282. Could Solving This One Problem Solve All the Others?
Apr 6, 2017
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Angela Duckworth, a renowned psychology professor known for her work on grit, joins Katie Milkman, a behavior change expert, to explore the complexities of human decision-making. They discuss the concept of temptation bundling, where fun activities help foster positive habits. The duo also tackles societal disparities in health and financial decisions, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Moreover, they delve into how interdisciplinary collaboration can enhance behavior change research and apply innovative strategies in public policy.
The podcast emphasizes that human decision-making often sabotages long-term well-being, highlighting the necessity of understanding behavior change.
Angela Duckworth and Katie Milkman's project aims to create effective strategies for behavior modification by collaborating with experts in various fields.
Deep dives
The Challenge of Human Behavior
Human decision-making often undermines long-term well-being, as highlighted by Angela Duckworth. Many individuals are aware of detrimental habits such as poor eating, unwise spending, and inefficient use of time, yet they continue to engage in self-sabotaging behaviors. This paradox creates significant challenges in addressing social issues effectively, and Duckworth emphasizes that understanding and altering this behavior is crucial for improvement. Consequently, addressing why people struggle to make beneficial choices is a core focus of contemporary behavioral science.
Making Behavior Change Stick Project
Angela Duckworth and Katie Milkman are collaborating on a project called Making Behavior Change Stick, aiming to create and disseminate effective strategies for behavior modification. This initiative emerged after the MacArthur Foundation announced a substantial $100 million grant for solving a significant social problem. Duckworth's experience and the team's multidisciplinary approach, which includes psychologists, economists, and sociologists, position them well to tackle behavior change on a grand scale. The project's ambition underscores the urgency and importance of finding viable solutions to improve decision-making across various aspects of life.
Diverse Collaborative Efforts
The project seeks to gather a diverse team of over two dozen experts across numerous fields, fostering collaboration between academia and real-world organizations. This approach aims to overcome the limitations of previous studies, often constrained by sample diversity and experimental contexts. By partnering with institutions like New York City Public Schools and major gyms, the project will test interventions in authentic scenarios, enhancing the relevance and applicability of findings. The goal is to develop interventions that can lead to systematic and sustained behavioral changes in target populations.
Focusing on Key Areas for Change
Duckworth and Milkman's initiative will prioritize three main domains: health, education, and personal finance. They aim to implement strategies that improve outcomes in each area, addressing critical societal challenges such as smoking cessation, school dropout rates, and financial insecurity. Their work proposes using data from real-life settings to assess intervention impacts, enhancing the validity of results. By understanding intersections between these areas, the project aspires to create holistic solutions that foster enduring behavior change in diverse populations.
The biggest problem with humanity is humans themselves. Too often, we make choices — what we eat, how we spend our money and time — that undermine our well-being. An all-star team of academic researchers thinks it has the solution: perfecting the science of behavior change. Will it work?
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