Categories

Resources

Where to start when you’re new and starting to dig into BE? Here are some places which were useful for me when I was starting. The idea here is not to overwhelm you with links and content but to share something for the beginning. For the ones who want more, there are links and places to explore at the end of each section.

Books

  • Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics, Richard Thaler – Traditional economics assumes rational actors. Early in his research, Thaler realized these Spock-like automatons were nothing like real people. Whether buying a clock radio, selling basketball tickets, or applying for a mortgage, we all succumb to biases and make decisions that deviate from the standards of rationality assumed by economists. In other words we misbehave.
  • Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Dan Ariely – We like to think that we are perfectly rational in our choices and decision. But is it so? In this book, Ariely shares compelling, real-world examples of times we don’t make smart, rational choices and explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.
  • Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman – The Nobel Prize winner Kahneman presents the two systems of the mind: System 1, which is fast, emotional, and intuitive; and System 2, which is slow, logical, and more deliberate. When you know how these two systems shape your thinking and decision-making, you’re a lot more equipped to make better decisions, both at work and in life. Kahneman exposes both the flaws and brilliance of both systems, and explains how to tap into the tremendous advantages of “slow thinking.”
  • Freaconomics: A Rouge Economics explores the hidden side of everything, Stephen Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner – The authors show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives: how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they explore the hidden side of…well, everything. What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking, and Freakonomics will redefine the way we view the modern world.
  • Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending, Elizabeth Dunn & Michael Norton – If you have been struggling with the question “Can money buy happiness?” this book might have the answer. It depicts five principles on how to spend your money to contribute to you subjective well being. The principles are supported with field research and experiments. I must read book if you are interested in behavioral sciences with a twist of economics.

The two newest ones grabbing my attention are How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, Katy Milkman (2021) and Experimentation Works: The Surprising Power of Business Experiments – Stefan H. Thomke (2020).

A list always updated you can find at the website behavioraleconomics.com.

TED Talks

  • Are we in control of our own decisions?, Dan Ariely – Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we’re not as rational as we think when we make decisions.
  • The riddle of experience vs. memory, Daniel Kahneman, February 2010 – Using examples from vacations to colonoscopies, Nobel laureate and founder of behavioral economics Daniel Kahneman reveals how our “experiencing selves” and our “remembering selves” perceive happiness differently. This new insight has profound implications for economics, public policy — and our own self-awareness.
  • How to change your behavior for the better, Dan Ariely, Jun 2019 – What’s the best way to get people to change their behavior? In this funny, information-packed talk, psychologist Dan Ariely explores why we make bad decisions even when we know we shouldn’t — and discusses a couple tricks that could get us to do the right thing (even if it’s for the wrong reason).
  • The optimism bias, Tali Sharot, February 2012 – Are we born to be optimistic, rather than realistic? Tali Sharot shares new research that suggests our brains are wired to look on the bright side — and how that can be both dangerous and beneficial.
  • What makes us feel good about our work? Dan Ariely, October 2012 – What motivates us to work? Contrary to conventional wisdom, it isn’t just money. But it’s not exactly joy either. It seems that most of us thrive by making constant progress and feeling a sense of purpose. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely presents two eye-opening experiments that reveal our unexpected and nuanced attitudes toward meaning in our work.
  • The human insight missing from big data, Tricia Wang, Jul 2017 – Why do so many companies make bad decisions, even with access to unprecedented amounts of data? With stories from Nokia to Netflix to the oracles of ancient Greece, Tricia Wang demystifies big data and identifies its pitfalls, suggesting that we focus instead on “thick data” — precious, unquantifiable insights from actual people — to make the right business decisions and thrive in the unknown.

This is a super short selection of my favorite and most useful talks on applying behavioral economics in our own lives and at our work. TED offers a wide section of talks on behavioral economics in many different areas, and you can browse and learn about what intrigues you the most here.

Courses

I can give a warm recommendation for the BE in Action course, since it covers all the main concepts and gives many resources more to discover and learn.

Designing Nudges in a short and useful course by Impactually, giving a framework to implement nudges in your own life and in an organization.

Gamification and Behavioral Design is a course mainly focused on marketing and relations with the consumers. It give a good overview, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Podcasts

  • Planet Money – NPRs podcast that shares the economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, “Meet me at the bar and tell me what’s going on with the economy.”
  • Freakonomics Radio – Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books speaks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, intellectuals and entrepreneurs, and various other underachievers, discovering and sharing with us the secret side of everything.
  • Choiceology with Katy Milkman – Can we learn to make smarter choices? Listen in as host Katy Milkman, behavioral scientist, with her guests explores the lessons of behavioral economics to help you improve your judgment and change for good.

Websites