Resources on Behavioral Economics

By blending psychology and economics, Behavioral Economics provides insights to why we don’t act in our own best interests. It can can help people make better decisions and habits; ones that lead to happier, healthier lives. The field integrates psychologists’ understanding of human behavior into economic analysis. It exposes the flaws and biases that influence our actions.

Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash

I joined Action Design after hearing about behavioral economics. I saw that what it studies would be relevant to my design work and I wanted to learn more. I’ve been helping organize the Boston chapter for the past four years now.

Action Design focuses on the intersection and application of behavioral economics, design, and psychology. It aims to use the studies in those fields for advocacy and positive change. We explore anything that allows large-scale, positive impact on people’s behavior. One of our goals is to expose people to tools, research, and other practitioners in each of these areas.

With the Boston chapter, we’ve been adapting what we do and listening to our members and attendees. People were asking for an opportunity to engage with others working in the field. This year, we joined Impact Hub for their Open Project Nights. It’s also been leading to new projects that I hope we get to share in the new year.

Another request we had was for a list or resources to learn more about Behavioral Economics. This is my first draft at the list. It will be a living resource that I’ll add to based on suggestions and kept as a document hosted on Google Drive.

Articles

• List of Cognitive Biases

• How to Start a Career in Behavioral Design

• How to Hire a Behavioral Scientist

• Our Environment Influences Our Behavior

• Social Norms & Energy Conservation

• Understanding and Motivating Energy Conservation via Social Norms

• Behavioral Design

• The flaws a Nobel Prize-winning economist wants you to know about yourself

• Nobel in Economics Is Awarded to Richard Thaler

• What Is Behavioral Economics?

• The Rise of Behavioral Economics and Its Influence on Organizations

• Why Profit Depends on Getting to the Heart of Your Customer Behavior

Books

• Hooked

• Designing for Behavior Change,

• Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior, Jonah Berger

• The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition, Don Norman

• Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

• Irrational Exuberance

• The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds

• David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

• Thinking, Fast and Slow

• Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

• Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics

• The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and Home

• The Paradox of Choice

• Influence: Science and Practice

• Breakdown of Will

• Think Twice: Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition

• Animal Spirits: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy, and Why It Matters for Global Capitalism

Videos

• How behavioral science can lower your energy bill

• TED Talks on Behavioral Economics

• Richard Thaler: “Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics” | Talks at Google

• Dan Ariely: What Is Behavioral Economics?

• HBS: What Is Behavioral Economics?

• Daniel Kahneman: “Thinking, Fast and Slow” | Talks at Google

• Bloomberg Markets: The 2017 Nobel Winner’s Work in Behavioral Economics

• Richard Thaler: Behavioral Economics: Past, Present, Future, and Football

• Richard Thaler with Malcolm Gladwell on Misbehaving

• Thinking in Symbols for Universal Design — Benjamin Wilkins, Airbnb

Podcasts

• NPR

• Freakonomics

• The London School of Economics and Political Science

• BBC Pop-up Ideas

• NPR Hidden Brain

• Slate Money

• Financial Times Alphachat

• Action Design Radio

Websites

• https://www.nirandfar.com/

• http://danariely.com/

• http://coglode.com/

• http://freakonomics.com/

• http://timharford.com/

• http://nudges.org/tag/behavioral-economics/

• http://behavioralscientist.org

• http://www.romanpichler.com/blog/

• r/BehavioralEconomics

• https://thedecisionlab.com/

• https://behavioralpolicy.org/

• http://inudgeyou.com/en/

• http://chibe.upenn.edu/

• https://www.pmc.gov.au/domestic-policy/behavioural-economics#

• http://www.lse.ac.uk/management/research/brl

• http://www.misbehavingbook.org/blog/

• http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/

• CNN Colorscope