Blog
Small Talk: Do These 36 Questions Really Work?
We spend large portions of our waking hours communicating with others. While the possibilities for conversation are seemingly endless, how often do we actually…
We Tested Strategies to Help People Remember Their Prescription Drug Information—And Increased Recall by 17%
Americans have a drug problem: we don’t take our prescriptions. In fact, 50% of people stop taking their high blood pressure medication within 1 year…
Attribution Error & Affective Forecasting: The 2 ‘A’ Words Every Researcher, Designer, & PM Should Know
In 1931, Norman Maier asked participants in his University of Michigan lab to solve a puzzle that stumped most people. When they were out of…
Loneliness Awareness Week: Want to Solve Loneliness? Live Near Your People
Loneliness is a problem. And at Irrational Labs, we're working to solve it. And so is Irrational Labs CEO & Co-Founder Kristen Berman. Kristen addressed…
Applying Behavioral Science to Product: 10 Insights from 10 Years of Irrational Labs
What do you learn in 10 years of applying behavioral science at top companies? A lot, it turns out! This month marks 10 years of…
We Sent 1,700 Funny Messages on Tinder. Here’s What the Responses Taught Us About Humor in Dating
The search for love is no laughing matter. But could a sense of humor be the key to helping single men find dates on Tinder?…
Open-Plan Offices are Bad for Us. Here’s How Behavioral Design Can Make Them Better
Mention open plan offices at the water cooler and you're sure to spark debate. Opinions on them have always been divided. But a new trend—the…
Want to Drive Behavior Change in Your Product? Try This Under-Used Tactic.
'We are what we measure.' You may have heard this phrase, or may even believe it, but chances are that you don’t know how it…
Does Budgeting Help You Save Money?
This project is a part of Duke’s Common Cents Lab. The Common Cents Lab is funded by the MetLife Foundation and supported by Blackrock…
When Deadlines are Guidelines, Everyone Wins: Papers We’re Reading, Week 17
“Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face.” ― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief We all know what it feels…
Creditworthy: Papers We’re Reading, Week 16
How do you know if someone’s creditworthy? An estimated 45 million Americans, most often African-American, Hispanic, and low-income, have either no credit history, or a…
Dealing with Debt: Papers We’re Reading, Week 15
Dealing with Debt: Implications of Minimum Payments on Credit Card Interest Paid Revolving credit card debt declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has just begun…
16 Critical Cognitive Biases (Plus Key Academic Research)
Wikipedia lists over 200 common cognitive biases (aka psychologies). In our behavioral science training courses, we explain how leveraging cognitive biases can help you solve…
The Exercise Research Behind Peloton’s Success
The Science Behind the Science of Change The Science of Change is a new podcast hosted by behavioral scientist and co-founder of Irrational Labs, Kristen…
Timeliness, Norms, and Mental Models, Oh My: Papers We’re Reading, Week 14
According to a 2019 survey, about a third of American adults ages 25-73 (32%) didn’t plan to get a flu shot. This does not mean…
Green Energy: Papers We’re Reading, Week 13
Gas? Hybrid? Electric? I'm in the market for a new car, so I've been thinking a lot about greener energy. Efforts to promote sustainable behavior…
Psychology of Competition: Papers We’re Reading, Week 11
Would you be happier with 2nd or 3rd place? When does a competitor become a rival? And how do the supportive feelings you had for…
Habits in Physical Activity: Papers We’re Reading, Week 10
Working out is one of the best steps we could take for our mind and body. Regular exercise can dramatically improve heart health, help retain…
Operational Transparency: Papers We’re Reading, Week 9
This week is all about transparency: how to build it, how it affects consumer behavior, and its potential benefits (and downsides). Notably, the papers use…
Social Judgment: Papers We’re Reading, Week 8
Have you ever met someone you liked and you enjoyed speaking with, but felt you didn’t quite come across the way you wanted to in…
Micro-Actions, Mistakes, and Misinformation: Papers We’re Reading: Week 7
Helping Others Forget Bad Experiences Mistakes are an inevitable part of life. Despite making every effort to keep our word and fulfill our obligations, every…
Linguistic Cues and Social Scripts: Papers We’re Reading, Week 6
Imagine that just as you were about to use the copy machine, someone asked if they could go ahead of you, saying, “I just have…
Explicit and Implicit Biases: Papers We’re Reading, Week 5
Does prompting people to recognize their own implicit gender bias decrease sexism? Researchers explored this question by inducing an "aha" moment amongst study participants and…
Time: Papers We’re Reading, Week 3
When you open your rideshare app and the wait time is long, do you give up? What price do people place on time savings? In…
(Don’t) Listen to Your Customers
Today’s product and design leaders often rely heavily on the word of their customers when building their product road maps; whether it’s a customer survey…
Presentation: Papers We’re Reading, Week 2
This is a timely study on how the quality of gift-wrapping can change people’s attitudes about the present inside. The research team includes a married…
Reframing the Loneliness Epidemic
By Irrational Lab’s Dan Ariely, Kristen Berman, Evelyn Gosnell, Sara Dadkhah Lindsay Juarez, and Maritz Global Events’ Charlotte Blank, Russ Frey The “loneliness epidemic” was…
Connecting with Your Future Self: Can Understanding Psychology Help Us Age Gracefully?
I just celebrated my birthday this Saturday. It was a familiar birthday scene, being surrounded by close friends at a nice restaurant. It did make…