Dan Ariely on ‘The Honest Truth About Dishonesty’

Everyone cheats a little from time to time. But most major betrayals within organizations — from accounting fraud to doping in sports — start with a first step that crosses the line, according to Dan Ariely, a leading behavioral economist at Duke and author of The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone — Especially Ourselves. That step can start people on a … [ Read more ]

Behavioral Economics of Intrinsic Motivation

A look at the basics of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, specifically referring to books by Dan Pink and Dan Ariely. Pretty basic level analysis, but useful if you aren’t already comfortable with the topic.

Dan Ariely: What makes us feel good about our work?

What motivates us to work? Contrary to conventional wisdom, it isn’t just money. But it’s not exactly joy either. It seems that most of us thrive by making constant progress and feeling a sense of purpose. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely presents two eye-opening experiments that reveal our unexpected and nuanced attitudes toward meaning in our work.

Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our own decisions?

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we’re not as rational as we think when we make decisions.

It’s become increasingly obvious that the dismal science of economics is not as firmly grounded in actual behavior as was once supposed. In “Predictably Irrational,” Dan Ariely tells us why. … [ Read more ]

Dan Ariely on Irrationality in the Workplace

The behavioral economist explains why executives need to recognize—and embrace—the irrational forces that affect themselves and their employees.

Dan Ariely: The Mind’s Grey Areas

By controlling situations that create conflicts of interest, we can combat frauds and scandals better.

Column: The Long-Term Effects of Short-Term Emotions

The heat of the moment is a powerful, dangerous thing. We all know this. If we’re happy, we may be overly generous. Maybe we leave a big tip, or buy a boat. If we’re irritated, we may snap. Maybe we rifle off that nasty e-mail to the boss, or punch someone. And for that fleeting second, we feel great. But the regret—and the consequences of … [ Read more ]

How Concepts Affect Consumption

Our prehistoric ancestors spent much of their waking hours foraging for and consuming food, an instinct that obviously paid off. Today this instinct is no less powerful, but for billions of us it’s satisfied in the minutes it takes to swing by the store and pop a meal in the microwave. With our physical needs sated and time on our hands, increasingly we’re finding psychological … [ Read more ]

Dan Ariely

We’re incredibly good at telling ourselves stories, and these help us feel as if we are honest even when we act dishonestly.

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Irrational behavior is a part of human nature, but as MIT professor Ariely has discovered in 20 years of researching behavioral economics, people tend to behave irrationally in a predictable fashion. Drawing on psychology and economics, behavioral economics can show us why cautious people make poor decisions about sex when aroused, why patients get greater relief from a more expensive drug over its cheaper counterpart … [ Read more ]

The Effects of “Add-On” Features on Perceived Product Value

The research presented in this paper provides evidence that “add-on” features offered to enhance a core offering can be more than just optional benefits. We argue that consumers draw inferences based on the mere availability of an add-on and that these inferences lead to significant changes in the perceived utility of the product itself. We further argue that the enhancements supplied by add-ons can be … [ Read more ]

Why Good CIOs Make Bad Decisions

Dan Ariely, director of the MIT Media Lab’s e-rationality research group, studies how people make decisions in real life and why their decisions often deviate from classical economic models, which assume that people act rationally and in their own best interests.