Dan Ariely

Dan Ariely

Professor of Behavioral Economics, Duke University

Dan Ariely is the James B Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University. He is the founder of The Center for Advanced Hindsight and co-founder of BEworks, which helps business leaders apply scientific thinking to their marketing and operational challenges. His books include Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality, both of which became New York Times best-sellers. as well as The Honest Truth about Dishonesty and his latest, Irrationally Yours.

Ariely publishes widely in the leading scholarly journals in economics, psychology, and business. His work has been featured in a variety of media including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Business 2.0, Scientific American, Science and CNN.

6mins
Feeling motivated at work feels good, and it's good for business. But employees and managers don't always see eye-to-eye on this very important topic.
6mins
Team leaders often think about ways they can increase motivation – but little thought goes into how they might be killing it.
7mins
It turns out there's quite a bit of cognitive dissonance impairing our understanding of motivation and happiness. Duke University's Professor Dan Ariely fills in the gaps.
7mins
The maxim "One Man, One Vote" is so enshrined in our understanding of democracy that its weaknesses are difficult to see. Yet weaknesses it has.
3mins
How does a couple get past mutual boredom? Behavioral economist Dan Ariely suggests they reframe their perception of the dilemma.
1mins
Behavioral economists see humanity as a giant irrational mass. Yet that doesn't mean they're innate pessimists. Rather, they see a giant blank canvas on which masterpieces can be built.
2mins
Are your family trips an exercise in pleasure or comfort? Behavior economics guru Dan Ariely notes that there's a vivid difference between the two... and it may mean the difference between a fantastic vacation and one that's just okay.
2mins
Emotions can cloud our rational decision-making. By adopting the perspective of an outside advisor, psychologist Dan Ariely says we can inject some rationality into our cognitive processes.
3mins
People considered physically attractive enjoy many social and professional benefits others do not. But the reasons why are more complex than you might think.
4mins
Behavioral psychologist Dan Ariely has spent over 10 years researching human dishonesty. What are the different kinds of dishonesty? Why do we tell lies? How can one act of dishonesty escalate further?
2mins
The downside of technological progress is that we've created more and more technologies capable of killing us. In order to adapt, behavioral psychologist Dan Ariely explains we have to get better at avoiding irrational decisions.
The solution is from time to time to hire people you don’t think would work out.
The question is not so much work-life balance, but is rest versus effort. 
2mins
“One of the problems with promotions is that we promote people based on outcomes, not about the quality of their decisions,” says Ariely.
4mins
Psychologist and Author Dan Ariely says Zappos’ policy of offering potential customer service employees $3000 not to take the job is money well spent.
1mins
According to psychologist Dan Ariely, Google’s policy of giving employees free reign over 20% of their work week – one full day out of five – makes for happier, more […]
3mins
In the field and in the lab, Psychologist Dan Ariely finds that people want big challenges, some autonomy in pursuing them, a bit of healthy competition, and a sense of completion.
5mins
Just in time for New York’s fashion week, Dan Ariely, the Duke Behavioral Economics professor and author of Predictably Irrational, sent Big Think a video on how fake designer sunglasses […]
7mins
We don’t weigh the costs and benefits when we’re tempted to text while driving.
5mins
Focusing on the struggles of an individual appeals to our emotions and makes us care. As the numbers of people suffering get bigger, our cognition, calculation, and thoughtfulness are activated—and […]