The Art of Deciding
Prof Cass Sunstein - co-author of Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness
Published: 20 March 2025 at 02:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
US President, Donald Trump, took office exactly two months ago on the day this goes live. His decisions have got some people seriously worried – including Harvard Law Professor, Cass Sunstein. He recently warned about their possible consequences in his New York Times piece "This theory is behind Trump's Power Grab". Prof Sunstein is also the co-author of Nudge, the global best-seller that has influenced the way governments around the globe think about policy. Bruce met Cass at a conference and couldn’t pass up the chance to find out more about this revolutionary thinking that has changed the world.
5:30 What is a Nudge?
· Defining the concept of nudging
· The balance between freedom of choice and influence
10:15 The Science Behind Nudging
· Why humans are susceptible to nudges
· How choice architecture shapes behaviour
· The role of the brain in processing decisions
14:00Real-World Applications of Nudging
· How nudging is used in public policy and business
· The role of automatic enrolment in behaviour change
18:45 The Ethics of Nudging
· The potential dangers of nudging for manipulation
· Dark patterns in marketing and politics
· The responsibility of governments and corporations
22:30 The Power of Repetition & Misinformation
· The illusory truth effect: why repetition makes falsehoods believable
· Social media’s role in amplifying misinformation
26:00 Final Thoughts
· The importance of ethical decision-making
· How to apply nudging principles in everyday life
Professor Sunstein’s NY Times piece - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/opinion/trump-roberts-unitary-executive-theory.html .
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness – Cass Sunstein & Richard Thaler
Look Again – Cass Sunstein & Tali Sharot
Audio clip Credit: AP:
The Art of Deciding is produced by Podcart - https://www.podcart.co.uk/
Bruce Whitfield is an award winning journalist, best-selling author and speaker https://www.brucewhitfield.com/
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