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Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
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Additional Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions Information

Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin?

Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't possibly be caught?

Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?

Why do we go back for second helpings at the unlimited buffet, even when our stomachs are already full?

And how did we ever start spending $4.15 on a cup of coffee when, just a few years ago, we used to pay less than a dollar?

When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're in control. We think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we?

In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.

Not only do we make astonishingly simple mistakes every day, but we make the same types of mistakes, Ariely discovers. We consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. We fail to understand the profound effects of our emotions on what we want, and we overvalue what we already own. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable—making us predictably irrational.

From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, Ariely explains how to break through these systematic patterns of thought to make better decisions. Predictably Irrational will change the way we interact with the world—one small decision at a time.



 

What Customers Say About Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions:

It makes you think, laugh, and question. I've read dozens of books on Psychology and every bit of its subsets. It's easy to see why this book was on the New York Times bestseller list. I highly recommend this book. This book is actually funny. Before I knew it I was halfway into the book.

The only thing I would like to see different in the book is more detail on the experiments, some of them we read the results and their interpretation of the data, but it would be nice to see how the info was gleaned. It is a fantastic read, some people have a problem with the authors' assumptions and methods but I think they are trying to dig too deep and they appear to have forgotten this is a new way of thinking.

I liked this book- it's very research based and highlights how we so often make decisions that are not in our best interest because of our own biases, assumptions, and emotions.

This is an awesome bookEveryone should read it.I hope the author writes more books like this one

Creating a new "anchor" can change the attractiveness of something, like Starbucks creating an attractive ambiance of its shops can make people want to pay more for coffee than at Dunkin' Donuts. Ariely shows how sexual arousal alters a person's think so he/she will act less rational.5. So, sometimes just adding a more expensive version of the same product will cause more of the product to be sold.2. Sometimes small gifts work better than more expensive ones, because they keep the relationaship more social and less market-driven. This is a behaviorial economics book, I listened to the audiobook, which looks at how we are predisposed in certain situations to make irrational choices like:1.

Also, context can affect cheating. Thje book covers cheating and why simply having people contemplate the morality of doing something predisposes the person to be more honest - like saying, you know we use the honor system here or asking them if they can list the Ten Commandments even if they make mistakes in doing so. The implication is important as companies have become less generous with creating a family atmosphere with free healthcare and other things like free lunches, company picnics, etc workers likely will feel more dedicated and work harder.4. The book covers the placebo effect and why a 50 cent pill might be more effective than the same one costing $2.50.8. Social versus market norms can affect choices. That's why trial offers and money return guarantees work well.7. The same thing can work in reverse, affected by the particular 'anchor.'3. Ownership cause people to value something more than not owning it.

When people are given a third choice, a different version of one of two similar choices, the person will likely chose the choice with two options, like a trip to Paris with or without a free breakfast or Rome with a free breakfast, the person would likely chose Paris simply because the two choices of Paris predisposes the person to thinking of Paris. The book also looks at procrastination and how just having a person set his/her own deadlines works better than having no deadlines.6. People are less likely to steal cash than when someting which is removed from actual cash, like pencils at work, getting stock options at work when acting unethically, etc.Overall, the book amplifies how human psychology must be considered in economics and how we are conditioned to make economic choices sometimes irrationally and in doing so is worthwhile in making a person think a little deeper about some things which have economic consequences. Or, when a person moves from a city with inexpensive homes to a city with more expensive ones, the person is conditioned to buy a smaller home because he/she is 'anchored' to a certain price range. People sometimes are likely to do more work for free if for a social cause, rather than being paid.

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