Nudge

Latest Episodes:

What makes a good logo? May 25, 2026

Show notes

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

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Read Aaron’s book: ⁠https://thethingswelove.com/⁠

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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 International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, 217–222.

Shotton, R. (2017). The choice factory: 25 behavioural biases that influence what we buy. Harriman House.

Shotton, R. (2023). The illusion of choice: 16½ psychological biases that influence what we buy. Harriman House.

Von Restorff, H. (1933). Über die Wirkung von Bereichsbildung im Spurenfeld. Psychologische Forschung, 18, 299–342.

How peer pressure built a $5 billion fitness revolution May 18, 2026

Show notes

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.

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Owain’s book: https://amzn.to/4smVtrP

Owain’s company CogCo: https://cogco.co/

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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 simple ways to reach big goals. Michael O'Mara Books.
Triplett, N. (1898). The dynamogenic factors in pacemaking and competition. American Journal of Psychology, 9, 507–533.

Prof Wiseman: “My (Failed) Search for the World's Funniest Joke” May 11, 2026

Show notes

Professor Richard Wiseman searched for the world’s funniest joke.

He found it.

But it wasn’t what he expected.

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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

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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.

Why willpower alone doesn’t work May 04, 2026

Show notes

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.

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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 ⁠

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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.

Behavioural Insights Team. (2013). New BIT trial results: helping people back into work. https://www.bi.team/blogs/new-bit-trial-results-helping-people-back-into-work/

Gollwitzer, P. M., & Brandstätter, V. (1997). Implementation intentions and effective goal pursuit. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(1), 186–199.

Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119.

Milkman, K. (2021). How to change: The science of getting from where you are to where you want to be. Portfolio/Penguin.

Olson, R. (2014, October 10). What makes for a stable marriage. http://www.randalolson.com/2014/10/10/what-makes-for-a-stable-marriage/

Read, D., Loewenstein, G., & Kalyanaraman, S. (1999). Mixing virtue and vice: Combining the immediacy effect and the diversification heuristic. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 12(4), 257–273.

Service, O., & Gallagher, R. (2017). Think small: The surprisingly simple ways to reach big goals. Michael O'Mara Books.

Prof Wiseman: “This is how you spot a liar” Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

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

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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

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Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/

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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 forensic contexts (pp. 15–40). Cambridge University Press.

The Global Deception Research Team. (2006). A world of lies. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37(1), 60–74.

Milgram, S. (1967). The small-world problem. Psychology Today, 1, 61–67.

Stewart, J. E., II. (1980). Defendant’s attractiveness as a factor in the outcome of criminal trials: An observational study. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 10(4), 348–361.

Vrij, A. (2000). Detecting lies and deceit: The psychology of lying and the implications for professional practice. John Wiley & Sons.

Wiseman, R. (1995). The Megalab truth test. Nature, 373, 391.

Wiseman, R. (2003, June 4). It really is a small world that we live in. The Daily Telegraph, p. 16.

Nir Eyal “Why These £39 Placebo Pills Actually Work” Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

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.

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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

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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 caffeine can improve performance and mood. Appetite, 57(3), 597–600.

Draganich, C., & Erdal, K. (2014). Placebo sleep affects cognitive functioning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(3), 857–864.

Kaptchuk, T. J. (2018). Open-label placebo: Reflections on a research agenda. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 61(3), 311–334.

Lee, C., Linkenauger, S. A., Bakdash, J. Z., Joy-Gaba, J. A., & Profitt, D. R. (2011). Putting like a pro: The role of positive contagion in golf performance and perception. PLoS One, 6(10), e26016.

Plassmann, H., O'Doherty, J., Shiv, B., & Rangel, A. (2008). Marketing actions can modulate neural representations of experienced pleasantness. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(3), 1050–1054.

Richter, C. P. (1957). On the phenomenon of sudden death in animals and man. Psychosomatic Medicine, 19(3), 191–198.

Rozenkrantz, L., Mayo, A. E., Ilan, T., Hart, Y., Noy, L., & Alon, U. (2017). Placebo can enhance creativity. PLoS One, 12, e0182466.

Wager, T. D., Rilling, J. K., Smith, E. E., Sokolik, A., Casey, K. L., Davidson, R. J., et al. (2004). Placebo-induced changes in fMRI in the anticipation and experience of pain. Science, 303(5661), 1162–1167.

What the World’s ‘Best Chat-Up Line’ Reveals About Human Psychology Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

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

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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/

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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 observers’ helping behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10(3), 222–226.

Kohn, A. (1993). Punished by rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A’s, praise, and other bribes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Lepper, M. R., Greene, D., & Nisbett, R. E. (1973). Undermining children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the “overjustification” hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 28, 129–137.

Learn psychological pricing in 24 minutes Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

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.

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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

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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 adjustment. Psychological Science, 19(2), 121–127.

Kim, H. M., & Kramer, T. (2006). The moderating effects of need for cognition and cognitive effort on responses to multi‐dimensional prices. Journal of Marketing Research.

Krishnan, B. C., Biswas, A., & Netemeyer, R. G. (2006). Semantic cues in reference price advertisements: The moderating role of cue concreteness. Journal of Retailing, 82(2), 95–104.

Suk, K., Lee, J., & Lichtenstein, D. R. (2012). The influence of price presentation order on consumer choice. Journal of Marketing Research, 49(5), 708–717.

Thomas, M., Simon, D. H., & Kadiyali, V. (2010). The price precision effect: Evidence from laboratory and market data. Marketing Science, 29(1), 175–190.

Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Science, 185(4157), 1124–1131.

Wansink, B., Kent, R. J., & Hoch, S. J. (1998). An anchoring and adjustment model of purchase quantity decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 35(1), 71–81.

Will Guidara: How Cognac solved a major problem at the world’s #1 restaurant Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

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.

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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/⁠

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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 psychological biases that influence what we buy. Harriman House.

Strohmetz, D. B., Rind, B., Fisher, R., & Lynn, M. (2002). Sweetening the till: The use of candy to increase restaurant tipping. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(2), 300–309.

How this fraudster sold fake Scottish tea to the rich & famous Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

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.

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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: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/

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Today’s sources:

Koschate-Fischer, N., Diamantopoulos, A., & Oldenkotte, K. (2012). Are consumers really willing to pay more for a favorable country image? A study of country-of-origin effects on willingness to pay. Journal of International Marketing, 20(1), 19–41.

Langer, E. J., Blank, A., & Chanowitz, B. (1978). The mindlessness of ostensibly thoughtful action: The role of “placebic” information in interpersonal interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(6), 635–642.

Mackie, D. M., Worth, L. T., & Asuncion, A. G. (1990). Processing of persuasive in-group messages. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(5), 812–822.

Maier, L., Schreier, M., Baccarella, C. V., & Voigt, K.-I. (2023). University knowledge inside: How and when university–industry collaborations make new products more attractive to consumers. Journal of Marketing.

Peterson, R. A., Kim, Y., & Jeong, J. (2019). Out-of-stock, sold out, or unavailable? Framing a product outage in online retailing. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice.

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