Etymologically, “procrastination” is derived from the Latin verb procrastinare — to put off until tomorrow. But it is more than just voluntarily delaying. Procrastination also comes from the ancient Greek word akrasia, which means doing something against our better judgment. To understand what causes procrastination (outside of conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, where executive functioning […]
The world “cult” comes from the Latin “cultus”, meaning “to till or cultivate”. In antiquity it was used to describe the sacrifices, offerings, and monuments built to cultivate favor with the gods, whereas in time, it came to mean any unorthodox religion. It is a known fact how dangerous a cult could be: they may […]
As we are approaching the second anniversary of the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, one can take a moment to reflect on the development of the health emergency. Loss, lockdowns, curfews, overloaded health care systems, and the anticipation of vaccinations. When the vaccinations finally hit the markets, many were eager to finally get their shot […]
As behavioral economics becomes the hottest economic theory for firms and policymakers promising easy and cheap fixes, it becomes crucial to remember that it also has its dark side. Over the past decade, behavioral economics has become the whiz kid of economic research. Suddenly, traditional models which relied on unrealistic assumptions were criticized and modernized. […]
By Martina Barjaková Have you ever been on holidays in a 4- or 5-star hotel, with an all inclusive buffet? Do you remember the huge variety (and amounts) of food served there? It was probably very hard to choose from. So it may have happened that you wanted to try a bit of so many […]
By Francesco Amighetti and Beatrice Del Frate Few political and social occasions have been needing and taking advantage of behavioural insights as much as the period preceding political elections and the moment of the vote itself. In fact, nowadays, two major problems obstruct the correct and useful functioning of the democratic ritual that voting represents: on […]
By Beatrice Del Frate and Francesco Amighetti Christmas holidays represent a good moment to spend time with family and friends and to escape from routine. After majestic meals and never-ending celebrations, the onset of the new year is always accompanied by a list of desires, very likely the ones we had the previous year. Probably […]
Just start with few questions for coffee-addicted people: how many coffees do you take per day and how much sugar do you usually consume per coffee? We all know that the world divides into two types of people: those who like their coffee natural, and those who like it sweet (sometimes very sweet). If you […]
When we think about improving student performance, we usually think of major changes in the education system, improving infrastructure, hiring more qualified teachers, etc. All of which are important of course, but could we be missing something? Perhaps something less costly and easier to implement? Having someone that supports you in your activities is important. […]
How can we prevent individuals from urinating in open areas? In the Nudge TV show “The Power of Habit”, Sille Krukow, a behavioural expert based in Denmark, designed a nudge to help the Copenhagen Central Station. The problem they were faced with was that many men would urinate in hidden corners outside the building, despite […]
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