Dan Ariely is an Israeli psychologist and behavioral economist who works at Duke University in North Carolina. He is also a visiting professor at MIT where he teaches in the Media Arts and Sciences program. His research is focused on the impact of people's irrational behavior in decision-making on economics as well as everyday matters. He is known for the interesting, engaging, and often even shocking experiments he uses to demonstrate what influences the human decision-making process.
Dan Ariely has become a world-renowned researcher in his field thanks to his book entitled "Predictable Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions" published in Czech as "Jak drahé je zdarma" (Práh publishing, 2008). The book helps readers learn how emotions work in combination with various marketing techniques and that even smart people can make wrong decisions. Equally popular are his other two books published in Czech as "Jak drahá je intuice" (Práh publishing, 2011) and "Jak drahá je nepoctivost" (Práh publishing, 2012).
Ariely likes to spread the results of his research not only in writing but also in spoken form. He is, for example, among the most popular speakers at TED conferences as well as a TED events organizer at Duke University. We have prepared a list of Ariely's TED Talks which are definitely worth seeing if you are wondering what actually controls your decisions.
Dan Ariely's speech at the TED2009 conference from March 2009. It deals with the flaws in the human moral code. You will learn how he survived severe burns on 70 percent of his body and how this inspired him to look for the causes of irrational behavior leading people to cheat or steal. Czech translation and subtitles are available for this talk.
Are we in control of our own decisions?
Dan Ariely's speech at the EG2008 conference from May 2009 focused on controlling our decisions. Ariely uses surprising visual illusions to illustrate his findings on irrational behavior that most people do not realize. Czech translation and subtitles are available for this talk.
Dan Ariely's speech at the TED2011 conference from August 2011. He uses other examples from his experience with burns to demonstrate conflicts of interests in the world of science. Do shortsighted personal goals even win in science? Czech translation and subtitles are available for this talk.
What makes us feel good about our work?
Dan Ariely's speech at the TEDxRiodelaPlata conference from April 2013 on the topic of what motivates us to work. Ariely explains that it's neither money nor joy. It seems that constant progress and a sense of purpose are the most important factors. You can also watch two interesting experiments.
Is Dan Ariely one of your favorite speakers and authors? What do you think about the findings of his research?
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