Freakonomics Radio 282. Could Solving This One Problem Solve All the Others?
Apr 6, 2017
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.
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Human Nature Is The Central Problem
- Angela Duckworth argues the core problem is human beings repeatedly making choices that undermine long-term well-being.
- Fixing enduring behavior change could therefore address many social problems at their root.
Ambitious Mission To Cure Self-Sabotage
- Milkman and Duckworth both see solving persistent self-sabotage as a problem that could solve many social issues.
- They launched a large collaborative project to test scalable behavior-change interventions.
Design For Durable Change
- Focus not on one-off interventions but on making behavior change stick over time.
- Design programs that produce repeated good decisions, not just isolated improvements.