Top of Mind: With Guests John Farrell & ...

Across all kinds of decisions—from our salaries to our weekend plans—we tend to prefer options that progressively get better, if given the choice. Why is it that our minds place such a high premium on an upward trajectory?In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, we look ... Show More

We've been taught that oversharing is a major social sin. We cringe at the thought of unloading emotional baggage on a stranger or admitting a flaw to our boss. So most of us default to silence. But what if not sharing is the bigger mistake? In this episode of Choiceology with Ka ... Show More

Are your instincts talking you out of your own happiness? Every day, we make split-second decisions to avoid the people around us. We put in our earbuds on the train, stare at our phones, and assume the stranger next to us prefers to be left alone. Our brain tells us that reachin ... Show More

What determines who you vote for? You probably think it's due to rational reasons. Economy. Sustainability. Immigration. Growth. But research shows that your choice of vote isn’t as logical as you might expect. In fact, all of our votes can be swayed by a largely irrelevant facto ... Show More

Every day, we make countless choices—but are these decisions guided by desire or design? This hour, TED speakers on what shapes the food we eat, how we power our homes, and how we communicate. Guests include food systems expert Sarah Lake, infrastructure engineer Deb Chachra, cro ... Show More

We tend to think having more options is better, but the science shows too many choices can drain mental energy, increase anxiety, and make us feel worse about making decisions, even when those decisions seem trivial. Dr. Laurie explores the psychology of choice overload and decis ... Show More

You make a countless number of decisions every single day, from what to have for breakfast to what toothpaste to buy. This episode begins with a discussion on how humans make decisions and choices and how to recognize which ones you are probably spending too much time worrying ab ... Show More

When you make a decision about what food to order, what's happening in your brain? How do you clinch long-term decisions, like hitting the gym instead of doomscrolling? And what does any of this have to do with the ancient Greeks, alien hand syndrome, and constraining a president ... Show More

A legend in the field, economic psychologist Barry Schwartz talks about how having too many options can be paralytic and tiresome to the human psyche. Schwartz also discusses the destructive force of an “only the best will do” mentality. We contemplate the implications of these c ... Show More

<p>Think about the last time you asked someone for something. Maybe you were nervous or worried about what the person would think of you. Chances are that you didn't stop to think about the pressure <em>you</em> were exerting on that person. This week, we revisit a favorite episo ... Show More

<p>All of us make choices all the time, and we may think we're making those choices freely. But psychologist <a href="https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/cbs-directory/detail/ejj3">Eric Johnson</a> says there's an architecture behind the way choices are presented to us, and this invisi ... Show More

Is having too many options a problem? Most of us see choice as a hallmark of freedom, but in today’s world, too many choices can lead to stress, anxiety, and even decision paralysis. In this episode, Monica explores the paradox of choice—the surprising downsides of endless option ... Show More

<p>Historically, the U.S. has had a habit of overestimating the capabilities of its enemies. Why? Is this an intentional security strategy? Or does the U.S. need to change the way it gathers enemy intelligence? </p><p>Former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster gives hosts and ... Show More