A few years ago, social scientist Francesca Gino was browsing the shelves at a bookstore when she came across an unusual-looking book in the cooking section: Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef by Massimo Bottura. The recipes in it were playful, quirky — and improbable. Snails were paired with coffee sauce, veal tongue with More
When the psychologist Jessica Pryor lived near an internationally renowned university, she once saw a student walking into a library holding a sleeping bag and a coffee maker. She’s heard of grad students spending 12 to 18 hours at a time in the lab. Their schedules are meant to be More
What comes to mind when you imagine a “girly” drink? Is it pink and fruity? Does it have lots of whipped cream? A tiny umbrella? If you’re a man reading this, you might hesitate to order such a drink. Psychologist Jennifer Bosson studies gender, and once conducted a study with More
Most parents dread the day their child is labeled “rebellious.” But Francesca Gino, a professor at Harvard Business School, hopes to change this negative connotation. Rather than regard rebels as troublemakers or outcasts, Gino argues, “effective rebels are people who challenge the status quo and break rules constructively, creating positive More
Psychologists have found a simple trick to reduce meat consumption in restaurants. Tell a customer that other people are increasingly choosing the menu’s meatless options, and the customer becomes more likely to order a vegetarian meal. It’s a simple but effective intervention that relies on peer pressure and social influence More
After decades of notoriety for demonstrating one of social psychology’s fundamental tenets — how morally pliable most people are — Philip Zimbardo is understandably tired of being associated with the darker sides of human behavior. “I really don’t want to be permanently labeled ‘Dr. Evil,’” Zimbardo said. Yet the 85-year-old More
