The Decision Education Podcast

Do judges impose harsher sentences on Friday afternoons? In this episode, Dr. Cass Sunstein, law professor, former administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and co-author of Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness , joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education. They discuss the concept of noise, inconsistencies in human judgment that can arise even when people are presented with the same information. Annie and Cass talk about how we are more likely to believe things we hear repeatedly, even when they’re not true, and how “nudges” can positively influence our choices without us realizing it. Cass also sheds light on the surprising impact group polarization has on everyday decision-making, including the tendency of juries to impose harsher sentences collectively than any individual jurors would choose alone. This has big implications for the group decisions we make every day at work, at home, and in our families!

Is more choice always better? Join us in conversation with Dr. Sheena Iyengar, a professor at Columbia Business School and an expert on choice, as we examine the complexities of choice overload, and discover why having less can sometimes lead to more. We'll explore the intricate psychology of decision-making, from understanding the reasons behind why we procrastinate making important choices to uncovering why we struggle to handle more than seven options when making a decision. In this episode, we'll also take a look at a powerful strategy that effectively reduces gender bias in hiring, and how our cultural backgrounds significantly influence our approach to decision-making. Dr. Iyengar also reveals her six-step process for fostering innovation, demonstrating that we don't always have to wait for the perfect option to arise – we can actively shape the options we desire. Finally, we'll discuss the pitfalls of brainstorming and uncover the surprising truth about the usefulness of those 'brilliant' thoughts that come to us in the shower.

Do our brains trick us into thinking things are worse than they are? In this episode, Dr. Steven Pinker, experimental psychologist and world-renowned author, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to explore why we make irrational decisions and to share some useful tools to help improve our judgment. They discuss how our brains are wired for nostalgia and why we erroneously think that the world is getting worse. Steven also explains how expected value can be a useful decision-making tool. And finally, Steven and Annie discuss game theory and negative externalities, revealing what hockey players wearing helmets have in common with ordinary citizens trying to save the planet!

Can giving advice actually be more valuable than receiving it? In this episode, Dr. Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and world-renowned author, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to rethink the ways we work and learn. Adam discusses which type of people excel the most in the workplace: givers, takers, or matchers. Adam and Annie delve into how establishing “personal policies” can help us with decision-making in the workplace and how we can make workplaces more equitable. Adam explores why he believes the hallmark of true intelligence is the ability to rethink, unlearn, and be open to changing our minds when we encounter new information. He also provides a glimpse into the secrets of his Junior Olympic diving success, as featured in his latest book, Hidden Potential. Finally, Adam shares the surprising similarity between academic writing and performing magic tricks!

What have we misunderstood about decision-making? In this episode, Dr. Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to discuss common misconceptions about decision-making and “System 1” and “System 2” thinking. Together, they discuss the significance of evaluating individual components before making judgments and uncover the surprising parallels between human cognition and modern Artificial Intelligence. Daniel shares a compelling analogy between perception and cognition, illustrating how cognitive shortcuts can lead us astray. Additionally, he sheds light on why new restaurants continue to open in seemingly “doomed” locations and the valuable lessons we can learn from studying the paths of those who went before us.