Behavioral
A Simple Thumbs Up or Down Eliminates Racial Bias in Online Ratings
Yale SOM’s Tristan Botelho and his co-authors found that the ubiquitous five-star rating system could subtly propagate discrimination. But they also found a surprisingly simple fix: switching to a two-point scale (thumbs up or thumbs down) eliminated subtle racial bias in customer ratings of gig workers.
To Reach Weight-Loss Targets, Start with Small Goals
Drawing on data from a weight-loss app, Yale SOM’s Kosuke Uetake and his co-author found that setting small goals and changing them frequently helped dieters reach their long-term goals.
Online and Off, We Are Drawn Toward Those with Similar Writing Styles
Both online and in-person friendships are more likely to develop between people who have similar linguistic styles, according to a new study co-authored by Balázs Kovács at Yale SOM.
We’re More Likely to Stick to Decisions Rooted in Emotions
Should you trust your gut? A new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Taly Reich finds that decisions made on the basis of feelings hold up longer in the face of new information than decisions made deliberately and rationally.
When Charitable Organizations Thank Donors, Should They Ask for More?
For charitable organizations that rely on donors for financial support, there is a delicate art to asking for gifts and expressing gratitude.
How Will We Tell the Story of COVID-19?
We asked Yale SOM’s Robert Shiller, whose latest book is 'Narrative Economics,' to tell us what collective stories are forming around the pandemic and what they might mean for our economic future.
Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral
Nobel Prize-winning Yale economist Robert Shiller examines how the stories we tell about our lives and our society can spread from person to person, changing shared perceptions of events and shaping economic behavior.
Why a Pandemic Leads to Panic Buying
We asked Yale SOM’s Nathan Novemsky, an expert in the psychology of judgment and decision-making, for his thoughts on how consumers are behaving during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they’re likely to view companies’ actions in the aftermath.
New Study Shows that Trust Can Last
A new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Florian Ederer explores how the trust we place in one another is affected by our ability to communicate and by the passage of time.
How Not to Hate the Holidays
We asked Nathan Novemsky, a social psychologist and a professor of marketing at Yale SOM, what the research says about avoiding tension and creating positive memories.
Admitting a Purchase Mistake Makes Online Reviews More Persuasive
Yale SOM’s Taly Reich has conducted a series of studies exploring the surprising value of mistakes. In her latest paper, she and her co-author show that shoppers are more likely to purchase a product after reading a review that describes making a prior purchase mistake.
