Choiceology: Seasons 16 and 17
Can we learn to make smarter choices?
Listen in as host Katy Milkman shares stories of irrational decision making—from historical blunders to the kinds of everyday errors that could affect your future. Choiceology, an original podcast from Charles Schwab, explores the lessons of behavioral economics, exposing the psychological traps that lead to expensive mistakes.
A Choiceology Glossary
Looking for information about a specific behavioral science concept? Browse this Choiceology Glossary — a downloadable, interactive PDF that lists every topic we’ve covered. Click any term (e.g., “loss aversion”, “present bias”, etc.) to see a concise definition and find the episode that brings it to life.
Choiceology: Season 17, Episode 4
From market booms to historic downturns, learn how major economic events impact us and influence how much risk we’re comfortable taking.
Choiceology: Season 17, Episode 3
Ranked lists are everywhere—top hospitals, best colleges, must-visit cities. Yet behind these rankings are hidden assumptions, and they don’t always reflect what matters most to you.
Choiceology: Season 17, Episode 2
Katy Milkman explores why people tend to keep investing time, money, or effort into something even when future benefits no longer justify continuing.
Choiceology: Season 17, Episode 1
Explore the high-stakes friction between human intuition and algorithmic guidance.
Choiceology: Season 16, Episode 6
When your emotions flare or temptation calls, what does it take to hold back? Learn how self-control can be one of the hardest—and most important—skills we ever learn.
Choiceology: Season 16, Episode 5
Learn how approaching new skills or challenges with openness, effort, and curiosity can take you farther than you might expect.
Choiceology: Season 16, Episode 4
Even when turning back is the smartest option, there’s a strong pull to keep moving forward. In this episode, we explore why people push ahead even when a better path is available.
Choiceology: Season 16, Episode 3
What makes an effective team? Talent? Discipline? Courage? Learn about the ingredients that research shows make teams more successful than the sum of their parts.
Choiceology: Season 16, Episode 2
It can feel like the whole world is watching you—and judging you—in those embarrassing moments. But are people paying as much attention to you as you think?
Choiceology: Season 16, Episode 1
It must be great if everyone is talking about it, right?