Why the path to failure is (often) paved with surveys
Today I want to regale you with one of my favorite passages from an underappreciated book, “The Small Big: Small Changes That Spark Big Influence,” and…
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Wanting and Liking are different… much different
After the last article, I received the following note: "This is really useful. Can you provide a bit more detail on the three components of your…
The One Secret of High Functioning Product Teams
Every member of your product team should work in the same room. That’s it. End of story. Here is why co-location is so important. 1. It…
Why you overeat when you travel to cheap places
“Only $2? Sold.”I’m in heaven. Also known as Portland.No, I didn’t find a hot-tub filled with dark chocolate or discover a quiet, mahogany-paneled science library (complete…
How Amazon & Jay Carney Failed At PR — and How They Could Have Won.
Jay’s Rule #1: Respond to all media controversies at least 59 days later.If you were writing a PR guide based upon Jay Carney’s recent actions, that would…
One Of The Biggest Trends In Technology: Instant Gratification
As I’ve said before, technology reduces uncertainty. It does this primarily by speeding up processes, making what used to take days, weeks, or months take hours…
Most Research Is (Probably) Bogus
Science works through experimentation and replication. Hypotheses are put forward; tests are run; and results are obtained. If something surprising or interesting is found in an…
The cost of time
The other day I was sprawled out on the couch after a long day of work when I had a startling realization…I was out of food.I…
You’ll Never Have Full Control
Two of the most fundamental human drives are:The drive to learn more about the worldThe drive to gain more control over one’s environment and circumstancesWhile these…
The 4 Laws of Habit They Didn’t Teach You In School
In the annals of human history, there have been few problems as intractable as the “Habit Puzzle”. Everyone, from Aristotle to Jerry Seinfeld, has come up with…
The Three Ways Mobile Changes Behavior
There are three primary ways that mobile technologies change our behavior: 1. By making things easier 2. By interrupting us 3. By giving us feedback By…
Hand crafted emails served up daily
You want to know what the secret to the best iced coffee in the world is?It’s quite simple, really.Take two different roasts, with different flavor profiles,…
Everything You Need to Know About Pre-Suasion, the New Key to Persuasion
A couple of weeks ago I finished the book Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini, the godfather of the scientific study of persuasion. His first book, Influence, was published in 1984…
Why your plans never go quite as… planned
Today I woke up feeling good. Darn good.I sensed it—I was on. This was going to be one of those writing marathon days. I was going…
The Three Reasons You’re Failing In Product Design And In Life
In product design and life, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. All too often, we contrive complex, Rube Goldberg-like reasons for why things are…
The secret to engagement isn’t always found in the “habit loop”
Earlier today, I was giving advice to a grad student in education. She wanted to know how I would use behavioral science to improve online education,…
Putting Off The Bill: The Different Costs of Tech
It’s a classic idea in both Psychology and Economics that when things get cheaper or easier to do they get done more often. While this is…
HR Leaders — Behavioral science says you might be hurting your company with your bonus structure
I remember watching TV sometime in the middle of the 2008–2009 financial crisis. Amidst the fear and frustration, I recall intense outrage at the bankers and…
A masterclass in analyzing behavior… from a dead Nobel Prize-winner
The ethologists were the most badass behavioral scientists.They believed that the behavior of an animal had to be studied in its natural environment. To them, labs…
Smartphones Aren’t Addictive — But Their Increasing Usage Points To Bigger Problems
Back in 2012 I was worried. Really worried. I felt that, like Tony Stark in The Avengers, I had come across some secret power that, in…
The right way to change someone’s mind about politics
Recently, I was hanging out with an old friend of mine. We were at a park here in San Francisco. The weather was perfect, and we…
Cheaper ways to change (than moving)
After the last article, I received a bunch of stories from readers. Some of you wrote me about your experiences “wiping the slate clean”, while others…
What psychology nerds think about in the dentist’s chair
Today I had dental surgery.Oh, boy, did it hurt.While I sat beneath the bright lights and the masked faces of the dentist and her assistant, I…
Why social goals (almost) always fail
Years ago I learned a fundamental lesson about goals.I was helping a company create a goal-based social network.Users would sign up, tell us what they wanted…
Bringing the background into the foreground
When was the last time you looked at the sky?I mean it. When was the last time you REALLY looked?For me, it was this morning. My…
The purpose of technology is to reduce…
...Uncertainty! Let me tell you a story and show you what I mean. You see, last night a mosquito bit me right in the middle of…
A reader responds (and makes a good point)
Every time I send out an email, I get a number of responses.Some of them are positive, some of them are critical.I love them all.Yesterday, I…
One of the fundamental principles of persuasion
One of the fundamental principles of behavior design is: To bring people somewhere new, you have to first meet them where they are. We all have…
Why Surveys & User Interviews Are (Almost) Always A Waste Of Time
Or why you should at least take them with a HUGE grain of salt… “The truth is, not only are people pretty poor at recognizing what…
The dirty truth about habits
A few months ago, I was asked to speak to a class at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. The topic? Habit formation. The instructor wanted…
The Age-Old Secret Of Behavior Change
Earlier today, I was speaking with a friend of mine about habit formation. In the middle of our conversation, he paused and told me: “The trick…
I’m not dumb, I just don’t know any better
Yesterday I talked a little bit about how the key to engagement in the educational space (especially with MOOCs) is having course material that is designed…
Upgrade Your Operating System: Building A Better Understanding of Psychology
Whenever I work with a company or talk to people in the business world, I’m always asked for a model or a set of scientific formulas…
Want a successful restaurant? Have people stand in line
There’s this breakfast place near my house that always has a line. And I’m not talking a short, stubby line, either. I’m talking a full, building-length…
Personalization 101
Changing behavior is, first or foremost, the process of applied empathy. Your goal as a behavior designer should be to understand your target audience better than…
Want to Be a Better Entrepreneur? Do These 4 Things
Reid Hoffman said it best: "Starting a company is like throwing yourself off the cliff and assembling an airplane on the way down." Creating something that has…
Changing behavior is like bodyboarding
Today I went bodyboarding for the first time, and I think I’m addicted. I’m currently down in Santa Monica visiting a friend from college. This morning…
Seriously? They have more fun, too!? (+ new program offer)
Half of you have below-average self control.* “Duh!” But while this is quite obvious, the implications are huge. It means that at least half of you…
Suspending the Laws of Biology, and Common Sense, For Health
One of the eminently amusing and frustrating things in life is how people suspend common sense when thinking about anything related to their bodies or their…
The psychology of great customer service
There’s nothing more off-putting than a human who acts like a robot.Unfortunately, that’s what you get when you deal with most “customer service” representatives.You can tell…
Real Change: Moving Beyond Habits to Achieve Lasting Transformation
Read Real Change and explore the companion worksheets.
Explore habit trading and transformative practices with Jason Hreha.