Dan Ariely

Dan Ariely

Leading Behavioural Economist & Author of Predictably Irrational

Dan Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of Behavioural Economics at Duke University and a visiting Professor at MIT's Media Lab. He is an expert on how people actually act (irrationally)—and why they act—in all kinds of business and economic environments, and what this means for business innovation, strategy and marketing. Ariely is the author of The New York Times Best Seller Predictably Irrational, and his latest book, The Upside of Irrationality was published in June 2010. Few heavy thinkers are as funny or as engaging as Ariely. The fact is, if you're looking for insight and foresight that will enable you to see the world differently, this is the speaker you'll want to hear.


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As a behavioural economist, Dan Ariely studies how people actually act in the marketplace, as opposed to how they should or would perform if they were completely rational. His interests span a wide range of daily behaviours such as buying (or not), saving (or not), ordering food in restaurants, pain management, procrastination, dishonesty, and decision making under different emotional states. His experiments are consistently interesting, amusing, and informative, demonstrating profound ideas that fly in the face of common wisdom.


Currently the James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics at Duke University, Ariely holds appointments at the Fuqua School of Business, the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, the School of Medicine, and the department of Economics. He is also a visiting professor at MIT’s Program in Media Arts and Sciences, a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight, a fellow at Diamond Management and Technology Consultants, and President of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making.


Ariely is the author of The New York Times bestseller, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions. His research has been published in leading psychology, economics, and marketing and management research journals, and has been featured occasionally in the popular press (The New York Times, The New Yorker Magazine, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, etc). His forthcoming book, The Upside of Irrationality, was published in June 2010. From time to time, Ariely has provided commentaries for National Public Radio, The New York Times and CNN.


Ariely earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Tel Aviv University, his master’s and doctorate degrees in cognitive psychology from the University of North Carolina, and a doctorate in marketing from Duke University.


 

  • Predictably Irrational

    Do you know why you still have a headache after taking a one-cent aspirin, but why that same headache disappears if the aspirin costs fifty cents? Do you know why recalling the Ten Commandments reduces people's tendency to lie, or why honor codes are actually effective in reducing dishonesty at the workplace? Do you know why, after doing careful and extensive research on which car to buy, a random meeting with someone who had an awful experience with that car changes your decision? Why do we make decisions contrary to our better judgment? What is "better judgment?"

    In his book Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely challenges us to ponder these questions and demonstrates how irrationality manifests itself in situations where rational thought is expected. We all succumb to irrationality, it's about time we find solutions to those behaviours that affect our daily lives in a significant way.

    As a speaker, Dan Ariely has a natural and unique talent for turning his research into vignettes that are fun, relevant and engaging, and for delivering the results in a genuinely charming, original and often comical way.

    He can also speak specifically to the following topics:

    Marketing and Innovation
    Understand your customers better.

    Consumer Behavior
    Predictably Irrational Customers: optimizing choices for how people really buy, not how we think they buy

    Electronic Commerce
    Learn how people behave and make economic decisions online.

    Leadership and Management
    How to make better and more strategic decisions.

    Human Resources
    Predictably Irrational Employees: recruitment & retention issues.

    Financial Services
    Understand the psychology of money. How do your clients think about money? What motivates people to save? What motivates people to invest?
  • “Predictably Irrational is wildly original. It shows why--much more often than we usually care to admit--humans make foolish, and sometimes disastrous, mistakes. Ariely not only gives us a great read; he also makes us much wiser.”
    George Akerlof
    Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2001
    Koshland Professor of Economics
    University of California at Berkeley
  • “A marvelous book that is both thought provoking and highly entertaining, ranging from the power of placebos to the pleasures of Pepsi. Ariely unmasks the subtle but powerful tricks that our minds play on us, and shows us how we can prevent being fooled.”
    Jerome Groopman
    Recanati Professor, Harvard Medical School
    Author of "How Doctors Think"
  • “Predictably Irrational is a charmer -- filled with clever experiments, engaging ideas, and delightful anecdotes. Dan Ariely is a wise and amusing guide to the foibles, errors, and bloopers of everyday decision-making.”
    Daniel Gilbert
    Professor of Psychology, Harvard University
    Author of "Stumbling on Happiness"
  • “Predictably Irrational is going to be the most influential, talked-about book in years. It is so full of dazzling insights -- and so engaging -- that once I started reading I couldn't put it down.”
    Daniel McFadden
    Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2000
    Morris Cox Professor of Economics
    University of California at Berkeley
  • “A delightfully brilliant guide to our irrationality – and how to overcome it – in the marketplace and everyplace.”
    Geoffrey Moore
    Author of "Crossing the Chasm"
    and "Dealing with Darwin"
  • “After reading this book, you will understand the decisions you make in an entirely new way.”
    Nicholas Negroponte
    Founder of MIT's Media Lab
    Founder and chairman of the One Laptop
    per Child non-profit association
  • “This entertaining yet brilliant book helps us recognize the foibles that underlie the decisions we make in our life -- large and small, profound and banal. More than just pointing our mistakes, Ariely helps us understand and appreciate the complex beauty of human nature. It's nothing less than a witty survival manual for the early 21st century.”
    David A. Ross
    Director emeritus, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
    Director emeritus, Whitney Museum of American Art
  • “Dan Ariely is a genius at understanding human behavior: no economist does a better job of uncovering and explaining the hidden reasons for the weird ways we act, in the marketplace and out. Predictably Irrational will reshape the way you see the world, and yourself, for good.”
    James Surowiecki
    Author of "The Wisdom of Crowds"
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