Each new year brings with it resolutions and to-do lists. They are easy enough to make, but how do we stay motivated to actually do them? It is a topic behavioral economist Dan Ariely tackles in his new book, "Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations" (Ted Books/2016). Ariely is the author of bestselling books about behavioral economics, a Duke professor, and the founder and director of the Center for Advanced Hindsight in Durham.
He joins host Frank Stasio to discuss why the "work for wages" business model is obsolete and to demonstrate how pizza and compliments can be just as motivating as cash. He also takes calls from listeners about their new year’s resolutions.
WUNC Editor’s Note – Adapted from NPR
Aug. 2, 2023
Since this article first published, researchers have raised concerns about a number of studies authored by Dan Ariely. Ariely, a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University, was a frequent guest on WUNC’s former talk show The State of Things, appearing at least five times between 2015-2019.
One study in question included data from an insurance company that purported to show that people are more truthful when they sign an ethics declaration at the beginning of a form than at the end. In an independent review, a group of researchers found evidence of data fabrication in that study. You can read more about their findings here, along with Dan Ariely's response. The insurance company that provided the data, The Hartford, released a statement to NPR’s Planet Money in July 2023. In that statement, the company said that it had done a review of its records and that “there appear to be significant changes made to the size, shape and characteristics of our data after we provided it and without our knowledge or consent.” You can hear the full Planet Money story and read the full statement from The Hartford here.
Additionally, a second study – in which Ariely reported reduced cheating among test-takers asked to recall the Ten Commandments before taking the test – has not stood up to replication by other researchers. You can read more about that here.