Interesting Government Nudge
Do you think this will work to get people to stop texting and driving?

Do you think this will work to get people to stop texting and driving?

I teach a course on behavioral economics and public policy at Duke University. One of my former students recently emailed me a picture of a bill he received in the mail. It looks like conEdison is trying to remind him to pay his bills electronically, so they don’t have to send him a bill in…
A bunch of media outlets are beginning to report on a new study of mine (conducted with a couple of great colleagues) in which we found that docs choose different treatments for themselves than they recommend to their patients. Kinda scary stuff. This Marketplace report is worth listening to. Check out the ‘News and Press’ page for links to some of the other reports.

I had a chance to talk to the host of the public radio show, Sound Medicine. You might want to listen to the broadcast. Then again, you might want to enjoy the spring weather (if you are in the Northern Hemisphere). Your choice!
I love behavioral science. I love public policy. And I am obsessed with music. So you can see why I think the nudge pictured below may be the coolest thing on the planet! It encourages drivers to drive at an appropriate speed, so they can hear music created by their passage over the road: I…
The key to good policymaking is to understand human nature. Want to increase how much money people save? You better know what they will do if you change the tax code. Want to reduce the threat of terrorism? All the security in the world won’t suffice if you don’t, at the same time, find ways…
Ever wonder why your spouse eats too much even when you warn him or her not to eat too much? It could be because your admonitions put your spouse into a state of reactance, causing them to go against your advice just to prove their independence. Reactance is a state of mind that arises when…