Each month, I share an interview I’ve conducted with a leading behavioral scientist (or two) about their research and how it can help us all make better choices
January 12, 2021
A few years ago, I was going about my morning ritual of brewing tea, making toast, and listening to my favorite podcast when an unfamiliar advertisement caught me off guard. “Turns out good habits come easy,” a pleasing feminine voice cooed. I stopped stirring my tea. Really? For a few seconds, I held my breath. If someone was about to reveal the secret I’d been pursuing for my entire academic career in a single, pre-packaged sound bite, I didn’t want to miss it.
December 15, 2020
As crooner Andy Williams reminds us during these winter months, “it’s the happiest season of all.” But I beg to differ with his contention that “parties for hosting,” “marshmallows for toasting,” and “caroling out in the snow” are responsible for that distinction. (And it’s a good thing too, since there won’t be parties or much caroling this year.)
November 24, 2020
November is the month for giving thanks, but today I’m going to focus on another kind of giving: the kind of giving you do when someone asks for your advice. At first blush, offering words of wisdom probably seems like a selfless act. But research I’ll highlight in today’s featured Q&A shows that offering advice doesn’t just help the person you advise. It can often help you — the advice giver — achieve more, too.
October 20, 2020
If you’re like me, you’ve probably had at least one conversation in the last month about why the madness of 2020 just won’t let up. Ok, you say, maybe facing a global pandemic like COVID-19 was inevitable (this isn’t our first rodeo), but did it have to come with massive uncontrolled wildfires in the West and the death of a Supreme Court justice weeks before a presidential election? Not to mention reports of murder hornets spotted in Washington State. It’s hard to shrug that all off as a coincidence.
September 15, 2020
Many of the usual rhythms I associate with the beginning of fall have been thrown out the window this September. Instead of meeting my new Wharton students face-to-face, I’m meeting them online. Instead of sending my son off to Pre-K, I’m helping him Zoom into a virtual classroom. But even in these strange and difficult times, September is bringing change. Daily routines are shifting. And that means an opportunity to craft new and better habits.
August 18, 2020
I love sharing insights with my Wharton students and Choiceology podcast listeners about the science of making good decisions. But my overflowing inbox suggests I’m not keeping up with everyone’s thirst for new knowledge. The goal of this newsletter is to fix that!
