The Ringelmann Effect Read online In 1882, French engineer Maximilien Ringelmann studied effort.ยน He measured how much weight each man could pull. Individually, the men could pull 85 kg. But in groups of seven, they averaged just 65 kg, a 24% drop. This became known as the Ringelmann Effect. Put simply, it proved that as group size increases, individual effort decreases. Most of us will have seen this in the workplace, typically in bloated meetings where nothing gets done. But it's not...
12 days agoย โขย 1 min read
The Effort Illusion Read online In 2003, two researchersยน proved the illusion of effort. It means we value things more if we believe it took a lot of time to create. Chinander and Schweitzer had groups watch identical presentations. Groups were told one of two things: "This presentation took 8 hours and 34 minutes to prepare." "This presentation took 37 minutes to prepare." Those told the presentation took longer to prep rated it significantly higher. Can I prove this works? On Nudge, I like...
19 days agoย โขย 1 min read
The Nature Effect Read online Are you happier outside? In one 2013 studyยน one million iPhone notifications were sent to 20,000 Brits at various times of day, over a six-month period. The app prompted participants to report their happiness. The app used in the study The phone's GPS determined if the participant was outside or inside. Turns out, those outdoors were much happier. Compared to those inside, participants outside were "significantly and substantially happier", according to the...
27 days agoย โขย 1 min read
The Framing Effect Read online Many plant-based products are failing due to bad naming. In 2018ยน, a study was conducted with 727 Brits who already ate meat. Renaming the โ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ-๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ฌ๐ญโ to โ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐-๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ฌ๐ญโ made diners 200% more likely to pick the plant-based option. Similarly, renaming โ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ-๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐กโ as โ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐-๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐กโ made it twice as popular. The paper went on to find that a Veggie Burger will be more popular if itโs called a โ๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซโ. And...
about 1 month agoย โขย 1 min read
The Framing Effect Read online Here's a thought experiment. You've been told you have lung cancer. The doctor asks if you want treatment. She tells you: "68% survive one year after surgery" Hearing this, you'd probably opt for surgery, that's what the majority pickยน. But what if the doctor said: "32% die within one year after surgery" Now, if you're like those in thisยน study, you'd be less likely to choose surgery. It's the same odds of survival. But the wording changed behaviour. This is the...
about 1 month agoย โขย 1 min read
Target Timely Moments Read online Want someone to adopt a new habit? Contact them after a significant life event has occurred. This studyยน conducted by the Behavioural Insights Team proves it. They found that a promotional leaflet for a cycle share scheme in Portland, USA was nearly 4 times more effective when they targeted ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐-๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ, compared to ๐ฆ๐น๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด. BIKETOWN was launched in Portland. All residents were sent this leaflet, but focusing on new movers is more cost-effective....
about 2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
The Red Bull Story Read online Dietrich Mateschitz discovered an energy drink in Thailand. It was cheap and used by factory workers to stay awake. Mateschitz took it back to Austria and set up focus group taste tests. They didn't go well. Red Bull was describedยน as: "Awful", "horrible to taste", and "disgusting". And yet, this "disgusting" drink sells 12.6 billion cans a year. Here are three possible reasons why. Anchoring Price can act as a signal of quality. Rather than charging the Thai...
about 2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
AI + Psychology Read online Thereโs a 2023ยน study I think of whenever I read about AI. The scientists ran four experiments and found that social proof massively improved AI suggestions. For example, people were: 17.6% more likely to buy a pair of sneakers when the AI explained, โItโs the most purchased item.โ To me, it showed that to succeed, AI needs to understand human psychology. And if youโre working with AI, so do you. Adobe's London Summit Adobe was kind enough to invite me to their...
about 2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
The Anchoring Effect Read online Let's start with an experiment. Consider the following two calculations and attempt to guess the answer. Don't use a calculator, take 10 seconds, and make your guess. 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8 = ? 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = ? What did you guess? Were your guesses different? The average guess for the first sum is 512, for the second it's 2,250 (4x higher). Many of you will have figured out that the actual answer is exactly the same. It's 40,320 for...
3 months agoย โขย 1 min read
