logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2024
40m 45s

217. What Happens When You Put on a Cost...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode

Would you steal Halloween candy? Should people be required to identify themselves online?  And why did Angela go trick-or-treating in a trash bag? 

 

 

 

Up next
Jul 6
29. How Do You Know When It’s Time to Quit?
Also: why is it so hard to predict success? This episode originally aired on November 29, 2020. 
31m 43s
Jun 29
28. Why Do We Hoard?
Also: do you spend more time thinking about the past, the present, or the future? This episode originally aired on November 22, 2020. 
29m 14s
Jun 22
27. How Should You Ask for Forgiveness?
Also: why is behavior change so darn hard? This episode originally aired on November 15, 2020. 
37m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2024
596. Farewell to a Generational Talent
Daniel Kahneman left his mark on academia (and the real world) in countless ways. A group of his friends and colleagues recently gathered in Chicago to reflect on this legacy — and we were there, with microphones. SOURCES:Maya Bar-Hillel, professor emeritus of psychology at the H ... Show More
52m 41s
Dec 2024
Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia? (Update)
Some of the biggest names in behavioral science stand accused of faking their results. Last year, an astonishing 10,000 research papers were retracted. In a series originally published in early 2024, we talk to whistleblowers, reformers, and a co-author who got caught up in the c ... Show More
1h 15m
Apr 23
Is It a Theater Piece or a Psychological Experiment? (Update)
In an episode from 2012, we looked at what Sleep No More and the Stanford Prison Experiment can tell us about who we really are. SOURCES:Felix Barrett, artistic director of Punchdrunk.Steven Levitt, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.Philip Zimbardo, professor em ... Show More
37m 13s
Jan 2025
Can Academic Fraud Be Stopped? (Update)
Probably not — the incentives are too strong. But a few reformers are trying. We check in on their progress, in an update to an episode originally published last year. (Part 2 of 2) SOURCES:Max Bazerman, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School.Leif Nelson, ... Show More
1h 8m
Jul 2018
1 | Carol Tavris on Mistakes, Justification, and Cognitive Dissonance
For the first full episode of Mindscape, it's an honor to welcome social psychologist Carol Tavris. Her book with co-author Eliot Aronson, Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), explores the effect that cognitive dissonance has on how we think. We talk about the fascinating process ... Show More
1h 11m
Sep 2024
602. Is Screen Time as Poisonous as We Think?
Young people have been reporting a sharp rise in anxiety and depression. This maps neatly onto the global rise of the smartphone. Some researchers are convinced that one is causing the other. But how strong is the evidence? SOURCES:David Blanchflower, professor of economics at Da ... Show More
40m 29s
May 29
#947 - Scott Barry Kaufman - How To Not Let Your Past Define You
Scott Barry Kaufman is a Psychologist at Columbia University, a writer and podcaster. Why is victim culture so common in the West? Everyone’s been hurt, so it’s easy to claim victimhood, so why has it become a core identity and how do we honour pain without being defined by it? E ... Show More
1h 17m
Aug 2024
599. The World's Most Valuable Unused Resource
It’s not oil or water or plutonium — it’s human hours. We've got an idea for putting them to use, and for building a more human-centered economy. But we need your help. SOURCES:Nathan Dietz, research director at the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland.Al Roth, profess ... Show More
40m 8s
May 16
How to Succeed at Failing, Part 3: Grit vs. Quit (Update)
Giving up can be painful. That's why we need to talk about it. Today: stories about glitchy apps, leaky paint cans, broken sculptures — and a quest for the perfect bowl of ramen. (Part three of a four-part series.) SOURCES:John Boykin, website designer and failed paint can re-inv ... Show More
1h 3m
Jun 25
What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common? (Update)
In this episode from 2013, we look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists. SOURCES:Benedikt Herrmann, research officer at the European Commission.Steve Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics and host of People I (Mostly) Admire.Dave O'Connor, president of Times Studios.Lisi Oli ... Show More
36m 13s