There's a study I love of teachers who are trying to motivate their students to do more math problems. Kids apparently say they like doing math about as much as they like eating broccoli. So these two researchers suggested basically a temptation bundle. What if the kids could listen to music, have snacks, markers that they like using and they did that all on the day when they're doing their worksheets? And it turned out that kids persisted longer on math when they were randomly assigned to groups that had these temptations linked with them.
Maya wants to help you achieve your goals for the new year, so she's sharing some of her favorite interviews about the science of change from the archives, starting with her friend and fellow cognitive scientist, Dr. Katy Milkman. Dr. Milkman shares evidence-based strategies we can use to change our behavior, including leveraging identity shifts and making habits more pleasurable, through techniques such as the fresh start effect and temptation bundling. Also, she argues for the power of a “commitment device” which locks you into a plan to reach your long-term goals. We'd love to hear about which insights resonate most with you and which ones you’re planning to try out! You can connect with Maya on Instagram at @drmayashankar.
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