logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2022
48m 41s

Choose Carefully

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode

All of us make choices all the time, and we may think we're making those choices freely. But psychologist Eric Johnson says there's an architecture behind the way choices are presented to us, and this invisible architecture can influence decisions both large and small. 

If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org. 

Up next
Oct 6
Love 2.0: How to Fix Your Marriage, Part 2
When things go wrong in our relationships, we often try to change the way our partners behave. But usually, trying to fix a person only makes things worse. Last week, we talked to psychologist James Cordova about why this tendency can be so damaging, and what to do instead. This ... Show More
1h 44m
Sep 29
Love 2.0: How to Fix Your Marriage, Part 1
Many love stories end when the characters are still in the heady, euphoric early stages of a relationship. But what comes after that intoxicating first phase of love is over? Today, we kick off a new series on the challenges specific to long-term relationships. We'll talk with ps ... Show More
1h 41m
Sep 22
Passion vs. Paycheck
The idea of being driven by a calling goes back centuries. It was the language used to describe religious people who were called to the priesthood. Today, millions of people in secular professions yearn to be similarly galvanized by their work. This week, researcher Jennifer Tost ... Show More
53m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2022
Choice Architecture with Eric Johnson
Choice architecture, the way choices are presented to people, is often overlooked as an important influence on both big and small decisions. One of the world's most recognized researchers on decision-making, Eric Johnson, has studied choice architecture and its effects on behavio ... Show More
34m 49s
Feb 2021
The “Right” Choice
There is no way to determine what is a right choice versus a wrong choice. The key is to shift our thinking toward living with all possible outcomes and being at peace with whatever choices we make.Want more Andy? Try Headspace today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca ... Show More
5m 39s
May 2022
Eric Johnson on The Elements of Choice
Eric Johnson is the Director of the Center for Decision Sciences, Columbia Business School at Columbia University.  His research examines the interface between behavior decision research economics and the decisions made by consumers, managers, and their implications for public po ... Show More
59m 36s
Apr 2023
Why it’s hard to make decisions
Freedom of choice is a great thing. But, it's also easy to get overwhelmed by choices and psych ourselves out. Here's what psychologists know about why making decisions can be hard. - Consider becoming a patron of the show! patreon.com/psychologyin10minutes 
11m 6s
Jan 2021
The Present Opportunity
When we practice being in the moment of having opportunity we can be mindful in the act of clearly making the decision that is in our best interest. Want more Andy? Try Headspace today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad ... Show More
5m 40s
Dec 2021
From the Vault: The Toaster Not Taken
It’s obvious that our preferences guide our choices, but do our choices also determine our preferences? In this classic episode, join Robert and Joe as they explore this question with the help of a half-century of psychological research and reminiscences concerning Sonic the Hedg ... Show More
1h 3m
Jun 2019
How to Make Better Choices with Ryan Levesque
How do you make better choices? Our life is a reflection of our choices we’ve made up to this point. From what we choose to eat, who we’re spending time with, what we think, and what we do, adds up to where we are. Have you ever given a thought about how you make these choices? I ... Show More
14m 53s
Dec 2019
The Psychology of Architecture, Part 2
The natural world evokes various feelings in the mind, but humans spend a great deal of their time within spaces that they themselves designed and built out of the environment. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the ways that architecture impacts ... Show More
57m 36s
Dec 2021
Limited Choice is Good
My wife and I were looking for something on Netflix and found ourselves repeating the scroll a couple of times. Finally, the screen changed, and the graphic offered us a choice. It said, "just play something?"Yes, please. Just play something, so I can put the remote control down ... Show More
12m 19s
Apr 2024
Choice Overload
When we're faced with decisions in life, the pressure to make the "right choice" can be overwhelming. Today, Rosie shares some ways to make more confident deciscions, and how to trust ourselves more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
6m 52s