This Harvard Professor Studies Our Weird Rituals

Tesco is the largest UK employer. They conduct almost 1 million interviews a year, yet I think they might be pointless. Today, I will share psychological studies showing common interview flaws. I explain why so many of us are bad at predicting what others think and suggest a better way to conduct interviews.  Thinking Fast and Slow: https://tinyurl.com/msd3kz9b Talking to Strangers: https://tinyurl.com/yewvrwb5 Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

Fraudsters use four common tactics to con you. These tactics have been proven to work in scientific labs, adopted by the world’s best marketers, and used by scammers to manipulate and persuade. Are you being conned? Find out on today’s episode of Nudge with Dan Simons. Dan's book: https://www.dansimons.com/NobodysFool.html Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

There’s a strange ritual Messi does at the start of every game that helps make him great. This ritual also helps job candidates succeed in interviews, sketch comedians create better jokes, and helped A-ha write Take On Me. To hear what it is, listen to bestselling author Adam Alter teach me the science behind beating procrastination.  Adam’s book: https://adamalterauthor.com/anatomy Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

Whether clinking a glass with a friend, blowing on a cake, touching wood for good luck or tapping the plane before boarding, most of us have at least one weird ritual. Today’s guest, Harvard Professor Mike Norton, studied them for years. In today’s Nudge episode, he shares his findings. It turns out that those odd rituals are more important than we think.  Mike’s book Ritual Effect: https://tinyurl.com/mwbvws3n Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

I didn’t pay them. I didn’t force them. I didn’t even try to persuade them. No, to convince these 8 influencers I used an extremely powerful psychological bias. This same bias has been used to sell one thousand pounds of cheese in three hours, turn greedy bankers into charitable donors, and (potentially) save us from nuclear war. Listen to find out how I persuaded 8 influencers to promote this podcast.  The (free) Science of Persuasion course: https://nudge.ck.page/persuasion-course The Science of Marketing course: https://nudge.ck.page/persuasion-course Robert Cialdini’s new edition of Influence: https://tinyurl.com/2pn23p83 Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

I interviewed a (former) mind reader. He still reads minds today, but not for gimmicks. Instead, he uses his powers to help companies increase their sales. Today on Nudge, he shares 21 psychology-inspired tips that are proven to increase revenue. Nick's newsletter: https://www.kolenda.io/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

The bestselling author of The Power of Habits and Supercommunicators shared his top communication advice. Today, on Nudge, I tested Charles Duhigg's advice on four strangers. Will his advice make me more popular? Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.ck.page/72cea6802d Charles's book Supercommunicators: https://tinyurl.com/447wkpmz Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

Facebook has developed AI that’s smart enough to manipulate and persuade humans. Political spinsters have used it to persuade voters. Scam artists used it to con thousands of people at scale. Yet, I’m most worried about how AI might take my job, how AI is almost certain to become a better podcaster, writer, and marketer than me. Today, I share what happens when AI can persuade humans, and I suggest a way for all of us to keep our jobs in an AI-dominated world of work.  The Coming Wave: https://tinyurl.com/pvsbvhuh Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

What do Maradona’s Hand of God and Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” have in common? Both might be due to cognitive biases. Today, on Nudge, Nuala Walsh shares seven cognitive biases that shape our decisions and might ruin my life.   Nuala’s book: https://www.nualagwalsh.com/ Nuala’s TED talk: https://youtu.be/xLSAkVxPOk0?si=PPjFSAO7tk8VszPM Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

He lied to his students, his friends, and his family. He fabricated data in 57 separate studies. He publicised racist views as scientific fact. And for a decade, he got away with it. Today, I share how one of the world’s most popular behavioural scientists fooled the world. Nobody’s Fool: https://tinyurl.com/yv6pf93v Influence: https://www.influenceatwork.com/store-new/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile