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Decisions, Decisions

Not What to Decide, but How

Behavioral Economics
Taxi Drivers Get Bigger Tips When Paid By Credit Card

Dan Goldstein on March 10, 2010

New York City cabs now have credit card readers and touch-screen computers in the back. They present the passenger with preconfigured tip options, which start at 15%.What does this do to how much they get tipped?

New York City cabs now have credit card readers and touch-screen computers in the back. They present the passenger with preconfigured tip options, which start at 15%.What does this do to how much they get tipped?

Law and Crime
Catch a thief with pencil and ruler

Dan Goldstein on August 7, 2008

It's time to play CSI, so put on your detective's hat. A series of burglaries has been committed, all by the same thief. You plot the crime locations on a map. Now you have to decide where to look for the bad guy. Many ideas come flooding to mind, but which one to go with? You only have limited time and effort to spend on this ...

It's time to play CSI, so put on your detective's hat. A series of burglaries has been committed, all by the same thief. You plot the crime locations on a map. Now you have to decide where to look for the bad guy. Many ideas come flooding to mind, but which one to go with? You only have limited time and effort to spend on this ...

Behavioral Economics
Put first things first with the help of software

Dan Goldstein on June 15, 2008

Ever find yourself frittering away the day responding to email after email? Ever think that if you'd just spent 8 hours working on that project, you'd be done and still have time to answer those emails in front of the TV later that night? Sure, we all have. Help is on the way.  

Ever find yourself frittering away the day responding to email after email? Ever think that if you'd just spent 8 hours working on that project, you'd be done and still have time to answer those emails in front of the TV later that night? Sure, we all have. Help is on the way.  

Behavioral Economics
How good are you at finding what's best? Test your intution and brains.

Dan Goldstein on May 28, 2008

Good decision makers often wind up with the best things available. But how do they do they do it? Finding the best thing involves searching, but it also involves knowing when to stop searching. How good a searcher are you? Do you search too much, or just the right amount? Play this little game and find out.

Good decision makers often wind up with the best things available. But how do they do they do it? Finding the best thing involves searching, but it also involves knowing when to stop searching. How good a searcher are you? Do you search too much, or just the right amount? Play this little game and find out.

Behavioral Economics
Major Choice Strategies

Dan Goldstein on May 21, 2008

Reid Hastie and Robyn M. Dawes, in their classic Rational Choice in an Uncertain World (pp. 232-234), outline some major choice strategies.

Reid Hastie and Robyn M. Dawes, in their classic Rational Choice in an Uncertain World (pp. 232-234), outline some major choice strategies.

False Memories
Hillary and the snipers

Dan Goldstein on March 24, 2008

We've all seen the video: Hillary tells tales of landing under sniper fire. Some, for instance the trusted authorities who upload things to YouTube are calling it a lie. But is Hillary lying?

We've all seen the video: Hillary tells tales of landing under sniper fire. Some, for instance the trusted authorities who upload things to YouTube are calling it a lie. But is Hillary lying?

Self-Control
A tale of two selves

Dan Goldstein on March 17, 2008

Psychologists and economists love to talk about the notion of two selves: present self and future self. On Sunday, future self might want to go to bed early on Thursday, wake up early on Friday, and hit the gym where it will listen to one hour of "Listen-and-repeat Italian" lessons while mastering the StairMaster. On Friday morning, this voice is nowhere to be heard.

Psychologists and economists love to talk about the notion of two selves: present self and future self. On Sunday, future self might want to go to bed early on Thursday, wake up early on Friday, and hit the gym where it will listen to one hour of "Listen-and-repeat Italian" lessons while mastering the StairMaster. On Friday morning, this voice is nowhere to be heard.