Behavioral Scientist

10/31/2025

What If We Thought of Our Daily Commute as a Team Sport? By Hannah B. Waldfogel

Better street design, safer cars, and driver education programs offer promising paths to safer roads, but their success still depends on something more fundamental—the decisions we make behind the wheel.

Better street design, safer cars, and driver education programs offer promising paths to safer roads, but their success still depends on something more fundamental—the decisions we make behind the wheel.

10/30/2025

What’s the Goal of the Goal? By Dan Heath

When we lock into a particular goal too quickly, we blind ourselves to alternate routes forward that might have been better and easier. We can avoid this trap by asking ourselves one simple question.

When we lock into a particular goal too quickly, we blind ourselves to alternate routes forward that might have been better and easier. We can avoid this trap by asking ourselves one simple question.

10/30/2025

"For our politics to function, we must find a balance between letting all hypocrisy slide and trying to eradicate hypocrisy completely. It’s fairly obvious why we can’t let all hypocrisy slide. But we have a blind spot when it comes to understanding the effects of calling out hypocrisy relentlessly and trying to stamp out hypocrisy completely. And it’s a blind spot that erodes our trust in our political institutions and can mean we end up electing even more deceptive politicians." — Michael Hallsworth

Our Hypocrisy Blind Spot: https://behavioralscientist.org/our-hypocrisy-blindspot/

10/29/2025

How Zero-Sum Beliefs Get in the Way of Fairness By Iris Bohnet and Siri Chilazi

The more we are stuck in the fixed-pie mentality, the harder it is to spot the opportunities to expand the pie.

The more we are stuck in the fixed-pie mentality, the harder it is to spot the opportunities to expand the pie.

10/29/2025

For our politics to function, we must find a balance between letting all hypocrisy slide and trying to eradicate hypocrisy completely.

Our Hypocrisy Blind Spot By Michael Hallsworth

For our politics to function, we must find a balance between letting all hypocrisy slide and trying to eradicate hypocrisy completely.

10/28/2025

What a 1980s Power Ballad Taught Me About Emotion By Ethan Kross

It turns out there is plenty of research about how the senses affect our emotions, but very little on how to strategically use our senses to modulate our feelings. And this is where the opportunity lies.

It turns out there is plenty of research about how the senses affect our emotions, but very little on how to strategically use our senses to modulate our feelings. And this is where the opportunity lies.

10/28/2025

"What if behavioral scientists could identify the relief of the behavioral landscape by working like cartographers?" Dilip Soman asks in his latest piece for Behavioral Scientist. Read it here: https://behavioralscientist.org/the-behavioral-scientist-as-a-cartographer/

10/27/2025

We Still Underestimate Others’ Support for Climate Action By Kevin Green and Rakhim Rakhimov

People think they’re more alone in supporting climate-positive action than they really are. That’s a problem, because we know people are likely to take action when they believe others are already doing so.

People think they’re more alone in supporting climate-positive action than they really are. That’s a problem, because we know people are likely to take action when they believe others are already doing so.

10/27/2025

How can researchers and practitioners better translate, scale, and adapt their interventions? A concept from cartography offers some inspiration.

The Behavioral Scientist as a Cartographer By Dilip Soman

How can researchers and practitioners better translate, scale, and adapt their interventions? A concept from cartography offers some inspiration.

10/26/2025

How Do You Become More Conscientious When You’re Not Conscientious Already? By Olga Khazan

The easiest way to become more conscientious is to already be conscientious—last week’s to-do list makes writing this week’s easier. But if you can’t lean on your past self, considering your future self can help.

The easiest way to become more conscientious is to already be conscientious—last week’s to-do list makes writing this week’s easier. But if you can’t lean on your past self, considering your future self can help.

10/25/2025

In Uncertain Times, Get Curious By Elizabeth Weingarten

Asking better questions can act as an antidote to uncertainty—and the anxiety that comes with it.

Asking better questions can act as an antidote to uncertainty—and the anxiety that comes with it.

10/24/2025

Why Simplicity Can Be Strength in a Complex World By Michael Hallsworth

As intuitive as it seems, a complicated approach to behavioral design may not be the best response to complexity.

As intuitive as it seems, a complicated approach to behavioral design may not be the best response to complexity.