What It Takes to Make Good Decisions: Judgment, Not Calculation
The real work in deciding is not in the calculation, but all the thinking that surrounds it.
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RECORDING & RESOURCES—Neuropaz 2026: Hard Truths & Paths Forward
View all the sessions from Neuropaz 2026—an online event exploring the latest work and thinking at the intersection of behavioral science and peace and conflict. Plus, access additional resources from all of our speakers.
Why Rational Choice Theory Should Not Be the Standard for Good Decisions
A half century of research on how people make decisions has shown that rational choice theory fails to describe how people do choose. Nevertheless, it has remained at the center of things, as the normative answer to questions about how people should choose.
What We're Reading
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A Technology for a Low-Trust Society
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The Atlantic -
IQ Scores Are Falling But, No, We’re Not Growing More Stupid
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Psyche -
Punch the Monkey and His Plushie Re-Create a Famous Psychological Experiment
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Scientific American -
Did Her White Father Marry Her Black Mother for Love, or for Research?
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The New York Times -
Building a Better Working Dog
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Science
Featured
How to Embed Equity in Your Research, Despite the Backlash
The current political moment makes equity-grounded research harder. But that’s precisely the reason we need to keep doing it.
PROGRAM—Neuropaz 2026: Hard Truths & Paths Forward
On Friday, February 6, join us for an online event exploring the latest work and thinking at the intersection of behavioral science and peace and conflict.
A Day in the Life
The theory that underpins much of decision-making science falls short as a way to think about how we actually make decisions and how decisions should be made.
Vaclav Havel on Overcoming Authoritarianism
When Václav Havel spoke to the citizens of Czechoslovakia as their president on New Year’s Day in 1990, it was the first time in 40 years a democratic leader delivered the annual address. Havel had the responsibility of ushering in a new year, new government, and new era for the nation.
Behavioral Scientist’s Notable Books of 2025
Our list of noteworthy behavioral science books published in 2025.
Most Read Articles of 2025
Take a moment to dive into the pieces you and your fellow readers turned to most this year.
Save the Date—Neuropaz 2026: Hard Truths & Paths Forward
In February, Behavioral Scientist will team up with the peace science organization Neuropaz to host an online event exploring the latest work and thinking at the intersection of behavioral science and peace and conflict.
The Trust Equation: It’s Not Just Who You Hire, It’s How You Hire
What if organizations decided to treat their entire hiring process (not just who they hire), as a competitive advantage rather than a wearisome chore?
