Action Design Radio

Latest Episodes:

Stephen Wendel - Spiritual Design: Applying Behavioral Science to Spirituality and Faith Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

Stephen Wendel is the Head of Behavioral Science at Morningstar, a leading provider of independent investment research. He and his team of behavioral scientists and practitioners specialize in savings and investing behavior, as well as digital products that help individuals manage their money more effectively. He founded the Action Design Network in 2012 and has authored three books, the most recent of which is titled "Spiritual Design: Enrich Your Spiritual Practice with Lessons from Behavioral Science." He has graciously made free download of this book available at www.spiritualdesign.co/book.

Steve joins our hosts Zarak and Erik to discuss the unique application of behavioral science to spirituality and religion. Many individuals have certain values they want to live by, but fall into the classic trap of "All or Nothing." This happens when we think we need to go to the gym every day if we're fit; save or invest every penny if we're financially responsible; or constantly go to houses of worship and give to charity if we value certain beliefs. Since this approach usually isn't sustainable for most people, Steve explains techniques to design environments for ourselves that are more conducive to following our beliefs and expressing our faith in ways that are doable and fulfilling.

David Ngo - Keeping Resolutions with Behavior Design Jan 16, 2020

Show notes

Happy New Year! In the first installment of Action Design Radio in 2020, our hosts Zarak and Erik are joined by behavior designer David Ngo. After studying under B.J. Fogg at Stanford, David founded his own behavior design firm – Behavior Delta: www.behaviordelta.com.

In today's episode, David and our hosts discuss the psychological power of expectation, the "Swarm of B's" technique, and how to apply the Fogg model of behavior to creating new habits and healthy, lasting behavior change. There are many, many different methods of achieving the same goal. David says it's important to keep in mind – especially this time of year when New Year's Resolutions abound – that if the first attempt (experiment) doesn't work out, don't be discouraged; in fact, don't even be surprised. It's just a matter of finding a methodology that makes sense for you.

Check out these links for more information on the Swarm of B's Behavior Design Method, as well as B.J. Fogg's new book, "Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything."

https://lifehacker.com/use-the-swarm-of-bs-technique-to-successfully-form-new-1840617907

tinyhabits.com

Rory Sutherland, Pt. 2 - Alchemy and How Behavioral Science Can Justify Unconventional Ideas Dec 19, 2019

Show notes

Rory joins our hosts Erik and Zarak for a special two-part episode to share his unique perspective and expertise in identifying unseen opportunities in consumer behavior. Part Two topics include the power of reference points, whether we should be using more humor to prevent crime, and examples of when the opposite of a good idea... is another good idea.

Bonus Holiday Minisode - Jacob Mohrmann and the Behavioral Science of Gift Giving Dec 11, 2019

Show notes

Ho-Ho-Ho! It's a surprise holiday-themed mini episode of Action Design Radio! (Stocking stuffer sized, if you will -- we will.)

Erik and Zarak are joined by Jacob Mohrmann for some timely advice this holiday season on how to shop for gifts that are sure to go over well with your loved ones. Jacob is the Research and Insights Manager on the behavioral science team at Maritz, a company that specializes in employee experience solutions, incentive travel, customer loyalty and reward programs. Their history with gift giving goes back to the 1920's, when they created the tradition of giving people a gold watch at retirement.

Rory Sutherland, Pt. 1 - Alchemy and Why Context is Everything Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

Rory Sutherland is the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, an advertising and marketing agency where he co-founded the behavioral science practice. He is a TED Global speaker and writes regular columns for The Spectator and The Behavioral Scientist. His latest book, "Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense," was published earlier this year. Rory joins our hosts Erik and Zarak for a special two-part episode to share his unique perspective and expertise in identifying unseen opportunities in consumer behavior. Part 1 topics include what capitalism can teach us about the behavior of supply and demand, how small changes in context can completely change our perception of reality, and what traditional economics got wrong about the beer industry. Sound Bite: "Algorithms give the appearance of being wonderfully objective, but enshrined in them are all the assumptions and prejudices of the designer."

Aline Holzwarth - Improving Healthcare with Behavioral Science and Technology Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

In our latest episode, Aline Holzwarth joins Erik and Zarak to discuss the intersection of healthcare, behavioral science, and technology. Aline is a Principal at Duke University's Center for Advanced Hindsight, where she's worked alongside Dan Ariely for the past 10 years. She is also the Head of Behavioral Science at Pattern Health, a digital health platform designed to help people live happier and healthier lives.

Topics include the healthcare industry's tendency to take an information-based approach, a common mistake that assumes by simply giving people information (Smoking = Bad) that they will find the motivation on their own to implement healthy behavior change. Behavioral science can help bridge that gap by designing products and services that get people from information to action. And in a world where the smartphone is increasingly omnipresent, digital interventions have huge potential for real-world impact.

Nir Eyal – Indistractable Sep 11, 2019

Show notes

Zarak and Erik are joined by behavioral designer Nir Eyal, the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of "Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products." Nir has taught business and design at Stanford, founded two technology companies, and helps teams design more engaging products. His writing on technology, psychology, and business appears in the Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, TechCrunch, and Psychology Today.

Nir discusses the themes and inspiration behind his latest book "Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life," released September 10th, including why we struggle with distraction, the overuse of technology, and tips for overcoming those issues to live to the fullest extent of your values.

Behavioral Science Training Pt. 2 – UPenn's Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences Program Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

In our second Behavioral Science Training installment, Erik and Zarak are joined by Christopher Nave, Associate Director of the University of Pennsylvania's Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences program. Chris shares his passion for bringing together graduate students from diverse industries, backgrounds, and disciplines in order to study decision-making and better understand sustainable behavior change. Chris explains how measurement, data science, and experimental design are crucial to applying academic concepts like cognitive biases and heuristics to the real world.

Behavioral Science Training Pt. 1 -- A Bootcamp with Irrational Labs Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

We've been getting a lot of questions lately about how to start a career in behavioral science. To shed some light on different career paths, we're doing a series of podcasts on different types of training that fall somewhere between a one-day workshop and a PhD. These aren't advertisements for the programs, but are meant to give you a sense of the type of things out there, should you decide to pursue a career in behavioral science. In this episode, we focus on a ten-week bootcamp from Irrational Labs. Evelyn Gosnell is a behavioral economics consultant who focuses on the application of behavioral insights in product design, marketing, and organizational design. She is Managing Director at Irrational Labs, as well as the leader of their Behavioral Economics Bootcamp. Today Evelyn joins Zarak and Erik to break down the services that Irrational Labs provides its partners in order to increase end users' health, wealth, and happiness.

Spencer Greenberg – Combining Technology and Behavioral Interventions Mar 18, 2019

Show notes

Spencer Greenberg is an applied mathematician, entrepreneur, and self-described "collector of powerful tools." He is the Founder and CEO of multiple companies, including Spark Wave – a venture builder (a.k.a. a foundry, or startup studio) that creates software products with the goal of achieving large social impact. Spencer joins Erik and Zarak to discuss his unique perspective on psychology and behavior. He takes a background in technology and combines it with applied social science to build platforms that implement complex behavioral interventions.

How does one choose the right methodology when conducting a study? What's the difference between testing a hypothesis and trying to accurately predict the future? How does fatigue change throughout the day? Are most people who suffer from depression aware of it? How can social media be utilized to inspire creative thinking in research? Why publish a paper when you can release an app that people can use?

All of those questions and more are addressed in our latest installment of Action Design Radio!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected