Nudge

I think Sam Altman of OpenAI has deliberately tried to build his fame. While other CEOs keep a low profile, he spends 95% of his time evangelising. In this episode of Nudge, I explain why. --- Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Smith, R. K., & Newman, G. E. (2014). When multiple creators are worse than one: The bias toward single authors in the evaluation of art. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8(3).

Wiebe Wakker spent three years driving from the Netherlands to Australia. Today on Nudge, we learn why. And we study the psychology of dedication. Listen to the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/7ec0a99ab3 Warning, today’s episode contains explicit language. --- Listen to the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/7ec0a99ab3 Wiebe’s website: https://wiebewakker.com/en/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Kruger, J., Wirtz, D., Van Boven, L., & Altermatt, T. W. (2004). The effort heuristic. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40(1), 91–98. Söderlund, M.Söderlund, M., & Sagfossen, S. (2017). The consumer experience: The impact of supplier effort and consumer effort on customer satisfaction. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 39, 219–229.

Are men who are insecure about their manhood more likely to buy sports cars? Do memes work for government communication? Does brand colour change the products we buy? And will an AI ever replace a police interrogator? These are some of the questions Jo Evershed, a psychological scientist and CEO, helps me answer on today’s episode of Nudge. --- Start using Riverside for free: https://bit.ly/PhilAgnew Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Learn more about Gorilla: https://gorilla.sc/ Connect with Jo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-evershed-36bba9/ Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: CX Lab. (n.d.). CX Lab case study [Blog post]. Gorilla Experiment Builder. https://gorilla.sc/blog/cx-lab-case-study Shang, J., Reed, A., & Croson, R. (2008). Identity congruency effects on donations. Journal of Marketing Research, 45(3), 351–361. Tasnim, A., Kwan, C., Chahboub,…

Every weekend, thousands of Brits order takeaways from independent restaurants. Or do they? Because these independent restaurants aren’t actually what they seem. Pizza Hut, Prezzo, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas and many more chains are rebranding their food on delivery apps to appear like an independent restaurant. They’re exploiting our psychological bias for independent brands and fooling millions of diners. Find out how in today’s episode of Nudge. --- Watch the Birdbox vs Frankie & Benny's Taste Test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqcZ_5NixfM Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Chen, S. [@StanYM]. (2024, December 22). I served McDonald's at a luxury food convention [Video]. YouTube. Hoskin, R. (2026, January 17). Big chains accused of masquerading as independent restaurants on delivery apps. BBC News. Lin, M. S., Sharma, A., &…

Nine months ago, I started to apply one of Rory Sutherland’s most common bits of business advice. Today on Nudge, I share what happened and if I think it works. --- Get my 40 small bets: https://nudge.kit.com/c69cd49a9a Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 12,199 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ Watch Veritasim’s video: https://youtu.be/HBluLfX2F_k?si=_M2NqN4KPbBabDoI Warning, this episode contains some explicit language.

There’s one simple tactic that makes entrepreneurs 6x more likely to get funding. At least that’s according to today’s guest on Nudge, Harvard Professor Leslie John. She’s spent her career studying decision-making and reveals why: - Flawed leaders inspire more trust - Authenticity gets you job offers - And how crying at work is perceived --- Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Leslie’s book Revealing: https://amzn.to/3RkFTAq Leslie’s website: https://www.proflesliejohn.com/ Join 12,199 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Jiang, L., John, L. K., Boghrati, R., & Kouchaki, M. (2022). Fostering perceptions of authenticity via sensitive self-disclosure. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 28(4), 898–915. John, L. (2026). Revealing: The underrated power of oversharing. Riverhead Books. John, L. K., Jeong, M., Gino, F., & Huang, L. (2019). The…

Have you ever finished a book you dislike just to say you’ve finished it? Have you loaded up Duolingo at 11:55pm to keep the streak alive? Have you felt the crushing disappointment of realising you forgot to record your run for Strava? If so, metrics might be controlling your life. And philosopher C. Thi Nguyen, my guest on today’s episode of Nudge, thinks that’s a problem. Nguyen believes that our lives are increasingly organised around metrics and that these rankings don’t just track what we value. They replace it. This episode contains some explicit language. --- Get Thi’s book The Score: https://amzn.to/4fsqxTD Unlock the Nudge Vaults: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults⁠ Join 12,411 readers of my newsletter: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/⁠ --- Today’s sources: Nguyen, C. T. (2026). The Score: How to stop playing somebody else's game. Penguin Press.

On April 26th, 2026, Sebastian Sawe did what many thought was impossible. Running the marathon in under two hours. Today on Nudge, I explain the psychological tricks Sawe may have used to break the record. --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 12,199 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ Buy Alex’s book Endure: https://amzn.to/3TdJv7P --- Today’s sources: Blanchfield, A. W., Hardy, J., & Marcora, S. M. (2014). Non-conscious visual cues related to affect and action alter perception of effort and endurance performance. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, Article 967. Carter, J. M., Jeukendrup, A. E., & Jones, D. A. (2004). The effect of carbohydrate mouth rinse on 1-h cycle time trial performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(12), 2107–2111. Damisch, L., Stoberock, B., & Mussweiler, T. (2010). Keep your fingers…

In 1997, Miss USA won Miss Universe with one perfectly judged answer. She revealed just enough to charm, but not enough to shock. Harvard professor Leslie John says that's scientifically proven to persuade. Her research shows revealers are more likeable, more hireable, and even more dateable. In this episode, she shares why oversharing beats staying guarded, why privacy promises make us shy, and how putting fears into words can cure phobias. --- ​​Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Leslie’s book Revealing: https://amzn.to/3RkFTAq Leslie’s website: https://www.proflesliejohn.com/ Join 12,199 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Huang, K., Yeomans, M., Brooks, A. W., Minson, J., & Gino, F. (2017). It doesn't hurt to ask: Question-asking increases liking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3),…

Katy Milkman shares one technique that could keep you exercising for 55% longer. --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Katy’s book: https://amzn.to/3RF63xA Katy’s podcast: https://www.schwab.com/learn/choiceology Katy’s newsletter: https://www.katymilkman.com/newsletter-milkman-delivers Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Gallus, J. (2017). Fostering public good contributions with symbolic awards: A large-scale natural field experiment at Wikipedia. Management Science, 63(12), 3999–4015. Hershfield, H. E., Shu, S., & Benartzi, S. (2020). Temporal reframing and participation in a savings program: A field experiment. Marketing Science, 39(6), 1039-1051. Milkman, K. L., Minson, J. A., & Volpp, K. G. M. (2014). Holding the Hunger Games hostage at the gym: An evaluation of temptation bundling. Management Science, 60(2),…

To persuade someone, most of us are tempted to use fear. We tell clients how much they’ll struggle if they pick a competitor. We tell our kids how they’ll lose TV time if they don’t finish their homework. We plead with our partners to kick bad habits by highlighting how unhealthy it’s making them. We all do it; we opt for doom-and-gloom messages baked in fear. But today's guests on Nudge, Elizabeth Dunn and JZ, explain that these messages won’t work. When it comes to persuasion, fear doesn’t persuade. To find out what does, listen to today’s episode of Nudge. --- Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/148fd5fb0a Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Get the book Leave the Lights On: https://amzn.to/3SDr4sX Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/

In a fairly inconspicuous SXSW podcast, two marketers shook the music industry. Jesse Coren and Andrew Spelman, two co-founders at Chaotic Good, explained how they make bands go viral. Their methods shocked people. Today on Nudge, I reveal how these two marketers use psychological hacks to manipulate the masses and make 'indie' bands mainstream. --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Listen to the Billboard podcast: https://youtu.be/v1rP3cpilkM?si=iF2B9zzMQEZ5tSVb Listen to the Guardian podcast: https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/may/05/fake-fans-fake-buzz-how-your-favourite-band-got-big-podcast Unlock the Nudge Vaults: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults⁠ Join 11,931 readers of my newsletter: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/⁠ --- Today’s sources: Mallinson, D. J., & Hatemi, P. K. (2018). The effects of information and social conformity on opinion change. PLOS ONE, 13(5), e0196600. Muchnik, L., Aral, S., &…

In 2007, two Harvard researchers added a splash of balsamic vinegar to beer. When drinkers knew the beer contained vinegar, they hated it. But when the researchers told them “this is our MIT brew," the majority loved it. The study reveals the secrets behind marketing. On today’s episode of Nudge with award-winning science writer David Robson, we explain how good marketing can shape our perception. Link to the bonus episode: ⁠https://nudge.kit.com/86d3e39845⁠ Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Read the Expectation Effect: https://amzn.to/4dvkb3s David’s website: https://davidrobson.me/ David’s Substack: https://davidarobson.substack.com/ --- Today’s sources: Amar, M., Ariely, D., Bar-Hillel, M., Carmon, Z., & Ofir, C. (2011). Brand names act like marketing placebos. Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Clark, A. (2016). Surfing uncertainty: Prediction, action, and the embodied mind. Oxford University Press. Crum, A. J., & Langer, E. J. (2007). Mind-set matters: Exercise and the placebo effect.…

Imagine you’re a chef. You are shown the recipe for a soup. It has five ingredients. You’re told to improve the recipe. What do you do? 96% of people reveal a bias when answering this question. And that bias makes marketing less effective, communication less engaging and products less appealing. Find out why in today’s episode of Nudge with the award-winning professor Leidy Klotz. Warning: this episode contains explicit language. --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Leidy’s book, Subtract: https://amzn.to/4df4duk Leidy’s latest book, In a Good Place: https://amzn.to/4tzjCvE Join 11,934 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Adams, G. S., Converse, B. A., Hales, A. H., & Klotz, L. E. (2021). "People systematically overlook subtractive changes." Nature, 592(7853), 258–261. Rogers, T., & Lasky-Fink, J. (2023).…

The British government recently announced a ban on all social media usage for children up to the age of 16. But will the ban work? Today on Nudge, I explore the psychology of restrictions, bans and friction. Warning: this show is restricted to those aged 16 or over. --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Use code NUDGE for 10% off your FSB membership. Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Driscoll, R., Davis, K. E., & Lipetz, M. E. (1972). Parental interference and romantic love: The Romeo and Juliet effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24(1), 1–10. Freedman, J. L. (1965). Long-term behavioral effects of cognitive dissonance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 1(2), 145–155. Mazis, M. B., Settle, R. B., & Leslie, D. C. (1973). Elimination of phosphate detergents and psychological reactance.…

World-leading behaviour change expert Katy Milkman details how to change your habits. --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Katy’s book: https://amzn.to/3RF63xA Katy’s podcast: https://www.schwab.com/learn/choiceology Katy’s newsletter: https://www.katymilkman.com/newsletter-milkman-delivers Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Beshears, J.Beshears, J., Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Benartzi, S. (2021). Using fresh starts to nudge increased retirement savings. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 167, 72–87. Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2014). The fresh start effect: Temporal landmarks motivate aspirational behavior. Management Science, 60(10), 2563–2582. Eskreis-Winkler, L., Fishbach, A., & Duckworth, A. L. (2018). Dear Abby: Should I give advice or receive it? Psychological Science, 29(11),…

In December 2018 Gatwick Airport shut down. 109 eyewitnesses reported sighting 170 drone flights over the airport. All flights were grounded, and the nation braced for a terrorist attack. But what if those sightings weren’t real but instead an imagination caused by expectations? In today’s episode with award-winning science journalist David Robson, we explore the science of the expectation effect. Link to the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/86d3e39845 Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Read the Expectation Effect: https://amzn.to/4dvkb3s David’s website: https://davidrobson.me/ David’s Substack: https://davidarobson.substack.com/ --- Today’s sources: Benedetti, F., Durando, J., & Vighetti, S. (2014). Nocebo and placebo modulation of hypobaric hypoxia headache involves the cyclooxygenase-prostaglandins pathway. Pain, 155(5), 921–928. Job, V., Dweck, C. S., & Walton, G. M. (2010). Ego depletion—Is it all in your head? Implicit theories about willpower affect self-regulation. Psychological…

The broken windows theory suggests that one broken window can cause a neighbourhood to descend into disrepair. But is it true? Today, with the award-winning professor Leidy Klotz, we investigate the broken windows theory and explain how environments shape our behaviour. --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Leidy’s book Subtract: https://amzn.to/4df4duk Leidy’s latest book In a Good Place: https://amzn.to/4tzjCvE Join 11,934 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Brown, G., & Baer, M. (2011). Location in negotiation: Is there a home field advantage? Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 114(2), 190–200. Cialdini, R. B. (2016). Pre-suasion: A revolutionary way to influence and persuade. Simon & Schuster. Langer, E. J., & Rodin, J. (1976). The effects of choice and enhanced personal responsibility…

Octopus Energy went from £0 in revenue to £12 billion in 10 years. Today, on Nudge, I chat with their first employee Pete Miller, who explains how they used nudges to grow. Hear why they: 1) Encourage customers to spin a wheel to reward metre readings. 2) Give away free electricity at 4pm. 3) Play you the number one song from the year you turned 14. 4) And gave away 40,000 electric blankets during an energy crisis. --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Shampanier, K., Mazar, N., & Ariely, D. (2007). Zero as a special price: The true value of free products. Marketing Science, 26(6), 742–757. Shen, L., Fishbach, A., & Hsee, C. K. (2015). The motivating-uncertainty effect: Uncertainty increases resource investment in the process of reward pursuit. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(5),…

The Enhanced Games, hosted in Las Vegas last Saturday, made a bold claim. With the use of performance-enhancing drugs, enhanced athletes would break not just personal records but world records. And the end goal? To sell those same drugs to the masses. It’s arguably the biggest marketing stunt of the year so far, and today on Nudge I reveal the psychology behind it. Did the Enhanced Games succeed? Listen to find out. --- Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources Landy, D., & Sigall, H. (1974). Beauty is talent: Task evaluation as a function of the performer's physical attractiveness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 29(3), 299–304. Miller, A. G. (1970). Role of physical attractiveness in impression formation. Psychonomic Science, 19(4), 241–242. Mujika, I., & Burke, L. M. (2019). Swimming fast when it counts: A 7-year analysis…

In this episode, I chat to Pete Miller, part of the co-founding team at Octopus Energy, who helped design one of the most recognisable new logos in Britain. Hear how Octopus used two proven psychological principles to build a logo people remember (and why those same principles are being ignored by most of the industry). You'll learn: - Why a distinct logo made one beer taste 5% better - How a 1933 German study explains why Octopus stands out - Why brands from McDonald's to KFC give their logos human faces - And what happened when researchers asked people to turn off a robot --- Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ Read Aaron’s book: ⁠https://thethingswelove.com/⁠ --- Today’s sources: Bartneck, C., Van Der Hoek, M., Mubin, O., & Al Mahmud, A. (2007). "Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do!": Switching off a robot. Proceedings of the 2nd ACM/IEEE…

In Singapore, a group of runners charge 50p per kilometre to run on strangers' Strava accounts. That's how far people will go to look fit online. This episode explains the psychology behind why being watched changes everything. --- Owain’s book: https://amzn.to/4smVtrP Owain’s company CogCo: https://cogco.co/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults⁠ Join 11,626 readers of my newsletter: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list ⁠ Connect on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/⁠ --- Today’s sources: Gerber, A. S., Green, D. P., & Larimer, C. W. (2008). Social pressure and voter turnout: Evidence from a large-scale field experiment. American Political Science Review, 102(1), 33–48. Sallis, A., Harper, H., & Sanders, M. (2018). Effect of persuasive messages on National Health Service organ donor registrations: A pragmatic quasi-randomised controlled trial with one million UK road taxpayers. Trials, 19, 513. Service, O., & Gallagher, R. (2017). Think small: The surprisingly…

Professor Richard Wiseman searched for the world’s funniest joke. He found it. But it wasn’t what he expected. --- Richard’s book Quirkology: https://amzn.to/4shYOJ6 Richard’s book 59 Seconds: https://amzn.to/3Pf9pWI Richard’s SubStack: https://richardwiseman.substack.com/ Join 11,934 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Asch, S. E. (1955). Opinions and social pressure. Scientific American, 193(5), 31–35. Crum, A. J., & Langer, E. J. (2007). Mind-set matters: Exercise and the placebo effect. Psychological Science, 18, 165–171. Wiseman, R. (2009). 59 seconds: Think a little, change a lot. Knopf. Wolff, H. A., Smith, C. E., & Murray, H. A. (1934). The psychology of humor: I. A study of responses to race-disparagement jokes. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 28, 345–365.

Three thousand years ago, Odysseus tied himself to a mast to resist the Sirens. He didn't trust his willpower, so he removed the choice entirely. Today, Owain Service, co-founder of the Behavioural Insights Team and CEO at CogCo, calls that a commitment device. And modern evidence shows it works for everything from saving money to staying married. --- Owain’s book: https://amzn.to/4smVtrP Owain’s company CogCo: https://cogco.co/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults⁠ Join 11,626 readers of my newsletter: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list ⁠ Connect on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/⁠ --- Today’s sources: Asch, S. E. (1951). Effects of group pressure upon the modification and distortion of judgment. In H. Guetzkow (Ed.), Groups, leadership and men (pp. 177–190). Carnegie Press. Ashraf, N., Karlan, D., & Yin, W. (2006). Tying Odysseus to the mast: Evidence from a commitment savings product in the Philippines. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 121(2), 635–672.…

Warning, you’ll hear a lie in this episode. You won’t be told it's a lie. And 29% of those who listen probably won’t spot the lie. But if you listen till the end, you’ll learn the proven tips to spot lies like these. Today on Nudge, Professor Richard Wiseman explains: 1) How to spot a liar 2) What makes someone lucky 3) If we’re really separated by six connections 4) And why enlarged pupils made men buy books --- Richard’s book Quirkology: https://amzn.to/4shYOJ6 Richard’s book 59 Seconds: https://amzn.to/3Pf9pWI Richard’s SubStack: https://richardwiseman.substack.com/ Join 11,934 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: DePaulo, B. M., & Morris, W. L. (2004). Discerning lies from truths: Behavioural cues to deception and the indirect pathway of intuition. In P. A. Granhag & L. A. Strömwall (Eds.), The detection of deception in…

There's a pill on Amazon called Fukitol. It contains nothing. And yet people buy it, swear by it, and give it five stars. Today, Nir Eyal explains the remarkable science behind why placebos work. --- Listen to the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/40414a1b44 Nir’s book Beyond Belief: geni.us/beyondbelief Nir’s free belief change guide: nirandfar.com/belief-change Join 11,934 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Ariel, G., & Saville, W. (1972). Anabolic steroids: The physiological effects of placebos. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 4(2), 124–126. Branthwaite, A., & Cooper, P. (1981). Analgesic effects of branding in treatment of headaches. British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.), 282(6276), 1576–1578. Dawkins, L., Shahzad, F. Z., Ahmed, S. S., & Edmonds, C. J. (2011). Expectation of having consumed…

Professor Richard Wiseman wanted to discover the world’s #1 chat-up line. But in doing so, he discovered several secrets behind human psychology. On today’s Nudge he covers: 1) Why councils shouldn’t pay people to sweep litter 2) How a saleswoman doubled her likeability 3) The picture Richard uses to never lose his wallet 4) And the #1 chat-up line --- Richard’s book Quirkology: https://amzn.to/4shYOJ6 Richard’s book 59 Seconds: https://amzn.to/3Pf9pWI Richard’s SubStack: https://richardwiseman.substack.com/ Join 11,934 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Aronson, E., Willerman, B., & Floyd, J. (1966). The effect of a pratfall on increasing interpersonal attractiveness. Psychonomic Science, 4, 227–228. Hornstein, H. A., Fisch, E., & Holmes, M. (1968). Influence of a model’s feeling about his behavior and his relevance as a comparison on other…

I get a lot of questions about pricing. Should I start with our most expensive item first? Should I use precise prices instead of rounded ones when negotiating? Should I name competitors when comparing prices? Today, with pricing expert Dr Markus Husemann-Kopetzky we work through eight different psychological pricing tips in just 24 minutes. --- Listen to the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/a737588e58 Markus’ book: https://amzn.to/46Hetcg Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 10,634 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Bertini, M., & Wathieu, L. (2008). Research note—Attention arousal through price partitioning. Marketing Science, 27(2), 236–246. Bolton, L. E., Warlop, L., & Alba, J. W. (2003). Consumer perceptions of price (un)fairness. Journal of Consumer Research, 29(4), 474–491. Janiszewski, C., & Uy, D. (2008). Precision of the anchor influences the amount of…

Most restaurants have a major problem. Paying the bill. Give the bill too early, and the customer feels rushed. Too late, and they feel ignored. To solve this problem (and many more), Will Guidara turned to behavioural science. And his solution helped his restaurant become the world’s best. --- Listen to the bonus episode: ⁠https://nudge.kit.com/aeea58886f⁠ Will’s book Unreasonable Hospitality: ⁠https://amzn.to/4tPrMl8⁠ Will’s new book The Field Guide: ⁠https://amzn.to/3Orq1u0⁠ Will’s newsletter, Pre-Meal: ⁠https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/premeal⁠ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults⁠ Join 10,728 readers of my newsletter: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list ⁠ Connect on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/⁠ --- Today’s sources: Kahneman, D., Fredrickson, B. L., Schreiber, C. A., & Redelmeier, D. A. (1993). When more pain is preferred to less: Adding a better end. Psychological Science, 4(6), 401–405. Shotton, R. (2023). The illusion of choice: 16½…

In 2015, the media became obsessed with one man’s attempts to grow tea in the Scottish Highlands. The BBC profiled him on the One Show. Radio reporters flocked to interview him. Even the Chinese national news agency reported his work. Tam O’Braan (as he was then known) was the first to ever sell Scottish tea, and the press went wild. Fornum and Mason bought his leaves. The Dorchester created a new Scottish tea-tasting menu. Barack Obama reportedly tried his tea, and the Queen loved it. Tam’s business started bringing in hundreds of thousands of pounds. But soon his lies began to unravel. Today, with Jaega Wise, we tell the story of the Scottish tea scandal. We explain how Tam O’Brann fooled the world and the psychology behind why so many customers believed him. --- Listen to the BBC Food Program’s show on the scandal: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002mn01 Learn more about Jaega: https://www.jaegawise.com/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 10,828 readers of my newsletter:…

Will Guidara is the co-founder and restaurateur behind the world’s best restaurant. But Will’s not a standard restaurateur. He didn’t just focus on creating the best food. He used psychology and behavioural science to build the best experience. Listen to learn how his restaurant became #1 by using anchoring, reciprocity and many more psych principles. --- Listen to the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/aeea58886f Will’s book Unreasonable Hospitality: https://amzn.to/4tPrMl8 Will’s new book The Field Guide: https://amzn.to/3Orq1u0 Will’s newsletter, Pre-Meal: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/premeal Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 10,728 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Mukherjee, A., Smith, R. J., & Burton, S. (2021). The effect of positive anticipatory utility on product pre-order evaluations and choices. Journal of the Academy of Marketing…

Do nine-ending prices really work? Will £9.99 sell more than £10.00? Can it be used for high-quality products? What about hedonic products? Can it be used on speed limits? For years this debate has raged on. But today on Nudge, I speak with pricing expert Dr Markus Husemann-Kopetzky to settle the argument. --- Markus’ book: https://amzn.to/46Hetcg Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 10,534 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Gendall, P. (1998). Estimating the effect of odd pricing. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 7(5), 421–432. Husemann-Kopetzky, M. (2018). Handbook on the psychology of pricing: 100+ effects on persuasion and influence every entrepreneur, marketer and pricing manager needs to know. Independently published. ITN Archive. (2022, November 28). “I will not accept that it’s a highly dangerous road” (1988) [Video]. YouTube. Kim, J., Novemsky, N., &…

Today on Nudge, Professor Katie Slocombe shares how chimpanzees handle power, build alliances, and jostle for status in their troop. It’s the first time on Nudge that we’ve looked at the primate roots of leadership and influence, with plenty of insight into how we humans behave at work (and everywhere else). Don’t miss it. --- Subscribe to the Nudge Newsletter (and get a surprise gift): https://nudge.kit.com/subscribe Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Slocombe, K. E., & Zuberbühler, K. (2007). Chimpanzees modify recruitment screams as a function of audience composition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(43), 17228–17233.Slocombe, K. E., Waller, B. M., & Liebal, K. (2011). The language void: The need for multimodality in primate communication research. Animal Behaviour, 81(5), 919–924.

16 years ago a chain of Chinese restaurants wanted to increase sales without changing the price. They didn’t change the product. The service. The chef. The food. Instead, they changed two words on their menu and increased sales by 18%. The restaurants used the advice of today’s guest on Nudge, Robert Cialdini. Today, Cialdini explains the social proof principle, sharing how changing just two words could increase your sales. --- Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Read Cialdini’s bestseller Influence: https://amzn.to/4prHb7Y Read the new and expanded Influence: https://amzn.to/43TY0jI Read Pre-Suasion: https://amzn.to/48hA6Qr Read Yes! (Containing 60 Psyc-Marketing Tips): https://amzn.to/48ddNNf Join 10,428 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Aune, R. K., & Basil, M. D. (1994). A relational-obligations approach to fund-raising: The effects of guilt and credibility appeals…

I watched Home Alone and suddenly started hearing the theme tune everywhere. I thought I was going insane. But Tom Bowden-Green and Luan Wise explained that I actually fell for a fairly well-known bias. A bias you’ve almost certainly experienced as well. --- Come to Uplift Live: https://uplift-live.com/ (Use code NUDGE to get £50 off) Tom and Luan’s book: https://amzn.to/49aZnh3 Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 10,428 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Costello, J. P., Garvey, A. M., Germann, F., & Wilkie, J. E. B. (2024). The Uptrend Effect: Encouraging healthy behaviors through greater inferred normativity. Journal of Marketing Research, 61(1), 110–127. Cruz, R. E., Leonhardt, J. M., & Pezzuti, T. (2017). Second person pronouns enhance consumer involvement and brand attitude. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 39(1), 104–116. Khan, U., & Dhar, R. (2006).…

HelloFresh is one of the fastest-growing companies of the past 20 years. And it’s down to one, relatively simple behavioural science tactic. --- Subscribe to the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults See Agent Spark in action at ⁠gwi.com/spark⁠ Read Mehdi’s book: https://amzn.to/48ORuO2 Here's Medhi's website: https://tinyurl.com/ymnu6jty Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Buechel, E., & Li, R. (2022). Mysterious consumption: Preference for horizontal (vs. vertical) uncertainty and the role of surprise. Journal of Consumer Research, 49(6), 987–1004. Norton, M. I., Mochon, D., & Ariely, D. (2012). The IKEA effect: When labor leads to love. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22(3), 453–460. Skinner, B. F. (1948). “Superstition” in the pigeon. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 38(2), 168–172. BBC News. (2015, August 12).…

Most of us are completely oblivious to the cognitive biases that dictate how we live our lives. Today, with Tom Bowden-Green and Luan Wise, we cover seven cognitive biases that all of us fall for. --- Tom and Luan’s book: https://amzn.to/49aZnh3 Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults See Agent Spark in action at ⁠gwi.com/spark⁠ Join 10,428 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Chambers, J. R. (2008). Explaining false uniqueness: Why we are both better and worse than others. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(2), 878–894. Dunning, D. (2011). The Dunning–Kruger effect: On being ignorant of one’s own ignorance. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 44, pp. 247–296). Academic Press. Einhorn, H. J., & Hogarth, R. M. (1978). Confidence in judgment: Persistence of the illusion of validity. Psychological Review, 85(5), 395–416. Helmreich, R., Aronson, E., &…

“Say you’ve calculated your price and it comes out at £120,121. Most would round it down to £120,000. That’s completely wrong.” That’s what Robert Cialdini told me on the latest episode of Nudge. He also explained why the Prime energy drink first succeeded and then flopped. How Disney kept us hooked on classic movies. And how he applies the authority bias to sell his own products. --- Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults See Agent Spark in action at ⁠gwi.com/spark⁠ Read Cialdini’s bestseller Influence: https://amzn.to/4prHb7Y Read the new and expanded Influence: https://amzn.to/43TY0jI Read Pre-Suasion: https://amzn.to/48hA6Qr Read Yes! (Containing 60 Psyc-Marketing Tips): https://amzn.to/48ddNNf Join 10,226 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Cialdini, R. B. (2021). Influence: The psychology of persuasion (New & expanded ed.). Harper Business. Dunn, E. W., & Norton, M.…

This study analysed 6,700 websites in an unprecedented A/B test. The results proved something that Dr Robert Cialdini had been preaching for years. Today, on Nudge, Robert Cialdini joins me again, covering another of his seven principles of persuasion. And I share a marketing lesson that (I think) every business needs to know. --- Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults See Agent Spark in action at gwi.com/spark Read Cialdini’s bestseller Influence: https://amzn.to/4prHb7Y Read the new and expanded Influence: https://amzn.to/43TY0jI Read Pre-Suasion: https://amzn.to/48hA6Qr Read Yes! (Containing 60 Psyc-Marketing Tips): https://amzn.to/48ddNNf Join 10,189 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Bell, T. [Taylor Bell]. (2025, February 13). Inside Trader Joe’s: The genius strategy behind its cult following (and low prices) [Video]. YouTube. Bornstein, R. F., Leone, D. R., &…

KFC keeps its recipe secret. It’s stored in a vault in an unknown location. Only two KFC executives know the ingredients. Neither are allowed to fly on the same plane. But this secrecy is illogical. The recipe isn’t important. Today on Nudge, Richard Shotton explains how the secrecy makes customers more loyal. He shares his favourite ad of all time, and we run one of his experiments on you. --- Read Richard’s book: https://a.co/d/fEW7amQ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Heimbach, J. T., & Jacoby, J. (1972). The Zeigarnik effect in advertising. Advances in Consumer Research: Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research, 746–757. Loewenstein, G. (1994). The psychology of curiosity: A review and reinterpretation. Psychological Bulletin, 116(1), 75–98.Zeigarnik, B. (1927). Über das…

In 1963, the Milgram experiments revealed something unsettling. Most people kept administering what they believed were painful electric shocks, not because they wanted to, but because they couldn’t bring themselves to say no. In this episode, my guest shares why we agree to extra projects, unpaid favours and unreasonable requests even when we know we shouldn’t. I’m joined by behavioural scientist and physician Dr Sunita Sah of Cornell University. She studies how social pressure and conflict-of-interest disclosures can quietly steer us toward yes. --- Read Sunita’s book Defy: https://amzn.to/48LsreG Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 10,428 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4), 371–378. Sah, S. (2025). Defy: The power of no in a world that demands yes. One World. Sah,…

In today’s special end-of-year episode, you’ll hear the best insights from Nudge in 2025. Hear from Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer, Richard Shotton, Bas Wouters, Philip Graves, Prof. Matt Johnson and a Behavioural Insights Team director. ---- Subscribe to the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ ---- Today’s Sources: Beilock, S. L., Bertenthal, B. I., McCoy, A. M., & Carr, T. H. (2004). Haste does not always make waste: Expertise, direction of attention, and speed versus accuracy in performing sensorimotor skills. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 11(2), 373–379. Bellaiche, L., Shahi, R., Turpin, M. H., Ragnhildstveit, A., Sprockett, S., Barr, N., & Seli, P. (2023). Humans versus AI: Whether and why we prefer human-created compared to AI-created artwork. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 8(1), 42.…

How would you encourage Australians to drive slower? That’s what today’s guest on Nudge, Adam Ferrier, had to do. Being an applied behavioural scientist, he tackled this challenge in a novel way. Listen to hear about his interesting campaign, how Jaws killed surfing and the secret behind Derren Brown’s “hypnosis” trick. --- Watch the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/66dcb18641 Adam’s agency: https://thinkerbell.com/ Adam’s books: https://amzn.to/431eYfD Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Cialdini, R. B. (1984). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. William Morrow. Shotton, R. (2023). The illusion of choice: 16½ psychological biases that influence what we buy. Harriman House. Sutherland, S. (1992). Irrationality: The enemy within. Constable.

Seriously. Don’t listen to this episode. Whatever you do. Don’t. Press. Play. (Warning: this episode contains explicit language.) --- Adam’s agency: https://thinkerbell.com/ Adam’s books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B07K5R1MTX Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources Driscoll, R., Davis, K. E., & Lipetz, M. E. (1972). Parental interference and romantic love: The Romeo and Juliet effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24(1), 1–10. Heath, R. (2006). Brand relationships: strengthened by emotion, weakened by attention. Journal of Advertising Research, 46(4), 410–419. Maimaran, M., & Fishbach, A. (2014). If it’s useful and you know it, do you eat? Preschoolers refrain from instrumental food. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(3), 642–655. Mazar, N., & Soman, D. (Eds.). (2022). Behavioral science in the wild:…

2 out of 3 internet users in the USA pay for Prime. Yet, most of them are irrationally loyal. They feel like the subscription provides more cost savings than reality. Today, on Nudge, Richard Shotton and I explore the behavioural science behind Amazon Prime. We look at the sunk-cost fallacy and pennies-a-day effect to explain why so many are irrationally loyal to Amazon Prime. --- Subscribe to the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Read Richard’s book: https://a.co/d/fEW7amQ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Arkes, H. R., & Blumer, C. (1985). The psychology of sunk cost. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 35(1), 124–140. Gourville, J. T. (1998). Pennies-a-day: The effect of temporal reframing on transaction evaluation. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(4), 395–403. Gourville, J. T., &…

His book Influence sold 5 million times. He’s known as the Godfather of Influence. He’s arguably the best-known behavioural science practitioner. And he’s finally (after years of pestering) joining me on Nudge. Ladies and gentlemen, today I present: Robert Cialdini and the persuasion principles that EVERYONE should memorise. --- Cialdini’s Influence Unleashed Event: https://cialdini.com/decevent Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Read Cialdini’s bestseller Influence: https://amzn.to/4prHb7Y Read the new and expanded Influence: https://amzn.to/43TY0jI Read Pre-Suasion: https://amzn.to/48hA6Qr Read Yes! (Containing 60 Psyc-Marketing Tips): https://amzn.to/48ddNNf Join 10,142 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Agnew, P. (Host). (2021, November 22). #69: Reciprocity | How one nudge saved 246,184 lives [Audio podcast episode]. In Nudge – Marketing Science Simplified.…

It’s the most popular cocktail in America. But prior to 2015, almost nobody had heard of it. So, how did Aperol Spritz become the world’s drink of choice? By leveraging a well-known behavioural bias in a totally unique way. Join Richard Shotton as he explains why suddenly everyone started drinking Aperol Spritz. --- Check out the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Read Hacking The Human Mind: https://a.co/d/fEW7amQ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Hallsworth, M., List, J. A., Metcalfe, R. D., & Vlaev, I. (2017). The behavioralist as tax collector: Using natural field experiments to enhance tax compliance. Journal of Public Economics, 148, 14–31. Keizer, K., Lindenberg, S., & Steg, L. (2008). The spreading of disorder. Science, 322(5908), 1681–1685. Milne, S., Orbell, S., & Sheeran, P. (2002). Combining…

My guest on today’s episode of Nudge has spent decades studying leaders. I asked Prof. Adam Galinsky to share his top five (evidence-backed) leadership tips. Want to become a better leader? This is the episode for you. --- Watch the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/a53ff22931 Read Adam’s book: https://amzn.to/4htZCGc Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Blunden, H., Kristal, A. S., Whillans, A. V., Yoon, J., Burd, K., Bremner, S., & Yeomans, M. (2025). Eliciting advice instead of feedback improves developmental input. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 193, 104343. Chou, E. Y., Halevy, N., Galinsky, A. D., & Murnighan, J. K. (2017). The Goldilocks contract: The synergistic benefits of combining structure and autonomy for persistence, creativity, and cooperation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3),…

In 1989, The Simpsons released Itchy & Scratchy & Marge. It’s a classic Simpson’s episode filled with slapstick humour, dry jokes, and smart gags. And yet, behind all the humour, there’s an important lesson about leadership. Today, Chief Behavioural Scientist Micheal Hallsworth explains what Marge Simpson can teach you about leadership. --- Read the Hypocrisy Trap: https://amzn.to/47vhxbj⁠ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Barrick, E. M., Barasch, A., & Tamir, D. I. (2022). The unexpected social consequences of diverting attention to our phones. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 101, Article 104344. Jordan, J. J., Sommers, R., Bloom, P., & Rand, D. G. (2017). Why do we hate hypocrites? Evidence for a theory of false signaling. Psychological Science. Thomas, O., & Reimann, O. (2023). The bias blind spot among HR…

Are inspiring leaders born or are they made? That’s what Adam Galinsky, the Columbia Business School professor, has spent the past two decades studying inspiring leaders. On today’s episode of Nudge, he shares his groundbreaking research into inspiration, reciprocity, repetition and visionary statements that reshaped how I saw leadership. --- Read Adam’s book: https://amzn.to/4htZCGc⁠ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Begg, I. (1972). Recall of meaningful phrases. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11(4), 431–439. Cabinet Office & Behavioural Insights Team. (2013, May 28). Applying behavioural insights to charitable giving. Behavioural Insights Team. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-behavioural-insights-to-charitable-giving Carton, A. M., Murphy, C., & Clark, J. R. (2014). A (blurry) vision…