Episodes

  • Lessons from the longest study on human happiness

    Lessons from the longest study on human happiness
    Oct 28 2024
    What makes us happy? This question generates wildly different answers. I asked four Nudge listeners and got four different answers. Being the behavioural science nerd I am, I’ve always wondered if there is a scientific answer to this question. Is there a study that reveals the secrets behind the good life? Yes, there is. It’s the longest study on human happiness ever conducted. Today, I spoke to Marc Schulz, the associate director of that study, and he shared the results. What causes a happy life? Find out on today’s episode of Nudge. Marc’s book The Good Life: https://tinyurl.com/3fzcwuhp Access the Bonus Episode: https://nudge.ck.page/8c8b5f6c05
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    33 mins
  • Is the “godfather of influence” still relevant?

    Is the “godfather of influence” still relevant?
    Oct 21 2024
    Robert Cialdini is known to most as the godfather of influence. But is his 40-year-old book still relevant? Today, with Bas Wouters, best-selling author and CEO of the Cialdini Influence, we debate whether Cialdini’s 1984 findings still apply. How I persuaded 8 influencers to promote Nudge: https://tinyurl.com/y8dvy9xk Bas’s book Online Influence: https://www.onlineinfluence.com/book-online-influence/ Cialdini’s latest edition of Influence: https://tinyurl.com/2sdz9524 BBC’s Bickman experiment: https://youtu.be/4jcleVvgchs?si=hxG2nodA_1vAZfDS Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile
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    39 mins
  • Did Nintendo Brain Training make me smarter?

    Did Nintendo Brain Training make me smarter?
    Oct 14 2024
    I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing Nintendo Brain Training. I’ve always thought it’d make me smarter. Most people agree. I asked 25 Brits, and 24 said it “helps their memory.” And yet, my guest on Nudge, Prof Dan Simons, thinks we’re all wrong. So, does Nintendo brain training work? Well, in today’s episode of Nudge, I find out. First, I analysed the dozens of ads Nintendo had put out. I share the psychological nudges they used to persuade us and how they made their game so popular. Then, I run my own experiment. For 5 days, I play Nintendo Brain Training. I record my progress and measure if my intelligence has improved after a week. And finally, I chat with Professor Dan Simons and hear why he thinks so many people like me were lured in by Brain Training’s claims. Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile Learn more about Voxpopme: https://www.voxpopme.com/
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    38 mins
  • Everything I know about creativity is false

    Everything I know about creativity is false
    Oct 7 2024
    This advice has changed the way I work. Professor Adam Alter covers the science behind creativity, Bob Dylan’s songwriting tricks, Pfizer’s profitable pivot, Pixar’s crowd-based wisdom, and one study that changed my perspective on creativity. Adam’s book: https://adamalterauthor.com/anatomy Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile Mike Temple’s Blowin’ cover: https://youtu.be/tFgohZ8xtnI?si=z0LYO9E2qX5PCEEw
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    31 mins
  • This professor increased my sales by 6x

    This professor increased my sales by 6x
    Sep 30 2024
    Professor Danny Zane told me to slightly change how I promote my products. His advice increased my sales by 600%. Today, on Nudge, I reveal what he told me. Danny’s webpage at Lehigh: https://business.lehigh.edu/directory/daniel-zane The email engagement results: https://im.ge/i/The-email-engagement-results.fEAXyX The sale results: https://im.ge/i/The-sale-results.fEAos9 Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile
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    28 mins
  • This is why your boss makes bad hires

    This is why your boss makes bad hires
    Sep 23 2024
    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
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    19 mins
  • The trade secrets con men don't reveal

    The trade secrets con men don't reveal
    Sep 16 2024
    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
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    43 mins
  • How Messi Used Psychology to Become Great

    How Messi Used Psychology to Become Great
    Sep 9 2024
    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
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    27 mins