Why do people sometimes become more entrenched in their beliefs when they are challenged? In this episode, David McRaney, science journalist and creator of the You Are Not So Smart podcast, book, and blog, joins us as we dive into the psychology of persuasion and explore how and why people change their minds. Together, we investigate the psychological need for connection and how, under certain circumstances, that need can lead people to gravitate toward extremist communities. We also consider ways to protect ourselves and others from such polarized thinking and practice active open mindedness ..read more

Can giving advice actually be more valuable than receiving it? In this episode, Dr. Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and world-renowned author, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to rethink the ways we work and learn. Adam discusses which type of people excel the most in the workplace: givers, takers, or matchers. Adam and Annie delve into how establishing “personal policies” can help us with decision-making in the workplace and how we can make workplaces more equitable. Adam explores why he believes the hallmark of true intelligence is the ability ..read more

Is more choice always better? Join us in conversation with Dr. Sheena Iyengar, a professor at Columbia Business School and an expert on choice, as we examine the complexities of choice overload, and discover why having less can sometimes lead to more. We'll explore the intricate psychology of decision-making, from understanding the reasons behind why we procrastinate making important choices to uncovering why we struggle to handle more than seven options when making a decision. In this episode, we'll also take a look at a powerful strategy that effectively reduces gender bias in hiring, and ho ..read more

Do judges impose harsher sentences on Friday afternoons? In this episode, Dr. Cass Sunstein, law professor, former administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and co-author of Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education. They discuss the concept of noise, inconsistencies in human judgment that can arise even when people are presented with the same information. Annie and Cass talk about how we are more likely to believe things we hear repeatedly, even when they’re not ..read more

Why do projects often take so much longer than expected? Join us in conversation with Dr. Woo-kyoung Ahn, a Professor of Psychology at Yale and the author of Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better, to explore the thinking errors we make every day and discover powerful tools to mitigate them. Together, we delve into the reasons why job interviews can be misleading, why we tend to procrastinate, and more. Woo-kyoung offers valuable insights on how to improve our thinking, giving us practical ideas that we can apply in our daily lives, including some fun tips on how to make sure confir ..read more

Do our brains trick us into thinking things are worse than they are? In this episode, Dr. Steven Pinker, experimental psychologist and world-renowned author, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to explore why we make irrational decisions and to share some useful tools to help improve our judgment. They discuss how our brains are wired for nostalgia and why we erroneously think that the world is getting worse. Steven also explains how expected value can be a useful decision-making tool. And finally, Steven and Annie discuss game theory and negative external ..read more

How can we build an identity that withstands life’s curveballs? In this episode, Dr. Maya Shankar, Senior Director of Behavioral Economics at Google, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to explore the art of building resilience. Together, they share valuable insights on adapting to change and making tough decisions—from knowing when to pivot in your career to finding new sources of meaning and purpose in the face of injury or other obstacles. Maya reveals insights from her time as a senior advisor at the White House, explains why sometimes the messenger is ..read more

What have we misunderstood about decision-making? In this episode, Dr. Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to discuss common misconceptions about decision-making and “System 1” and “System 2” thinking. Together, they discuss the significance of evaluating individual components before making judgments and uncover the surprising parallels between human cognition and modern Artificial Intelligence. Daniel shares a compelling analogy between perception and cognition, illustrating how co ..read more

Season 4 of The Decision Education Podcast unveils decision-making tips from experts in behavioral science, cognitive biases, choice overload, and making decisions in the workplace. Host Annie Duke engages our guests in fruitful discussions where they unpack their decision toolkits and share how the world might look different if we practiced decision-making skills from a younger age ..read more

What drives bad financial decisions when a crisis hits? Morgan Housel, award-winning author and expert on the psychology of financial decision-making, joins your host, Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to talk about the common flaw of only saving for situations we can imagine, why we should be wary of financial advice in the media, and the danger of expecting history to map the future. Morgan also shares a strategy to help us focus more on the things that matter most to us ..read more