behavioral science | Behavior Matters!

In a continued effort to make behavioral science and behavioral economics more accessible, The Lantern Group and The Behavioral Grooves Podcast are building resources to help you make more informed decisions, understand your influences (and how you influence), understand biases, improve happiness, build better habits and more. This includes a self assessment to help decide which behavioral science or behavioral economics book to read and The 100 Behaviors Project – a weekly exploration of human biases and behaviors. Check them both out below.

Behavioral Learning Self-Assessment

The self-assessment below combines 30+ years of collective experience in behavioral science to help you determine which of our top 40 books will be the most beneficial to you. Take it now and start (or continue) learning! If you have already read the recommendation, reach out in the form below or email behavior@lanterngroup.com with your result and we will recommend 2 or 3 alternates!

Podcast Mania!

On July 30, 2020

In behavioral science, Podcasts

As the popularity of the Behavioral Grooves podcast continues to skyrocket, cohost Kurt Nelson, PHD – President and founder of The Lantern Group – has been featured across the airwaves (podwaves?) on an exciting and growing list of podcasts of all shapes and sizes.

Emotions, Performance, Motivation, Culture, Running and more all involve Behavioral Science

Below is a list of the most recent features with a quick blurb about the subject. There are lots of fun conversations here, so check them out and give one (or all) a listen and share!

How to Shape Company Culture Through Communication

On June 18, 2020

In behavioral science, Communications, Culture

Words matter.

A study conducted by Gary Latham PhD, replaced 12 words in an e-mail from a company president to his employees to demonstrate the power of word choice.

A Powerful Reinforcement Loop With a Common Thread

Half of the company received the president’s original e-mail and half of the company received the same e-mail with 12 achievement-focused words added in. The result? After a week, objectively measured performance showed an increase in effectiveness by 15% and efficiency by 35% for the employees who received the achievement centric email.

Good Prime – Bad Prime

On June 2, 2020

In behavior, behavioral science, graphics

Priming, in relation to human behavior, is the idea that exposure to an external stimulus can subconsciously trigger our brains to drive specific behaviors.

A study in Daniel Kahneman’s “Thinking Fast and Slow” examined how a simple word could prime the brain to think differently in a similar situation. Subjects were exposed to one of two words and then shown the letters “SO_P” and asked to fill in the blank.

People who were exposed to the word “eat” prior to the exercise were more likely to fill in the letter “U” (SOUP), and those exposed to the word “shower” were more like to fill in the letter “A” (SOAP).

In this situation, the first word they were exposed to impacted their interpretation of the blank letter and completed word. This is a simple example, but priming can also cause us to unconsciously engage in behaviors both good and bad.

Let’s looks at some examples in the real world.

How to Apply Behavioral Science in Your Job (And Why it Matters)

On February 18, 2020

In behavior, behavioral economics, behavioral science, Change, self-identity, Uncategorized

By Kurt Nelson, Ph.D. & Ben Granlund

Would being able to understand the underlying reasons why you and others “do the things you do” be helpful to you in your job? Is there value in having the knowledge to be able to predict and understand people’s responses to your requests or changes? How about being able to anticipate how people will most likely respond in a given situation or environment? Would the ability to make more rational and sound decisions help you in moving your business forward?

For most people, that answer is “yes.”

Most of us work in an environment that involves some level of involvement and interaction with other people. Whether it be coworkers, bosses, employees, vendors, or customers – at some point in your workday, there is likely a human involved.

How you interact with those humans can change how they respond.

We need to be able to work effectively with those humans. If we can understand and empathize with their underlying drives, decipher how they are interpreting our words and actions, and anticipate how they will respond to what we do, our interactions with them will be significantly improved.

The Top 5 Reasons Businesses Need Behavioral Science

On January 10, 2020

In behavioral science, Communications, Design, Leadership, Motivation, Teambuilding

By Kurt Nelson, Ph.D. & Ben Granlund

hands coming together over desk with text overlay — Behavioral science can be the key to organizational success

Imagine getting the chance to earn $2 for doing absolutely nothing. Would you turn this down?

Most people say no, yet study after study shows that people often refuse the $2 payout, sometimes more. Why is this?

Cartoon of two people talking, one offering money and the other turning it down

This strange behavior comes down to how we perceive fairness and retribution and can be observed in a simulation behavioral scientists call “the Ultimatum Game.”

Scary Biases

On October 29, 2019

In behavior, behavioral science

Halloween is scary. All sorts of creatures are running wild – ghouls and ghosts, witches and goblins, werewolves and vampires…biases and heuristics.

That’s right, biases and heuristics can be scary too! They can cause us undue harm if we are not careful, but understanding the power that they have over our behaviors can help.

Behavior in the Backcountry: Improving Avalanche Safety with Behavioral Science

On July 17, 2019

In behavioral science

Fall 2019 Update: We recorded an in depth podcast with AMGA Ski Guide and Avalanche expert Chris Brown on this same subject – check it out here!

An exploration into the human factors and heuristics that lead to avalanche incidents and our recommendations on: (1) how to overcome them and (2) how to improve how avalanche education courses teach them.

The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Avalanche courses are designed to train backcountry users (skiers, snowboarders, hikers, snowmobilers, etc.) in avalanche awareness to help them make more educated decisions in backcountry and high-risk winter alpine environments.

Motivational Hacks – Using Self-identity to Drive Behavior Change (update)

On September 19, 2018

In behavioral science, Change

Note: we posted this blog a few years ago. In this version, we have updated it with new insights and research findings. Reach out here for advice on developing your own motivational hacks.

Each of us has a unique self-identity that both “drives” what we do and is “influenced” by what we do. This dual component is one of the unique aspects of self-identity that we can tap into to help drive and sustain change.

Behavioral Grooves – Coming to a City Near You

On May 15, 2018

In behavioral economics, behavioral science

For those of you who don’t know, The Behavioral Grooves is both a meetup and a podcast – sort of like a breakfast cereal and an energy drink at the same time.

Kurt Nelson, PhD and Tim Houlihan, Behavioral Alchemist founded the Behavioral Grooves as a non-profit organization to share their enthusiasm for the application of behavioral sciences with a wider audience.

Read along for a brief overview by Tim as he takes us on a ride through the experience:

Category: behavioral science Page 2 of 3

Understand Your Brain – Better Decisions, Improved Habits, Happiness & More!

Behavioral Learning Self-Assessment

Podcast Mania!

How to Shape Company Culture Through Communication

Good Prime – Bad Prime

Let’s looks at some examples in the real world.

How to Apply Behavioral Science in Your Job (And Why it Matters)

For most people, that answer is “yes.”

The Top 5 Reasons Businesses Need Behavioral Science

Imagine getting the chance to earn $2 for doing absolutely nothing. Would you turn this down?

Scary Biases

Behavior in the Backcountry: Improving Avalanche Safety with Behavioral Science

Motivational Hacks – Using Self-identity to Drive Behavior Change (update)

Behavioral Grooves – Coming to a City Near You

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