The Positive Pod: Your Weekly Fifteen Minutes of Positivity

Well Nudged is Well Lived: Using Nudge Theory to Live our Best Life (and Prevent Being Duped!)

Why are we so vulnerable to misinformation? How do we make better choices? Do we react to the immediacy of information or the quality of that information? Turns out, immediacy carries the day.  Worse yet, if that misinformation confirms our previously held biases or beliefs, we are even more susceptible to its influence. It all has to do with Nudge Theory; a breakthrough in Behavioral Economics that was based on the pioneering research of  two Israeli psychologists:  Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in the 1970's that examined why people make the choices that they do. Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein developed the human bahevior patterns discovered by Kahneman and Tversky and formed them into a cohesive theory that attempts to explain human decision making in a more complete way than other theories of choice-making. In 2017, Richard Thaler won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for Nudge Theory. Let's look at how we can use the best of what Nudge Theory has to offer to make sure we protect ourselves from misinformation and make the decisions that enhance the quality of our lives. Where to learn more: Thaler, Richard H. 2018. "From Cashews to Nudges: The Evolution of Behavioral Economics." American Economic Review,  108 (6): 1265-87.

Autonomy: How Helping Others Helps Us

How do we help ourselves to enhance our overall sense of effectiveness and autonomy?  What if I told you that there is data that supports the idea that helping others helps us to do just that?  In this episode, we will take a deeper dive into what Autonomy is and what it isn't.  We'll also look at the idea that Autonomy might be the single basic human need to rule them all.  Finally, we'll examine a number of theoretical connections to autonomy and the larger behavioral research in order to grab a Three Step Method for enhancing our own Autonomy.  Stick around!  It will be a fun ride! This episode continues our exploration of Eudaimonia and its six basic constructs.  The first one, Autonomy, is our subject today! References: Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Hedonia, eudaimonia, and well-being: an introduction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9(1), 1–11. https://doi-org.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/10.1007/s10902-006-9018-1   Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68. https://doi-org.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68 [https://doi-org.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68]   Ryff, C. D. (2013). Psychological Well-Being Revisited: Advances in the Science and Practice of Eudaimonia. Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, 83(1), 10–28. https://doi-org.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/10.1159/000353263

About the Show and a Preview of Season Two!

Just a brief episode on how and why I developed the Positive Pod, and a preview of Season Two!  Check it out!

Eudaimonia What?! What is Well Being, Anyway?

The ancient Greeks were good for a lot of things.  Who knew that they had coined a term for living our best and most fulfilled life?!  That whacky Aristotle and is crazy ideas!  Unfortunately, our modern psychological science has been preoccupied for hundreds of years with the opposite question:  Why people don't do what is best for them?  By looking at the most current research into Quality of Life, and utilizing Aristotle's concept of Eudaimonia, Carol Ryff has developed an evidentiary base of the factors that lead to living our most fulfilled life.  In this episode, we look at an overview of her research, and the key ideas.  In subsequent episodes, we'll look at each factor in turn and see what we can learn about living our best lives.  Stick around! References: Ryff, C. D. (2013). Psychological Well-Being Revisited: Advances in the Science and Practice of Eudaimonia. Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, 83(1), 10–28. https://doi-org.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/10.1159/000353263

How We Really Make Decisions: Loss Aversion and How to Make Better Choices

Ever wonder why people don't just do what is best for them?  Ever wonder why you don't?  Turns out, human beings have a tendency towards something called Loss Aversion in decision making.  Yep.  You read that right!  The human behavior data shows us very clearly that we tend to act first "not to lose" and only secondarily to gain something!  Learn more about that here and what you can do to counter that tendency and make sure that your decisions are your own...and in your own best interest! As always, we base our show in empirical data.  Here is the article we referenced as well as another source to learn more from a Behavioral Economics perspective about this fascinating quirk of human behavior: Articles: Solway, A., Lohrenz, T. & Montague, P.R. (2019) Loss Aversion Correlates with the Propensity to Deploy Model-Based Control. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13:915. doi: 10:3389/fnins.2019.00915 Behavioral Economics in Action: Ariely, D. (2010) Predictably Irrational:  The Hidden Forces that Shape our Decisions-Revised and Expanded.  Harper Perenial, NY.  ISBN:  978-0061353246