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Predictably irrational : the hidden forces that shape our decisions / Dan Ariely.

By: Ariely, Dan.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: London : HarperCollins, 2009Description: 280 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.ISBN: 9780007256525; 0007256523.Subject(s): Decision making | Judgment | Reasoning (Psychology) | Psychology | Economics | Popular psychologyDDC classification: 158.83 ARI
Contents:
1. The truth about relativity : why everything is relative, even when it shouldn't be -- 2. The fallacy of supply and demand : why the price of pearls, and everything else, is up in the air -- 3. The cost of zero cost : why we often pay too much when we pay nothing -- 4. The cost of social norms : why we are happy to do things, but not when we are paid to do them -- 5. The influence of arousal : why hot is much hotter than we realize -- 6. The problem of procrastination and self-control : why we can't make ourselves do what we want to do -- 7. The high price of ownership : why we overvalue what we have -- 8. Keeping doors open : why options distract us from our main objective -- 9. The effect of expectations : why the mind gets what it expects -- 10. The power of price : why a 50-cent aspirin can do what a penny aspirin can't -- 11. The context of our character, part I : why we are dishonest, and what we can do about it -- 12. The context of our character, part II : why dealing with cash makes us more honest -- 13. Beer and free lunches : what is behavioral economics, and where are the free lunches?
Summary: Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? The answers will surprise you. 'Predictably Irrational' is an intriguing, witty and utterly original look at why we all make illogical decisions.
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Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Barcode
General lending MTU Kerry North Campus Library Ground Floor Main 158.83 ARI (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 38888000820914
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? The answers will surprise you. Predictably Irrational is an intriguing, witty and utterly original look at why we all make illogical decisions.

Why can a 50p aspirin do what a 5p aspirin can't? If an item is "free" it must be a bargain, right? Why is everything relative, even when it shouldn't be? How do our expectations influence our actual opinions and decisions?

In this astounding book, behavioural economist Dan Ariely cuts to the heart of our strange behaviour, demonstrating how irrationality often supplants rational thought and that the reason for this is embedded in the very structure of our minds.

Predicatably Irrational brilliantly blends everyday experiences with a series of illuminating and often surprising experiments, that will change your understanding of human behaviour. And, by recognising these patterns, Ariely shows that we can make better decisions in business, in matters of collective welfare, and in our everyday lives from drinking coffee to losing weight, buying a car to choosing a romantic partner.

Originally published: 2008.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. The truth about relativity : why everything is relative, even when it shouldn't be -- 2. The fallacy of supply and demand : why the price of pearls, and everything else, is up in the air -- 3. The cost of zero cost : why we often pay too much when we pay nothing -- 4. The cost of social norms : why we are happy to do things, but not when we are paid to do them -- 5. The influence of arousal : why hot is much hotter than we realize -- 6. The problem of procrastination and self-control : why we can't make ourselves do what we want to do -- 7. The high price of ownership : why we overvalue what we have -- 8. Keeping doors open : why options distract us from our main objective -- 9. The effect of expectations : why the mind gets what it expects -- 10. The power of price : why a 50-cent aspirin can do what a penny aspirin can't -- 11. The context of our character, part I : why we are dishonest, and what we can do about it -- 12. The context of our character, part II : why dealing with cash makes us more honest -- 13. Beer and free lunches : what is behavioral economics, and where are the free lunches?

Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? The answers will surprise you. 'Predictably Irrational' is an intriguing, witty and utterly original look at why we all make illogical decisions.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Dan Ariely was born in 1968 in New York, but he grew up in Israel. He was a physics and mathematics major at Tel Aviv University but later switched to philosophy. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in business from Duke University.

He has taught at numerous universities including MIT Sloan School of Management, MIT's Media Lab, and Duke University. He is considered one of the leading behavioral economists. His work has been featured in several scholarly journals in the areas of psychology, economics, neuroscience, medicine and business. He has also been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, and Scientific American. He is a regular commentator on National Public Radio and has appeared on CNN and CNBC. He is the author of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home, and The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves.

(Bowker Author Biography)