25 Discussion Questions for Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely (With Analysis) | Chapterly Blog
Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational reveals the hidden forces that shape our decisions in ways we never suspect. These Predictably Irrational discussion questions examine why we overpay for things, why free offers distort our judgment, why we cheat just a little but not a lot, and why our emotions hijack our rationality at the worst moments. Whether you are in a behavioral economics course, a business book club, or exploring the science of decision-making on your own, these questions will challenge your belief in your own rationality. Published in 2008, the book draws on Ariely's experiments at MIT and Duke to demonstrate that human irrationality is not random — it follows predictable patterns. From the anchoring effect to the endowment effect, from the power of free to the problem of procrastination, Ariely shows that understanding our biases is the first step toward making better decisions. These 25 questions are organized by theme. Predictably Irrational Discussion Questions: Relativity and Anchoring Ariely's experiments on relativity and anchoring reveal that humans almost never evaluate things in absolute terms -- we judge everything by comparison, and those comparisons can be manipulated. The Economist pricing trick, the Social Security number anchoring study, and the decoy effect...