUFM 

Nina Mazar & Dilip Soman, “Behavioral Science in the Wild (Behaviorally Informed Organizations)”: https://amzn.to/3xxAD04

Zoe Chance, “Influence Is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen”: https://amzn.to/3EYKXOz

Sam Tatam, “Evolutionary Ideas: Unlocking ancient innovation to solve tomorrow’s challenges“: https://amzn.to/3I6ANwX

Paul Bloom, “The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning”: https://amzn.to/3Kmpweh 

 

Episode 270, The Behavioral Science Books We Just Couldn’t Put Down in 2021 With Louise Ward: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/best-behavioral-science-books-2021/ 

Episode 194, The 10 Best Behavioral Science Books for 2020: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/10-best-behavioral-science-books/ 

Want to start a journaling habit but worried you won't stay motivated? Having the right journal, that is designed using behavioral insights to keep you engaged, is the key.

In this unique Grooving Session, our very own Kurt Nelson takes the hot seat along with his Lantern Group business partner, Ben Granlund to talk about their highly anticipated new product - the Brain/Shift Journal. This new journal is seeped in behavioral insights that help you clearly define and then actually reach your goals.

Previous Behavioral Grooves guest, Katy Milkman, has highlighted that a distinct time in the calendar, like the New Year, is a great time for a fresh start when you can embrace a new habit. And journaling is a popular daily practice that is known to enhance your wellbeing and focus your energy on reaching your goals.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How the Brain/Shift journal came about.
• Who the journal is for.
• What you can expect to get out of using it.

Whether you are new to journaling, or you have tried before but couldn't keep up the habit, the Brain/Shift journal can help you. It makes a perfect gift for yourself or someone you love at Christmas.

Links

Brain/Shift Journal Shopify: https://www.100behaviors.com/products/the-brain-shift-journal-volume-1

Brain/Shift Journal Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Shift-Journal-1/dp/B0BN2JZBJ2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=brain+shift&qid=1670950820&sr=8-1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100behaviors

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/100behaviors/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/100behaviors

Musical Links

Against Me "Black Me Out": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWB_b480-9c 

The Bouncing Souls "Up To Us": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdSmmTQ2_Lc 

Dave Hause "Without You": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpRjukRq3Hc 

Dire Straits "Money For Nothing": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTP2RUD_cL0 

The Proclaimers "I Would Walk 500 Miles": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otXGqU4LBEI 

We know human behavior isn’t rational. But this episode illustrates behavior using a surprising concept - game theory. This eye opening conversation with Erez Yoeli delves into what game theory is and the remarkable way it can be used to explain the things we think, feel and do.

Our guest, Erez Yoeli has co-authored a new book, alongside Moshe Hoffman, called “Hidden Games: The Surprising Power of Game Theory to Explain Irrational Human Behavior”. Erez is a research scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management and he teaches the undergraduate Game Theory course at Harvard. His research focuses on altruism: understanding how it works and how to promote it. 

To explain what exactly game theory is, we have turned to Britannica’s user-friendly definition;“economics is much like a game, wherein players anticipate each other's moves, and therefore, it requires a new kind of mathematics, which they called game theory.” This explanation opens the door to exploring how our behavior is influenced by our anticipation of the moves and choices of those around us.

We hope you enjoy our fun and mind blowing chat with Erez on how game theory can bridge the divide between the rationality of classical economics and the irrationality of behavioral science. If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider supporting the production of the podcast through Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Or write a review of the podcast on whatever app you’re listening on. Thanks!

 

Topics

(2:47) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:59) What exactly is game theory?

(10:03) The Prisoners Dilemma.

(13:23) Erez’s favorite game theory model.

(14:48) What are categorical norms?

(17:07) Game theory and gender balance.

(23:26) The distinction between errors of omission and commission.

(27:26) How we can look at behavioral science differently.

(28:51) What is motivated reasoning?

(32:22) Can exchanging rocket fire actually maintain peace?

(39:45) What would Erez’s desert island music be?

(44:00) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on Hidden Games.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Limited time offer - 23% Discount Brain/Shift Journal: https://www.100behaviors.com/products/the-brain-shift-journal-volume-1 

“Hidden Games: The Surprising Power of Game Theory to Explain Irrational Human Behavior” by Moshe Hoffman and Erez Yoeli: https://amzn.to/3WbYaxi

The Prisoner’s Dilemma: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma 

Charles Darwin “The Descent of Man”: https://amzn.to/3XPFynI 

Episode 329, Why Do Good People Let Bad Things Happen? With Max Bazerman: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-do-good-people-let-bad-things-happen-with-max-bazerman/ 

Michael Thaler: https://www.michaelthaler.com/ 

 

Musical Links

Grigory Sokolov “Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRX5uM9cEos&ab_channel=AnsonYeung 

Big L “Put It On”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWMjRMJ0dTI 

Joseph Haydn “Surprise (Symphony No. 94)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF5kr251BRs 

Paul Simon “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABXtWqmArUU&ab_channel=PaulSimonVEVO

Exercising your courage muscle every day and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, can have remarkable effect on your mindset and really influence those around you. Pushing through the uncomfortable feeling of simply talking to a stranger, or bravely climbing a ladder to clean your gutters, can make you more prepared for the scary moments in life that you can’t control. For instance, you’ll be more likely to speak up at work when someone says something inappropriate.

 

Our guest on this episode has transformed his own life by pushing himself out of his comfort zone everyday. And he is passionate about helping others spark this change in themselves. Scott Simon was a shy, quiet child who was once told by a music teacher that he should just mime the words in a school concert. Scott continued to feel invisible until a life-changing moment, years later, on a flight to Tel Aviv. He shares this heartwarming story of how he embraced a new way to live, in this very personal interview.

 

Scott Simon is a happiness entrepreneur, founder of the Scare Your Soul courage movement, and the author of the book Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life. We discuss how we can embrace fear rather than trying to overcome it, the ways to stay motivated when we encounter failure, and the proven benefits of meditation and daily gratitude.

 

One of the big takeaways from this podcast with Scott is that scaring yourself doesn’t need to involve jumping out of a plane to overcome your fear of heights. In fact, Scott advocates for the much less dramatic, but more effective approach of consistency. Climbing a ladder to clean your gutters every day for a week is much more likely to help you overcome your fear of heights than launching yourself out of an airplane. Small, daily incremental steps outside of your comfort zone are what can have a ripple effect on your wellbeing. And when we improve our own wellbeing, those around us start to notice which, in turn, can have a positive effect on the world.

 

As a starter, you could overcome you fear of writing a podcast review! Jump onto the platform where you listen to Behavioral Grooves Podcast, and write a quick summary of why you listen. Thank you!

 

Topics

(3:18) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:14) What does it mean to scare ourselves every day?

(10:16) Scaring yourself with baby steps.

(15:03) Confronting the feeling of being uncomfortable.

(18:30) How practicing gratitude can transform your day.

(21:00) How to stay motivated even when we face failure.

(28:31) Why do people find meditation so hard?

(33:41) Heroes are born in small, everyday moments.

(37:43) How music was part of Scott writing his book.

(40:24) The way Scott scared his soul with singing.

(46:23) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on scaring our soul.

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Limited time offer - 23% Discount for Brain/Shift Journal: https://www.100behaviors.com/products/the-brain-shift-journal-volume-1 

Scott Simon’s book, “Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life”: https://amzn.to/3VEI65Y 

Episode 303, From Distracted To Focused: Nir Eyal’s Secrets On How To Be Indistractable: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nir-eyal-how-to-be-indistractable/ 

Episode 176, Annie Duke on How to Decide: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/ 

Episode 247, Stanford Prison Experiment, 50 Years On: What Have We Really Learnt? With Dr Philip Zimbardo: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stanford-prison-experiment/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links 

76 Trombones “Music Man”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBQWsBiM5YY 

If you were sent an exclusive invite to a secret society, would you accept? If you knew only a few people in the world had been approached to join, would it spark a scarcity curiosity? What is more alluring: the society itself or the mere fact that it’s a secret?

Creating hype is the forte of our returning guest on this episode, Michael F. Schein. In our previous chat with Michael back in episode 212, he was telling us about his book “The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers”. Since writing it, his marketing business has been inundated with clients wanting “in on” some hype! So as a unique way of creating hype, Michael has created a new secret society with only a few (secret) members.

Kurt and Tim spend time discussing the allure of a secret club - why they have been successful in the past, what continues to make them enticing, and how businesses can potentially use them to create hype. 

There is something that you can be part of that is definitely not a secret - the Behavioral Grooves Patreon membership. It’s no secret that we rely on the support of our loyal listeners to support the podcast and we truly appreciate everyone who chips in, thank you.

  Topics

(5:16) How hype changed Michael’s marketing consultancy career.

(10:51) The details of Michael’s secret society.

(17:30) Are secret groups a tactic businesses should use?

(21:30) How marketing has evolved since the Alice Cooper Piccadilly Circus stunt.

(23:53) How Michael gets to work with only his favorite companies.

(32:02) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Michael F. Schein: https://michaelfschein.com/

Michael’s book “The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers”: https://amzn.to/3V5KVO9

Episode 212, Scrutinizing Hype: Powerful lessons from The Hype Handbook with Michael F. Schein: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/scrutinizing-hype-with-michael-f-schein/ 

Seven Society, University of Virginia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Society 

Jeff Walker “Launch: An Internet Millionaire's Secret Formula To Sell Almost Anything Online, Build A Business You Love, And Live The Life Of Your Dreams”: https://amzn.to/3V9Uv2m

Episode 226, The Power of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/ 

The Lake Wobegon Effect: https://psychology.fandom.com/wiki/Lake_Wobegon_effect 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

  Musical Links

 The Dickies “Banana Split”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_wkEnLBvlE

The web was intended to be a way of creating genuine connections with others, but we’re all sadly familiar with the detrimental ways it can be used to spread misinformation. A team of experts at Prosocial Design Network is now using evidence-based behavioral insights to redesign social media interactions, to bring out the best of us online.

We’re honored to be joined on this episode by two of the designers of the Prosocial Design Network - John Fullot and Philipp Lorentz-Spreen. John Fallot is a user experience and graphic designer based in the New York City Metro Area. He co-founded the Prosocial Design Network with colleague Joel Putnam in late 2019, in order to better explore ways that the web could be optimized for prosocial behaviors.

Dr. Philipp Lorenz-Spreen is a research scientist based in Berlin, Germany. His work focuses on decision making online, and finding ways to improve online democratic discourse through environmental interventions.

There are certainly no silver bullets in the effort of minimizing the spread of misinformation. But this conversation gives us hope and provides some insights for everyone on how to approach social media in a better way.

We encourage you to check out the work of the Prosocial Design Network and browse through the interventions they are currently testing: www.prosocialdesign.org.

 

Topics

(3:34) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:41) Can we inoculate ourselves from misinformation online?

(8:38) Redesigning the world wide web against misinformation.

(13:28) Is misinformation on social media really threatening democracy?

(16:50) Asymmetry of power between the platform and the users.

(24:15) John and Phillip’s favorite Prosocial Design intervention: frictionless designs and "thank you" buttons.

(28:33) Which social media sites are being proactive with interventions?

(30:47) What is the obligation of behavioral scientists?

(37:11) What music do John and Phillip listen to?

(42:11) Grooving Session with Kurt on Tim on the Prosocial Design Network.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Prosocial Design Network: www.prosocialdesign.org

Prosocial Design Network Slack: www.prosocialdesign.org/community

Prosocial Design Network donations: www.prosocialdesign.org/donate

Maxwell House commercial with Margaret Hamilton: https://youtu.be/tUnNDEygBjA\

Discord: https://discord.com/ 

Lorenz-Spreen, P., Lewandowsky, S., Sunstein, C.R. et al. How behavioural sciences can promote truth, autonomy and democratic discourse online. Nat Hum Behav (2020): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-0889-7

Lorenz-Spreen, P., Geers, M., Pachur, T. et al. Boosting people’s ability to detect microtargeted advertising. Sci Rep (2021): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94796-z

Episode 10, Kal Turnbull Reddit superstar, Changing the World One View at a Time: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/changing-the-world-one-view-at-a-time-with-reddit-superstar-kal-turnbull/ 

Nir Eyal “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products”: https://amzn.to/3XeWgMM 

Episode 303, From Distracted To Focused: Nir Eyal’s Secrets On How To Be Indistractable: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nir-eyal-how-to-be-indistractable/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves 

Musical Links  John: Tears For Fears “Everybody Wants to Rule The World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGCdLKXNF3w&ab_channel=TearsForFearsVEVO 

Kat Cunning “Could Be Good”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpFh4dnKPKs 

Phillip:

Pashanim “Airwaves”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5wsXLmWhCM&ab_channel=PashanimNulldreinull 

Would you help change a stranger’s tire? How about if they offered you $20? Or, what if instead of money, they offered you some candy? 

We often think these types of exchanges are financial in nature - but this study explored how there is actually a different type of exchange going on here - a social exchange. When we help a friend move some furniture, invite friends over for dinner, help a stranger out who is in need - these are social exchanges in a social market, one that is separate from the financial market. And what’s even more interesting is that if you bring money into the social exchange, it falls apart.

James Heyman and Dan Ariely explored this phenomena in their landmark study called, “Effort for Payment: A Tale of Two Markets” and is the basis for Kurt and Tim taking a deep look in this Groove Track. 

Listen to find out the backstory to the study and the implications from the findings. You can also watch a special video recording of this Groove Track with Kurt and Tim on the Behavioral Grooves YouTube Channel.

 

Links

Heyman, J., & Ariely, D. (2004). Effort for Payment: A Tale of Two Markets. Psychological Science: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00757.x 

Behavioral Grooves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkmH8St_nsA&ab_channel=BehavioralGrooves 

We find it easy to condemn wrongdoers, after they’ve been called out. But why do we often let unethical behavior occur around us, and not speak out? If we take a step back from the idea of there being one “bad apple”, we realize that with any wrongdoing, there is a collection of people who have been complicit in the behavior. Why is there so much fear about speaking up?

“We've created too much fear in speaking up, when in fact, there's so much value in avoiding harm in that process.“ ~ Max Bazerman

Our fascinating conversation with Max Bazerman aligns with the publication of his excellent new book, “Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop”. Our discussion is rich with insight, in particular we delve into the reason that we hold people, including ourselves, more responsible for errors of commission than omission. So how can we avoid errors of omission?

Max Bazerman is a world famous behavioral scientist. He is the Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and the Co-Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is the author, co-author, or co-editor of twenty books and over 200 research articles and chapters. His awards include an honorary doctorate from the University of London and both the Distinguished Educator Award and the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Academy of Management. 

Over the years, Max has brought focus to the areas of decision making and ethics. Having been on the show before, we were delighted to welcome Max back to Behavioral Grooves once again. We hope you enjoy this episode of Behavioral Grooves. If you do, please write a review or share with a friend on Apple Podcasts. Thanks, listeners!

 

Topics

(3:16) What does it mean to be complicit?

(13:02) How errors of omission play an under-rated role in complicit behavior.

(18:21) How to move away from the idea that there is one bad apple?

(21:48) Unethical behavior goes unnoticed when it happens gradually.

(23:14) Do we legitimize unethical behavior in our leaders?

(25:51) Do employees need to be made to care about unethical behavior or do they need to demand ethical behavior from employees?

(27:26) When complicitors are engaged in illegal behavior.

(29:29) How can we hold people accountable for their bad behavior?

(37:33) Max’s personal story of being complicit.

(39:31) Are there new norms on data collection that can eliminate fraud?

(42:23) Dolly Chugh’s question for Max.

(46:11) How can we all become better people?

(49:05) What music does Max enjoy?

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Max Bazerman’s book: “Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop”: https://amzn.to/3UKjfNJ 

Episode 196, Living Happier By Making the World Better with Max Bazerman: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/living-happier-by-making-the-world-better-with-max-bazerman/ 

Episode 325, Dolly Chugh: Can You Unlearn History And Still Love Your Country? With Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dolly-chugh/ 

Bobo Doll Experiments: doll.html">https://www.simplypsychology.org/bobo-doll.html 

Episode 247, Stanford Prison Experiment, 50 Years On: What Have We Really Learnt? With Dr Philip Zimbardo: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stanford-prison-experiment/ 

Heroic Imagination Society: https://www.heroicimagination.org/ 

 

Musical Links 

Bob Dylan “Blowin’ in the wind”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMFj8uDubsE

How we think about the world can drastically influence how we navigate through it. Cutting edge research proves that reframing our mindset to be more positive, even in the light of negative events, can significantly alter how our brain responds.

Discussing one of our favorite books of the year, author David Robson explains how our expectations can secretly meddle with almost every aspect of our lives. And by understanding their effects more thoroughly, we can unlock some powerful ways of living a more positive life.

This is a special episode, not only because we are talking with David Robson about his fantastic book “The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World”, but we are co-hosting this episode with one of our favorite podcasters, Christian Hunt of risk.com/podcast">Human Risk Podcast. And just to top it off, the interview is recorded in none other than the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London!

Now that your expectations are set suitably high, we hope we don’t disappoint you with what we think is a fantastic episode of Behavioral Grooves! If Behavioral Grooves Podcast continues to meet your listening expectations please consider helping our ongoing production costs with a Patreon subscription. Many thanks!

 

Topics

(4:20) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:07) What is the expectation effect?

(8:09) Why the placebo effect doesn’t work on everyone.

(9:36) Our stress response and fluctuations in our cortisol levels.

(13:13) Negative stress mindset vs. positive stress mindset.

(15:00) Does the expectation effect change the way we feel?

(18:16) Is reframing a key component of the expectation effect?

(19:35) David’s journey into exploring expectations.

(22:26) How our mindset can contribute to the outcome of our diet or exercise habit.

(28:41) How marketing sets our expectations.  

(33:04) The brain is a prediction machine.

(36:32) Why critical thinking is a tool to manage our expectations.

(39:30) Are you a “good” sleeper or a “bad” sleeper?

(42:35) Being a pessimistic vs an optimistic person.

(45:45) The ethics of expectations - genetic testing.

(50:06) What music David is listening to and our expectations of musicians.

(55:47) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing The Expectation Effect.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

David Robson: https://davidrobson.me/ 

David Robson’s Book, The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World: https://amzn.to/3DVOXSD 

Episode 307, Groove Track | Mind Over Milkshakes: Why Expectations Matter A Lot: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/mind-over-milkshakes-groove-track/ 

Nocebo Effect: https://www.mindtools.com/blog/expert-interview-blog-david-robson/ 

Human Risk Podcast with Christian Hunt: risk.com/podcast">https://www.human-risk.com/podcast 

Pygmalion effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion_effect 

Penolepe Fitzgerald: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penelope_Fitzgerald 

Martin Amos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Amis 

Episode 155, John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-unconscious-mind/ 

Episode 75: Jonathan Mann: Integrating Behavioral Science into User Experience: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/jonathan-mann-integrating-behavioral-science-into-user-experience/ 

Episode 235: Make Choice Rewarding: Behavioral Insights in Marketing with Matthew Willcox: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/marketing-matthew-willcox/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

Judy Collins “Spellbound”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnTh7TkFK1U 

Cheating is all around us. Is it on the rise? It appears to be so, but why? Christian Hunt, the founder and host of Human Risk Podcast, and Koen Smets, a London-based behavioral scientist, discuss the dodgy travails of the human condition using examples of cheating in chess, walleye fishing, cycling, and even among behavioral scientists. 

Join us for an invigorating discussion on why we cheat - and we all do - from Abbey Road Studios in London. 

Human Risk Podcast: risk.com/podcast">https://www.human-risk.com/podcast 

Koen Smets on Medium: https://koenfucius.medium.com/

Fishing Scandal: https://youtu.be/xSta3wFK15Y 

Chess Scandal: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/05/1126915049/hans-niemann-is-accused-of-cheating-in-more-than-100-chess-games-hes-playing-tod 

Bike Race Scandal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_doping 

DataColada on Bad Behavioral Science: https://datacolada.org/98 

 

 

Learning ALL the parts of our country’s history can be very uncomfortable. Not just in the US, but around the world, there are usually very dark parts of our past that many of us would rather brush over because it doesn’t marry up with the sterilized version of what we were taught when we were younger.

 

While many of us are willing to take the next step, to unlearn our history and dismantle the unjust systems that our forebears built, few of us actually know how to go about it effectively. Our wonderful guest on this episode, Dolly Chugh admits to her own story of how she inadvertently taught her kids a polished version of history. And in her own personal reckoning around this experience, wrote the book that she found herself needing to read. And we are delighted to be talking with her about “A More Just Future: Psychological Tools for Reckoning with Our Past and Driving Social Change” because it is now a valuable tool for all of us.

 

Dolly Chugh is a Harvard educated, award-winning social psychologist at the NYU Stern School of Business, where she is an expert researcher in the psychology of good people. We’ve previously had Dolly on the show but we are thrilled to welcome her back to discuss her brand new book.

 

Topics

(2:07) How Little House On The Prairie led Dolly to write A More Just Future.

(9:24) Behavioral History - the new way of looking at the past?

(11:10) Why do we find it so difficult to talk about the dark parts of our history?

(14:08) How “dressing for the weather” can help us deal with our emotional responses.

(17:56) What other countries can teach the US about our response to history..

(19:37) How a Paradox Mindset can help us sit with uncomfortable truths.

(23:28) How does Dolly feel about America after writing the book?

(26:12) How do we move forward to a more just future?

(29:28) Unlearning our past is simple but not easy.

(31:49) Why is George Takei a gritty patriot?

(37:51) What is belief grief?

(39:42) How psychological distance creates a “long time ago illusion”.

(41:37) Using music to anchor us in time.

(44:52) What question Dolly would ask Max Bazerman? 

(47:54) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt discussing A More Just Future.

 

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon. Writing a review of the podcast is also a great way to share your appreciation with other listeners. 

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

  Links

Dolly’s book “A More Just Future: Psychological Tools for Reckoning with Our Past and Driving Social Change “: https://amzn.to/3Cgs9eq

 

Episode 230, How Good People Fight Bias with Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-good-people-fight-bias/ 

 

Dolly’s TED Talk: “How to let go of being a "good" person — and become a better person”: https://www.ted.com/talks/dolly_chugh_how_to_let_go_of_being_a_good_person_and_become_a_better_person?language=en

 

Episode 280, Do We Judge Others By The Way They Speak? | Katherine Kinzler PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/judging-by-the-way-others-speak/ 

 

Historiography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historiography

 

Dan Gilbert “Stumbling on Happiness”: https://amzn.to/3zdV4iD 

 

Episode 321, Robert Livingston: How To Have A Conversation About Racism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/a-conversation-about-racism/

 

Angela Duckworth “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”: https://amzn.to/3suuRZh 

 

“Construal-Level Theory of Psychological Distance” Yaacov Trope and Nira Liberman (2011): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3152826/ 

 

Max Bazerman “Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop”: https://amzn.to/3TSE7lB 

 

Episode 232: Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/ 

 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links 

Bob Marley “Buffalo Soldier”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FCdx7Dn0o 

Hamilton “Alexander Hamilton”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhinPd5RRJw 

In the Heights “No Me Diga”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrFH772ytzM 

Louis Armstrong “Hello Dolly”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7N2wssse14 

 

People don’t hate change, they hate the ambiguity that comes with change. Organizational psychologist, Dr Debbie Sutherland PhD, shares the tools we can use, both in business settings and in our personal lives, to overcome our discomfort with ambiguity and to thrive in uncertain environments. 

Debbie is an academic executive coach with both a masters degree and doctorate degree from Columbia University. She has recently written a well researched book, The Business of Ambiguity: Demystify the Unknown with Five Key Thinking and Behavior Strategies, which gives business leaders a blueprint for making better decisions in ambiguous situations. After all, ambiguous and uncertain situations aren’t going away, so we might as well figure out how to deal with them!

Thank you to all our listeners of Behavioral Grooves, we enjoy sharing unique insights with you. If you have enjoyed this episode, please consider writing a review on your podcast player. Or you can contribute financially to our work through our Patreon page.

 

Topics

(2:31) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:35) Why do people hate ambiguity?

(9:40) How frustration led to Debbie’s research on ambiguity?

(11:25) The value of critical reflection.

(16:11) How journaling can help you find patterns in behavior.

(21:09) Mental models of ambiguity.

(23:02) Reflection IN action vs. reflection ON action.

(25:44) The ambiguity of THE dress.

(29:18) The Ambiguity Mindset – intuitive or learned?

(30:26) Where do leaders make mistakes with managing ambiguity? 

(38:25) What music would Debbie take to a desert island?

(43:04) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on ambiguity.

  Links

Debbie Sutherland’s book “The Business of Ambiguity: Demystify the Unknown with Five Key Thinking and Behavior Strategies”: https://amzn.to/3MFuh3W 

The Business of Ambiguity: https://www.behaviorsinbusiness.com/ 

Groups Relations Conferences: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/organization-and-leadership/social-organizational-psychology/degree-info/group-relations-conferences/ 

Gestalt Psychology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestalt_psychology 

Dr Pamela Booth research on Behavior Analysis: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Behaviour-Analysis%3A-Catalyst-for-Perspective-and-of-Booth/d90d2da66a769d574e99a5dcf6f5ced41a689ee1 

David Schon, The Reflective Practitioner: https://graysreadinggroup.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/the-reflective-practitioner-by-donald-schon/ 

Episode 178, Kwame Christian: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/ 

Episode 323, Quit: Why We Do It Too Late and How To Get Better At It with Annie Duke: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/quit-with-annie-duke/ 

Episode 322, Chuck Wisner: Four Steps To More Effective Conversations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/more-effective-conversations/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

  Musical Links

Eminem “Fall”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfTbHITdhEI 

Vivaldi “Four Seasons”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA

Walking away is never easy. Whether it’s quitting a job, a relationship or an expedition to the peak of Mount Everest, we have a real problem with knowing when to stop. And ironically, when we do quit, we often wish we’d done it earlier. So why do we find it so difficult to quit? Annie Duke addresses the psychological reasons that prevent us from quitting, and how we can overcome them. 

 

Annie needs little introduction to the Behavioral Grooves Podcast as she is now the only guest to have been on the show 4 times! Most people know of her as a poker champion and bestselling author but we are lucky enough to call her a friend. One of the reasons we are so fond of Annie is her ability to use relatable stories to explain the complex concepts around decision making. She has emerged as one of the leading thinkers in the field, and is truly an intellectual powerhouse. So we are thrilled to be talking to Annie about her excellent new book, “Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away”.

 

We don't like ambiguity. We don't like uncertainty. We keep chugging along, trying to accrue more certainty. So that we know that it's the right decision....As Richard Thaler, Nobel laureate said to me; “the only time that we were really willing to quit is when it's not a decision anymore.”

~ Annie Duke, Episode 323

 

In this episode, Annie touches on key themes around quitting. We talk about the reasons we find quitting so difficult, why mantras like “quit while you’re ahead” are complete bunkum, and what techniques we can use to ensure we quit at the right time. Annie also sets the record straight on the myth that grit and quitting are opposite sides of the same coin. The concepts actually overlap.

 

We hope you enjoy this episode (and didn’t quit!). To help others find our podcast content, we would be grateful if you would write us a quick review on your podcast player. It helps us get noticed by other folk who are interested in podcasts about behavioral science. Thank you, and we appreciate your help.

 

Topics

(5:36) Annie’s story of quitting and her personal frustration.

(12:39) Grit and quit are NOT polar opposites.

(22:53) What are some of the psychological aspects that make quitting hard?

(36:31) What is the difference between loss aversion and sure loss aversion?

(42:29) Why we shouldn’t quit while we’re ahead.

(49:10) Gut feel vs rational decisions.

(53:29) What Mount Everest can teach us about when to quit.

(1:03:36) The second way to help you quit – a quitting coach.

(1:10:44) The backstory of Barry Staw.

(1:20:40) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt about quitting.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links Annie Duke’s Books:

“Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away”: https://amzn.to/3z47JEP 

“Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts”: https://amzn.to/3Vvaick 

 

Angela Duckworth book, “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”: https://amzn.to/3ECSLsS 

Episode 107, Rory Sutherland: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rory-sutherland-the-opposite-of-a-good-idea-is-a-good-idea/ 

Maya Shankar: A Slight Change Of Plans Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-slight-change-of-plans/id1561860622 

Episode 310, Why You Can’t Find a Cab When It’s Raining – Groove Track: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-you-cant-find-cabs-in-the-rain/ 

Barry Staw: https://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/staw-barry/ 

Episode 277, No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope | Daniel H. Pink: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/ 

Episode 171, Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For with Roy Baumeister: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/ 

 

Conversations are vital to our existence - after all, we talk with people every day. But have you ever dissected what makes a conversation effective? When we are more conscious of how we are talking with others, we can nurture more productive connections, and avoid common pitfalls that often derail our conversations.

In this episode, we explore the importance of conscious conversations, with author Chuck Wisner, whose new book The Art Of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact is coming out in mid October 2022. Chuck’s insights are built on a fascinating mix of careers: from architect to personal coach, with a stop-off as a mediator at the Harvard Law Mediation Program. 

With Chuck, we discuss the four sequential stages to an effective conversation: 

• Storytelling
• Collaboration
• Creativity
• Commitment

We explore the role our identity plays in shaping the stories we tell ourselves, why leaders’ authority can make their voice louder, and how some of our best ideas happen when we are stimulating our creative minds.

“The stories we live by and tell ourselves and others are essential to our identity.” ~ Chuck Wisner

If you enjoy listening to Behavioral Grooves Podcast, please consider donating to our work through our Patreon page. We use all the donations to fund the production of the podcast. Thanks!

Topics

(2:31) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:35) The stories we tell ourselves are central to our identity.

(5:34) The Art of Conscious Conversation Book.

(10:14) The first of the four types of conversations: storytelling.

(18:56) Collaboration, the second step of successful conversations.

(22:38) How re-engaging with our creative minds assists our conversations.

(28:56) Why commitment is the active part of a conversation.

(38:06) How music is part of Chuck’s life.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

The Art of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact: https://amzn.to/3clNtGk  

Episode 178: Kwame Christian On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves 

Musical Links

Joe Morello “Take 5 Drum Solo”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tTyTc6FjjU  

Delbert McClinton “Ain’t That Lovin’ You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCN2og2kKdk  

Racism is solvable, but that doesn’t mean we will solve it. To close the gap between the probable and possible, we need to have meaningful conversations.

“Conversation is one of the most powerful ways to build knowledge, awareness, and empathy and ultimately, impact change.”

In his award winning book, “The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations”, Dr Robert Livingston PhD provides a compass and a roadmap for individuals and for organizational leaders to solve racism. As a leading Harvard social psychologist, he expertly combines his research and narrative for an audience who is eager to be part of the solution.

Robert talks with us about the lightbulb moment he realized storytelling was a powerful way to engage an audience. By building relationships and using narratives, you can change people’s behavior in a way that facts and graphs simply don’t.

Our conversation with Robert gives us the tools to firstly define racism and recognize its existence. We learn why motivated reasoning tries to protect us from the threat of addressing our own racism. But if we approach the painful conversations with a growth mindset, we can allow ourselves the grace to learn.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Topics

(3:13) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:23) Is racism a solvable problem?

(6:19) Why conversation is so crucial to overcoming racism.

(13:18) How The Press Model can help solve racism.

(19:47) Why are people in denial about racism?

(25:12) How to challenge the “I’m not a racist” relative?

(28:48) How to have a conversation about racism, rather than a debate. 

(36:20) Why do we confuse equity and equality?

(45:03) People are not as concerned about fairness as they are about winning.

(47:52) What music would Robert take to a desert island?

 

Links

Robert Livingston's book “The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations”: https://amzn.to/3DdQZOc

Episode 232, Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/ 

“Whites See Racism as a Zero-Sum Game That They Are Now Losing” Michael Norton and Samuel Sommers (2011): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691611406922 

Carol Dweck “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”: https://amzn.to/3SBhamm 

Amy Edmondson: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451 

Episode 178, Kwame Christian: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/ 

Episode 230, How Good People Fight Bias with Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-good-people-fight-bias/ 

 

Musical Links

Stevie Wonder “Songs In The Key of Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiG9eiwUpHo 

Miles Davis “So What”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNTltOGh5c

Close your eyes and visualize a horse. Most people can picture the outline of the body, the color of the horse and the unique features of the animal. But some people simply don’t see any image at all. This lack of a mind’s eye is known as aphantasia. 

 

To help explain exactly what aphantasia is, and how it can affect behavior, we talk with Professor Adam Zeman who actually helped identify and name the neurological condition. Adam has a medical degree and a PhD in philosophy from Oxford University. He’s been a lecturer and professor of cognitive and behavioral neurology and has published extensively on visual imagery and forms of amnesia occurring in epilepsy. Adam has also published an introduction to neurology for the general audiences called, A Portrait of the Brain. But the reason we are talking to Adam on this episode is about his research on our “minds eye”. He discusses how a lack of visual imagery (aphantasia) or overly vivid imagery (hyperphantasia) can be identified and what effects it has on our behavior. 

 

We often ask guests on the show about whether their work is influenced by “me-search”; something of particular interest to them personally. Well, this episode is a little bit of me-search for our own Kurt Nelson who himself has aphantasia. Join both Kurt and Tim as they both find out more about the recent research into the condition and how we should all be aware of how it affects people.

 

Thank you to all our listeners of Behavioral Grooves, we enjoy sharing unique insights with you. If you have enjoyed this episode, please consider writing a review on your podcast player. Or you can contribute financially to our work through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. 

Topics

(3:36) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:15) How Adam discovered the condition aphantasia.

(10:30) How aphantasia can affect all the senses.

(12:45) The prevalence of aphantasia.

(15:38) The behavioral differences that are present with aphantasia.

(19:42) What careers suit people with a lack of mind’s eye?

(23:39) What causes aphantasia? 

(25:51) The differences between voluntary and involuntary visualization. 

(30:41) Visualization is an echo of vision. 

(35:21) What music Adam will take to a desert island.

(37:51) About The Mind’s Eye Project.

(42:49) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Aphantasia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia 

Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ): https://aphantasia.com/vviq/ 

Professor Adam Zeman: https://psychology.exeter.ac.uk/staff/profile/index.php?web_id=adam_zeman 

The Mind’s Eye Project: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cspe/projects/the-eyes-mind/ 

“Picture This? Some Just Can’t” by Carl Zimmer, 2015: https://carlzimmer.com/picture-this-some-just-cant-101/ 

Prosopagnosia: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/prosopagnosia#:~:text=Prosopagnosia%20is%20a%20neurological%20disorder,face%20blindness%20or%20facial%20agnosia.  

Hyperphantasia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperphantasia#:~:text=Hyperphantasia%20is%20the%20condition%20of,as%20vivid%20as%20real%20seeing%22. 

Ed Catmull: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Catmull 

Craig Venter: https://www.jcvi.org/about/j-craig-venter 

Blake Ross: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Ross 

Think of a horse: https://aphantasia.com/think-of-a-horse/ 

Musical Links

David Gray “Sail Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oyBnvibWEY 

Bach “Cello Suite No.1 in G Major”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prweT95Mo0 

Mendelssohn “Overture: The Hebrides”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdQyN7MYSN8 

 

“The primary source of unconscious priming…is your conscious experience.” Our consciousness is where we bring everything together, where we integrate and form a rich integration of our experience. This result is that this experience gets spread out to all the processes of the mind which is pivotal to how priming, an unconscious effect, actually works.

Dr John Bargh PhD is a researcher and professor at Yale University and is probably the leading researcher on behavioral priming and has been studying this topic for almost 40 years. Not only that but he is a long term friend of Behavioral Grooves Podcast.

In this episode with John, we explore with him both the past and future of priming as well as some of the controversies surrounding it. 

“The more important the goal, the more primable it is”

 

Topics

(4:36) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:50) Why priming gets a bad rap.

(13:01) What exactly is a prime?

(16:17) Where does future research in priming need to go?

(19:46) How does priming differ from expectation theory and the placebo effect?

(22:33) How is framing not priming?

(24:07) What is the summation of experience?

(32:02) The stupid reason John went into social psychology.

(40:51) What the meta analysis studies on priming have found.

(45:50) Science communication: how to tell the good science from the bad.

(49:03) The importance of podcasting to bridge the gap between science and people.

(1:00:03) Grooving session with Tim and Kurt on priming. 

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

John Bargh's book “Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do”: https://amzn.to/3yUHka8

Episode 248, Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? With John Bargh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/ 

Episode 155, John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-unconscious-mind/ 

Global Workspace Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_workspace_theory 

Bargh JA. “What have we been priming all these years? On the development, mechanisms, and ecology of nonconscious social behavior.” Eur J Soc Psychol. 2006: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19844598/ 

Shinobu Kitayama, University of Michigan: https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/people/faculty/kitayama.html 

Daphna Oyserman, University of Southern California: https://dornsife.usc.edu/daphna-oyserman 

Paul J. Reber, Northwestern University: https://www.reberlab.psych.northwestern.edu/people/paul/ 

Daniel Schacter, “Amnesia observed: Remembering and forgetting in a natural environment” (1983): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1983-26025-001 

Parafoveal Processing: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/parafoveal-processing 

Jeffrey W. Sherman (2017) “A Final Word on Train Wrecks”: https://psychology.ucdavis.edu/people/sherm/cv 

Evan Weingarten, Qijia Chen, Maxwell McAdams, Jessica Yi, Justin Hepler, Dolores Albarracin (2016) “On Priming Action: Conclusions from a Meta-Analysis of the Behavioral Effects of Incidentally-Presented Words”: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27957520/ 

Xiao Chen, Gary P. Latham, Ronald F. Piccolo, Guy Itzchakov (2019) “An Enumerative Review and a Meta-Analysis of Primed Goal Effects on Organizational Behavior”: journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/apps.12239">https://iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/apps.12239 

Roy F. Baumeister and Kathleen D. Vohs (2003): “Sobriety Epidemic Endangers Nation’s Well-Being”: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/sobriety-epidemic-endangers-nations-well-being 

Episode 147, Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-goal-setting-prompts/  

 

Musical Links 

AC/DC “Hells Bells”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etAIpkdhU9Q 

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets “Acid Dent”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuQyIQ0NA0k 

Acid Dad “Searchin’”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzSwzUAqVWw 

The Orb “Blue Room”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ8nTbS9mOE 

Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg 

Pearl Jam “Black”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgaRVvAKoqQ 

The Who “Who You Are”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNbBDrceCy8 

Led Zeppelin “All My Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXC87EABywo 

Dead Pirates “Alexis”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9FsgAyZop4 

Hadestown Broadway Show “Way Down Hadestown”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJIc3RtJK7U 

Rory Sutherland is a British advertising executive who became fascinated with behavioral science. Between his TED talks, books and articles, he has become one of the field’s greatest proponents. Rory is currently the Executive Creative Director of OgilvyOne, after gigs as vice-chairman of Ogilvy Group UK and co-founder of the Behavioural Sciences Practice, part of the Ogilvy & Mather group of companies. He is the author of The Spectator’s The Wiki Man column and his most recent book, which we highly recommend, is Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life.

Our discussion with Rory was original published in January 2020, but Rory’s evergreen insights continue to be popular with our listeners so we decided to republish this episode. You can also listen to Rory discuss his latest book Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet? alongside his co-writer Pete Dyson, in episode 290.

We start this discussion with Rory by asking him about his book and some of his insights from it. His approach to advertising, marketing and product design is informed by his ability to look for the things that aren’t there. He once described a solution to improving customer satisfaction on the Chunnel Train between London and Paris by suggesting that a billion dollars would be better spent on supermodel hosts in the cars than on reducing ride time by 15 minutes. He’s a terrifically insightful thinker.

Our conversation ran amok down all sorts of rabbit holes, as expected, including ergodicity, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Silver Blaze,” high-end audio and the dietary habits of the world-famous runner, Usain Bolt.

In Kurt and Tim’s Grooving Session, we discuss some of our favorite takeaways from Rory’s conversation including, “The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea” and others. And finally, Kurt teed up the Bonus Track with a final reflection and recap of the key points we discussed.

As always, we would be grateful if you would write us a quick review. It helps us get noticed by other folks who are interested in podcasts about behavioral science. It will only take 27 seconds. Thank you, and we appreciate your help.

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Rory Sutherland: https://ogilvy.co.uk/people/rorys

“Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life”: https://amzn.to/3xbibt3

“Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet?”: https://amzn.to/3cZPyIy

Episode 290, Transport Your Thinking; Why We Need To Reframe Travel | Rory Sutherland & Pete Dyson: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/transport-rory-sutherland-pete-dyson/

“Friction”: https://www.rogerdooley.com/books/friction/

Murray Gell-Mann, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Gell-Mann

Robin Williams “Scottish Golf”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx8TzR1-n4Q

Don Draper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Draper

Ergodicity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergodicity

John James Cowperthwaite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_James_Cowperthwaite

SatNav: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/satnav

Daniel Kahneman, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

What You See is All There Is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow

Arthur Conan-Doyle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Conan_Doyle

Sherlock Holmes “Silver Blaze”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventure_of_Silver_Blaze

Tim Houlihan’s Blog on “Silver Blaze”: https://tinyurl.com/ufumkj6

Ben Franklin T-Test: https://tinyurl.com/wocdsdk

Volkswagen Fighter: https://tinyurl.com/qpyqh87

David Ogilvy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ogilvy_(businessman)

Jock Elliot: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/dec/01/guardianobituaries.media

Battle of Leyte Gulf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leyte_Gulf

Croft Audio: http://www.croftacoustics.co.uk/main.html

Mu-So single speaker: https://www.naimaudio.com/mu-so

WFMT Chicago: https://www.wfmt.com/

TK Maxx: https://www.tkmaxx.com/uk/en/

Berlin Hotel with Big Lebowski: https://www.michelbergerhotel.com/en/

Shure: https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/microphones?lpf[top][types][]=microphones

Zoom: https://zoom.us/

Satisficing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing

Usain Bolt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usain_Bolt

Sheena Iyengar, PhD: https://www.sheenaiyengar.com/

Jelly Jar Study: https://tinyurl.com/oo6g6eb

Big Band Music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_band

 

Musical Links

Aretha Franklin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin

Southern California Community Choir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_California_Community_Choir

Abba: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABBA

Felix Mendelssohn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Mendelssohn

George Frideric Handel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frideric_Handel

Johann Sebastian Bach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach

Johann Christian Bach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Christian_Bach

Psychology and neuroscience have proven that our minds do things on autopilot. These shortcuts (or heuristics) are laden with unconscious biases, which are juxtaposed to our self identity as a “good” person; one that isn’t racist, sexist or homophobic. Dolly Chugh believes we should set a higher standard for ourselves by being good-ish people. By implementing a Growth Mindset, a concept pioneered by Carol Dweck, we don’t hang on too tightly to our identity. We learn to change, and to be taught and to grow.

 

Dolly Chugh is an award-winning associate professor and social psychologist at the Stern School of Business at New York University. Her research focuses on the “psychology of good people”. How and why most of us, however well-intended, are still prone to race and gender bias, as well as what she calls “bounded ethicality.”  

 

Kurt and Tim sat down with Dolly for this episode in Spring 2021 to talk about the concept of “good-ish” which is a central theme to her book The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias. In subsequent episodes we have referenced Dolly's interview and work many times, so we wanted to republish her episode so you can enjoy listening to her insights again.

 

In our conversation with Dolly we learn about her beautiful analogy of headwinds and tailwinds that describe the invisible biases and systemic issues that many people in our world face. She explains the “Hmmm Framework” that she came up with after the January 6th Attack on the Capitol. And, of course, we discuss music and how Dolly incorporates it into her teaching and her writing.

 

In our focused Grooving Session, Tim and Kurt extract the meaningful ways that we can apply Dolly’s work into our everyday lives. We summarize the key parts of our interview with her and how we can each challenge ourselves to find our good-ish groove!

 

What You Will Learn from Dolly Chugh 

(2:41) Speed round questions

(4:12) What is the difference between good and good-ish? 

(9:09) Why is a growth mindset so difficult?

(12:28) Why we should integrate psychology more into our educational and political systems

(15:48) How systemic racism and unconscious bias are related

(29:12) Hmmm Framework and thought experiments

(34:04) How do we discover our own blind spots?

(38:58) How Dolly incorporates music into her teaching and writing

(43:21) Applications from our interview with Dolly in our Grooving Session:

1. Step back and be intentional, use “when...then…” statements.
2. Don’t hold on so tightly to our identity and the status quo.
3. Thought experiments to unveil our own ignorance. 
4. The Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT).
5. Self audit - look at our library, our magazines, our TV shows, what we talk about with friends. How are we showing up in the world? Are we being intentional with where we put our effort?

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Dolly Chugh: http://www.dollychugh.com/about-dolly 

Dolly Chugh, The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias https://amzn.to/35tGwMe 

Carol Dweck, Mindset, The New Psychology of Success https://amzn.to/3wDv10I 

Episode 196: Living Happier By Making the World Better with Max Bazerman https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/living-happier-by-making-the-world-better-with-max-bazerman/

Mahzarin Banaji https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/mahzarin-r-banaji 

Molly Kern kern.com/">https://www.molly-kern.com/ 

Happy Days https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee0gziqT2Yk&ab_channel=ChiefScheiderChiefScheider 

Grey’s Anatomy https://youtu.be/dSGLObjyFvA 

Steve Martin and Nuala Walsh, Episode 209: GAABS and Improving the Future for Every Applied Behavioral Scientist https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/improving-the-future-for-every-applied-behavioral-scientist/

Katy Milkman, How to Change https://amzn.to/3wDZHzc 

Confronting the legacy of housing discrimination https://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs_this_morning/video/vLnaRgBIed_ph_NxZa2ZaivfdC_FeD1f/white-americans-confront-legacy-of-housing-discrimination/ 

Harvard Implicit Association Test https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/ 

Alec Lacamoire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Lacamoire 

Lake Wobegon Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wobegon 

Episode 214: Observing the Non-Obvious: How to Spot Trends Around You with Rohit Bhargava https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-non-obvious-rohit-bhargava/

 

Musical Links

Hamilton “Alexander Hamilton” https://youtu.be/VhinPd5RRJw 

In the Heights “Blackout” https://youtu.be/T0V2cCjf1Tk 

Something Rotten! “A Musical” https://youtu.be/1KFNcy9VjQI 

Bruno Mars “The Lazy Song” https://youtu.be/fLexgOxsZu0 

38 Special “Hold On Loosely” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJtf7R_oVaw 

Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” https://youtu.be/80_39eAx3z8 

For many years, the general consensus by many researchers and practitioners was that providing people with short-term extrinsic rewards sapped their long-term motivation. This led to some organizations reducing or not using short-term rewards at all. However, this perspective has always had some detractors and now even more research shows that this belief is misleading.

In this episode, Kurt and Tim explore the research paper by Indranil Goswami and Oleg Urmisky with the lovely title of “The Dynamic Effect of Incentives on Post-Reward Task Engagement” that shows that while short-term incentives drive an immediate reduction in task engagement, this only lasts for a short time and that engagement rebounds to the baseline relatively quickly.  

We examine some of the backstory to this belief, what the study showed, and review the implications of this.    

 

Links

The Dynamic Effect of Incentives on Post-Reward Task Engagement: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312100138_The_dynamic_effect_of_incentives_on_postreward_task_engagement 

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

The GodFather of Influence, Robert Cialdini joins us on Behavioral Grooves to share his motivation for expanding his bestselling book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion which now includes a completely new Seventh Principle of Influence: Unity. This additional principle can help explain our political loyalties, vaccine hesitancy and why media headlines can be so inflammatory.

Another motivation for the revised edition to the book is to include more application to the Principles of Influence. So our conversation highlights some of Bob’s advice for start-up businesses and how they can harness the principle of Social Proof. And as general advice, Bob recounts how he recently advised a teenager to be generous to others – this in turn stimulates the Rule of Reciprocity, nurturing a relationship which is mutually beneficial.

No episode of Behavioral Grooves would be complete without discussing music, even with guests we’ve interviewed before! But the theme of unity has a special significance with music and Bob highlights how music and dance bring people together and help them feel unified. Plus we get an interesting story of an experiment in France, and how a guitar case played a crucial part in one man’s luck.

We hope you enjoy our discussion with The Godfather of Influence, Robert Cialdini. Since we generously share our great content with you, perhaps you feel influenced by the Rule of Reciprocity and will become a Behavioral Grooves Patreon Member!

[This episode was originally published in May 2021 and you can also listen to our first interview with Robert Cialdini in Episode 50].

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Topics we Discuss on Influence with Robert Cialdini

(3:55) Speed round

(6:50) Ideal number of stars on your online review

(9:00) Why Cialdini wrote a new edition of Influence

(12:13) The new Seventh Principle: Unity

(15:10) How to harness social proof as a start-up

(20:02) A new color of lies

(22:22) Principle of Unity with politics

(24:42) Tribalism and vaccine hesitancy

(28:35) Why Trump getting vaccinated hasn’t influenced his voters

(30:50) How framing of media headlines influences our perception of the news

(33:24) The Petrified Forest Wood Principle

(36:56) Where will the next generation of research go with Cialdini’s work?

(40:52) What advice would Cialdini give your teenager?

(48:23) Music and influence

(53:05) Grooving session

Robert Cialdini’s Books

Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion https://amzn.to/3tyCpZ6

Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade https://amzn.to/3eGdyOW

 

Links

Episode 50: Robert Cialdini, PhD: Littering, Egoism and Aretha Franklin:  https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/robert-cialdini-phd-littering-egoism-and-aretha-franklin/

Increase Your Influence: https://www.influenceatwork.com/ 

Godfather 2 Movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_Part_II 

Richard Thaler: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Thaler 

Daniel Kahneman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman 

Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Donald Trump vaccine: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2021/04/20/trump-i-dont-know-why-republicans-are-vaccine-hesitant-again-floats-pfizer-conspiracy-theory/ 

Mike Pence: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/pence-set-receive-covid-vaccine-televised-appearance-n1251655 

Petrified Forest Wood Principle: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-shaping-us/201909/the-petrified-wood-principle 

Stanley Schachter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Schachter 

Jerome Singer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_E._Singer 

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

The psychology of misinformation: Why it’s so hard to correct: https://firstdraftnews.org/latest/the-psychology-of-misinformation-why-its-so-hard-to-correct/ 

How to combat fake news and  misinformation: https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-to-combat-fake-news-and-disinformation/ 

Teaching skills to combat fake news and misinformation: https://www.washington.edu/trends/teaching-skills-to-combat-fake-news-and-misinformation/ 

Episode 102: Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Episode 214: Observing the Non-Obvious: How to Spot Trends Around You with Rohit Bhargava: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-non-obvious-rohit-bhargava/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Priming studies have had some negative press over the past ten years - some of it justified, some of it not. In this groove track, Kurt and Tim examine a 2018 study done by Alexander Stajkovic, Kayla Sergent, Gary Latham, and Suzanne Peterson called “Prime and Performance: Can a CEO Motivate Employees Without Their Awareness?” 

This field study, with real-world implications, demonstrated that the choice of words had an impact on company performance. The impact was not just statistically significant, but it had real-world significance as well. The researchers replaced 12 words in a company President’s e-mail message to his employees. The impact that those 12 words had on performance was wild.  

Kurt and Tim examine how the study was set up, the type of priming used, how performance was measured, and explore some of the key findings. We try to peel back the reasons why the interventions worked as it did, and discuss both the positive implications of this study, as well as things we should be wary of.  

Listen now or find out more about this paper in our blog post. Enjoy! 

Shankar Vedantam is the host of the wildly popular podcast, Hidden Brain and esteemed author of the book Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain. We initially interviewed Shankar in mid 2021 but want to highlight this discussion for you again as it is one we still discuss in more recent episodes.

Before reading Shankar’s book and interviewing him for this podcast we were, as Shankar describes himself, card-carrying rationalists. We were firmly in the camp of believing rational, scientific findings and believing that lies and deception are harmful to ourselves and to our communities. However, Shankar walks us through a compelling argument, that paradoxically, self-deception actually plays a pivotal role in our happiness and well-being.

In our discussion with Shankar we cover:

• (6:38) Speed round questions.
• (11:04) The difference between self delusions being useful and being harmful.
• (16:23) How nations are a delusional construct.
• (23:00) Awareness of self-delusions and how daily gratitudes can shift our perspective of the world. 
• (25:56) Shankar’s personal story of delusional thinking. 
• (29:58) The role emotions play in our mood and delusions.
• (35:23) How avoidance of delusional thinking is a sign of privilege.
• (37:30) Why our perceptions play an important role in understanding delusions.
• (44:36) Shankar’s unique approach to conspiracy theories.
• (52:28) What music Shankar has been listening to during COVID.
• (52:15) Grooving Session and Bonus Track with Kurt and Tim.

We really hope you find Shankar’s unique insight on how delusions are useful as compelling as we did. If you’re a regular Behavioral Grooves listener, please consider supporting us through Patreon. Thank you! 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

  Books 

• Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain https://amzn.to/2PUkzlv 

• The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars and Save Our Lives https://amzn.to/3e1qgWY

Links

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Kahneman, Sibony and Sunstein, 2021 https://amzn.to/3heyr5r 

Richard Dawkins https://richarddawkins.net/ 

Mahabharata https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabharata 

Lake Wobegon Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wobegon 

 

Other Episodes We Talk About

The Myth of the “Relationship Spark” with Logan Ury (featuring a guest appearance by Christina Gravert, PhD): https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-myth-of-the-relationship-spark-with-logan-ury-featuring-a-guest-appearance-by-christina-gravert-phd/

Robert Cialdini, PhD: Littering, Egoism and Aretha Franklin: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/robert-cialdini-phd-littering-egoism-and-aretha-franklin/ 

Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For with Roy Baumeister: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

Gary Latham, PhD: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-phd-goal-setting-prompts-priming-and-skepticism/

John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/

Linda Thunstrom: Are Thoughts and Prayers Empty Gestures to Suffering Disaster Victims? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/linda-thunstrom-are-thoughts-and-prayers-empty-gestures-to-suffering-disaster-victims/ 

Three things generate a sense of meaning IN life;

1. Coherence - can you make sense of the world?
2. Purpose - do you feel a sense of purpose with what you do? And
3. Significance - does your life matter?

Having meaning in your life is correlated with a sense of self certainty. Knowing who you are and having a sense of self, gives you structure and a stable way of seeing the world.

 

But how do you answer the question “who am I?” Our guest, Dr Brian Lowery PhD says the answer isn’t as individualistic as we may have been led to believe. Not only do those around us; our friends, co-workers and parents contribute to who we are, Brian claims they actually create who we are. Putting it bluntly, there is no way of separating “you” from your relationships.

 

We’ve waited a long time to talk to Brian, who is the Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a social psychologist by training, but Brian’s work is by no means traditional in that field. He studies how individuals perceive inequality, and his research explores individuals' experiences of inequality and fairness in a way that sheds light on intergroup conflict and the nature of social justice. Brian is also a fellow podcaster, hosting the show Know What You See which is definitely worth checking out.

 

Listeners can become a Behavioral Grooves supporter by donating to our work through Patreon. Or please consider writing us a podcast review on your app. Thanks!

 

Topics

(5:21) Welcome to Brian Lowery and speed round questions.

(7:34) The meaning IN life vs. the meaning OF life.

(9:23) How meaning in life is linked to a sense of self certainty.

(13:30) Context matters: those around us create who we are.

(17:13) What are you referring to when you talk about you?

(19:23) The responsibility we have when interacting with others. 

(21:27) Does authenticity assume a stability of self?

(26:17) Our relationships define us while also limiting our freedom.

(30:59) The myth of rugged individualism.

(36:35) Do we really have freewill?

(42:06) What Brian talks about on his podcast, Know What You See.

(43:42) What role does music play in the identity of self?

(51:43) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing the meaning in life.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Know What You See Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-what-you-see-with-brian-lowery/id1580636076 

Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAwDWZoETk4&ab_channel=MontyPython 

Episode 67, George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/ 

Episode 248, John Bargh: Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/ 

Kimberle Crenshaw: https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/kimberle-w-crenshaw 

Episode 307, Groove Track | Mind Over Milkshakes: Why Expectations Matter A Lot: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/mind-over-milkshakes-groove-track/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

Killer Mike “Untitled”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNsAfGDkUtk 

 

Incentives can improve motivation. But what actually happens when the incentive is removed? An influential body of research previously suggested that extrinsic rewards have a negative impact on intrinsic motivation. However, more recent studies show this not to be the case over the long term. Our guest, Dr Indranil Goswami PhD, talks us through the longer term effects of temporary incentives and the implications for motivating behavior change.

Indranil is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University at Buffalo.  The research that we focus on in this episode is the paper he co-wrote with Dr Oleg Urminsky PhD, called  “The Dynamic Effect of Incentives on Post-Reward Task Engagement”.

While there may be a dose of confirmation bias with this conversation, Kurt and Tim are excited to hear more about Indranil’s research which backs up what they have been telling companies for years:

“Incentives are useful for improving people's behavior, engagement and performance.”

Managers, academics and even parents have bought into the widely held belief that extrinsic motivators are not a useful tool for initiating behavior change. But Indranil’s work may help you reevaluate the tools you use to motivate those around you. Listen in and let us know if it encourages you to rethink your incentive program.

Regular listeners to Behavioral Grooves may enjoy being part of our exclusive group of Patreon members by supporting our work. You can also write a review of our podcast on whatever platform you listen on, and we often read these out on the show. Thank you!

 

Topics

(2:49) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:00) Do extrinsic incentives always suppress intrinsic motivation?

(9:41) Does post incentive disengagement actually happen?

(16:59) The surprising effect of big incentives.

(22:42) Real world experiences of incentives.

(25:03) Can we design incentives that improve post reward performance?

(31:40) What is more motivating - flat fee payment schemes or rate based payment scheme?

(38:57) Does Indranil use music as motivation?

(43:18) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on rewards and motivation.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Goswami I, Urminsky O (2017) The dynamic effect of incentives on postreward task engagement: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28054810/ 

Daniel Kahneman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman 

Dan Ariely: https://danariely.com/ 

Eisenberger, R., & Cameron, J. (1996) Detrimental effects of reward: Reality or myth? https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.51.11.1153

Dan Ariely, Uri Gneezy, George Loewenstein, Nina Mazar (2009) Large Stakes and Big Mistakes: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-937X.2009.00534.x

Episode 106, Jana Gallus: The Role of Precision in Incentives: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/jana-gallus-the-role-of-precision-in-incentives/ 

Goswami, Indranil and Urminsky, Oleg (2018). Don't Fear the Meter: How Longer Time Limits Yield Biased Preferences for Flat Fee Contracts: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3448174

Episode 71, Alex Imas: Clawback Incentives and Tom Waits: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/alex-imas-clawback-incentives-and-tom-waits/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

Ravi Shankar “The Spirit of India”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMk2eTqPLWk 

Groove Track | Why can’t you find a cab in the rain? 

We take a deep dive exploring the 1997 study “LABOR SUPPLY OF NEW YORK CITY CAB DRIVERS: ONE DAY AT A TIME,” by  Colin Camerer, Linda Babcock, George Loewenstein, and Richard Thaler.   This paper shifts through piles of data to look at how NY city cab drivers behaved - and what they found was an economic anomaly - the cab drivers did not behave as classical economists predicted.  The data showed that the drivers worked shorter hours on days when they earned faster (e.g., when it's raining) which goes against what economists would have predicted (i.e., that they maximize those opportunities).    

Kurt and Tim run through how the study came to be, what they measured, and the implications of the paper's findings.  This is a quick and fun dive into one of behavioral science classic studies.  

Find out more about this paper in our blog post

Love connects us to things in a deep way. But when we say we love our car, or we love our favorite beach, or we love our children, the love we express for each of those things is very different. So can we really love things as much as we love people? 

Our guest is Dr. Aaron Ahuvia, the world’s leading expert on brand love, a topic he pioneered and has worked on since 1990. He is a Professor of Marketing at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor’s Ross School of Business. Among the many books and papers he has authored, our favorite is the paper titled “Dr. Seuss, Felicitator”. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term “felicitator,” it is someone who brings happiness to others. 

With Aaron, we discuss the very interesting and important topic of loving the things in our lives, why we love them, and how that love can change over time. This is especially true with brands and products and sporting teams and neighborhoods. One of the big takeaways from our conversation with Aaron is just to let go of this notion that it might be bad to love something.

If you love Behavioral Grooves, and it brings you a little happiness, please consider becoming one of our special Patreon members. Or you can tell us, and others, how much you love the show by leaving us a podcast review on whatever platform you use to listen. Thanks!

 

Topics

(4:45) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:09) Can you really love a thing like you love a person?

(9:39) The difference between liking and loving.

(13:13) Why do we love sports teams?

(18:05) Why do we love something that can’t reciprocate?

(20:18) Is there an evolutionary basis to our love of objects?

(23:44) Do we love the things we use more often?

(27:44) Loving the music vs. the equipment that plays the music.

(34:29) The social aspect of the objects we buy.

(36:46) How Aaron loves music.

(42:46) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on what we love.

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Aaron Ahuvia’s book “The Things We Love: How Our Passions Connect Us and Make Us Who We Are”: https://amzn.to/3IW0Jxj 

Broadbent, Sarah (2012) Brand love in sport: antecedents and consequences: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305330187_Brand_love_in_sport_antecedents_and_consequences 

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, Episode 306, “Trust Your Gut? Only If The Data Supports It”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/trust-your-gut/ 

Rory Sutherland & Pete Dyson, Episode 290 “Transport Your Thinking; Why We Need To Reframe Travel”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/transport-rory-sutherland-pete-dyson/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. 

 

Musical Links

Cory Wong “Power Station”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1loN5mhRkI 

Brian Eno “Desert Island Music”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rQBi692Dw8 

Disembarking people from a plane, row by row during the height of COVID, but then cramming all the passengers into a bus to the terminal…where is the common sense in that? Best selling author Martin Lindstrom laments that we are drowning in bureaucracy and that technology is contributing to the death of common sense in society.

Founder and chairman of Lindstrom Company, Martin Lindstrom is also the best selling author of seven New York Times best-selling books. We talk with Martin about his most recent book, “The Ministry Of Common Sense: How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate BS”.

Our conversation covers a lot of ground in a short time, including how John F. Kennedy was a trendsetter for the way businessmen dress today, why Martin lives without a phone, as well as how to cultivate more human-to-human connections. And since no conversation on Behavioral Grooves would be complete without a chit-chat about music, we find out what artists Martin would choose to take with him to a desert island.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon. We really appreciate all our listeners' support, thanks.

Topics

(2:55) Welcome to Martin and speed round.

(8:19) Is technology contributing to the death of common sense?

(9:51) Separating private life and work life.

(14:45) What is the Ministry of Common Sense about?

(22:58) Compliance and being different.

(27:07) What musical artists would Martin take to a desert island?

(30:03) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on common sense.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Martin Lindstrom’s book: “The Ministry Of Common Sense: How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate BS”: https://amzn.to/3z0CJ7M 

Martin Lindstrom: https://www.martinlindstrom.com/ 

Whitney Johnson, Episode 285: “The Three Phases of Growth and Learning”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/three-phases-of-growth/ 

Charlie Bell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bell_(businessman) 

Human Risk Podcast: risk.com/podcast">https://www.human-risk.com/podcast 

Nir Eyal, Episode 303 “From Distracted To Focused: Nir Eyal’s Secrets On How To Be Indistractable”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nir-eyal-how-to-be-indistractable/ 

Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253 “Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/ 

Robert Cialdini, Episode 226 “The Power of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence”:  https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/ 

Andrea Belk Olson, Episode 304 “Finding Out What Your Customers Want and Why It Matters”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/what-your-customers-wants/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Tina Turner “Proud Mary”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTfYnRQgKgY&ab_channel=TinaTurner 

Phil Collins “A Groovy Kind of Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsC_SARyPzk&ab_channel=PhilCollins 

Mozart “Requiem”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI 

Vivaldi “Four Seasons”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA 

A deep dive exploring the 2011 paper by Alia Crum, William Corbin, Kelly Brownwell, and Peter Salovey called “Mind Over Milkshakes: Mindsets, Not Just Nutrients, Determine Ghrelin Response.” This paper shows how our expectations about the nutrient value of a milkshake actually changes our body’s response when consuming the milkshake.

Kurt and Tim run through the experiment in detail and then explore some of the ground breaking implications from the papers findings. This quick, fun, deep-dive will provide you with a greater understanding of this psychological phenomenon and highlight what it means for how we think about marketing, leadership, and our experience with products. 

When making big decisions, people often go with what feels right - who we marry, where we live, what career we pursue. We base these decisions on our gut instinct. But what if our gut is biased, misinformed or quite simply wrong? 

Economist, former Google scientist, New York Times bestselling author and friend of the show Seth Stephens-Davidowitz has mined through thousands of data sets to prove that we are, in fact, frequently making ill-informed decisions when we only trust our gut. And we are delighted to be talking to Seth again about his fantastic new book, Don't Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life.

From the data, Seth has uncovered what activities make us most happy, which isn’t always the most comfortable activity.

“If you're on the fence, between walking with friends, and lying on the couch watching Netflix…go on that walk…it's been proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt that that's the more likely path to happiness.” 

But surprisingly there is one aspect of life that data cannot give us answers on. Listen to Seth’s entertaining interview to find out when exactly we should and shouldn’t trust our gut.

At Behavioral Grooves, the data tells us that our listeners are loving our recent episodes! Thank you to everyone who has recently left us a podcast review. We read each and every one of them! Some of our dedicated Behavioral Grooves, donate to our work through Patreon page. Please consider supporting our work in this way, many thanks.

 

Topics

(2:58) Welcome and speed round questions.

(10:04) Should we really not trust our gut?

(16:09) Relationships are as unpredictable as the weather forecast.

(20:16) Big data doesn’t apply to everything.

(22:51) Is skepticism underrated? 

(24:51) What is mappiness?

(27:48) Does supporting a winning team make you more happy?

(29:28) The #1 happy activity.

(32:29) Mistaking a comfortable activity for an enjoyable activity.

(37:28) What is dataism?

(44:20) The data behind hustling. 

(46:54) Would Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen make it today?

(52:37) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on trusting your gut.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Seth’s book: “Don't Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life”: https://amzn.to/3yICKwT 

Episode 246, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: Are You More Honest with Google or Your Friends? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/are-you-more-honest-with-google/ 

Alexander Todorov, “Face Value: The Irresistible Influence of First Impressions”: https://amzn.to/3Pi59kp 

Episode 211, AJ Jacobs: A Thousand Thanks: A Lifetime of Experiments and Gratitude: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/a-thousand-thanks-with-aj-jacobs/ 

Seth’s previous book: “Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are”: https://amzn.to/32ULlgD

Episode 222, Shankar Vedantam “How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How“: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/ 

Mappiness: http://www.mappiness.org.uk/ 

Krishnamurti T, Loewenstein G. The partner-specific sexual liking and sexual wanting scale: psychometric properties. Arch Sex Behav. 2012 Apr;41(2): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21720917/ 

Episode 287, Nick Epley, Why Talking To Strangers Is Actually Good For Your Wellbeing: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/talking-to-strangers/ 

Episode 274: Paul Bloom, Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/ 

Episode 205: Logan Ury, The Myth of the “Relationship Spark”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/relationship-spark-logan-ury/ 

1000 True Fans, Kevin Kelly: https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/ 

 

Musical Links

Rick Springfield “Jesse’s Girl”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYkbTyHXwbs 

Bruce Springsteen “Glory Days’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WccS8iFXgFI 

Bob Dylan “The Times Are A-Changin’”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WD_ats6eE 23refvc 

Leonard Cohen “Hallelujah”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q 

Metallica “Nothing Else Matters”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAGnKpE4NCI 

Luther Ingram "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvJj7SN9EWI 

Over the last 50 years, little has changed for the pharmaceutical management of mental illness. This is troublesome, but not unsolvable, according to The New York Times writer and author, Daniel Bergner. We talked with him about his most recent book, The Mind and the Moon: My Brother’s Story, the Science of Our Brains, and the Search for Our Psyches, and some of the key themes he discovered along his personal journey with a mentally challenged family member and other people he came to know well.

We discussed the shortcomings of our current mental healthcare systems and processes, the benefits of non-traditional mental health therapies, the ancient myth about the Turkey Prince, and how we might be able to get immediate relief by reframing the conversation about pain management and pain suppression.

The book features stories about his brother and a few other people that are told in remarkable detail over a long period of time. The gripping and beautifully-told narrative will open your eyes to some of the challenges that mental illness brings to life. Our conversation with Daniel explored these stories and areas of mental health that are too often overlooked - and we are grateful we get to share that conversation with you.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider contributing to our work through Patreon. Writing a podcast review or giving us a quick rating also helps others find our show. Weird, isn’t it? But, yeah, it’s true. We would appreciate any help you can offer.

Most importantly, if you or someone you know needs help, please seek help. The Mental Health Guide is a global resource with phone numbers and websites in dozens of countries: help.htm">https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm.

Topics

(2:45) Welcome and speed round.

(5:23) What the book The Mind and The Moon is about.

(7:18) Progress in mental health treatment and with society in the last 50 years.

(10:00) The 3 stories that illustrate mental health in the book.

(15:50) The effect of psilocybin.

(18:15) What a turkey under a table can teach us about managing mental illness.

(21:09) What are the next steps in mental health?

(22:51) Daniel’s personal journey.

(26:23) Writing the book in the context of the Trump election and George Floyd.

(29:15) This is not an anti-pharmaceutical book.

(35:18) Was it deliberate that music was a big part of the book? 

(41:42) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing mental health.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Mental Health Guide with global phone numbers and websites: help.htm">https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm 

Daniel Bergner’s book, “The Mind and The Moon: My Brother's Story, the Science of Our Brains, and the Search for Our Psyches”: https://amzn.to/3aka5pU 

Psilocybin:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybin

Steven Hyman: shorturl.at/lty19 

Episode 274, Paul Bloom, “Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/ 

Episode 255, Daniel Almeida “The 5 Healthy Brain Habits Of A Neuroscientist”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/healthy-brain-habits-neuroscience/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Stanley Brothers “The Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmiYKpVNOVg 

Marty Robbins “Red River Valley”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezJkRDQmL2Y 

Simon & Garfunkel “The Sound of Silence”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAEppFUWLfc 

Wolfgang Mozart “Symphony No. 36 in C Major, K. 425 ‘Linz’ - I. Adagio - Allegro spiritoso”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMloPIwd_FM 

Antonio Vivaldi “Four Seasons - Spring”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LAPFM3dgag 

Customer feedback lacks two fundamental pieces of information: context and behavior. Traditional methods of insight, like the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and customer feedback surveys have their limitations. Andrea Belk Olson, our guest on this episode, challenges organizations to adopt a different approach to customer behavior by delving into the WHY and the WHAT, then coming up with a WOW hypothesis - a 3 step process called the 3W Ideation.

 

Author of the new book, “What to Ask: How to Learn What Customers Need but Don't Tell You”: https://amzn.to/3yvooRF, Andrea Belk Olson is the CEO of applied behavioral science consulting firm Pragmadik, and head of the University of Iowa JPEC startup incubator. She delivers a unique, cognitive method for discovering hidden customer needs, converting them quickly into differentiators, and avoiding the pitfalls of traditional research.

 

By using behavioral insights in organizations, Andrea believes that companies can become more customer focused. And when everyone in an organization is customer focused, the whole strategic vision of the company realigns. 

 

If you enjoy listening to Behavioral Grooves Podcast, please consider donating to our work through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We use all the donations to fund the production of the podcast. Thanks!

 

Topics

(3:11) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:14) How can marketers understand customers' needs?

(13:01) How to remove the disconnect between marketing and sales.

(16:42) The steps marketing can take to get closer to the customer.

(19:23) How behavioral science can help with adapting to change.

(26:07) The 3 W Ideation process: Why, What & WOW.

(30:04) The shortcomings of the Net Promoter Scores (NPS).

(32:44) What role does culture play?

(37:31) What Beethoven can teach us about behavior change.

(42:28) What music would Andrea take to a desert island? 

(45:37) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim on What To Ask. 

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Andrea Belk Olson’s book: “What to Ask: How to Learn What Customers Need but Don't Tell You”: https://amzn.to/3yvooRF 

Episode 289, Why Not All Nudges Work ”In The Wild” with Nina Mazar PhD & Dilip Soman PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-not-all-nudges-work-in-the-wild-nina-mazar-dilip-soman/ 

 

Musical Links

Queen “I Want To Break Free”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3w5gVM_4y8 

Led Zeppelin “Whole Lotta Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQmmM_qwG4k 

Utilizing the power of identity by proudly declaring yourself as indistractable can be a persuasive step in becoming the kind of person we want to be. By changing the language we use to describe ourselves, we can actually influence our own behavior. 

 

This is just one of the techniques that our popular guest, Nir Eyal describes in his new book, “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life”. Nir is the international bestselling author of “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products”, a behavioral design expert, and host of the wonderful podcast “Nir and Far”. 

 

In a world full of demands on our attention, we may think that getting distracted is a recent phenomenon and blame our technology use. But in this episode, Nir describes how getting distracted is simply part of our human nature, something we’ve been plagued with for centuries. Listen to our fascinating interview with Nir to learn how to be intentional with our tasks, what planning our time should look like and why leaving time for reflection can lead to more creative achievements. 

 

If you enjoy this interview with Nir Eyal on Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We use all the donations to fund the production of the podcast. Thanks!

 

Topics

(3:42) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:22) Why to-do lists are the worst way to increase productivity.

(12:41) Internal triggers and external triggers.

(16:13) Why is it easier to look outside ourselves than inside ourselves?

(17:57) Nir’s personal journey into behavioral design.

(23:37) The morality of manipulation: behavioral design and ethics.

(27:06) The regret test: how you test ethical design at the corporate level.

(37:02) Practicing self compassion has surprising results on reaching your goals.

(42:23) How the language we use affects our behavior.

(49:28) Nir's very unusual answer to the desert island music question.

(52:29) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim on being indistractable. 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Nir Eyal’s book: “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life”: http://geni.us/Indistractable

Indistractable bonus content: http://nirandfar.com/indistractable

Nir and Far Podcast: https://www.nirandfar.com/podcast/ 

Habits vs routines: https://www.nirandfar.com/habits/

Why schedules are better than to-do lists: https://www.nirandfar.com/todo-vs-schedule-builder/

Time boxing: https://www.nirandfar.com/timeboxing

Kurt Lewin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Lewin  

Dan Pink, Episode 277: No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/ 

Roy Baumeister, Episode 171: Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/ 

Bernecker Katharina, Job Veronika (2015) “Beliefs about willpower moderate the effect of previous day demands on next day’s expectations and effective goal striving”: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01496/full 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

The Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtzkaL2t_Y 

Kanye West “Stronger”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsO6ZnUZI0g&ab_channel=KanyeWestVEVO

Mitt Romney once mistakenly quipped that people were either "makers or takers" echoing a common sentiment among US politicians that by working we provide society with value and are rewarded with a sense of dignity. But what if we considered that each of us had dignity that wasn't engulfed in our work identity? Would we be less susceptible to burnout if we accepted ourselves as enough as we are, regardless of our job status? 

 

Having come through a dark period of burnout himself, Jonathan Malesic firmly believes that we all have dignity. Period. He has written a timely book called The End of Burnout: Why work drains us and how to build better lives. We are delighted that Jon has come to talk to Behavioral Grooves Podcast about what leads to burnout and how to prevent it.

 

Jon delves into how the Protestant work ethic can contribute to burnout. And echoes Jennifer Moss’ sentiments from last week's episode that burnout is an issue with corporate culture, not an individual problem.

 

And to Tim's delight, Jon provides some historical context to the first musical mentions of burnout by Bob Dylan and Neil Young back in the 70s. We learn why that period in particular was a pivotal moment in the US labor market and how this is reflected in music from that era.

 

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon. If donating isn’t an option, don’t worry, writing a podcast review helps others find our show, and we love reading them!

  Topics

(2:28) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:47) The expectations of work vs. the reality of work.

(11:38) Jonathan’s experience of burnout.

(16:21) The 6 factors that can lead to burnout.

(21:29) Solutions to burnout.

(23:43) How the Protestant work ethic contributes to burnout.

(27:43) Putting dignity before work.

(32:44) How Jonathan wrote his whole book listening to just one album.

(37:33) Bob Dylan and Neil Young started singing about burnout in the 70s.

(42:45) How to avoid burnout.

(45:56) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on the causes and solutions to burnout.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

  Links

Jonathan Malesic: https://jonmalesic.com/ 

“The End of Burnout: Why Work Drains Us and How to Build Better Lives” By Jonathan Malesic: https://amzn.to/3tDdS8j

The Parking Lot Movie by Meghan Eckman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Parking_Lot_Movie

Christina Maslach: https://psychology.berkeley.edu/people/christina-maslach 

Michael Leiter: https://mpleiter.com/author/mpleiter/ 

Episode 247, Dr Phil Zimbardo: Stanford Prison Experiment, 50 Years On: What Have We Really Learnt? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/stanford-prison-experiment/

The Pope’s Encyclicals: https://www.papalencyclicals.net/

Herbert Freudenberger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Freudenberger 

The Myth of Sisyphus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus 

Episode 301, Jennifer Moss: How To Fix Burnout (Hint: It Isn’t Another Yoga Session): https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-fix-burnout-jennifer-moss/ 

Episode 281, Sesil Pir: Why Leaders Need To Care For People, Not Manage Them: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/care-for-people-not-manage-them/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

Neil Young “Ambulance Blues”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LTiKJlB62g

Bob Dylan “Shelter from the Storm”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gsDBuHwqbM

The War on Drugs “Lost In The Dream”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3HqnHUohOo

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan “Mustt Mustt”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDfELfpumEE 

 

We’ve been programmed to treat burnout as a self-care issue, as if we’re just one yoga session or a relaxation app away from fixing the problem. moss.com/">Jennifer Moss, however, describes the solution to burnout as an organizational issue, not an individual hurdle. Creating a workplace culture where leaders model healthy work behavior, engage with empathy and cater for employees' individual needs can foster an environment that helps prevent burnout before it starts. 

"Employees can’t be what they can’t see." 

We love Jen’s analogy of the dusty ping pong table to illustrate the perks that some businesses offer but then don’t back-up with a work culture that encourages 20 minute breaks throughout the day. What your left with is a business that sounds like a great place to work, but in reality, there’s a dusty ping pong table in the basement that never gets used. Organizations need to adapt.

Jennifer Moss is a Harvard Business Review contributor and nationally syndicated radio columnist. She was on the Global Happiness Council—a small group of leading scientists and economists that support the UN’s sustainable goals related to global well-being and the Annual Global Happiness Policy Report.  Jennifer is also the author of a new book, The Burnout Epidemic which came out in September 2021.

In this episode, Jen will open your eyes to new ways of thinking about burnout - particularly how it gets framed in our culture and that loving your job doesn’t make you immune to burnout. 

If you would like to become a special supporter of Behavioral Grooves Podcast, you can join Behavioral Grooves Patreon.

Topics

(4:43) Welcome to Jen and speed round questions. 

(8:26) Is loving your work enough to avoid burnout?

(9:20) Why do we struggle so much with burnout?

(10:52) The 6 causes of burnout. 

(13:30) The dusty ping pong table.

(15:55) What role does leadership play in preventing burnout?

(21:45) Can you learn empathy?

(25:07) Should companies become more paternalistic?

(26:40) Culture eats strategy for breakfast.

(29:23) Becoming professional eavesdroppers. 

(33:36) Non work related check ins.

(38:47) How small team scrums can improve productivity. 

(42:19) Does mindset affect agility in teams?

(44:29) What music does Jen enjoy listening to?

(49:00) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on burnout.

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Jennifer Moss’ book “The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It”: https://amzn.to/3K3O4be 

Jennifer Moss: moss.com/">https://www.jennifer-moss.com/ 

Chester Elton, Episode 256 “Anxiety at Work: Why We Feel It and How To Manage It”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/anxiety-at-work-chester-elton/ 

Dan Pink, Episode 277 “No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope“: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/ 

Victoria Shaffer, Episode 95 “End of Life Decision Tools“: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/victoria-schaffer-end-of-life-decision-tools/ 

Liz Fosslien, Episode 120 “Covid-19 Crisis: Emotional Impact of WFH with Liz Fosslien”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/c-19-crisis-emotional-impact-of-wfh-with-liz-fosslien/ 

Linda Babcock,. Episode 293 “Women Do Too Much Non-Promotable Work: How To Say No More with Linda Babcock”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/women-do-too-much/ 

Sandra Sucher, Episode 266 “Trust: The Four Key Steps to Genuinely Build It | Sandra Sucher”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/four-key-steps-to-build-trust/  

 

Musical Links

Ella Fitzgerald “Mack The Knife” Live in Berlin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vXAtVbZbkI 

Jørgen Dahl Moe “Dancing in the Dark”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Qs6KvfiAY 

Etta James “At Last”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-cbOl96RFM 

Aretha Franklin “Respect”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOUqQt3Kg0 

Sam Cooke “A Change is Gonna Come”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4 

Adele “Someone Like You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLQl3WQQoQ0 

Beethoven "Moonlight Sonata": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4591dCHe_sE 

 

We all know someone who believes in conspiracy theories and we wish we could change their mind. It is possible. There are techniques that can work to transform how people think. But what we love about our conversation with David McRaney is that he adds in a Step 0 to the process and asks “why do you want to change their mind?” 

 

Are you open to changing your own mind? If you have any interest in changing someone else’s mind, you should be open to changing your own mind too. To effectively collaborate with others and compassionately explore differences in opinion, we need to accept that our minds too can be changed.

 

We are delighted to welcome our esteemed guest David McRaney to this, our 300th episode of Behavioral Grooves Podcast! David takes a fascinating dive into why exactly we hold our beliefs, the science behind each of us seeing the world through slightly different lenses, and the stark reality that truth is tribal. While this is a long episode of Behavioral Grooves, you may just find yourself wanting to listen again as David’s detailed explanations are mind-blowing. 

 

David McRaney is a science journalist and creator of the podcast You Are Not So Smart which explores self delusion and motivated reasoning. His excellent new book (coming out June 2022), “How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion” carefully unravels the science and personal experience of transformed thinking. 

 

Remember the dress that divided social media a few years ago; was it blue and black or white and gold? David explains exactly why some of us saw it differently and adds a new experiment about perception to the mix - crocs and socks! 

 

Conversations like David’s are the reason we produce Behavioral Grooves Podcast. It is a labor of love for us, and so, we really appreciate any financial support our listeners can provide, through our Patreon page. All donations help us continue the work of producing the podcast weekly. If donating isn’t an option for you, don’t worry, you can write us a podcast review which helps promote our show to other listeners. Thank you.

 

Topics

(4:18) Welcome and speed round questions. 

(11:18) How minds change vs. how to change minds.

(14:35) How is elaboration different from learning? 

(27:27) Mini Grooving Session on the difference between beliefs, opinions and attitudes.

(34:09) Why do you want to change someone’s mind?

(41:03) The moment David realized he should question why, not just how to change minds.

(52:55) Mini Grooving Session on why to change minds.

(57:27) Why some see the dress as gold & white and some see it as blue & black.

(1:18:28) Mini Grooving Session on the dress and the crocs.

(1:22:15) Truth is tribal. 

(1:35:33) Mini Grooving Session on having a social safety net.

(1:40:38) What was the catalyst for David becoming interested in conspiracy theories?

(1:46:19) How to get people off the conspiratorial loop?

(1:51:23) What musical artists would David take to a desert island?

 

© 2022  Behavioral Grooves

 

Links 

David McRaney’s book, “How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion”: https://amzn.to/3NvGMPp 

David McRaney: https://www.davidmcraney.com/ 

You Are Not So Smart Podcast: https://youarenotsosmart.com/podcast/ 

Why We Fight WWII Films: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Fight 

Hugo Mercier “The Enigma of Reason”: https://amzn.to/3H1UoiN 

Episode 53, John Sweeney, Everything Is a Story: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-sweeney-everything-is-a-story/ 

“SURFPAD”- Exploring the roots of disagreement with crocs and socks: https://blog.pascallisch.net/exploring-the-roots-of-disagreement-with-crocs-and-socks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=exploring-the-roots-of-disagreement-with-crocs-and-socks 

Wallisch, Pascal & Karlovich, Michael. (2019). Disagreeing about Crocs and socks: Creating profoundly ambiguous color displays: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335127865_Disagreeing_about_Crocs_and_socks_Creating_profoundly_ambiguous_color_displays

Take the crocs and socks test: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/crocPerception 

The dress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dress 

Episode 178, Kwame Christian On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/ 

Change blindness: https://youarenotsosmart.com/2009/11/06/change-blindness/ 

 

Musical Links 

Radiohead “No Surprises”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5CVsCnxyXg 

Colin Stetson “Spindrift”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJHr2DlRog8 

 

What if we were so optimistic, nothing ever felt like an obstacle, only an opportunity? As an unapologetic optimist, Patreon page. If donating isn’t an option for you, don’t worry, you can write us a podcast review which will help promote our show to other listeners. Thank you.

Topics

(4:07) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:06) Should we rewrite the American constitution?

(11:17) Paul is affected by SIPO. What is it?

(15:14) Going from hating himself to loving himself.

(19:32) How can we transform our neuroplasticity?

(25:24) Love all, serve all.

(27:58) Four global initiatives Paul is involved in.

(29:52) How climate transformation is possible.

(36:49) Paul’s travel to 62 countries and how it's influenced his musical taste.

(43:18) An optimistic Grooving session with Kurt and Tim.

© 2022  Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Dr. Paul Zeitz: www.drpaulzeitz.org  

Opinion Science Podcast: https://opinionsciencepodcast.com/ 

Alicia Keys: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicia_Keys 

Desmond Tutu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu 

Dr. Paul Zeitz's books:

• "Waging Optimism; Ushering in a New Era of Justice: Part 1: Ensuring the Survival and Flourishing of Humanity": https://amzn.to/3rZcsmC
• "Waging Justice: A Doctor's Journey to Speak Truth and Be Bold": https://amzn.to/3IJPQxm

Global Carbon Removal Partnership: https://www.carbonremovalpartnership.net/ 

Julie Battilana, Episode 288, “The Steps Needed To Empower the Powerless”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/steps-to-empower-the-powerless/ 

John A. List, Episode 296, Fail to Scale: Why Good Research Doesn’t Always Make Great Policy: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/fail-to-scale-john-a-list/ 

Alia Crum: https://profiles.stanford.edu/alia-crum 

Shawn Anchor, “The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work”: https://amzn.to/3NPMrQ4 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

Robert Goulet “The Impossible Dream”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5H7lZMuUCM 

Nina Simone “Consummation”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is-gdWIBgHo

Flavors of Gratefulness – 120 versions of Modah Ani: https://www.rabbishefagold.com/hebrew_chant/modah_ani_app/

Shulem “Avinu Malkeinu”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27HaHpaFEC8&ab_channel=ShulemVEVO

Many of us struggle with the demands of parenting. Our response to feeling overwhelmed can be to try and control our kids’ behavior. But guest Sue Donnellan challenges us to lessen our parenting load by giving our children more control, more responsibility and ultimately more respect. While this might go against our instincts, when we take ownership of our own behavior, rather than controlling our kids', we will become happier parents with children able to learn from their mistakes.

 

Sue Donnellan is the recent author of “Secrets to Parenting Without Giving a F^ck: The Non-Conformist Playbook to Raising Happy Kids Without Public Meltdowns, Power Struggles, & Punishments”. With the surprise arrival of her triplets, Sue had suddenly found herself parenting 4 young kids while also running her own business. She walks us through the moment that radically changed her parenting style, and how she transformed herself into a "reformed yeller". Over the years, Sue's journey of discovery has turned her into a parenting specialist who is known for restoring harmony to homes.

 

Please note that because of the title of our guest’s book on this episode, there is a lot of colorful language used throughout the podcast. While it’s an episode about parenting, you may want to tune in to this one, away from little ears!

 

At Behavioral Grooves we really value all of our listeners. If you want to demonstrate your support for our show, you can donate to our work through Patreon. We also love reading reviews of the podcast, and frequently read these out on the show.

 

Topics

(3:44) Welcome and speed round questions.

(8:49) What is parenting without giving a f^ck?

(11:53) Sues’ parenting journey and why she wrote the book.

(16:36) Why do parents struggle to let go of control?

(19:00) What is The Magic Mantra?

(22:32) Choice architecture in parenting.

(26:04) Dealing with parental guilt.

(29:44) What is 360 decision making?

(35:54) The 4 Fs of parenting.

(39:53) What music would Sue take to a desert island?

(45:09) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim about parenting.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Sue Donnellan’s book: “Secrets to Parenting Without Giving a F^ck: The Non-Conformist Playbook to Raising Happy Kids Without Public Meltdowns, Power Struggles, & Punishments”: https://amzn.to/3wR0Llw 

Follow Sue Donnellan on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter with the handle @AskMomParenting

The Zeigarnik Effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeigarnik_effect

Sesil Pir, Episode 281, Why Leaders Need To Care For People, Not Manage Them: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/care-for-people-not-manage-them/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

Sade “Smooth Operator”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TYv2PhG89A 

Sade “Cherish The Day”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKhfoKOTwZY 

World-class pediatric surgeon, social scientist, and best-selling author Dr Dana Suskind MD talks about the Three T's (tune in, talk more and take turns) that parents can do to nurture their children’s brain development and the key ways that society needs to change to invest in the next generation.

Dana is the founder and co-director of the TMW Center for Early Learning & Public Health, and Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago. She is also the director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, and is recognized as a national thought leader in early language development. Her research is dedicated to optimizing foundational brain development and preventing early cognitive disparities and their lifelong impact. Honestly, when she talks about raising kids…we need to listen.

Most recently, Dana has released a fantastic new book detailing the powerful blueprint that society should be taking to meet the developmental needs of all children. We talk more with Dana about why she wrote Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child's Potential, Fulfilling Society's Promise and how the status quo for parenting in America is not serving parents and children well.

If you enjoy Dana’s episode on Behavioral Grooves Podcast, you can support our work through our Patreon page. You can also write a short podcast review on your podcast player; doing so helps other listeners find our show.

 

Topics

(4:58) Welcome and speed round questions. 

(9:25) How has American individualism influenced the way we parent our children?

(13:05) How significant is the lack of parental leave in the US?

(17:37) Internalizing parental guilt.

(19:28) Reframing your self talk around raising your kids. 

(21:17) The influence of the pandemic on parenting.

(25:19) What has been the impact of the pandemic on children?

(27:28) Why language is so important to early development.

(30:20) The 3 Ts of foundational brain development.

(31:56) The personal trauma that influenced Dana’s writing.

(34:19) What positive support systems are there to help parents?

(39:31) Dana’s ambition to write behavioral economics music!

(41:26) Grooving Session discussing Parent Nation.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

“Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child's Potential, Fulfilling Society's Promise” by Dana Suskind MD:  https://amzn.to/3wD8YIQ 

John List, Episode 296: Fail to Scale: Why Good Research Doesn’t Always Make Great Policy: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/fail-to-scale-john-a-list/ 

Linda Babcock, Episode 293: Women Do Too Much Non-Promotable Work: How To Say No More with Linda Babcock: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/women-do-too-much/ 

Meryl Streep: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meryl_Streep 

John Amos Comenius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Amos_Comenius 

Caitlyn Collins, Washington University: https://sociology.wustl.edu/people/caitlyn-collins 

TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health at the University of Chicago: https://tmwcenter.uchicago.edu/ 

“Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain” by Dana Suskind MD: https://amzn.to/3wJ1MLl 

Dolly Chugh, Episode 230: How Good People Fight Bias with Dolly Chugh: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/ 

David Yokum, Episode 282: Why Applying Behavioral Science to Public Policy Delivers Better Policy: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/behavioral-science-in-public-policy/ 

Cristina Bicchieri, Episode 102: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/ 

Support Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

Johnny Cash “I Walk The Line”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5126CibNsk 

Lots of us have good ideas, some even back their ideas up with successful research. So why do these good ideas fail to scale into great, big ideas? John A. List shares the personal example of his highly successful kindergarten reform in South Side Chicago which then didn’t scale across the nation. His intrigue into this case led him to pen a phenomenal new book about scalability, “The Voltage Effect”.

 

John A. List, is a Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago as well as recently becoming the first ever Chief Economist at Walmart. Our conversation with John touches on the ambition he has to change the world for the better in this new role at Walmart. But the primary drive for our chat was to discuss his great new book “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale”. Listen in to learn about the concept of scalability and why it is so hard to go from, “the petri dish’ (as he puts it) to successful broad scale programs. 

 

As is often the case, we round off our episode with a desert island music selection from our guest. And John’s very thoughtful consideration of the question yields a top notch selection of musical artists. Don’t miss this part of the discussion!

 

Regular listeners to Behavioral Grooves might consider donating to our work through our Patreon page. Or you can also support us by writing a podcast review on your podcast player; doing so helps scale our audience!

Topics

 

(6:06) Welcome and speed round questions.

(11:03) Why John named his book The Voltage Effect.

(13:41) John’s involvement in the Chicago Heights Early Childhood (CHECC) school project.

(23:05) What biases influence people?

(26:29) How Nancy Reagan’s good intentions are an example of scaling failure.

(30:52) Scaling behavioral science.

(39:17) How is John going to change the world as Chief Economist at Walmart?

(43:33) How can insights from charity be applied to other sectors?

(54:55) John’s desert island music selection.

(1:04:11) A “High Voltage” Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

John A. List’s book, “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale”: https://amzn.to/3a0GOjh 

“Just Say No” campaign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Say_No

Anna Karenina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina

“Stakes Matter in Ultimatum Games” (2011) by Steffen Andersen, Seda Ertaç, Uri Gneezy, Moshe Hoffman and John List: https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/hhscbsnow/2011_5f001.htm 

George Lowenstein, Episode 67 “George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/ 

“Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child's Potential, Fulfilling Society's Promise” by Dana Suskind:  https://amzn.to/3wD8YIQ 

Sam Tatam, Episode 295 “For Revolutionary Solutions, Look To Evolutionary Ideas”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/evolutionary-ideas-sam-tatam/ 

Scott Jeffrey, Episode 3: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/bg-3-scott-jeffrey-phd-monmouth-university/ 

Thomas Steenburgh, Episode 51: “How to Sell New Products”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/thomas-steenburgh-how-to-sell-new-products/ 

To leave Apple podcast review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112

To support Behavioral Grooves via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

 

The Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtzkaL2t_Y 

Freddie Mercury/Queen “These are the Days of Our Lives”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB4K0scMysc 

Johnny Cash “Ring Of Fire”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCMz70Fm5pA 

Marty Robbins “El Paso”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig2GF1sZSEA 

The Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under The Bridge”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwlogyj7nFE 

AC/DC “High Voltage”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnjh-zp6pP4 

Gordon Lightfoot “If You Could Read My Mind”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5tr_L31StI 

Kris Kristofferson “For the Good Times”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX094Nn4L_Y 

Waylon Jennings “I’ve Always Been Crazy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI2MhAGtZgE 

Fleetwood Mac “Dreams”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4 

Stevie Nicks “Stand Back”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwS9BIqbffU 

White Stripes “We’re Going to Be Friends”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKfD8d3XJok

Innovation doesn’t always require inventing new solutions to problems; chances are that evolution has already solved the issue with a unique design. This simple notion of looking to the natural world for design inspiration is called biomimicry. Guest, Sam Tatam uses biomimicry in his creative application of behavioral science.

 

Friend of the show, Sam Tatam is the author of a fantastic new book called Evolutionary Ideas: Unlocking ancient innovation to solve tomorrow’s challenges. Sam is the Global Principal and Head of Behavioural Science at Ogilvy Growth & Innovation. From New York to Nairobi, Sam has led behavior change projects across virtually every category and continent. Today, he leads a global team of talented psychologists and behavioral economists to develop interventions and shape the communications of some of the world’s most influential brands and organizations.

 

Listen in to our conversation with Sam to learn about biomimicry, The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and the Goal Gradient theory. But our conversation isn't all "sciency", we also have a light hearted chat about the musical artist Sam went to Italy with, and about the differences in pubs between London and Sydney.

 

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon. We also absolutely love reading your reviews on the podcast, which help others find our content.

Topics

 

(4:59) Welcome and speed round questions.

(13:23) What is biomimicry? 

(18:20) TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) and evolutionary thinking.

(25:32) How language can be a liberator for innovation. 

(29:28) Categorizing biases into patterns.

(34:58) What is the Goal Gradient Theory and why isn’t it applied more often?

(39:14) Five psychological contradictions.

(47:26) What music would Sam take to a desert island?

(51:03) Kurt and Tim discussing Sam’s Evolutionary Ideas.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

 

Sam Tatam's Book: "Evolutionary Ideas: Unlocking ancient innovation to solve tomorrow’s challenges": https://amzn.to/3I6ANwX 

Episode 44, Sam Tatam: Smelling the Brand: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/sam-tatam-smelling-the-brand/ 

Episode 107: Rory Sutherland: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rory-sutherland-the-opposite-of-a-good-idea-is-a-good-idea/ 

Biomimicry: https://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/ 

TRIZ: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIZ 

Shinkansen, Japanese speed train: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen 

Generich Altshuller: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genrich_Altshuller 

Episode 215, Leidy Klotz: Secrets of Subtraction: Donut Holes, Lego and Bruce Springsteen: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/subtraction-with-leidy-klotz/ 

Episode 289: Why Not All Nudges Work ”In The Wild” | Nina Mazar PhD & Dilip Soman PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-not-all-nudges-work-in-the-wild-nina-mazar-dilip-soman/ 

Baader–Meinhof phenomenon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion 

Episode 202, How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-chaning-jang-works-around-not-being-weird/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

 

David Gray “Sail Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oyBnvibWEY 

Powderfinger “My Happiness”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM_eb0vVo0k 

A goal is a stepping stone on the way to a higher achievement, not an end point. By reframing our expectations, we can transform our mindset into an incredibly powerful psychological tool.

 

Our guest on this episode is Paul Szyarto who has overcome some heartbreaking personal adversity to become an incredibly successful entrepreneur.

 

Paul speaks with us in detail about the blind spots entrepreneurs experience and why many organizations fail because they don’t hire the right people with the right talent. And he reminds us that the most challenging thing to do in times of chaos is to focus on something meaningful, something beyond the current chaos of that current challenge.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Topics 

(2:50) Welcome and speed round questions.

(5:11) Goals are not end points, they are stepping stones to a higher achievement.

(8:47) The psychology of human capital.

(12:16) Why most businesses fail. 

(13:31) Paul’s secret tips for entrepreneurs. 

(16:23) What is the Never Broken mindset?

(19:51) The barriers to feeling grateful.

(21:14) Does Paul’s playlist reflect his Never Broken mindset?

(22:40) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim discussing mindsets.

Links

Never Broken Mindset: https://www.neverbrokenmindset.com/ 

Episode 277, Daniel Pink, No Regrets? Really? Why Regrets Actually Bring Us Hope: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-regrets-bring-us-hope/ 

Episode 276, Ayelet Fishbach, How To Stay Motivated So You Exceed Your Goals: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/motivation-to-exceed-your-goals/ 

 

Women are more likely to volunteer for a non-promotable task at work, than men. But why do women volunteer themselves more? What repercussions does this have on women and on the organization? And how can workplaces fix this inequity?

 

Non promotable tasks (NPTs) are the pieces of work that are good for the organization, but not so good for the individual. It’s the request from your boss to organize the holiday party, or the task of ordering sandwiches for the team lunch, or the mission of being on the review committee. And the problem, says Linda and her co-authors, is that women are doing the vast majority of these non-promotable tasks for no reason other than people expect them to.

 

Linda Babcock is a longtime friend of the show, having first appeared on Behavioral Grooves Podcast back in April 2019 to talk about promoting the careers of women in the workplace. Since then, Linda has co-authored a fantastic new book advocating further for women in the workplace; “The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women's Dead-End Work”. Having formed “The No Club” with a group of other women, in an effort to regain balance in their workload, Linda and her fellow group members have written about their personal experience of learning to say NO to NPTs. 

 

Make no mistake, Linda’s book is not a guide for women, it is a guide for anyone who works with or knows women! Weaving practical tips into ever chapter of the book, Linda and her co-authors outline clear steps in how to avoid and fix the problem of workload inequity. And the benefits aren’t limited to women either - organizations can improve their productivity and profitability as a result of addressing these problems.

 

In this episode with Linda we relish the opportunity to discuss with her the practical ways women, men and organizations can rebalance the workload of NPTs. If you are a regular listener to the show, please consider support our work through our Patreon page. If donating isn’t an option for you, don’t worry, you can’t write us a podcast review on your podcast player which will help other listeners find our show.

 

Topics

 

(4:40) What are non promotable tasks (NPTs)?

(7:47) Why do women do more NPTs?

(12:50) Is there racial inequity with NPTs as well?

(14:11) Tips for how women can say no to NPTs.

(18:31) How can organizations fix the problem of NPTs?

(21:27) How men can change the NPT culture at work.

(25:55) Linda’s personal story of forming The No Club.

(27:45) Linda’s desert island music choices.

(31:21) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim on how to improve the culture of NPTs at your work..

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

 

“The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women's Dead-End Work”: https://amzn.to/3KPuUFM 

Episode 62, Linda Babcock: Helping Women Build Better Careers at Carnegie Mellon: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/linda-babcock-helping-women-build-better-careers-at-carnegie-mellon/ 

Episode 67, George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Leading Human Workbook and Playbook: store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package">https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

 

Musical Links

 

The Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3XzO_cOOVU 

Bruno Mars “24K Magic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqyT8IEBkvY&ab_channel=BrunoMars 

The Mountain Goats “Golden Boy Peanuts”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIVNv9XZgG8&ab_channel=elijahlupe 

 

 

The culture we live in has an invisible influence over our individual and collective behaviors. The tendency towards openness or order in a society is expressed by Michele Gelfand, as the looseness or tightness of a culture. How loose or tight a country is can be correlated to the amount of threat the nation has faced in the past, and in turn, can indicate how its people will respond to a new threat, such as a global pandemic.

 

Michele Gelfand is Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Professor of Psychology by Courtesy at Stanford University. She wrote her book “Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: Tight and Loose Cultures and the Secret Signals That Direct Our Lives” in the era before COVID. Despite that she astutely addressed how tight and loose nations would respond to the threat of a global pandemic. We were honored to have the time to chat more with Michele about this topic and many others in this episode. 

 

Topics

(5:49) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:27) How culture influences our behavior. 

(10:26) How the threat to a nation influences how tight and loose cultures are.

(13:21) What Bert and Ernie can teach us about our tight and loose personalities.

(16:27) What factors influence our default tendency to be tight or loose people? 

(20:21) The global threat of the pandemic and how loose and tight cultures responded. 

(28:48) What Ukraine has taught us about national identity.

(30:47) How can societies maximize both order and openness?

(35:02) Can organizations instigate flexible tightness?

(39:42) Do we have blind spots on how open we are?

(43:26) How values and attitudes influence your behaviors in different cultures.

(47:41) What nudge worked to encourage mask wearing among Republicans and Democrats?

(51:50) The music that influences Michele’s work.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Michele Gelfand: www.michelegelfand.com

“Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: Tight and Loose Cultures and the Secret Signals That Direct Our Lives” book by Michele Gelfand: https://amzn.to/37O7OSC 

Mindset Quiz: How tight or loose are you? www.michelegelfand.com/tl-quiz 

Episode 266, Sandra Sucher, Trust: The Four Key Steps to Genuinely Build It: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/four-key-steps-to-build-trust/ 

Episode 102, Cristina Bicchieri, Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/ 

 

Musical Links

Oscar Peterson “C Jam Blues”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTJhHn-TuDY 

Les McCann “A Bag of Gold”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50bGvY3Roj0 

Dave Brubeck “Take Five”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmDDOFXSgAs 

Bach “Brandenburg Concertos”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCPM8DEsvmc

Processes decrease our cognitive load and increase our productivity. On Behavioral Grooves we have talked with out guests a lot about habits and routines, but not so much about the processes behind them. In this bitesize episode we discuss the psychological benefits of using processes and how you can leverage them in your life.

To illustrate the use of processes to achieve different outcomes, we are joined by both a practitioner and a researcher on this episode. Joseph R. Keebler is a Researcher and a Professor of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. He has done some really amazing work on the use of processes and checklists for improving performance.

Our practitioner guest is Peter M. Krask, who is an artist and coach based in New York City. Peter helps people maximize their creative and non creative output. By tapping into processes, he will share how processes from one aspect of our lives can be used to help us work through new and unfamiliar tasks in other parts of our lives.

 

Topics

(3:29) How processes reduce our cognitive load.

(7:38) You can use the same process but get a different outcome. 

(14:50) Being intentional creates better processes.

(16:50) Flexible goals are motivational.

(20:14) Summary of what we’ve learnt.

 

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Joseph R. Keebler, PhD: https://faculty.erau.edu/Joseph.Keebler 

Peter M. Krask: https://www.petermkrask.com/ 

PMK Creativity Guide: https://www.pmkcreativityguide.com/ 

Episode 128, Wendy Wood, PhD: Habits, Productivity and Being Gentle with Yourself: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/covid-19-crisis-wendy-wood-phd-on-habits-productivity-and-being-gentle-with-yourself/ 

Episode 232, Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/ 

Episode 171, Roy Baumeister: Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/ 

Episode 276, Ayelet Fishbach, PhD: How To Stay Motivated So You Exceed Your Goals: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/motivation-to-exceed-your-goals/

Transporting humans from A to B is about more than just speed, efficiency and duration. Comfort, Wi-Fi access, entertainment and our habits, among many other factors, influence our choice of transportation. As we become increasingly aware of the way our travel decisions affect climate change, how can behavioral science positively impact the journeys we make?

Let our entertaining discussion with Pete Dyson and Rory Sutherland take you on a journey through their new book, “Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet?” Pete is the Principal Behavioural Scientist at the UK Department for Transport and has paired up with Rory who needs little introduction to many behavioral science enthusiasts. The vice chairman of Ogilvy UK and the co-founder of its Behavioural Science Practice, Rory is also a guest on one of the most popular ever episodes of Behavioral Grooves, Episode 107: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea.

Our episode, along with the book, appeals to the “frustrated but optimistic traveler.” We hope listening helps you reframe your journey.

 

Topics

 

(3:23) Welcome to Pete and Rory with speed round questions.

(9:05) Our transport preferences are all different, so the market should reflect that.

(13:36) The book for the frustrated but optimistic traveler.

(15:30) What do travelers value? 

(20:27) How does human nature affect our use of transport? 

(22:37) How passenger technology has influenced train journeys.

(24:51) The consequences of journeys on climate change.

(26:31) Transportation challenges in the US.

(35:56) Thinking holistically, Zoom is an example of transportation. 

(39:01) Rebranding a bus route increases ridership.

(43:39) Listening to music while cycling or commuting? 

(49:52) Grooving Session on how Pete and Rory transported our thinking!

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

 

“Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet?” by Pete Dyson and Rory Sutherland: https://amzn.to/3KeWM6U 

Episode 107, Rory Sutherland: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rory-sutherland-the-opposite-of-a-good-idea-is-a-good-idea/ 

George Monbiot: https://www.monbiot.com/ 

Episode 287, Nick Epley: Why Talking To Strangers Is Actually Good For Your Wellbeing: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/talking-to-strangers/ 

Read Nudge and you are inspired by how behavioral science works. But how can we translate and scale behavioral science effectively into policies and organizations? Indeed, can all academic research be applied “in the wild”?

 

Our two guests on this episode, Nina Mazar PhD and Dilip Soman PhD have co-edited a book “Behavioral Science in the Wild” that addresses exactly this. If you’re a practitioner, wanting to apply behavioral science in corporate, non-profit, or governmental work, we think you should check this book out. It’s full of excellent ideas for how to apply behavioral science in the wild!

 

Nina Mazar is a professor of marketing and co-director of the Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy at the Boston University Questrom School of Business. Her work focuses on topics ranging from ethics to social & environmental impact. She sits on the board of Irrational Labs and belongs to the team of scientists of the Behavior Change for Good Initiative at Wharton.  

 

Dilip Soman is a Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Science and Economics. His research is in the area of behavioral science and its applications to consumer wellbeing, marketing and policy. Together Nina and Dilip established the Director of the Behavioural Economics in Action Research Centre at Rotman [BEAR], on which Dilip still serves as director.

 

Our discussion with Nina and Dilip explores the journey of working on their book together and why it’s vital reading for all behavioral scientists. To summarize the discussion, as always, Tim and Kurt end the show with a Grooving Session to recap what we learn about behavioral science in the wild!

Topics

 

(5:04) Welcome to Dilip and Nina with speed round questions.

(10:01) Why do we need a book about applying behavioral science research “in the wild”.

(14:29) Why not all academic research is destined for the practitioner world? 

(18:04) Social norms matter but the right reference group is vital.

(21:35) Background variables influence behavioral science in the wild.

(29:27) Speed of testing can be a barrier.

(31:33) Overcoming the issue of scalability. 

(35:24) How your time frame can affect output.

(38:55) What to do when you don’t get the results you expect.

(44:07) Don’t get caught shopping in the nudge store.

(45:50) Music choices of Dilip and Nina.

(51:29) Grooving session about behavioral science in the wild.

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Leading Human™

Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package">https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist">https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist

 

Links

“Behavioral Science in the Wild (Behaviorally Informed Organizations)”: https://amzn.to/3xxAD04 

Nina Mazar: http://ninamazar.com/ 

Dilip Soman: https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/FacultyAndResearch/Faculty/FacultyBios/Soman 

Episode 102, Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/ 

Episode 232, Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/ 

Episode 16, Nudge-A-Thon with Dr. Christina Gravert: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nudge-a-thon-christina-gravert/ 

Episode 202, How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-chaning-jang-works-around-not-being-weird/ 

Behavioural Economics in Action at Rotman (BEAR): https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/facultyandresearch/researchcentres/bear 

 

Musical Links

 

Paul Simon “Graceland”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP6a-7MP91g 

Mark Knopfler “What It Is”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGmtonlys5A 

Kishori Amonkar “Swaranjali”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-FuttzRlWE 

Dire Straits “Brothers in Arms”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhdFe3evXpk 

Supertramp “Take The Long Way Home”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLP0y-X4uYs 

Fleetwood Mac “Dreams”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4

Subramaniam and Stephane Grappelli “Conversations”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFI4TzUDc-8&ab_channel=AhmadAlArabii

The 1988 Subramaniam-Bismillah Geneva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGOp7APcuMs

The Cure “Just Like Heaven”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3nPiBai66M 

Kate Bush “Wuthering Heights”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pMMIe4hb4 

 

Personality or wealth are often assumed to be prerequisites to gaining power, something that is only garnered by having control over others. An organization chart in a company, however, does not illustrate who has power within the workplace, it only tells you who has authority. And as we learn in this episode, authority and power are not the same.

 

By using workplace illustrations from the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom to a cigarette factory in France, Julie Battilana walks us through the precise definitions of power and authority. By understanding exactly what power is and how it really works, Julie breaks down the critical steps to successfully acquiring power and using it to disrupt hierarchies; by innovating, agitating and orchestrating. 

 

Julie Battilana is the Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Business Administration in the Organizational Behavior unit at Harvard Business School and the Alan L. Gleitsman Professor of Social Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, where she is also the founder and faculty chair of the Social Innovation and Change Initiative.

 

We value support from our listeners through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. If donating isn’t an option for you, don’t worry, you can’t write us a podcast review on your podcast player which will help other listeners find our show. Thank you.

 

© 2022  Behavioral Grooves

 

Topics

 

(3:32) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:29) Power and authority are NOT the same.

(11:59) Who are the most effective change makers?

(14:37) Power is having an influence over others but is also a freedom from the influence of others.

(16:15) How can we choose the right leaders?

(20:18) Empowering the powerless.

(25:57) The power of collectivism.

(30:17) Abuse of power by Putin.

(36:02) How technology plays a part in abuse of power.

(41:38) What checks on power are needed?

(45:29) Is there hope for the future? 

(52:20) What music does Julie listen to.

(54:55) Grooving Session discussing what we learnt from Julie.

 

Links

Leading Human Workbook and Playbook: store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package">https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package 

Groovy Snacks Newsletter: https://behavioralgrooves.com/newsletter-signup/ 

“Power, for All: How It Really Works and Why It's Everyone's Business” by Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro: https://amzn.to/3tRykRM

Julie Battilana, PhD: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=382192 

Fragrance De Soie tea: rose-de-soie-T8669.html?fbclid=IwAR2Zl2GOegLbbuXY5HRgPOICdbkcfAAgcWRamd9mt4plFsgSL_pARoD__UM">https://www.mariagefreres.com/FR/2-rose-de-soie-T8669.html?fbclid=IwAR2Zl2GOegLbbuXY5HRgPOICdbkcfAAgcWRamd9mt4plFsgSL_pARoD__UM 

Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253. Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/

LaTosha Brown: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTosha_Brown 

Jean Rogers, founder of Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB): https://rogersassociatesllc.com/index.php/about-me/ 

Social Innovation Change Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School: https://sici.hks.harvard.edu/ 

Barefoot College: https://www.barefootcollege.org/  

 

Musical Links

Stromae “Sante”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3QS83ubhHE

Do you strike up a conversation with a stranger on a plane or while waiting in line? If you don’t already, you will after listening to Nick Epley in this episode. Nick talks through his extensive research about talking to people we encounter and how it actually boosts our wellbeing. 

 

While many of us prefer engaging in some small talk with strangers, Nick advocates for the benefits of having a deep and meaningful conversation with people. The problem is, how do we actually start such a conversation with the person who just sat down next to us? Fear not, Nick delves into why we’re reluctant and how we can overcome our hesitation.

 

Nick Epley is the John Templeton Keller Professor of Behavior Science and Director of the Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He studies social cognition — how thinking people think about other thinking people — to understand why smart people so routinely misunderstand each other. Recently Nick has written the book “Mindwise: Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want” and he talks in his interview about what he's working on next.

 

As always, hosts Kurt and Tim end the show with a light-hearted Grooving Session to summarize what we have learnt from our guest. I’m sure you will agree that Nick’s interview leaves us with lots of helpful insights. But if there is just one thing you take away from this episode, great listeners, is never hesitant to seize the opportunity to pay a compliment.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Topics

(3:40) Welcome and speed round questions.

(4:57) Why it’s better to have a deep and meaningful conversation with a stranger?

(7:18) Why are we reluctant to talk to strangers about something meaningful?

(13:46) Why did Nick start studying undersociality? 

(21:06) What happens when strangers talk on a train?

(29:33) How do you start a conversation with a stranger?

(33:20) The benefits of a compliment.

(39:21) Nick’s work in the future.

(43:35) The mind-blowing way to get someone else’s perspective?

(47:49) What music influences Nick.

(51:24) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing what we learned from Nick Epley.

 

Links

Nicholas Epley: www.nicholasepley.com

“Mindwise: Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want” by Nick Epley: https://amzn.to/3IodtLV

Gary Becker: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/1992/becker/facts/ 

Liz Dunn at University of British Columbia: https://psych.ubc.ca/profile/elizabeth-dunn/ 

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

 

Musical Links

Metallica “Master of Puppets”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnKhsTXoKCI 

David Tolk, piano player “Amazing Grace”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X24B_2TjPQ 

“All Creatures Great and Small” music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hLXxQPkAGk 

 

As the political divide between left and right widens in the US and around the world, we seem to spend increasing amounts of time focusing on the idea that other people are wrong. But what if we stopped arguing about facts and talked about improving ourselves instead?

“All of my knowledge is temporary, pending new information.”

This is a motto that guest Peter Montoya lives by, which questions our own ego and behavior, more than other people’s.

Peter Montoya is the author of “The Second Civil War: A Citizen's Guide to Healing Our Fractured Nation”, which we understand to be the first “political self help” for Americans. Instead of pointing the finger of blame at one side or the other, Peter challenges us to look inward at our own behavior, our own ego battle and our own craving to belong which can reveal a lot about the relationships we are building.

Looking inwards is a personal journey that Peter has recently taken himself and we are incredibly grateful to him for the vulnerability and openness he shows in this episode. We are all just trying to be a better version of ourselves and we can see this endeavor reflected in the stories that Peter shares with us.

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would be grateful if you could donate to our work through Patreon. Contributions we receive from listeners are used to fund the work on our podcast, and help ensure we can deliver more great content to you. Thank you!

Topics

(7:19) Why do people fight on social media?

(13:31) Why do we need a political self help book?

(15:51) Arguing about politics really is stupid; but what’s the alternative?

(20:43) What to do about social media and news rewarding extreme stories.

(26:19) Why don’t facts or morality matter when changing minds?

(29:34) What are our actual differences vs. our perceived differences?

(30:13) Change starts with ourselves.

(33:19) Understanding our own ego.

(35:09) When you change yourself, you change your relationships.

(47:17) The greatest song Peter has ever heard.

(53:31) Grooving Session discussing what we’ve learnt from Peter.

 

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Peter Montoya: petermontoya.com

“The Second Civil War: A Citizen's Guide to Healing Our Fractured Nation” by Peter Montoya: https://amzn.to/3w3ooHF 

Interested in becoming an Urth Co-Creator? Visit: www.Urth.cc 

Episode 215, Secrets of Subtraction: Donut Holes, Lego and Bruce Springsteen with Leidy Klotz: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/subtraction-with-leidy-klotz/

Episode 10, Changing the World One View at a Time – with Reddit Superstar Kal Turnbull: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/changing-the-world-one-view-at-a-time-with-reddit-superstar-kal-turnbull/ 

Dances with Wolves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dances_with_Wolves 

“The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work” by John Gottman: https://amzn.to/36xZzcA 

Glossary of Behavioral Terms: https://behavioralgrooves.com/behavioral-science-glossary-of-terms/ 

Episode 283, Henry Gee - Is The Anus Really The Key To All Intelligent Life? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/anus-the-key-to-intelligent-life/ 

Episode 226, The Power of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/ 

Episode 279, We Are Greater Together; The Power Of Belonging with Dominic Packer PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-power-of-belonging/  

Behavioral Grooves Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

The Beatles “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jenWdylTtzs 

The Sandells “Dirty Water”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5apEctKwiD8 

Radiohead “Daydreaming”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTAU7lLDZYU 

Bjork “Human Behaviour”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0mRIhK9seg 

The Clash “Rock The Casbah”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9r8LMU9bQ 

The Clash “London’s Calling”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c 

Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros: “Yalla Yalla”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LliymbErupw&ab_channel=HellcatRecords 

We are always learning, whether it’s changing careers or learning a new instrument. But how do we transition from the curiosity stage, to completely mastering the skill? It turns out it’s a rather predictable process. The growth and learning journey we all embark on, many times in our life, can, according to Whitney Johnson, be visualized on the S Curve of Learning. The growth and learning journey comes in three phases: the Launch Point, the Sweet Spot, and Mastery. 

In this episode with Whitney and in her new book “Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company”, we can learn how to keep going when growth is slow and why we sometimes leap from one journey to another. By familiarizing ourselves with the growth journey, we can better ourselves, our workplaces and our societies. 

Not only has Whitney been a fascinating guest on our podcast, she has also generously given us some signed copies of her book for our listeners! All you have to do is write a Twitter post about why you would like to read Whitney’s book Smart Growth on social media and tag us in the post: @behavioralgroov. We will choose the lucky winners and send you a FREE SIGNED COPY!

Topics

(1:18) Find out how to WIN Whitney’s new book, “Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company”.

(4:11) What is the S Curve of Learning? 

(11:33) How we have learnt to integrate our work life and home life during the pandemic.

(15:44) Nobody climbs their S Curve alone; how important is context? 

(18:49) The 6 phases of the S Curve.

(26:28) How Shellye Archambeau jumped onto new S Curves in order to reach the summit.

(34:51) What is Whitney’s next challenge?

(40:58) Whitney’s S Curve with music.

(47:00) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim recapping what we learnt from Whitney.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Win a signed copy of Whitney’s new book at @behavioralgroov

“Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company” by Whitney Johnson: https://amzn.to/3NpapCq 

“The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change)” by Clayton Christensen: https://amzn.to/3JE3mDu 

Thich Nhat Hanh quote: “You have to do it by yourself. You can not do it alone.”

Episode 204, How Shellye Archambeau Flies Like an Eagle: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shellye-archambeau-like-an-eagle/ 

Disrupt Yourself Podcast: https://whitneyjohnson.com/disrupt-yourself-podcast/ 

Jacqueline Novogratz on Disrupt Yourself Podcast: https://whitneyjohnson.com/233-jacqueline-novogratz-when-the-work-gets-hard-look-for-beauty/ 

Simon Sinek on Disrupt Yourself Podcast: https://whitneyjohnson.com/simon-sinek/ 

Livingston Taylor On Disrupt Yourself Podcast: https://whitneyjohnson.com/livingston-taylor/ 

Sunil Gupta on Disrupt Yourself Podcast: https://whitneyjohnson.com/222-suneel-gupta/ 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.

Musical Links

Diana Krall “Just The Way You Are”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8RYUZT57XA 

Stevie Wonder “As”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYQfWJNWe3I 

Rodgers & Hammerstein“Getting To Know You” from The King and I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlx6gQWfjp0 

Aimee Nolte piano jazz tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJCj7J69vsQ 

Tori Kelly “Don’t You Worry About A Thing”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skq4IQmt58o 

Creating a motivating mindset is the most important component of any sales role. In fact, it’s a critical component of everything we do, but Donald C. Kelly enthusiastically reminds us in this episode that it’s a vital step in the sales process. Adopting a sales mindset can elevate you from a good sales person to a great sales person. Learn from Donald about how to get into the zone of a sales mindset.

Donald has an extremely passionate, dedicated, and infectious personality. As producer and host of the extremely popular podcast, The Sales Evangelist, Donald lives, eats and breathes sales. He believes that anyone can become a sales person if they believe in themselves. Something that he started to discover for himself at the age of 7, when he started to sell mangoes in his hometown in Jamaica in order to help get him the cool Ninja bike that he wanted so badly. 

We dedicate part of our interview with Donald to discuss the blend of behavioral science in sales. If you’re interested in finding out even more about how behavioral science can be used in your workplace, the team at Behavioral Grooves have designed a new handbook on leadership called store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package">Leading Human. It is cater-made for leaders in sales or any management role to help explore the human challenges and overcome the stresses of working in a hyper-dynamic world. The handbook walks you through exercises that you can do with your team - to make sure that you are being the most effective manager possible. In this ever changing world, having a deep understanding of how to apply behavioral science insights to better lead your team is vitally important.

Topics

(3:04) Welcome and speed round questions.

(8:40) Are people born with a natural sales ability? 

(13:30) Why does our impression of sales come from car salesmen?

(18:12) Donald’s sales journey started by selling mangoes.

(22:38) How important is your mindset in sales?

(24:37) How your environment activates your reticular activating system.

(36:03) Why is behavioral science not integrated more in sales?

(41:10) How Donald uses music to get in the zone.

(45:27) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim sharing what we learnt from Donald.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links 

Kurt and Tim on The Sales Evangelist Podcast, “Why Your Brain Lies To You: Cash Is NOT The Best Motivator”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tim-houlihan-and-kurt-nelson-phd-why-your-brain-lies/id788738885?i=1000473224218 

“Sell It Like a Mango: A New Seller's Guide to Closing More Deals” by Donald C. Kelly: https://amzn.to/36cH8Kt 

“The Sales Evangelist Sales Planner” by Donald C. Kelly: https://amzn.to/3ipIdAW 

Michael Jordan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan 

Seth Godin: https://seths.blog/ 

Leading Human Handbook designed for leaders: store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package">https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package 

Musical Links 

Chronixx “Here Comes Trouble”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeIfiiBTfY 

Koffee “Lockdown”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSzv3K3Keyg 

Drake “Money In The Grave”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3lH6CULHD0 

Damian Marley “Living It Up”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XN8h3JHmHw 

Paleontologist Henry Gee humorously explains to us why the anus was the key to large animals evolving, how the large size of our “dangly bits” is unique to our species, and what exactly has been the significance to humans about bipedalism. Our colorful discussion with Henry hilariously highlights many of the mysteries surrounding our life on earth.

"The anus was the key to all intelligent life, which is why one tends to have one's best ideas while sitting on the loo." ~ Henry Gee

Henry describes himself as a “recovering paleontologist”, but he is also an author, and a musician. His day job is the senior editor of the scientific journal Nature. 

Having written numerous books, including The Accidental Species, The Science of Middle-Earth, Jacob's Ladder and In Search of Deep Time, Henry protested to his publisher that he wouldn’t write another [expletive] book. But Henry wrote another [expletive] book and we’re so glad he did! A (Very) Short History of Life On Earth is a fun and informative review of the delicate balance that has allowed life to survive and flourish on the planet. 

Topics 

(5:49) Welcome and speed round questions.

(10:21) Why was the development of the anus the key to all intelligent life?

(13:01) Why are there no dinosaur sized animals anymore?

(18:32) The story of why Henry wrote A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth.

(23:55) Why bipedalism is such a mystery and a marvel.

(31:57) Humans are uniquely good at endurance running.

(35:07) Why do men have large penises and women have large breasts?

(39:10) The musical significance of cave painting locations.

(42:03) Bach was a rule breaker!

(47:05) What work and music Henry is working on next.

(51:24) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim reviewing what we learnt from Henry.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Henry’s book, “A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: 4.6 Billion Years in 12 Pithy Chapters”: https://amzn.to/3I8HH4W 

Henry Gee on Twitter: @EndOfThePier 

Neil Gaiman: https://www.neilgaiman.com/ 

Dan Lieberman: https://scholar.harvard.edu/dlieberman/home 

 

Musical Links 

Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRg0K5rgXog&ab_channel=CollinsClassics 

Juilliard String Quartet performs Bach, Art of Fugue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ILd81jY1v4 

BB King “Beautician Blues”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFA4UHl4upE 

Robert Johnson “Crossroads”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd60nI4sa9A 

G & T “Ice and a Slice”: https://open.spotify.com/album/5o4CQ6SJJ2hnGFvoCSMrsm 

Connecting evidence-based behavioral science with public policy has been shown to deliver more effective government policies that strengthen communities. And there’s no-one better to explain this rigorous process than David Yokum PhD, who cut his teeth in behavioral science in the first White House Social & Behavioral Science team. David then went on to work as the Director of The Lab @ DC where he applied behavioral science to city issues. He now works as the Director and founder of The Policy Lab at Brown University, as well as hosting his own podcast, 30,000 Leagues.

We were lucky enough to talk to David about the changing role of behavioral science inside government, some of the experiments that he has run, and how working proactively in gaining agreement upfront on an experiment's design with the community and policy makers can help cross political divides and actually change mindsets.

The mission of The Policy Lab at Brown University where David now works is “to work in concert with government leaders and experts to develop evidence-based policy programs that improve lives and strengthen communities”, which, I think you’ll agree is one of the coolest missions anywhere.  

Topics

(2:31) Welcome and speed round questions. 

(4:18) The benefits of disconnecting from screens for a short time.

(12:16) How applying behavioral science to public policy delivers better policy.

(15:07) How has behavioral science application in public policy changed?

(19:27) Behavioral science experiments can be run on hot button issues, like police body cams.

(26:51) The political advantages of using randomized control trials.

(31:39) Will experiment results be accepted across the political divide?

(38:18) The barriers faced when turning experiment results into policy change.

(42:56) Examples of successful partnerships between the civil service and the research communities.

(49:14) About David’s podcast; 30,000 Leagues.

(51:58) How David’s playlists are curated.

(56:32) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt discussing what we’ve learnt from David.

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

David Yokum on Twitter: @david_yokum 

30,000 Leagues Podcast: https://thirtythousandleagues.com/ 

Office of Evaluation Sciences: https://oes.gsa.gov/ 

Randomized Control Trial of the Metropolitan Police Department Body-Worn Camera Program: https://bwc.thelab.dc.gov/#approach/2 

North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships: https://www.osbm.nc.gov/operational-excellence/nc-office-strategic-partnerships 

R&D League - City of San Antonio: https://www.sanantonio.gov/Innovation/R-D-League 

Southwest Research Institute: https://www.swri.org/ 

Jules Verne: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Verne 

Musical Links

Hank Williams “You Win Again”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvYDQBIokz0 

Control is the opposite of caring. And a caring mindset is one of the most important things a leader can possess. In a caring workplace, workers experience lower absenteeism, less burnout and more productive teamwork.

“When we carry a mindset of control, we tend to shrink in our capacity, because we are likely to disconnect from our emotions, so we avoid what's happening with us and what may be happening with other people. There's really not a lot of room for us to express something beyond the cognitive.” ~ Sesil Pir.

Sesil Pir may not be a household name, we are delighted to bring you our rich conversation with her, which is sprinkled with gems from her 20+ years of championing humanity in the workplace. More recently, Sesil has authored the book “Human-Centered Leadership: Awakening The Choice Within” after years of longitudinal research with Stanford University to pull the data, analyze it, and package it so nicely for us to read. 

“You can manage a task, you can divide it into pieces, you can time control yourself, or resource control yourself, but you cannot manage a human being…what we can do is lead one another.” ~ Sesil Pir

Not only is Sesil’s book packed full of incredible leadership insights, 100% of the profits from the book are going to non-profit organizations to benefit the education of young girls in emerging markets. So, we strongly encourage you to buy the book, read it, and share her work with others you know.

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Topics 

(5:46) Being successful vs being kind.

(8:41) We always have a choice in how we show up.

(12:57) The importance of going back to our purpose and being authentic.

(16:13) Control is the opposite of caring. Why a caring mindset is important.

(22:26) Leaders who are pessimistic about a caring mindset.

(26:59) The difference between sympathy, empathy and compassion.

(29:59) Why adaptability and resilience are vital in organizations.

(36:46) What part do self esteem and trust play in leadership?

(40:30) How to choose junior leaders in an organization? 

(48:35) Grooving session with Kurt and Tim discussing the human part of leadership.

Links

“Human-Centered Leadership” by Sesil Pir: https://amzn.to/3CzwB6f

Kwame Christina, Episode 178: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links 

Eminem “Without Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVkUvmDQ3HY 

Diana Krall “Just The Way You Are”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8RYUZT57XA 

Bebe “Siempre Me Quedara”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-HKvYDTpoc&ab_channel=AirinR 

Mercan Dede “Alef”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhmX8D9UQBw&ab_channel=netdm%C3%BCzik 

We gravitate to people who are like us; our “tribe”. One factor that we use to assume that others are like us, is by the way they talk. Not just the words they speak, but the accent that they use to communicate. And yes, we all have an accent! 

Since the way we speak is central to our identity, do we have control over it by altering our accent or by learning a new language? And what implications does our hidden linguistic bias have in the workplace and for discrimination laws?

Pioneering psychologist Katherine Kinzler PhD has spent years researching the way we talk and listen to voices. Katherine is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago and author of the recent book “How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do―And What It Says About You”. We talk with her about linguistic prejudices, and how she advocates for bilingualism, multilingual education and linguistic diversity.

If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a quick review on your podcast platform. It really helps other listeners to find our content. You can also help fund our work by contributing to Behavioral Grooves through Patreon. Thank you!

Topics 

(4:16) Welcome to Katherine and speed round questions.

(6:00) Can language be both fixed and malleable at the same time?

(10:57) Why Katherine wrote a book about linguistic prejudice and valuing bilingualism.

(13:40) How do you define good communication?

(17:52) The implications of speech discrimination in the work place.

(20:40) Do we gravitate to people who share a similar linguistic pattern to ours?

(24:26) The value of multilingual education.

(26:11) How young children learn about language having social relevance.

(34:26) Our society teaches us to embed our kids with social norms.

(39:03) How music from different cultures influences young children.

(42:43) Grooving Session - linguistic prejudices and how we can overcome them.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Dr. Katherine Kinzler PhD: https://psychology.uchicago.edu/directory/katherine-d-kinzler 

“How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do―And What It Says About You” by Katherine Kinzler: https://amzn.to/3BNn6BE 

Episode 274, Paul Bloom: Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/

Spelke ES, Kinzler KD. “Core knowledge” Developmental Science. 2007 Jan;10(1):89-96: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17181705/ 

Episode 102: Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Samuel A. Mehr, Lee Ann Song, Elizabeth S. Spelke, “For 5-Month-Old Infants, Melodies Are Social”: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797615626691 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links 

Music with Mr. Dave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl1PsQ3ngWo&ab_channel=MrDaveMusic 

 

We all have an inherent need to belong. And the groups we feel part of actually shape our behavior, more than we realize. They influence how we navigate the world and the way we relate to each other. In an increasingly polarized landscape, our social identities are often collapsed into a single dimension; Republican or Democrat, Brexit Leaver or Brexit Remainer. But our identities are multifaceted. And if we unpeel the complex layers of our identities, we reveal more commonalities than differences. Exposing that can be a powerful and unifying force.

The Power of Us is an incredible new book, showcasing the potential we have when we harness our shared identities. In this episode, Dominic Packer, who co-authored the book alongside fellow researcher Jay Van Bavel, gives us a glimpse into their revolutionary new understanding of identity, and how our groups have a powerful influence on our feelings, beliefs, and behaviors.  We also learn how these shared identities can inspire personal change and social movements.

“Our social identities end up shaping a lot of how we navigate the world, a lot of our feelings about the world and how we relate to each other.” ~ Dominic Packer

If you enjoy Behavioral Grooves podcast, please leave us a quick review on your podcast platform. It really helps other listeners to find our content. You can also become a mega-fan by contributing to Behavioral Grooves through Patreon. Thank you!

Topics 

(3:28) Welcome and speed round questions.

(9:16) How polarization is collapsing our identities into a single dimension.

(11:36) How priming a particular part of your identity can change how you think.

(14:59) Does the 24 hour news cycle constantly remind us of our political identity?

(17:26) Who is The Power Of Us written for?

(18:55) Why were the Minimal Group Studies so important to understanding group identities?

(24:59) Who is most likely to dissent from a group?

(28:22) In-group love is not inherently the same as out-group hate.

(31:39) What factors lead to out-group hate?

(33:41) What steps can create more cohesion between groups?

(36:07) Why did the COVID-19 pandemic cause division and not unity?

(44:55) How music can make you feel part of a group and reinforce your identity.

(54:54) Grooving Session discussing what we have learnt about our own social identities. 

Links

“The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony” by Jay J. Van Bavel PhD, Dominic J. Packer PhD: https://amzn.to/3BsmzF6 

Henri Tajfel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Tajfel 

Oprah Winfrey “Discrimination Exercise” show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ1PGDEKaqs 

Jane Elliott: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Elliott

Musical Links 

Treble Charger “American Psycho”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZqCwEgOv1k 

Green Day “Time of Your Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQ8N1KacJc

Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg 

Dave Grohl, drumming solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utYq-AIJSbg&ab_channel=painmanist 

Influential is probably not a word you use to describe yourself if you are the quiet/smart/kind type of person. Furthermore, you probably have misconceptions about what it even means to have influence. Zoe Chance believes intelligent and caring people are precisely those who should learn how to harness their influence and then use it for bigger, more socially important issues. And she practices what she preaches! Zoe is donating half of the profits from her new book to fight the climate crisis. 

“Influence Is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen” is the fantastic new book that Zoe has written. On this episode of Behavioral Grooves, we delve into Zoe’s clever way of framing system 1 and system 2 thinking, how being influential isn’t as hard as it appears, and about what she likes to call The Magic Question!

As a professor at the Yale School of Management, Zoe studies and teaches influence, focusing on research-based strategies to create positive impact in people’s lives. She teaches the most popular course at the Business School, called “Mastering Influence and Persuasion” which is affectionately known on campus as the "Doing Uncomfortable Things That Make You a Better Person” course! 

Topics 

(3:04) Welcome and speed round.

(7:20) The Gator Brain vs The Judge Brain.

(13:10) Charisma isn’t something you are, it’s something you do.

(17:57) When are people open to being influenced by us?

(21:00) What is The Magic Question?

(26:04) How Zoe is using her influence.

(28:57) How does Zoe teach her students about their influence?

(36:04) How global warming got reframed into the climate crisis.

(40:05) Reframing the replication crisis.

(44:07) How Zoe uses music to create an inclusive, influential atmosphere.

(49:37) Grooving session recapping how we can use Zoe’s insights to wield our superpower of influence!

Do you know you have the power to influence other podcast listeners! If you enjoy Behavioral Grooves podcast, please leave us a quick review on your podcast platform. It really helps other listeners to find our content. You can also become a mega-fan by contributing to Behavioral Grooves through Patreon. Thanks!

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Links

“Influence Is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen” by Zoe Chance: https://amzn.to/3EYKXOz

Zoe Chance: zoechance.com  

Kopi Luwak coffee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_luwak

Black Ivory coffee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Ivory_Coffee

Brit Marling (The OA): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_Marling

Eldar Shafir: https://psych.princeton.edu/person/eldar-shafir

“The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism” by Olivia Fox Chance: https://amzn.to/3HE93jp

Paisley Park: https://www.paisleypark.com/

350.org: https://350.org/

Jia Jong 100 Days of Rejection Challenge: https://www.rejectiontherapy.com/100-days-of-rejection-therapy

Frank Luntz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Luntz 

Brazilian billionaire Chiquinho Scarpa burying his Bentley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8GvaEPyX9Y&ab_channel=LeoBurnettTailorMadeBrazil 

Musical Links 

Prince “I Wanna Be Your Lover”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp8WL621uGM 

Rasputin by Boney M: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16y1AkoZkmQ&ab_channel=BoneyMVEVO 

Bella Ciao from Money Heist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46cXFUzR9XM&ab_channel=NetflixIndia 

No regrets is a phrase thrown around like a badge of honor. Tattoos, songs and marketing taglines all boast this notion of curating a liberated life that you wouldn’t alter, change or modify in any way. But are we missing something? Best-selling author, Daniel H. Pink has done extensive research for his new book, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, and believes that the feeling of regret isn't just something that makes us human, it actually gives us hope.

Daniel Pink is the author of seven books, including the New York Times bestsellers When and A Whole New Mind — as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. Dan’s books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 42 languages, and have sold millions of copies around the world. 

Dan was also the host and co-executive producer of “Crowd Control,” a television series about human behavior on the National Geographic Channel that aired in more than 100 countries. Before venturing out on his own 20 years ago, Dan worked in politics and in government, including serving as chief speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore.

Topics

(3:56) Speed round questions 

(7:48) How Dan started to lean into his own regrets.

(10:49) The complex emotion of regret.

(12:16) Will we regret switching our answers on a test?

(16:33) How Dan has compiled data on regret.

(18:55) How our regrets change as we age.

(22:11) Can we anticipate our regrets?

(26:29) How our unique moral code affects our regrets.

(29:40) The Four Core Regrets.

(33:47) What didn’t go in Dan's book.

(39:45) The power of self compassion.

(41:35) Why regret gives us hope.

(46:40) What music would Dan never regret listening to?

(50:40) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim recapping the Four Core Regrets and what we can learn from them.

Please don’t regret supporting your favorite podcast this year! You can become a regular donator to Behavioral Grooves through Patreon, https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. And you can leave us a review of the podcast wherever you listen to the show. Thanks!

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

Daniel H. Pink Books

The Power Of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward: https://amzn.to/3gpU1C9

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us: https://amzn.to/3gpUcgN 

To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others: https://amzn.to/3Laj0aU 

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing: https://amzn.to/3rtspCM  

Links 

Episode 171: Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For with Roy Baumeister: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

“Commission, Omission, and Dissonance Reduction: Coping with Regret in the "Monty Hall" Problem”: shorturl.at/wEU58 

Jonathan Haidt, “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion: https://amzn.to/3Glfdnq 

Musical Links

 Simon & Garfunkel “The Sound of Silence”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAEppFUWLfc&ab_channel=SimonGarfunkelVEVO 

Ella Fitzgerald Live in Berlin “Mack The Knife”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVxtdQgLjuQ 

J.S. Bach “Adagio”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ywL_zokELE 

Three Dog Night “Mama Told Me Not To Come”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTCyjYjsVc8&ab_channel=Moondoggy 

Men Without Hats “Pop Goes The Word”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zUUtf7gOe8&ab_channel=MenWithoutHatsVEVO 

Bob Seger “Turn The Page”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3khH9ih2XJg&ab_channel=jimmej955

When we set goals, we’re excited, engaged and motivated to complete them. But after a while, the momentum can slow, we lose enthusiasm and we start cutting corners. The “middle problem” is something we can all relate to. And it's one of the topics we discuss on this episode with Dr Ayelet Fisbach PhD. 

Ayelet teaches us about staying motivated, without cutting corners. How our identity, flexibility and patience actually affect our goals. And perhaps, most importantly, why we should set ourselves uncomfortable goals and learn from our failures.

Talking with Ayelet on Behavioral Grooves was a true privilege for us. She is one of the few researchers on the planet who blend motivation and goal setting into their work, and her groundbreaking research has won her a bunch of international awards. She is the Jeffrey Breckenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and also the recent author of Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation (https://amzn.to/3f3ooh4).

Can we motivate some of our regular listeners to support our podcast via Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves? Or perhaps your 2022 goal is to tell your favorite podcasters how much you love their show?! We’d love to help you achieve that goal; just click here if you’re an Apple podcast listener: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112 or write a review on your favorite podcast player.

Topics

(6:18) Welcome and speed round.

(9:19) What tools do we have to motivate ourselves?

(10:18) Why flexible goals are vital.

(14:11) Exceeding your own expectations is when you feel good about your goals.

(16:45) The problem with the middle.

(18:47) We can all get tripped up by the planning fallacy.

(21:28) Set goals, not means (goals aren’t chores).

(24:57) How does our identity affect our goals?

(28:29) The different ways patience plays a part in goals.

(30:59) Why identifying temptations can help you avoid them.

(34:04) How food labels could improve our eating habits.

(38:28) Setting an uncomfortable goal can actually be rewarding.

(44:12) Learning from failure. 

(49:35) How Ayelet engages with music.

(52:05) Grooving Session discussing Ayelet’s research.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Write a review for Behavioral Grooves podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112 

Ayelet Fishbach, “Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation”: https://amzn.to/3f3ooh4

Ayelet Fishbach: https://www.ayeletfishbach.com/

The Marshmallow Test: Why Self-Control Is the Engine of Success: https://amzn.to/34de2sS 

Abigail Sussman: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/s/abigail-sussman 

Second city: https://www.secondcity.com/ 

Episode 228. Kelly Leonard, Getting to Yes, And…Behavioral Grooves: Two Podcasts in One: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/getting-to-yes-and/

Paul Bloom, “The Sweet Spot: Suffering, Pleasure and the Key to a Good Life”: https://amzn.to/32QfmBS

Episode 274, Paul Bloom: Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/

Ethan Kross, “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It”: https://amzn.to/32Vj0Ks

Carol Dweck, “Mindset: Changing The Way You think To Fulfill Your Potential”: https://amzn.to/3GjBvGp 

Societies around the world are getting older; a combination of people living longer and having fewer children. The 85+ population is now the fastest growing demographic on the planet. The causes and, more importantly the impacts of living longer are significant, both for society and as individuals. This is what we discuss in this episode with Bradley Shurman, a demographic futurist, who has authored the recently published book The Super Age: Decoding our Demographic Destiny (https://amzn.to/3tYus39). 

Bradley shines a light on the crucial topic of ageing. He reveals the shocking truth about the impact of wealth on our longevity. And he shares his two surprising tips on how to live a long and meaningful life. As always, we round up our episode with our Grooving Session where Kurt and Tim dwell on some of the take-aways from the conversation with Bradley. 

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews on the podcast. We recently had a listener write a simple “Thank you for this podcast” in the review section, and believe us when we say that just that one small sentence made our day! 

Topics

(2:56) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:14) What is a Super Age society?

(11:29) How improving infant mortality rates has flipped the world’s demographics around.

(14:39) What are the impacts on society of fixing youth mortality?

(22:37) How Bradley was influenced by his grandparents' experience of aging. 

(24:54) The shocking correlation between wealth and longevity. 

(30:43) The universal trend of people wanting to die at home.

(34:06) If you’re not learning, you’re not earning. 

(37:47) What is on Bradley’s playlist?

(39:47) Grooving Session discussing what we learned from Bradley.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

Groovy Snacks Newsletter: www.behavioralgrooves.com 

The Super Age: Decoding our Demographic Destiny: https://amzn.to/3tYus39 

Dolly Chugh, Episode 230, How Good People Fight Bias: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-good-people-fight-bias/

Musical Links

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyTa_gJkYwI 

Ella Fitzgerald, live in Berlin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5WQfkRZKFc 

Why do people train for a marathon? Listen to sad music? Eat really spicy food? All of these activities induce a painful response, yet they also bring us pleasure. We often set ourselves up for negative experiences because it primes us for positive ones further down the line. There is a balance, a sweet spot if you will, between the amount of pleasure we experience and the suffering that it takes to get us there.

World-renowned psychologist and author Paul Bloom, joins us on this episode to discuss his most recent book The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning (https://amzn.to/3Kmpweh). He challenges our definition of a fulfilling life, and why we actually NEED suffering to be part of it.

We are so conditioned in our culture to only seek out pleasure that even the notion of reading about suffering was not particularly appealing to us, well to Tim - it turns out Kurt might be somewhat of a benign masochist! But from the get-go, Paul’s compelling narrative convinced us that suffering can be motivating. Listen in and tell us if you think there is a sweet spot, and then reach out to us on email (info@behavioralgrooves.com), on Twitter (@behavioralgroov) or write us a quick review about the show (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112). Thanks!

 

Topics 

(4:40) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:24) Why do we choose suffering?

(11:24) Do we really only seek pleasure?

(13:40) We often have mistaken ideas about what we want.

(16:16) Looking beyond happiness; what we actually pursue for a meaningful life.

(22:24) How can suffering help pleasure?

(24:59) How being in a state of flow explains the sweet spot.

(28:27) Why are people driven to climb Everest? 

(32:32) What are the unpleasant sensations that people do not pursue?

(34:37) Pain then pleasure or pleasure then pain?

(36:13) The effect of the peak-end rule.

(38:40) Why do we want to listen to sad music? 

(45:11) Grooving Session discussing how Paul’s work can improve our lives.

 

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Links

“The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning” by Paul Bloom: https://amzn.to/3Kmpweh 

Shaquille O’Neal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O%27Neal

“Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind” by Wilson et al (2014): crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dpubmed">https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1250830?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dpubmed 

Paul Rozin: https://web.sas.upenn.edu/rozin/

“Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: https://amzn.to/3qyLRgB  

“A psychologically rich life: Beyond happiness and meaning” by Oishi and Westage (2021): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-74886-001

“Anticipation and the valuation of delayed consumption.” by George Loewenstein (1987): https://www.jstor.org/stable/2232929 

Episode 67, George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom:  https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/

“When More Pain Is Preferred to Less: Adding a Better End” by Kahneman et al (1993): 9280.1993.tb00589.x">https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1993.tb00589.x 

Jeremy Bentham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham 

Richard Tedeschi, The Science of Post-Traumatic Growth: https://scottbarrykaufman.com/podcast/richard-tedeschi-the-science-of-post-traumatic-growth/ 

The Prophet by Khalil Gibran: https://amzn.to/329fN9O 

Episode 207, Jonathan Mann: Is it Possible to Design an Experience? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/jonathan-mann-is-it-possible-to-design-an-experience/

 

Musical Links 

Adele “Someone Like You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLQl3WQQoQ0 

Alice Cooper “Poison”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq4j1LtCdww 

Pink Floyd “On The Turning Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojf18wT_Xtk 

Eminem “Lose Yourself”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yhyp-_hX2s 

The Proclaimers “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbNlMtqrYS0 

Joan Armatrading “Consequences”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otq9VBa6a0s 

David Bowie & Nine Inch Nails “Hurt”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhhEHuChFck&ab_channel=redsails2008 

Billy Joel “Piano Man”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxEPV4kolz0 

Violent String Quartet “Bad Guy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWUbCwmBmgE 

BX Arabia is a regional behavioral insights conference that started in 2018 to emphasize the application of behavioral science in the Global South. Kurt and Tim were fortunate to be invited to moderate at the latest event, affording them the opportunity to have conversations with some of the region's most amazing BeSci thinkers. This episode highlights some of the unique insights from these conversations, with input from the following experts:

• Faisal Naru: Executive Director of the Policy Innovation Unit in the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and part of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
• Dr. Ahmed Al Zahrani: Minister Deputy and Chair of G20 as well as the Executive Director of the Riyadh Behavioral Insight Center in the Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development in Saudi Arabia.
• Saud Al Rakhayes: Founder and Senior Behavioral Strategist at The Behavior Change.
• Aditya Jagati: Leader of the Busara Center’s offices in India.
• Wiam Hasanain: Behavioral scientist and social impact advisor based in Jetta, Saudi Arabia.
• Nabil Saleh: Vice President Strategy at Nudge Lebanon.
• Ivo Vlaev: Professor of Behavioral Science at Warwick Business School, UK.

Many of the examples of behavioral science discussed highlight that the Global South has some unique needs in the field. However, an overarching theme is that context matters! The root of successful behavioral science ideas come from encompassing the surrounding culture and environment. 

BX Arabia was founded by Fadi Makki, who is also the leader of B4 Development in Doha, Qatar. He left us with these inspirational words: “Unlearn all the old habits that are anchored in intuition, and then embrace, evidence-based policies and tools such as experimentation.”

Topics

(2:14) What makes BX Arabia unique? 

(5:58) The growth of behavioral science agencies around the world.

(8:13) How behavioral science is being integrated into public policy globally.

(11:46) Why good intentions aren’t enough to deal with wicked problems.

(23:36) The need for more behavioral scientists in the Global South.

(26:25) How behavioral science improved traffic flow in Beruit.

(31:15) The success of weight loss programs using behavioral insights.

(36:50) The large-scale nudges that are being studied at the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

Links

BX Arabia: https://nudgelebanon.org/bx-arabia/ 

Diversifi: https://www.diversifiglobal.com/ 

Behavioral Change For Good Initiative: https://bcfg.wharton.upenn.edu/ 

Episode 272, Jeff Madoff:  How To Turn Your Creative Dreams Into Reality: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/creativity-jeff-madoff/

John Bargh, Episode 248: Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

If you have a creative vision, how do you focus your skills on making it happen? Can you turn your dream into a career? How can we encourage more creative entrepreneurs? And can we incorporate more creativity into an analytical job?

Jeff Madoff is an American director, producer, photographer, writer and professor living in New York City. He is the founder and CEO of Madoff Productions, winning awards for his commercials and videos AND he is a die hard music loving fan.

In his upcoming production of The Lloyd Price Musical, Jeff learnt a valuable lesson of asking himself the question “is it essential?” Even work that is funny and engaging, may not be an essential part of the bigger story. “Is it essential?” is a challenging question for all of us but can be incredibly useful at keeping us focused on reaching our goals. 

In our discussion with Jeff, he dispels the myth that you are either creative or analytical. And he brings home to us the importance of listening. Listening not just to form an appropriate response, but listening in order to fully understand the other person. 

Fans of Behavioral Grooves, please consider leaving us a review on your podcast player. If you listen on Apple, here is the podcast review page for Behavioral Grooves to get you started: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112

© 2022 Behavioral Grooves

 

Topics 

(3:31) Welcome and speed round questions.

(10:11) How to encourage creative careers.

(16:58) Turning your passion into a career.

(22:36) How to weave creativity into any job.

(25:43) When the creative world and the business world meet.

(29:41) Learning to ask “Is it essential?”

(42:25) What is on Jeff’s playlist? 

(46:53) How entrepreneurs can be creative.

(53:48) The story behind The Lloyd Price Musical.

(1:04:06) Grooving Session discussing Jeff’s interview.

 

Links

Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas by Jeff Madoff: https://amzn.to/3pXmogM

Gregory Peck: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Peck 

Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie: https://amzn.to/3eYxbRE 

The Lloyd Price Musical: https://www.peopleslight.org/whats-on/20212022-season/personality-the-lloyd-price-musical/ 

 

Musical Links 

Frank Zappa “Montana”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmcYTShN4Fk 

Buddy Guy “Stay Around A Little Longer”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emyt-agLE_s 

Slim Harpo “I’m a King Bee”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWLvm11MAaM 

Lightnin’ Hopkins “Woke Up This Morning”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BATlJwKB8ts 

Muddy Waters “Mannish Boy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSfqNEvykv0 

Chuck Berry “Sweet Little Sixteen”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLV4NGpoy_E 

Jimi Hendrix “Foxey Lady”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PVjcIO4MT4 

Link Ray “Rawhide”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn5hl2IA7_s 

Howlin Wolf “How Many More Years”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpKB6OZ_B4c 

Stevie Ray Vaughan “Texas Flood”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC5H9P4F5Uk 

 

It’s the time of year for setting New Year’s resolutions. But how can you set goals that you will actually achieve? Will you look back at the end of 2022 and feel a sense of accomplishment? The first step to reaching your goals is actually knowing how to set yourself up to succeed. 

In this fun Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim, they break down the steps needed to create motivating goals in 2022. Using insights from past guests, plus their own expertise in behavioral science, Kurt and Tim break down the skills behind successful goal setting. In addition, they dispel some ill-advised myths. Think willpower is enough to help you lose weight? Sorry, but creating healthy habits takes more than just good intentions. 

If you want to better your health, your relationships or your organization in 2022, listening to this fun and informative episode will start you off on the path to success. 

Links

Gary Latham PhD, Episode 147: Goal Setting, Prompts, Priming, and Skepticism: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gary-latham-goal-setting-prompts/

Katy Milkman PhD, Episode 232: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/

Roy Baumeister PhD, Episode 171: Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/self-control-belonging-and-why-your-most-dedicated-employees-are-the-ones-to-watch-out-for-with-roy-baumeister/

Leave a review for Behavioral Grooves Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112 

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

What a year for books 2021 has been! It seems like authors, editors and publishers have all been working overtime this year to bring us some incredible new content. Books that have challenged our beliefs, calmed our anxieties and transformed our habits. 

To help us with the mammoth job of summarizing the best behavioral science books from 2021, we are joined by the incredible Louise Ward, who has read over 100 books this year! Louise is the co-host of the Behavioural Science Club, a LinkedIn group established in June 2020 now with over 5,000 members. If you haven’t yet joined the club, you definitely should. Today. Alongside co-host Prakash Sharma, the Behavioural Science Club interviews top authors each week about fascinating new insights in human behavior.

In our discussion with Louise, we noticed some trends among our favorite books. One is that we are moving past the presumption that humans are flawed and irrational. Books such as Useful Delusions and Nudge focus instead on the evolutionary usefulness of our biases and heuristics. In addition, we loved that after reading books on heavy topics such as suffering (The Sweet Spot), racial inequalities (The Person You Mean to Be) or conspiracy theories (How to Talk to a Science Denier), we were still left with a feeling of hope and optimism.

And if you’re new to behavioral science and wondering how to get started or underestimating the impact you can make as an individual, there was an empowering theme to this year’s books too. Dive into You Have More Influence Than You Think to recognize how you can make an impact on people, You’re Invited to reflect on the connections you make in your life or Non Obvious Megatrends to start noticing more of the world around you. 

We would LOVE to hear your favorite books of 2021. Did your favorites overlap with ours? Please send us an email at info@behavioralgrooves.com, or connect with us on social media with your top reads of the year.

Twitter: @behavioralgroov

LinkedIn: Behavioral Grooves

Instagram: @behavioralgrooves 

Facebook: Behavioral Grooves

Behavioural Science Club Links

Join over 5000 members in the LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13871707/ 

More group info: https://lnkd.in/grjWMrQ 

Twitter: @BehSciClub 

Our Favorite Books of 2021 Louise

• Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know, by Adam Grant: https://amzn.to/3pNXdvE
• Brandsplaining: Why Marketing is (Still) Sexist and How to Fix It, by Jane Cunningham and Philippa Roberts: https://amzn.to/33Fltsu
• Think Big: Take Small Steps and Build the Future You Want, by Grace Lordan: https://amzn.to/3mo3JZ6
• What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract for a Better Society, by Minouche Shafik: https://amzn.to/3eiJOXj
• Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, by Leidy Klotz: https://amzn.to/3JaOqwY
• The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness, Suzanne O’Sullivan: https://amzn.to/3IHnuV5
• Noise: A Flaw In Human Judgement, by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony and Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/3eiHgZf
• This is Your Mind On Plants, by Michael Pollan: https://amzn.to/3Ekqd3p
• Nudge: The Final Edition, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/3edkHFe
• Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman: https://amzn.to/3qiyFv9

Tim

• The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias, by Dolly Chugh: https://amzn.to/3rSsEHQ
• Anxiety at Work: 8 Strategies to Help Teams Build Resilience, Handle Uncertainty, and Get Stuff Done, by Chester Elton And Adrian Gostick: https://amzn.to/3EMgofA
• Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain, by Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler: https://amzn.to/3rVh8Ma
• The Unconscious: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications, by Joel Weinberger: https://amzn.to/3H5P5xA 
• How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love, by Logan Ury: https://amzn.to/3GC8VR3
• Non Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss and Predict the Future, by Rohit Bhargava: https://amzn.to/3phL4jv 

Kurt

• You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters, by Vanessa Bohns: https://amzn.to/3dCEKgb
• You're Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence, by Jon Levy: https://amzn.to/3ydBtgF
• How To Talk To a Science Denier, by Lee McIntyre: https://amzn.to/3lVT4Vk
•  Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, by Leidy Klotz: https://amzn.to/3JaOqwY 
• The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning, by Paul Bloom: https://amzn.to/3piFKwr 

 A couple of non-2021 favorites: 

• Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, by Robert Sapolsky: https://amzn.to/3H5ALp6 (Kurt)
• The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health--and How We Must Adapt, by Sinan Aral: https://amzn.to/3EgsSLv (Louise)

 © 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Applying Behavioral Science insights at work takes more than just another checklist or document, it’s about creating an environment that enables people to make good decisions. Torben Emmerling specializes in innovative, evidence-based strategies for behavior change. We discuss with him the nuances that differentiate applied behavioral science from academic behavioral science. 

As a consultant for both private and public organizations, Torben doesn’t focus on a specific industry. Instead, he's a human behavior expert. What motivates people and what prompts individuals to change their behavior can be applied in any industry. For example, the same contextual factors that make us forget to buy milk on the way home from work, can be applicable in organizational decisions and performance.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Torben and if you do, please leave a short review of our podcast. Reading your comments, never fails to put a smile on our faces!

Topics

(4:44) Welcome to Torben Emmerling and speed round.

(8:59) How behavioral science can be used to help people save energy. 

(14:34) Why applied behavioral science can be very different than academic behavioral science.

(16:42) How Torben’s work uses applied behavioral science.

(18:33) Behavioral science tools aren’t industry specific.

(21:53) Why behavioral science needs to be more than just checklists and documents.

(27:16) What the airline industry can teach us about reflecting on errors.

(29:45) The importance of creating psychological safety at work.

(31:48) How organizations have used behavioral science to manage remote working during COVID-19.

(36:34) What is on Torben’s playlist? 

(39:07) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing how to apply Torben’s insights.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Opinion Science Podcast: http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/ 

Winter Camp 2022: https://fb.me/e/217RQdNQh 

Torben Emmerling: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torben-emmerling/

Daniel Kahneman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman 

“5 Behavioral Biases That Trip Up Remote Managers”: https://hbr.org/2021/06/5-behavioral-biases-that-trip-up-remote-managers 

Episode 170, “Seven Questions to Assess the Psychological Safety of Your Teams with Susan Hunt Stevens”:  https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/seven-questions-to-assess-the-psychological-safety-of-your-teams-with-susan-hunt-stevens/

Peak-end rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak%E2%80%93end_rule 

Rory Sutherland, “Transport for Humans”: https://amzn.to/3swG5xN 

Episode 107, Rory Sutherland “The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/rory-sutherland-the-opposite-of-a-good-idea-is-a-good-idea/

Musical Links

Nas, “Nas is Like”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC4ORS5n9Hg&ab_channel=NasVEVO 

The Black Keys, “Howlin' For You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLSpj7q6_mM&ab_channel=TheBlackKeys 

Where and how we listened to music shifted during the pandemic. But the music industry itself had to quickly adapt in 2020 to how music was recorded and produced. Our very musical conversation with guest Mark Thorley delves into the changes that COVID brought to remote working and how people’s relationships with music have changed in recent months.

There is no greater joy for Tim than discussing music with our guests, and you can see from the musical links on this episode, that our conversation with Mark covers a multitude of musical genres! Our relaxed discussion with Mark swings off into many musical tangents and Mark even manages to turn his own speed round question back on Tim and Kurt. Listen in to find out which musical star they both would choose to have dinner with!

Mark has coined the phrase “remotivity” to embody the concept of working on music, whether it be recording or producing, in a remote setting. But this goes further than just having a working WiFi connection or a Zoom meeting set up. There are four key skills needed to work remotely in music; innovation, technical expertise, a fan base, and a unique selling point. We explore each of these four elements in detail with Mark. 

Topics

•  Welcome and speed round.
•  Hearing the same music at different stages can alter our listening experience. 
•  How has the pandemic shifted how music is recorded and consumed? 
•  Working from home has come full circle.
•  The mental health toll of working from home.
•  The 4 skills needed for working remotely in music.

Links 

Wally Heider: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Heider 

Rupert Neve: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Neve 

Rudy Van Gelder: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Van_Gelder 

Les Paul: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Paul 

Joe Meek: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Meek  

Episode 219: Why Music Makes You Feel Better with Pablo Ripollés and Ernest Mas Herrero: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-music-makes-you-feel-better/

Episode 82, Chris Matyszczyk: Listening to Music While You Work: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/chris-matyszczyk-listening-to-music-while-you-work/

Musical Links

Kylie Minogue “I Should Be So Lucky”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_TvpBwSZDM 

Hot Chocolate “You Sexy Thing”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3fX2_bxEkg 

Madonna “Material Girl”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p-lDYPR2P8 

Quincy Jones “Summer in the City 1973”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xN3KOY2kbg 

Chicane “Hello, Goodbye”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iTHBBv0n5c  

James Brown “Get On Up”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCCkb6k_aow 

Chuck Berry “Johnny B Goode”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T38v3-SSGcM 

Nina Simone “Feeling Good”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHRNrgDIJfo 

U2 “I Will Follow”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSJYerDbdjc 

Ministry “Search and Destroy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psHDeiXRVwQ 

Charlie Mingus “Moanin’”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__OSyznVDOY” 

Echo and The BunnyMen “The Killing Men”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWz0JC7afNQ 

Steely Dan “More Than Just a Band”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjXB894CZnM 

UB40 “Red. Red Wine”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXt56MB-3vc 

“The 1919 Influenza Blues”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y_7B1cCvjk  

Habit Weekly, a wonderful organization founded by Samuel Salzer, is asking people to weigh in on their favorite podcast by casting a vote at https://www.habitweekly.com/awards. Kurt and Tim are asking for your vote since you (and lots of other people) voted for Behavioral Grooves in 2021 making it the Number One Behavioral Science Podcast in 2021. We’d like to maintain that spot in the upcoming year and all we need is your vote. 

It takes less than 10 seconds. 

With more than 260 episodes under our belt and listeners in more than 120 countries, we hope you find some things about Behavioral Grooves to be worth voting for. 

Please cast your vote for your favorite podcast at: https://www.habitweekly.com/awards 

In 2021, people started to trust business organizations more than governments, NGOs or the media, according to global research by the Edelman Trust Baraometer. The Covid pandemic has seen people around the globe question their trust in all forms of leadership. What impact does this have on business leaders? Can organizations rebuild trust? What are the building blocks of trust?

Sandra Sucher, co-author of “The Power of Trust: How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It” (https://amzn.to/3pny7Uu) draws back the layers of what trust actually is, how to build it, how to maintain it through adversity, and most importantly, how to rebuild it when it’s been shattered.

Along with her co-author, Shalene Gupta, Sandra has devised the four key foundations of trust; competence, motives, means and impact. We ask Sandra about the significance of these steps, how they can be harnessed, as well as the impact on trust that Covid has had, specifically how vaccine mandates have affected it. Throughout our conversation and her book, Sandra illustrates her insights with a plethora of rich business examples. 

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, you can become a special Behavioral Grooves Patreon member by donating to our work: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. And a particular thanks to some of our listeners who have recently left us glowing podcast reviews, we really appreciate them. We'd love it if more our listeners could take 2 minutes to write a short review of Behavioral Grooves. Thanks!

Topics

(3:03) Welcome and speed round question.

(5:00) Trust is limited.

(7:38) The 4 key elements of trust.

(13:09) Does forgiveness play a part in regaining trust?

(14:54) How trust can be preserved by an organization, even while laying people off - the Nokia example.

(25:30) How has the landscape of trust changed and what effect has the pandemic had on trust? 

(30:27) The link between lack of trust in government and vaccine hesitancy. 

(33:49) The trust implications of asking employees to get vaccinated.

(36:26) People actually trust a negative outcome, if they feel the process was fair.

(39:37) What makes a business a good place to be from?

(45:39) Grooving Session discussing what we’ve learnt from Sandra.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Sandra Sucher, “The Power of Trust: How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It”: https://amzn.to/3pny7Uu 

Esko Aho, Nokia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esko_Aho 

Amy Edmondson, Psychological Safety: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451 

Edelman Trust Barometer: https://www.edelman.com/trust/2021-trust-barometer

Shalene Gupta: https://shalenegupta.com/  

“Worried About the Great Resignation? Be a Good Company to Come From” by Sandra J. Sucher and Shalene Gupta: ttps://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/worried-about-the-great-resignation-be-a-good-company-to-come-from 

Recruit Holdings in Japan: holdings.com/">https://recruit-holdings.com/ 

Episode 102, Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/

Musical Links

 Aretha Franklin “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOUqQt3Kg0&ab_channel=TatanBrown 

If we are open minded, we challenge our beliefs and accept that our thinking can, at times, be misguided. After all, our thoughts are merely a function of our personal habits, experiences and internal communication. Dr Howard Rankin PhD encourages us to recognize the value of critical thinking, and become more aware of our own consciousness.

To conclude our November series on Conspiracy Theories, our guest on this episode, Dr. Howard Rankin PhD, talks about how our consciousness has been conditioned. By understanding how the thinking process works and being aware of our own consciousness, we gain more perspective on our beliefs. So we should focus more on HOW to think, and less on WHAT to think. 

Howard is an inspirational educator on the subjects of mind-body medicine, spirituality, neuropsychology and cognitive function, personal change and transformation. Frequently appearing on radio, TV and podcasts, Howard is also an author. His latest book, "I Think Therefore I Am Wrong: A Guide to Bias, Political Correctness, Fake News and the Future of Mankind" (https://amzn.to/3DXNTLM) shines light on the human thought process and how it can often be seriously flawed.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through the Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Also leaving a short review on our podcast really helps others to find our content, thanks.

Topics

(3:52) Welcome and speed round questions.

(10:50) Is there a difference between OUR reality and THE reality?

(17:34) Why do we underestimate critical thinking?

(25:19) Can social norms influence what we consider to be true?

(27:37) How do we reconcile our need for certainty? 

(28:27) How do we challenge our own beliefs?

(35:58) Challenging ourselves on not WHAT to think but HOW to think.

(37:37) How we can focus education on how to think, not what to think.

(43:30) What music makes Howard think?

(49:08) How you can learn more about Howard’s work.

(49:58) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing how they are wrong!

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package">https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist">https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist

Promo Code: GROOVERS to receive $20 off (limited time offer for listeners).

Dr. Howard Rankin PhD, "I Think Therefore I Am Wrong: A Guide to Bias, Political Correctness, Fake News and the Future of Mankind": https://amzn.to/3DXNTLM

Dr. Howard Rankin PhD: https://www.drhowardjrankin.com/ 

I Think Therefore I Am Wrong Website: www.ithinkthereforeiamwrong.com

How Not to Think Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-not-to-think/id1488982079 

YouTube channel – Howard Rankin: https://www.youtube.com/c/howardrankin  

Clayton Kershaw: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton_Kershaw 

Joe Montana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Montana 

Episode 176, Annie Duke on How to Decide: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/

George Box: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._P._Box 

Bayesian Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayesian_probability 

Musical Links

Mozart “Requiem”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI 

The Beatles “Help”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q_ZzBGPdqE 

Jimi Hendrix “Purple Haze”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoDaYjdfSg 

Need some respite from the work day grind? Join the fun on this episode for a light-hearted take on workplace humor. Dan Hill delivers a real tongue-in-cheek take on the corporate lingo and jargon that infiltrates our workplaces. But with every joke he makes, there is a pang of truth: “emojis; the feelings you would be having at work if they were allowed.”

Dan’s new book; “Blah, Blah, Blah: A Snarky Guide to Office Lingo” (https://amzn.to/3nB3hYB) is written in collaboration with over 50 contributors from across the world (including our one and only Tim Houlihan!) who have collectively provided almost 600 definitions of how the workplace really operates.

Our conversation with Dan is not just hilariously funny, he also cracks open the truth on workplace humor being an effective way of tackling serious goals. With this "snarky" book Dan wants to bring the issues of bullying and inequality in the workplace to the forefront of peoples minds. So why use humor to address such momentous issues? In Dan's own words, humor can open your eyes: “A good cartoon, a good joke, I think really captures the essence of a situation, and it does open you up, it's got that aha, twist and turn to a phrase a concept. When we're surprised our eyes go wider, our mouth drops open and means we shut up and we notice the world around us. So I am trying for that element of surprise.”

Welcoming Dan back to Behavioral Grooves in this episode was simply a barrel of laughs for us. But please note, that our discussion contains some language you might not want your kids to hear.

We really do have a lot of fun creating the Behavioral Grooves Podcast, but like Dan said “having fun IS hard work!”. If you’d like to chip in with our work, please consider becoming a monthly contributor at our Patreon site: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Becoming a special Behavioral Grooves Patreon will open up some exclusive show content just for you!

Topics

(4:32) Welcome and speed round questions.

(11:20) Addressing the fact that 20-25% of managers are bullies.

(14:43) Dan reads entries from his snarky book!

(15:47) What is the devil’s dictionary? 

(17:59) Using humor to open people's eyes.

(21:30) How Dan is tackling inequality in the workplace with humor.

(29:11) Grooving with Tim and Kurt on what funny things we learnt from Dan’s interview.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links 

“Blah, Blah, Blah: A Snarky Guide to Office Lingo” by Dan Hill, Howard Moskowitz, James Monroe: https://amzn.to/3nB3hYB 

“Emotionomics: Leveraging Emotions for Business Success” by Dan Hill: https://amzn.to/3FONtbb 

“Famous Faces Decoded: A Guidebook for Reading Others” by Dan Hill: https://amzn.to/3nL5eli 

Dan Hill, Episode 151: On the Facial Coding of Trump, Hendrix, Prince, Gretzky and the Beatles: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/facial-coding-of-trump/

Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dan-hills-eq-spotlight/id1519669707 

John McEnroe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McEnroe 

The Devil's Dictionary : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Dictionary

Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253. Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/

Patreon Site for Behavioral Grooves: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Musical Links

Bob Dylan “The Times are A-Changin’”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WD_ats6eE 

The Beatles “Hard Days Night”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjyj8qnqkYI 

What makes us more likely to believe in conspiracy theories? Can our religious beliefs or political affiliations determine whether we're less likely to believe in scientific facts? Why are health conspiracy theories some of the most widely believed notions? We revisit a conversation with Eric Oliver who talks us through the factors that drive people towards conspiracy theories.

Eric Oliver, PhD is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Although the majority of his work is squarely in the realm of how we view our political systems and make political decisions, some of his work echoes moral psychology and sociology, and we find it fascinating. And, frankly, some of it is just downright fun to talk about.

Eric’s observations come from more than 20 years of research, dozens of peer-reviewed papers, and he is the author of 5 books on political science. We specifically talked about how liberals and conservatives name their children, the rise of intuitionism, having dinner with a sports star rather than a rock star, and of course, he spoke in-depth about conspiracy theories.

Most importantly, he walked us through some key aspects of how to have a conversation with someone who is on the opposite side of the conspiracy-theory belief system and, interestingly enough, it begins with empathy. Listen to the entire episode to hear all his insights and research anecdotes. They’ll put a smile on your face as well as fresh ideas into your brain!

We have been fans of his work for some time and are grateful that Eric shared his insights with us. We think you’ll become a fan, too, if you’re not already one.

[NOTE: This episode is republished from our interview with Eric in episode #172 from Sept 2020.]

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Topics

(3:17) Welcome and speed round.

(10:17) What characteristics predict whether you will believe in conspiracy theories?

(19:24) People rely on heuristics in times of uncertainty.

(24:48) Have conspiracy theories increased since Covid?

(27:03) What factors make us more likely to believe conspiracy theories?

(32:36) Do religious people tend to believe more in conspiracy theories?

(38:47) Why Donald Trump appeals to conspiracy theorists.

(42:50) How to talk to your relatives about their conspiracy theories?

(45:33) What music does Eric listen to?

(53:19) Grooving session with Tim and Kurt discussing Eric's work.

Links

Eric Oliver, PhD: science.uchicago.edu/directory/eric-oliver">https://political-science.uchicago.edu/directory/eric-oliver 

Jonathan Haidt, PhD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Haidt 

James Frazer, “The Golden Bough”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough 

Katherine Surma on Credulity: final.pdf">https://www.jericoliver.com/uploads/1/1/8/9/118973414/surmaoliver3.5.18-final.pdf 

Laurie Santos, PhD: The Joe Effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GimHHAID_P0 

Steve Kerr: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Kerr 

Colin Kaepernick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Kaepernick

Charles Manson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Manson 

Andy Luttrell, Episode 175: Pro’s and Con’s of Persuasion When Issues are Moralized: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/andy-luttrell-pros-and-cons-of-persuasion-when-issues-are-moralized/

Kwame Christian, Episode 178: On Compassionate Curiosity, Social Justice Conversations, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/kwame-christian-on-compassionate-curiosity-social-justice-conversations-and-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Musical Links

LCD Sound System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqq3BtGrpU8 

Kurt Weil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Weill 

Phillip Glass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M73x3O7dhmg 

Keith Richards and Chuck Berry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERVLy-ltjHs 

Misinformation is like a virus, spreading quickly and propagating in a way that doesn’t benefit its host. Andy Noman describes harmful ideas as acting like “mind parasites” that deploy clever tactics to infect our thinking by circumventing our mental immune systems. And we’re even more susceptible to bad ideas than we realize. 

So how do we immunize ourselves against mind parasites? Can we reach herd immunity? Can we critically think our way out of this epidemic of unreason? After 30 years of research on this topic, Andy has concluded that the traditional models of critical thinking are not up to the task in our hyper-connected world. We need a more comprehensive framework for inoculating our minds against viral nonsense. 

Andy Norman is an award-winning author who teaches philosophy at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University. He has recently published his new book, “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think”: https://amzn.to/3o6OjbU. We are thrilled to welcome Andy as part of our series on understanding more about Conspiracy Theories. Our conversation with Andy reveals details of his framework for strengthening our own mental immunity. We hope you enjoy listening!

Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on your podcast player so you are notified about our new episodes. Next week we will be hearing from Prof. Eric Oliver about how to talk to our friends and family about conspiracy theories.

If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through our Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews on the podcast, which help others find our content.

Topics

(3:37) Welcome and speed round questions.

(6:20) We are experiencing an epidemic of unreason. 

(8:17) How can we immunize ourselves against disinformation? 

(14:10) How our identity can affect our mental immunity.

(17:54) A framework for mental immunity. 

(21:11) Thinking in probabilities instead of in black & white.

(26:08) Why acknowledging other people's truths can have a surprising effect. 

(29:38) The objective difference between a good idea and a bad idea.

(32:25) Arguing with someone who only cares about themselves.

(38:54) Is there a chance we will reach mental herd immunity?

(44:13) What music is on Andy’s playlist?

(47:11) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim talking about how to apply Andy’s work.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

“Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think” by Andy Norman: https://amzn.to/3o6OjbU 

Ludwig Wittgenstein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Wittgenstein 

Socrates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates 

Dan Kahan, “Identity Protective Cognition”: https://bit.ly/2YxM3Sk 

Episode 176: Annie Duke on How to Decide: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/

Musical Links

Mark Knopfler “Piper to the End”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsrKWwx3x7o

How do you respond to someone who says “the earth is flat” or “Covid is a hoax”? Before we can try and reason with conspiracy theorists, we must first understand the reason they have ventured down that path. Lee McIntyre has spent years researching science deniers and has found a common set of traits in their behavior. He also argues that we shouldn’t sit back and assume conspiracy theories are harmless. Find out more from Lee in this episode about how to talk with science deniers and how even to change their minds about the facts.

Our Conspiracy Theories Series continues this month with Lee McIntyre, author of the new book “How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason”: https://amzn.to/3qaV134. To gather research for the book, Lee attended a flat earth convention to understand more about the followers who believe in the flat earth conspiracy. His findings are enlightening. 

Lee is a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and an Instructor in Ethics at Harvard Extension School. He’s had a distinguished career in teaching and researching issues that we found fascinating.

Next week we continue our Conspiracy Theories Series with Andy Norman, author of the enthralling new book, “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think”: https://amzn.to/3o6OjbU. We learn about how bad ideas can infect our minds and how we can boost our own mental immunity. Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on your podcast player so you’re the first to be notified when we publish a new episode. 

Topics 

(9:33) Speed Round

(11:36) Lee’s experience attending a Flat Earth Convention.

(14:56) How people become convinced by conspiracy theories.

(17:09) The value of having face to face conversations.

(22:10) How to have those difficult conversations with your family and friends.

(26:08) The 5 common traits of science deniers.

(31:31) Is the educational system really teaching us about how science works?

(36:23) Why should we take science deniers seriously?

(38:53) Why is science denial growing?

(43:27) Political identity and science denial. 

(58:14) The music that got Lee through Covid

(1:06:14) Grooving Session with Tim and Kurt discussing what they talked about with Lee.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

“How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason” by Lee McIntyre: https://amzn.to/3qaV134

McIntyre, L. “Calling all Physicists” American Journal of Physics 87, 694 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1119/1.5117828

Beyond the Curve documentary: https://www.netflix.com/title/81015076

“Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Climate Change” by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway: https://amzn.to/3q39Y7m

Cranky Uncle: https://crankyuncle.com/

You’re Not So Smart Podcast: https://youarenotsosmart.com/podcast/

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves 

Musical Links

The Beatles “Here Comes the Sun”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQetemT1sWc

The Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJDJs9dumZI

The Beatles “Something”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UelDrZ1aFeY

The Beatles “Blackbird”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Man4Xw8Xypo

The Beatles “Hide your Love Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8nLraecPRY

The Beatles, The Medley on the Flipside of Abbey Road: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAIUxGn9lCI

The Beatles “Because”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL0tnrl2L_U

The Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUH9z_Oey8

Host of Hidden Brain podcast, Shankar Vedantam talks with us about the powers: both useful and harmful, of our delusional thinking. Nations are an example of useful delusions; they are an entirely human-made construct, yet they can present us with a unifying, shared identity. 

There is a tipping point, however, at which our beliefs can become harmful to someone else. Shankar defines conspiracy theories as a particular type of self deception which can easily escalate into harmful behavior.

Our conversation with Shankar touches on the Capitol Riots in Washington DC on January 6th 2021, and how conspiracy theories influenced the behavior of the rioters.

“Conspiracy theories, I think are a sort of special case of self deception, which...can easily take over into things that are deeply harmful.”

The challenge most of us face though, is how to talk to our friends and family who believe in conspiracy theories. And on that point, Shankar explains the Illusion Of Explanatory Depth and how conversations with our loved ones need to start with an air of empathy and compassion.

You can listen to our full interview with Shankar Vedantam in Episode 222: How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/. 

This bitesize episode is the introduction to our Conspiracy Theories Series, which will run through the month of November 2021. Over the next few weeks, you will hear from some of the brightest minds in the field of conspiracy theories and science denial. Here is our line up for the month:

• Nov 7th, 2021: Lee McIntyre discussing his new book, “How To Talk to A Science Denier.” 
• Nov 14th, 2021: Andy Norman talking about his new book “Mental Immunity”.
• Nov 21st, 2021: Eric Oliver, a political science professor at the University of Chicago who has studied conspiracy theorists for over 20 years. 
• Nov 28th, 2021: Howard Rankin, describing his new book “I Think Therefore I Am Wrong.” 

Subscribe or follow Behavioral Grooves on your podcast player so you don’t miss out on this fascinating series about conspiracy theories.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Subscribe to the Behavioral Grooves Newsletter: https://behavioralgrooves.com/ 

Write a review of Behavioral Grooves podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves 

Shankar Vedantam, Episode 222. How Delusions Can Actually Be Useful: Shankar Vedantam Reveals How: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shankar-vedantam-useful-delusions/

Shankar Vedantam of Hidden Brain: https://hiddenbrain.org/ 

Shankar Vedantam, “Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain”: https://amzn.to/2PUkzlv

Listen to Kurt and Tim’s spooky Halloween Special about some common biases that can seem a bit scary. But don’t fear, the scariest thing about this episode is actually Kurt and Tim’s jokes! Find out why some biases are a bit spooky, what makes us susceptible to them, and most importantly how we can overcome them. 

Thanks for taking the time to learn a bit about how to overcome the biases you may find impacting your life. If you’d like to support our work further, please consider donating a treat (no tricks please!) on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Your financial support helps with all our production costs.

Links

Behavioral Grooves Twitter: @behavioralgroov

Kurt Nelson Twitter: @motivationguru

Tim Houlihan Twitter: @thoulihan

Common Biases and Heuristics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHpBr0VFcaT8wIUpr-9zMIb79dFMgOVFRxIZRybiftI/edit

Scary Biases: https://blog.lanterngroup.com/scary-biases 

Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Rudeness is contagious, in a similar way to a virus. When experiencing a rude encounter, our brain perceives it like a threat. And once we’ve tuned in to this low-level threat, we’re more likely to notice it around us, and therefore more likely to display rude behavior ourselves.

Our guest on this episode is Dr Trevor Foulk PhD, Assistant Professor of Management & Organization at the University of Maryland. His well published research on deviant workplace behaviors and workplace power dynamics, has been featured in Time magazine, Harvard Business Review, and the Wall Street Journal.

Trevor walks us through what rude behavior actually is, what our evolutionary response to it is and how we can take steps to mitigate the effects of it. We are also delighted to talk about Trevor’s research around the way power changes our behavior, and what impact a feeling of paranoia can add to the dynamics. And to Tim’s delight, Trevor also boosts our understanding of how music affects work performance. 

Truth be told, our conversation with Trevor has opened our eyes into how rude behavior really impacts people. And in our Grooving Session, at the end of the episode, Kurt and Tim recap the ways Trevor’s research can improve our lives.

If you enjoy listening to our podcast, you can become an exclusive Behavioral Grooves Patreon member at https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. 

Topics 

(3:28) Welcome and speed round

(8:38) How rudeness is contagious.

(11:45) Why do we view rudeness as threatening?

(13:10) The solutions to rudeness.

(15:36) How our response to rudeness differs from holding a grudge.

(17:52) Are certain personality types more susceptible to rudeness?

(19:15) What effect does rudeness have on medical professionals?

(22:59) Can gratitude have the opposite effect to rudeness?

(24:27) How the Anchoring Effect is affected by rudeness.

(28:43) How does a feeling of power change our behavior?

(35:40) Paranoia and power.

(39:51) How does music influence performance?

(47:35) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing what we’ve learnt from Trevor’s interview.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Dr Trevor Foulk PhD: https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/directory/trevor-foulk 

Foulk, T.A., Woolum, A., & Erez, A. (2016). Catching rudeness is like catching a cold: The contagion effects of low-intensity negative behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology: https://www.courts.state.co.us/userfiles/file/Administration/Probation/ResearchInBriefs/RIB_Rudeness_Apr16(1).pdf 

Riskin, A. Erez, A., Foulk, T.A., Kugelman, A., Gover, A., Shoris, I, Riskin, K., & Bamberger, P.A. (2015). The impact of rudeness on medical team performance: A randomized trial. Pediatrics: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26260718/ 

Foulk, T.A., Lanaj, K., Tu, M., Erez, A., & Archambeau, L. (2018)  Heavy is the head that wears the crown: An ator-centric approach to psychological power, abusive behavior, and perceived incivility.  Academy of Management Journal: https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amj.2015.1061 

John Bargh: Episode 155. Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/

John Bargh, Episode 248. Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/ 

Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253. Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/

Musical Links 

Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen “This Old Porch”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1xY2pu31h4

Jim Croce “Operator”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw01trwmul0

Rancid “Fall Back Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CinJuVtdp3Y

Jimmy Buffett “Margaritaville”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HBcgxOWAQ

How do we make decisions? What factors influence the final outcome? Do default settings change our preferences? Every decision we make; from choosing something on a menu to deciding whether to be an organ donor, is influenced by our environmental context and the default selections presented to us. 

Professor Eric J. Johnson has distilled the latest behavioral science research into his newest book, The Elements of Choice: Why the Way We Decide Matters, and we are thrilled to talk with him about it on this episode of Behavioral Grooves.

Eric is Director of the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia Business School at Columbia University. He examines the interaction between Behavioral Decision Research, Economics and consumer decision making. The implications of his research come together in real world applications such as public policy and marketing.

Eric talks with us about how options are presented to decision-makers and how framing affects choices. Our decisions are “assembled”, as Eric likes to put it, in the moment and are not necessarily pre-determined by our preferences. Choice architects have very influential power over decision-makers but Eric highlights to us that we are all designers, and with that comes a moral responsibility. 

Topics 

(3:56) How Leading Human™ can help with returning to the office.

(6:28) Welcome and speed round.

(8:00) How interference affects our decision making. 

(10:32) The controversy of organ donation defaults.

(16:32) We are all designers using the tools of choice architecture.

(19:21) How sludge impacts our decision making.

(22:42) How context influences defaults.

(26:14) What factors moderate the impact of default settings?

(29:01) Making choices in the real world vs. classic economic thinking.

(32:18) The effects of asking people how long they will live vs. what year they expect to die.

(35:04) Smart defaults: defaults set specifically for you.

(38:02) What is Query Theory?

(39:15) Choice architecture around vaccinations.

(42:44) What area does Eric want to research in the future?

(44:44) What music does Eric default to?

(52:24) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on how to apply Eric’s research to our lives.

 

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package">https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist">https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist

Leading Human™ Workshop on Dec 14th, 2021 (more dates to be added soon):store.com/collections/leading-human/products/leading-human-workshop"> https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/leading-human-workshop

Promo Code: GROOVERS to receive $20 off (limited time offer for listeners).

“The Elements of Choice: Why the Way We Decide Matters” by Eric J. Johnson:  https://amzn.to/39yXr20

"Do Defaults Save Lives?" by Johnson, Eric, and Daniel Goldstein. Science 302 (2003): https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/researcharchive/articles/1275 

“Sludge: What Stops Us from Getting Things Done and What to Do about It” by Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/3i1lLhD

Tim Kachuriak, Episode 221: Donating Our Money Is Irrational, So Why Do We Do It? Tim Kachuriak Explains Our Motivations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/why-we-donate-our-money/

“Time to Retire: Why Americans Claim Benefits Early and How to Encourage Them to Delay” In Behavioral Science and Policy (2015). Coauthor(s): Kirstin Appelt, Melissa Knoll, Eric Johnson, Jonathan Westfall: https://behavioralpolicy.org/articles/time-to-retire-why-americans-claim-benefits-early-how-to-encourage-delay/ 

Musical Links 

Eric Dolphy “Out to Lunch!”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne6GCYO8pAc

Django Reinhardt “Three-Fingered Lightning”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQhTpgicdx4 

David Grisman Quartet “Dawg Funk”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P-FQ7xLiso 

Jerry Garcia “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_NOFuEb-yo&ab_channel=JerryGarcia 

Beethoven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-fFHeTX70Q 

Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion “Let The Soil Play a Simple Part”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cHc4n5mgNM&ab_channel=NonesuchRecords 

George E. Lewis “Mind In Flux” at the BBC Proms 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSvwisQ3la4 

Bruce Springsteen “Tougher Than The Rest”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_91hNV6vuBY 

Anxiety in the workplace has always been present, even pre-pandemic but rates of anxiety, particularly among young employees, have worsened since 2020. So what obligation do organizations have to their employees' mental health? How can managers recognize the signs of anxiety, and how can we help our colleagues with those feelings?

Following our incredibly popular first episode with Chester Elton in July 2021, on showing gratitude (episode 238), we are thrilled to be talking with him again about anxiety in the workplace. As a best-selling author, speaker and executive coach, Chester, and his co-author Adrian have shown over and over again, that the key to really successful companies is really successful relationships with employees. And because of the pandemic, we wanted to talk with Chester about their most recent book; Anxiety at Work: 8 Strategies to Help Teams Build Resilience, Handle Uncertainty, and Get Stuff Done: https://amzn.to/3dr7gBK.

Thank you to all of you who have subscribed to our show, written a review or shared an episode with your friends. Please also consider donating a small amount each month to our work, through our Patreon site: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. 

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves 

Topics 

(3:03) Speed round questions.

(5:30) Is anxiety in the workplace increasing or decreasing?

(10:11) How to manage with empathy, not just sympathy.

(14:59) Unleashing employees' potential.

(20:17) The number one cause of anxiety and how managers can recognize it.

(23:34) Showing vulnerability as a manager.

(29:12) Will people take advantage of mental health days off?

(32:07) How to deal with your own perfectionism and anxiety.

(36:57) The ways you can join Chester’s community.

(40:22) Chester’s anti-anxiety playlist.

(44:05) Chester’s kind promise to listeners.

(45:00) Grooving Session discussing how to apply Chester’s insight to our lives.

Books by Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick

Anxiety at Work: 8 Strategies to Help Teams Build Resilience, Handle Uncertainty, and Get Stuff Done: https://amzn.to/3dr7gBK

Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results: https://amzn.to/36Cy8uo

All In: How the Best Managers Create a Culture of Belief and Drive Big Results: https://amzn.to/3AgtSyk

The Best Team Wins: The New Science of High Performance: https://amzn.to/2USP4KN

The Orange Revolution: How One Great Team Can Transform an Entire Organization: https://amzn.to/3ybULSb

Links

Behavioral Grooves Patreon: www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves

Chester Elton: www.chesterelton.com

Chester Elton, Episode 238: Who Makes You Feel Grateful? Tell Them! https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/gratitude-with-chester-elton/

We Thrive Together: www.wethrivetogether.global. A safe community to talk about anxiety and stress with over 500 members.

Anxiety at Work with Adrian Gostick & Chester Elton: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/anxiety-at-work-with-adrian-gostick-chester-elton/id1549312484

“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy: https://amzn.to/2YxRO2d 

Nicole Malachowski: https://bit.ly/3oCYTt5 

HR Leaders Podcast with Chris Rainey: https://hrleaders.co/podcast 

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, Episode 246: Are You More Honest with Google or Your Friends? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/are-you-more-honest-with-google/ 

“The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism” by Hubert Joly: https://amzn.to/2YmaMZt 

Garry Ridge at WD-40: https://wd40company.com/our-tribe/our-tribes-leaders/ 

Musical Links 

Pharrell Williams “Happy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZSe6N_BXs

Monty Python, Eric Idle “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUhlRoBL8M 

The Beatles “Good Day Sunshine”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e01nNA02vw 

The Beatles “Fixing A Hole”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPBd8eHQqIw 

What life habits keep our brain healthy? How does our mind respond to trauma? And why does the way we talk about suicide and mental health make such a difference to those who are struggling? We discuss all these topics with neuroscience researcher Dr Daniel Almeida.

To mark World Mental Health Day on Sunday, Oct 10, 2021, we decided to delve into the science behind mental health. And who better to help us with this topic than Daniel who has been named as one of Forbes 30 under 30 in science. His incredible work as a neuroscience researcher in the Douglas Research Centre at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, involves psychological autopsies to understand the molecular impacts of severe childhood abuse on the brains of individuals who died by suicide.

As you can imagine, this episode is full of difficult yet important topics. But what struck us most about Daniel was how upbeat and positive he is about his work and the difference it’s making to people’s lives. Daniel kindly shares his top 5 healthy brain habits that we can all adopt to improve our mental wellbeing. 

If you, or someone you know needs help with their mental health, please use one of the resources in the links below. 

Mental Health Support

Suicide Prevention Lifeline (US):https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: National Helpline (US): 1-800-662-HELP (4357). SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline 

The Canada Suicide Prevention Service: https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/

Samaritans (UK): https://www.samaritans.org/ 

United for Global Mental Health (List of support networks around the world): https://unitedgmh.org/mental-health-support 

  For those looking for information on how to support others: National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention   For the general public looking to be trained in mental health first aid and/or suicide prevention: Living Works (US): https://bit.ly/3oKgsaS  Mental Health First Aid Canada: https://mhfa.ca/ Topics 

(6:29) Speed round.

(10:14) Does talking about suicide help?

(14:15) Why it’s very important to talk about “dying by suicide” instead of “committing suicide”.

(16:17) About Daniel’s work as a neuroscientist.

(17:47) What are the links between childhood trauma and suicide?

(25:16) What age are children most sensitive to the effects of trauma?

(31:19) How the type of trauma experienced by a child matters.

(33:36) How resilience is more like a sword than a shield.

(35:29) What are the 5 best brain health habits?

(41:57) What is a brain bank and how are psychological autopsies used?

(44:30) What music isn’t noise pollution for Daniel?

(46:24) Music and the brain.

(48:13) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim; how to apply Daniel’s work to your life.

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Links

World Mental Health Day: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day 

Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook:store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package"> https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package

Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download:store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist"> https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist

Leading Human™ Workshop on Dec 14th, 2021 (more dates to be added soon):store.com/collections/leading-human/products/leading-human-workshop"> https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/leading-human-workshop

Promo Code: GROOVERS to receive $20 off (limited time offer for listeners).

Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/

Dr Brenda Mildner – Mother of Psychological worked on bilateral hypocantim removal: https://www.mcgill.ca/neuro/about/brenda-milner

Donald Hebb: acn.org/donald-olding-hebb/#:~:text=Donald%20Hebb%20(1904-1985),which%20was%20published%20in%201949">https://can-acn.org/donald-olding-hebb/#:~:text=Donald%20Hebb%20(1904%2D1985),which%20was%20published%20in%201949. 

“Molecular impacts of childhood abuse on the human brain”  Ibrahim, P.; Almeida, D.; Nagy, C.; Turecki, G. (2021): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289521000515?via%3Dihub 

“A Slice of the Suicidal Brain: What Have Postmortem Molecular Studies Taught Us?” Almeida, D. and Turecki, G. (2016): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27671915/ 

“What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing”, by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry: https://amzn.to/3lF7EQ7 

Brain structure of dancers and musicians https://www.falishakarpati.com/bio

Support Behavioral Grooves by donating on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves  

Musical Links 

Gladys Knight & The Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0F9lh8TiSM&ab_channel=GladysKnightTPVEVO 

Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU 

The Supremes “Where Did Our Love Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTBmgAOO0Nw 

Stevie Wonder “As”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYQfWJNWe3I 

Marconi Union - Weightless Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYnA9wWFHLI&t=6831s

The clearest indicators of our financial solvency are based on the behaviors we exhibit with our investments. Dr. Daniel Crosby PhD is a psychologist, behavioral finance expert, asset manager and bestselling author of four books including “The Behavioral Investor”: https://amzn.to/3Bl4s3t. We examine with him the question of whether financial success ultimately brings us happiness? Surprisingly it can, but not in the ways that we think it does. 

Having studied the growing list of 200 odd behavioral biases and heuristics, Daniel has whittled them down to what he describes as the four “Big Daddy” biases: ego, emotion, attention and conservatism. We learn about why these matter so much and interestingly what Coke Zero can teach us about our biases!

Daniel touches on his other bestselling book “You’re Not That Great”: https://amzn.to/3ifiRFC which refreshingly embraces the fact that we are in fact all fairly average! That self esteem is built not by awarding prizes for participation, but by taking a risk, working hard and acknowledging that occasionally we will fall flat on our face along the way!

In our Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim, following our interview with Daniel we talk about the ways that we can apply Daniel’s insights to improve our wellbeing and our relationships. [Tim quotes the infamous “Man in the Arena '' quote from Theodore Roosevelt but apologies, we incorrectly credited the quote to Eisenhower, not Roosevelt in the episode.] 

If you would like to invest in the work that Behavioral Grooves does to bring you interviews like Daniels every week, please support our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves thank you.

Topics

(3:09) Welcome and speed round.

(5:51) Why understanding people is vital to understanding markets.

(8:20) Daniel's journey into behavioral finance.

(11:02) What behavioral finance can help with beyond your bank balance.

(15:17) Can money really boost our happiness?

(20:05) The benefits of embracing our mediocrity. 

(24:30) How stress impacts performance.

(26:58) Meta-biases: ego, promotion, attention, conservatism.

(31:09) What Coke Zero can teach us about conservatism bias.

(36:51) Ethics and behavioral finance.

(41:09) What music does Daniel invest in?

(48:44) Grooving Session on how to apply Daniel’s work in our own lives.

 

© 2021 Behavioral Grooves

Books by Daniel Crosby

The Laws of Wealth: Psychology and the secret to investing success: https://amzn.to/36NsbuJ

The Behavioral Investor:  https://amzn.to/3Bl4s3t

You're Not That Great: https://amzn.to/3ifiRFC

Personal Benchmark: Integrating Behavioral Finance and Investment Management https://amzn.to/3h5TjM1 

Links

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Honeycomb:  https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/

“Subjective Well-Being and Income: Is There Any Evidence Of Satiation?” Betsy Stevenson and Justin Wolfers (2013): well-being-income.pdf">https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/subjective-well-being-income.pdf 

“The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness” by Morgan Housel: https://amzn.to/3onc5C2 

Daniel Crosby TEDx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXUh3wNnFrw

“Nudge: The Final Edition” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/2ZqQn5O 

Barry Ritholtz, Episode 47. How to Reduce Evolutionary Panic: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/barry-ritholtz-reducing-panic/

The Rocket City Trash Pandas: https://www.milb.com/rocket-city

“Sludge: What Stops Us from Getting Things Done and What to Do about It” by Cass Sunstein: https://amzn.to/3CNQJ4X 

At Uber, a New C.E.O Shifts Gears, The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/09/at-uber-a-new-ceo-shifts-gears 

Trevor Foulk episode (publishing at the end of Oct 2021)

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, Episode 246.  Are You More Honest with Google or Your Friends? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/are-you-more-honest-with-google/

Vanessa Bohns, Episode 253. Why You Don‘t Need to be Powerful to be Influential: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/influence-vanessa-bohns/

Ben Parr, Episode 237. Attention: How to Capture It and Keep It with Ben Parr: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/attention-with-ben-parr/

Musical Links 

Phoebe Bridgers “Kyoto”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw0zYd0eIlk

Elliot Smith “Angeles”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMSU4QDbdew&ab_channel=lucilwinchester 

Radiohead “Creep”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkzRNyygfk&ab_channel=Radiohead 

Arcade Fire “The Suburbs”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Euj9f3gdyM&ab_channel=ArcadeFireVEVO 

Father John Misty “Real Love Baby”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOspC5B69L4&ab_channel=SubPop 

Vampire Weekend “This Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwkrrU2WYKg&ab_channel=VampireWeekendVEVO 

Run The Jewels “Legend Has It”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWaljXUiCaE&ab_channel=RunTheJewels