Read Nudge and you are inspired by how behavioral science works. But how can we translate and scale behavioral science effectively into policies and organizations? Indeed, can all academic research be applied “in the wild”?
Our two guests on this episode, Nina Mazar PhD and Dilip Soman PhD have co-edited a book “Behavioral Science in the Wild” that addresses exactly this. If you’re a practitioner, wanting to apply behavioral science in corporate, non-profit, or governmental work, we think you should check this book out. It’s full of excellent ideas for how to apply behavioral science in the wild!
Nina Mazar is a professor of marketing and co-director of the Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy at the Boston University Questrom School of Business. Her work focuses on topics ranging from ethics to social & environmental impact. She sits on the board of Irrational Labs and belongs to the team of scientists of the Behavior Change for Good Initiative at Wharton.
Dilip Soman is a Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Science and Economics. His research is in the area of behavioral science and its applications to consumer wellbeing, marketing and policy. Together Nina and Dilip established the Director of the Behavioural Economics in Action Research Centre at Rotman [BEAR], on which Dilip still serves as director.
Our discussion with Nina and Dilip explores the journey of working on their book together and why it’s vital reading for all behavioral scientists. To summarize the discussion, as always, Tim and Kurt end the show with a Grooving Session to recap what we learn about behavioral science in the wild!
(5:04) Welcome to Dilip and Nina with speed round questions.
(10:01) Why do we need a book about applying behavioral science research “in the wild”.
(14:29) Why not all academic research is destined for the practitioner world?
(18:04) Social norms matter but the right reference group is vital.
(21:35) Background variables influence behavioral science in the wild.
(29:27) Speed of testing can be a barrier.
(31:33) Overcoming the issue of scalability.
(35:24) How your time frame can affect output.
(38:55) What to do when you don’t get the results you expect.
(44:07) Don’t get caught shopping in the nudge store.
(45:50) Music choices of Dilip and Nina.
(51:29) Grooving session about behavioral science in the wild.
© 2022 Behavioral Grooves
Leading Human™
Leading Human™ Workbook and Playbook: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/products/copy-of-the-leading-human-playbook-workbook-package
Leading Human™, Free Whitepaper Download: https://www.behavioralgrooves-store.com/collections/leading-human/products/human-centered-workplace-checklist
Links
“Behavioral Science in the Wild (Behaviorally Informed Organizations)”: https://amzn.to/3xxAD04
Nina Mazar: http://ninamazar.com/
Dilip Soman: https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/FacultyAndResearch/Faculty/FacultyBios/Soman
Episode 102, Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/
Episode 232, Katy Milkman: How to Make Healthy Habits that Actually Last: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/katy-milkman-habits-that-last/
Episode 16, Nudge-A-Thon with Dr. Christina Gravert: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/nudge-a-thon-christina-gravert/
Episode 202, How Chaning Jang Works Around Not Being WEIRD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-chaning-jang-works-around-not-being-weird/
Behavioural Economics in Action at Rotman (BEAR): https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/facultyandresearch/researchcentres/bear
Musical Links
Paul Simon “Graceland”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP6a-7MP91g
Mark Knopfler “What It Is”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGmtonlys5A
Kishori Amonkar “Swaranjali”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-FuttzRlWE
Dire Straits “Brothers in Arms”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhdFe3evXpk
Supertramp “Take The Long Way Home”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLP0y-X4uYs
Fleetwood Mac “Dreams”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4
Subramaniam and Stephane Grappelli “Conversations”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFI4TzUDc-8&ab_channel=AhmadAlArabii
The 1988 Subramaniam-Bismillah Geneva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGOp7APcuMs
The Cure “Just Like Heaven”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3nPiBai66M
Kate Bush “Wuthering Heights”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pMMIe4hb4
A Long, Happy Life? The Impacts of Increasing Our Longevity | Bradley Schurman
Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey | Paul Bloom
How Collaboration is Growing Behavioral Science: Learnings from BX Arabia
How To Turn Your Creative Dreams Into Reality | Jeff Madoff
How To Create New Goals That Will Really Motivate You in 2022
The Behavioral Science Books We Just Couldn’t Put Down in 2021 With Louise Ward
More Than Just A Checklist: How to Effectively Apply Behavioral Science | Torben Emmerling
Our Love Of Music And The Influence Of The Pandemic With Mark Thorley
Please Help Us by Voting for Behavioral Grooves - it takes 10 seconds
Trust: The Four Key Steps to Genuinely Build It | Sandra Sucher
Focus More on HOW to Think, and Less on WHAT to Think | Dr. Howard Rankin PhD
Need a Laugh to Get Through Your Workday? Dan Hill
Feeling Fearful: Why People Seek Out Conspiracy Theories | Eric Oliver
Why We Are More Vulnerable To Harmful Conspiracy Theories Than We Think | Andy Norman
Conspiracy Theories: How To Talk to A Science Denier | Lee McIntyre
Conspiracy Theories: Hidden Brain‘s Shankar Vedantam | The Delusion of Nations
Halloween Special: Grooving on Scary Biases
Why Does Rude Behavior Really Bother Us So Much? | Trevor Foulk PhD
Helping People To Assemble Better Decisions | Eric J. Johnson
Anxiety at Work: Why We Feel It and How To Manage It | Chester Elton
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Poetry of Science
Hidden Brain
Choiceology with Katy Milkman
The Science of Happiness
Obsessed With Humans On The Verge of Change