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of 124 found.
Murder's Morality
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
There are plenty of things that might upset Johnny “The Basin Street Butcher” Martorano. Perhaps having murdered 20 people in the course of his career as a mob hitman doesn’t sit so well decades later. Well, no, this is not it, Martorano recently recounted his murders as part of Whitey Bulger’s trial with a perfectly flat affect, much to the displeasure of his victims’ families. It seems guilt doesn’t keep him up at night.
Economics and the Maximization of Profit (and Lies).
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
When a friend sent me this paper the other day, I admit that I took a long hard look at myself and my economist friends. According to this study, economists, it seems, are worse than most when it comes to truth telling. This discovery was made by researchers Ral Lpez-Prez and Eli Spiegelman, who wanted to examine whether certain characteristics (for instance religiosity or gender) made people averse to lying. They measured the preference for honesty by canceling out other motivations, such as altruism or fear of getting caught.
Facing the Truth is a Terrible Way To Be Happy.
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
There are times when uncertainty is unbearable: waiting to hear about a school or job acceptance or pacing outside the operating theater of a loved one. But other times were a lot happier being in the dark or at least partially shaded.
What's in a Name.
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
Runners run, teachers teach, and cheaters cheat. It's all there in the name, right? Despite the obvious logic, one could argue that even those who aren't "runners" per se do, on occasion, run (even if it's just across a busy street), and that we all occasionally teach our kids or friends something they didn't know before. So what about cheaters?
The Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
Wondering whether you can ask someone to give you a PhD in exchange for a kickback? Curious whether you can get away with stuffing ballot boxes? Allow me to introduce you to the Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure. Every couple years the Department of Defense publishes the Encyclopedia (Word doc), which is likely the most sarcastic government document out there. Interestingly, golf and taxes seem to turn up a lot.
On Aging Gracefully
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
The moral of the story is that we should always question prevailing opinion. And maybe its best to think of aging as Mark Twain did: Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you dont mind, it doesnt matter. One thing is certain though: never, ever attempt a comb-over.
How to Stop Illegal Downloads
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
Three days after publication of my new book , The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, I was able to find electronic copies on a few websites that specialize in illegal content. These were high quality versions of the book, including the images of the cover, the references, andmy favorite partthe copyright notice.
Bogus Bonuses and C.E.O. Salaries
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
One of the most common justifications for hefty C.E.O. compensation packages is that if the leaders of industry are not paid well, the so-called best and brightest will no longer flock to fill the corporate ranks, and will instead go elsewhere. High salaries (and bonuses, etc) are said to both motivate and retain these brilliant minds.
Real-world Endowment
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
One of economists' common critiques of the study of behavioral economics is the reliance on college students as a subject pool. The argument is that this populations lack of real-world experience (like paying taxes, investing in stock, buying a house) makes them another kind of people, one that conceptualizes their decisions in altogether different ways. One area where we can test this assumption is with the endowment effect.
Harvard and the Politics of Large-Scale Cheating
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
Harvard is known for many things, its rigorous academics, its crisp New England campus, its secret societies, and now, what may be the most extensive cheating scandal in Ivy League history. A total of 279 hundred are now under investigation for collaborating on a take-home exam, with the threat of a year's expulsion hanging over their heads if found guilty.
Alibis for Sale
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
Ever since The Honest Truth about Dishonesty was published, people send me emails about strange things they come across related to dishonesty, like this one offering alibis and excuses for absences as well as assistance with a variety of sensitive issues. Here's my response.
Understanding Ego Depletion
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
From your own experience, are you more likely to finish half a pizza by yourself on a) Friday night after a long work week or b) Sunday evening after a restful weekend? The answer that most people will give, of course, is "a". And in case you hadn't noticed, it's on stressful days that many of us give in to temptation and choose unhealthy options. The connection between exhaustion and the consumption of junk food is not just a figment of your imagination.
Cheating in Online Courses
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education suggests that students cheat more in online than in face-to-face classes. The article tells the story of Bob Smith (not his real name, obviously) who was a student in an online science course. Bob logged in once a week for half an hour in order to take a quiz. He didn't read a word of his textbook, didn't participate in discussions, and still got an A. Bob pulled this off, he explained, with the help of a collaborative cheating effort.
Starting Fresh.
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
We lie. We cheat. We bend the rules. We break the rules. And sometimes, as weve seen in Greece, it all adds up. But, remarkably, this doesn't stop us from thinking we're wonderful, honest people. We've become very good at justifying our dishonest behaviors so that, at the end of the day, we feel good about who we are.
Swiss Army People
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
Plato once said that people are like dirt. They can nourish you or stunt your growth. This seems sage and reasonable, but I think people are more like Swiss Army knives (To be fair, Plato did not have the benefit of knowing of such a tool, so I don't think I'm detracting from his comparison in the least). Swiss Army knives, as we all know, are incredibly versatile, and have a tool for almost any situation.
Partisan Standards of Ethics
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
We say that politicians are slimy, our noses wrinkling with disdain but is that the way we like them? It seems the answer depends on whether we agree with their agenda. With the 2012 election steadily approaching, I wondered whether Democratic and Republican voters hold their preferred candidate and the opposing candidate to similar ethical standards. To find out, Heather Mann (a graduate student working with me) and I conducted a little survey on American voters.
/______ a Dollar?
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
As part of the PoorQuality: Inequality exhibition that is currently on display at the CAH, we are showing a piece of art by Jody Servon entitled /______ A DOLLAR. This piece started out as one hundred $1 bills stuck flat against the wall. The bills hung there in a simple, uniform shape, Washington after Washington. The money was there for the taking, but only if you needed it. Jody asked viewers to think about the value of a single dollar, to contemplate their needs in relation to their wants.
Power and Moral Hypocrisy
by Dan Ariely of Dan Ariely Blog,
When a certain former New York State Attorney General became New York Governor, he pledged to change the ethics of Albany and make ethics and integrity the hallmarks of [his] administration. Sure enough, he went on to fight collar crime and corruption, reduce pollution and prosecute a couple prostitution rings. Oh, but then the New York Times disclosed that this same law-and-order Governor was patronizing high-priced prostitutes. So much for changing the ethics of Albany.
Looming Integrity Crisis
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Apparently, Britons are becoming less honest. At least according to a study conducted at the University of Essex, where several thousand respondents filled out an online survey that repeated questions from a study on citizenship and behavior conducted ten years earlier. According to researcher Paul Whiteley, the purpose of the study was to try to gain an idea of the level of dishonesty in British society, and moreover, whats considered acceptable and whether that has altered over time.
Green Consumption: Its Not All Positive
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
There was a time when farmers markets, eco products, recycling, and renewable energy were squarely in the tree huggers domain. Then, somewhere along the line, green went mainstream, turning environmental awareness into a socially desirable trait and a mark of morality.
Disclosure? Not Good Enough.
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Several studies have shown that when professionals disclose their conflicts of interest, this only makes the problem worse. This is because two things happen after disclosure: first, those hearing the disclosure dont entirely know what to make of it were not good at weighing the various factors that influence complex situations and second, the discloser feels morally liberated and free to act even more in his self-interest.
Religion and Research
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
You may recall that we carried out a study on cheating that assessed the value of moral reminders. We asked participants to complete a test, told them theyd receive cash for every correct answer, and made sure they knew they had ample room to cheat. Prior to starting, we had half the participants list ten books off their high-school reading list, and the other half to recall the Ten Commandments, a manipulation that turned out to have a marked effect on the results.
Social Power and Morality
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Dan Ariely quotes the graduation speech of Michael Lewis at Princeton in 2012 that discusses an experiment exploring the relationship between power and morality. There is a great deal of research concerning the link between social power and morality, and most of it suggests that absolute power is not required to change peoples morals; sadly it tends to show that more power leads to less care for others, and less moral behavior.
A Year in the Life of a City Bike.
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
At one point the people who run Hudson Urban Bikes, a bike rental company in the West Village, wondered what would happen to a bike if it was left chained to a post in the city for one year, and they took a picture of it each day to document its progress. The bicycle began its experimental journey equipped with all necessary equipment plus a basket, water bottle, splashguard and a few other goodies.
Women, Men, and Math Problems.
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
In the experiments my colleagues and I have run on cheating, weve used a task in which pride about personal performance and ability has no part. Recent graduate Heidi Nicklaus of Rutgers University was interested in the opposite; she wondered how peoples pride about their perceived and imputed abilities would affect their dishonesty. Specifically, she was interested in gender stereotypes. So the question was, if men are more proud of their mathematic ability and women of verbal, it might cause them to cheat more.
Why We Lie
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
We like to believe that a few bad apples spoil the virtuous bunch. But research shows that everyone cheats a littleright up to the point where they lose their sense of integrity. Not too long ago, one of my students, Peter, locked himself out of his house. After a spell, the locksmith pulled up in his truck and picked the lock in about a minute. The purpose of locks, the locksmith said, is to protect you from the 98% of mostly honest people who might be tempted to try your door if it had no lock.
The Facebook IPO: A Note to Mark Zuckerberg; or, With Friends Like Morgan Stanley, Who Needs Enemi
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
I just received this letter from a friend in the banking industry. Dear Mark, Theres been a lot of ballyhoo recently about your IPO and your choice of investment bankers. Indeed, a war was fought by the banks to win your deal of the decade. As reported in the press, the competition was so intense banks slashed their fees in order to win your business. Facebook is only paying a 1% commission for its IPO rather than the 3% typically charged by the banks. Congratulations, Mr. Zuckerberg! On the surface it appears your pals in investment banking have given you a quite a deal!Or have they?
Turning the Tables: FDR, Tom Sawyer, and me
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Before television and the internet, political candidates had two primary means of getting their image out into the public: live appearances and campaign posters. And given the limited reach of the former, posters were a crucial element in political strategy. So when Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for governor of New York in 1928, his campaign manager had thousands of posters printed with Roosevelt looking at the viewer with serene confidence. There was just one problem. The campaign manager realized they didnt have the rights to the photo from the small studio where it had been taken.
New Cure All!
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Im excited to announce an innovative new therapy that will be released in tandem with my new book The Honest Truth About Dishonesty. I developed it with a team of medical doctors and behavioral economists to treat a broad spectrum of disorders. Cureall (Fixeverything) works to combat the tendency toward self-deception and dishonesty, which, like bacteria in the human body, affect everyone (some more than others).
Finance, Meet Pharma
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
I think we need an FDA-like entity and process for financial products, because if we dont have a counterfactual, we cant compare and measure the value of their products. We could call it the FPA, for Financial Product Administration. One example of a financial tool that the FPA could test is high frequency trading. Companies are going all out to profit by being the fastest to buy and sell stocks, owning them for fractions of a second; they even go so far as to buy buildings closer to the stock market to make trading faster.
Celebrating April 15th (17th)
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Our attention is directed toward ending the irritating procedure. So how can we fix this problem? The first step is to simplify and clarify the tax code to make the process less confusing. The process of figuring and filling out tax forms is so exasperating its hard not to direct that feeling toward someone or somethingand generally speaking, that something is the agency that seems responsible for your suffering, which in this case is the IRS. After all, its difficult to maintain a cheerfully civic-minded outlook, or even an even-keeled neutral outlook, in the face of such frustration.
Taxes and Cheating
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Will Rogers once said that The income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf and I worry that he was correct. During his confirmation hearing to become the Treasury Secretary, it was revealed that Tim Geithner failed to pay Medicare, Social Security, and payroll taxes for several years while he worked for the IMF. When asked by Senator John Kyl during the hearing about the $40,000 mistake, which Geithner blamed on the tax software he was using it was very clear that this was an avoidable mistakeI had many opportunities to see it. But he didnt, apparently, and that was that.
TSA: Wasteful and Insecure
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
When you consider the approach to security so far, who knows what the next step might bewill we have to wear certain clothes only, carry only certain kinds of luggage, or no luggage at all? Instead we need a comprehensive approach that addresses concerns more fully, rather than the reactionary, piecemeal approach we have at present.
Regret
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Imagine that you have a flight at 8:00 in the morning. Which would be worse, arriving at the gate, breathless, at 8:02, just after theyve closed the door, or at 10:00, thanks to a couple unplanned delays in your morning. Obviously, the first scenario would cause far more misery, but why? Either way youre stuck at the airport until the next flight, eating the same bad, overpriced food, missing whatever you were supposed to do after your planned arrival, whether thats meetings or a stroll on the beach.
Looming Integrity Crisis
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Apparently, Britons are becoming less honest. At least according to a recent study conducted at the University of Essex, where several thousand respondents filled out an online survey that repeated questions from a study on citizenship and behavior conducted in 2000. According to researcher Paul Whiteley, the purpose of the study was to try to gain an idea of the level of dishonesty in British society, and moreover, whats considered acceptable and whether that has altered over time. The problem is that over time, if no one counteracts the spread of dishonesty, it is likely to continue.
Supply, Demand, and Valentines Day
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Want to know how to ensure your wife or girlfriends satisfaction with her Valentines Day present? Over breakfast, casually mention that recent census data shows women outnumber men in your area, and that men are apparently a scarce commodity. Why would this matter? Well, according to a recent study, perceived gender ratio affects economic behavior in both men and women. So for those of you who are single and looking to find a match, heres a little help from the US Census Bureau. Ladies, youll want to try your luck in the blue areas; guys, your best bet is in the red.
Why We Really Are Distracted by Shiny Objects
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
When making simple choices, consumers can spot and choose most of their preferred items in as little as a third of a second. Granted, the visual saliency bias may, in some instances, lead us to make suboptimal choices, but that may be a small price to pay in order to go about our daily lives making rapid, mostly good, decisions. After all, who wants to spend an entire afternoon in front of the store shelf choosing between Snickers and Sour Skittles?
An Alternative to Calorie Labels
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
We just published a new paper: A top cause of preventable death, obesity is a growing threat to an able-bodied, functioning society. Simply put, overeating is one of the biggest contributions to the obesity epidemic, and despite widespread efforts to promote health education, there may be better ways to combat this problem than by giving people nutritional information and relying on them to use that information to make wise choices. We need to stop people, slow them down and offer them to take a better path at the moment when they are placing their order.
Audience with a Dragon Tattoo
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
The Unlimited Movies Cinema in the Netherlands has offered moviegoers the opportunity to see free movies for an entire yearall they have to do is get the theaters logo (a dog-like creature flying under a banner of unfurled film reel) tattooed on their body (for pictures, check this page out). The offer is part of a promotion for the latest movie in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. I developed an appreciation for the surprising power of FREE! from the experiments my colleagues and I conducted on how people respond to things when their cost is zero.
Men, Women, and Pain
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
If youve been to the doctors office recently with any kind of complaint, its likely you were ask to rate the pain you were experiencing on a scale from 0 to 10 (being the worst pain possible). Well, a group of researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine recently analyzed the self-reported pain measurements from 11,000 medical records from 2007-2010 and discovered something surprising: women report greater levels of pain than men for the same injuries and ailments.
Refueling Options at Hertz
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
I got this picture this week. What is interesting about this price menu it is that the Fuel and Service priced at $9.29 is so off the scale (and so outrageous) that perhaps it makes the pre-paid option for $3.65 look attractive. After all it is about 1/3 of the price if the Fuel and Service.
This Is How I Feel About Buying Apps
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
I came across a funny cartoon the other day that captures an interesting aspect of our purchasing behavior. We are perfectly willing to spend $4 on coffee (for some of us this is a daily purchase), or $500 on devices that you can argue we dont really need. However, when it comes to buying digital items, such as apps, most of which are priced at $1, we suddenly get really cheap.
Is It Irrational To Give Gifts?
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Rational economists fixate on a situation in which, say, your Aunt Bertha spends $50 on a shirt for you, and you end up wearing it once. Her hard-earned cash has evaporated, and you dont even like the present! Rational economists thus make a simple suggestion: Give cash or give nothing. But behavioral economics, which draws on psychology as well as on economic theory, is much more appreciative of gift giving. Behavioral economics better understands why people (rightly, in my view) dont want to give up the mystery, excitement and joy of gift giving. In this view, gifts arent irrational.
Can Beggars Be Choosers?
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
We realize that if we face the problem, well feel compelled to do something about it, and so we avoid looking and thereby avoid the temptation to give in and help. We know that if we stop for a beggar on the street, we will have a very hard time refusing his plea for help, so we try hard to ignore the hardship in front of us: we want to see, hear, and speak no evil. We can trick ourselves into believing that it doesnt exist. The good news is that, while it is difficult to stop ignoring the sad things if we actively chose to pay attention there is a good chance that we help a person in need.
Flying Frustrations
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Now, its one thing to waste time, but its particularly bothersome when you feel like you are backtracking. In my case of flying to Chicago, the trip took a detour that sent me in away from my final destination. This is the second reason that my flight experience was so irritating it included an element of backtracking in the opposite direction of my goal. We wasted lots of time, and we were diverted in the opposite direction. To overcome the feeling of idleness, I can try finding something to make me feel that the time is spent productively.
A Dinner with Drug Reps
by Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational,
Janet Schwartz of Tulane University and I recently spent an evening with a few pharmaceutical reps, men who used to be in the business of selling a wide range of drugs to treat all kinds of diseases and conditions, from fibromyalgia to depression to restless leg syndrome. As drug representatives, they would go from doctor to doctor attempting to convince physicians to prescribe their companys drugs. How? They would typically start by passing on informative pamphlets and give out products like pens, clipboards and notepads advertising their drugs.
Results 1–50
of 124 found.
