How to change your behavior for the better | Dan Ariely

Visit TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized Talk recommendations and more.
What's the best way to get people to change their behavior? In this funny, information-packed talk, psychologist Dan Ariely explores why we make bad decisions even when we know we shouldn't -- and discusses a couple tricks that could get us to do the right thing (even if it's for the wrong reason).
Get TED Talks recommended just for you! Learn more at TED.com/signup.
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a Media Request here: media-requests.TED.com
Follow TED on Twitter: / tedtalks
Like TED on Facebook: / ted
Subscribe to our channel: / ted

[@cali4nicated]

Main ideas 1. To change human behavior, you need to reduce friction and increase motivation. Just providing information is not enough. 2. Friction is very powerful. Often people won't change behavior if the choice is "do something" vs "do nothing". Example with medications and letters. 3. Powerful sources of motivation: visibility (e.g. tracking investments), your children, loss aversion (give something first and take it away if there behavior doesn't change), financial benefits, reminders.

[@wanrongchua4333]

Remove friction, increase motivation. This is my main takeaway! Thank you!

[@CrazyBlueMood]

And use kids more often .. in the non-child laborious way

[@incogb6696]

@@CrazyBlueMood what do you mean?

[@Joachim1010]

@@incogb6696 It has been said in the video. Kids are a metaphor for future life. Don't pollute the world for your kids will have to live in it for the next 70 years

[@moscowboy3994]

well, it shouldn't take 15 mins to spell out this thought.

[@Learna_Hydralis]

to deepen your takeaway remove friction is the basis of Wendy Wood book "good habits, bad habits" ... increase motivation is the basis of Ayelet Fishbach book "get it done" when you read both you become a sophisticated behavior change person!

[@dorismc390]

I really, really enjoy the way you present your clever thoughts, dear Dan Ariely. All the best to you.

[@loubnazebiri7001]

One of the wittiest and smartest researchers in the world! His book Predictably irrational is full of hilarious/absurd outcomes of behavioral experiences. He breaks down the standard economic theory about decision making

[@dipperdandy]

Should I check it out? I can't decide...

[@loubnazebiri7001]

@@dipperdandy definitely!! u'll enjoy readin' it

[@Joachim1010]

Better than Kahnemann?

[@loubnazebiri7001]

@@Joachim1010 I said "ONE OF"!!Kanhman is a great researcher too but personally I find Ariely's way of bringing out stories very interestin'

[@alexobery9813]

Don't forget the study fraud.

[@bulalirozani4392]

Thank God the algorithm put this on my feed. Dan is truly one of my favourite behavioural economists.

[@pytle]

"Lawyers" killed me :D

[@yingyangorca4124]

I can't get past his burns. Not because I'm judging. But because I know it's something he's overcome or overcoming everyday and it makes his mind stronger. I need that strength. There's setting in that. A burn I'm my mind

[@wla34661ala]

I love your books. Thanks for shearing your insights.

[@roberth.4074]

Dudes humor is on point!

[@handssolo7980]

Impress the crowd when you are alone, Impress your self when you are in a crowd.

[@vitorsilvaus]

I’m not native, could you elaborate it, please? I don’t think I get it

[@Amir-de8xx]

@@vitorsilvaus If it makes you feel any better, I don't think I get it either and I'm British.

[@handssolo7980]

@@vitorsilvaus of course. Basically, do good things when you know no one is watching, and stay calm during times of trouble. Know the meaning of your life or start searching for it. don't look for happiness - it may never be found.

[@incogb6696]

@@handssolo7980 I love when ppl answer thank you 🤍 I took a different interpretation from your comment “when you are in the crowd, impress yourself.” Not sure how to articulate it, but I definitely took something else away :p

[@Joachim1010]

@@incogb6696 It might be something like don't rely on other people's reaction. If you know something is good for you, and you do it, you have already accomplished the goal and that should motivate/impress you. You don't have to wait for validation from other people/the crowd.

[@IndrajitRajtilak]

Friction & Motivation - Reduce friction & power of defaults - Increase motivation through messaging, incentives, loss-aversion

[@billyshih]

Dan breaks things down so well. Love the anecdotes shared with your research.

[@reste92]

Professor Ariely is a living legend!

[@BenyRubinstein]

Indeed

[@scottbarrie1303]

I love this guys work. His books are fantastic and enlightening, his talks are fascinating and inspiring and he can rock half a beard and make it look cool! He’s starting to pi** me off a little if I’m honest!! 🤪

[@ofektsoref5143]

actually he looks ridiculous, and not in a good way - in a stupid way. he could be a great author, but that half beard is just screaming "im trying to be special look at me"

[@katiekat4457]

Scott Barrie what are his books about?

[@VajraYogini93]

ofek tsoref He is special, just like you, just like me 😇

[@scottbarrie1303]

Katie Kat, he writes about behavioural economics. One of his books entitled Predictably Irrational is particularly interesting. It’s a really interesting read.

[@rahulpatil9024]

Dan Arialy - You are one of the best :) Well put up ideas, worth following, super... Love it :)

[@dsirtonski]

This man is so brilliant. I just can't get enough of his books and speaking engagements. His work is so fascinating! Thanks for another great one Dan!!

[@tipsivelearned7695]

Personally absolutely love all the books by Dan Ariely - Predictably Irrational most of all) It's absolutely great to keep in mind his (Behavioral Economics') perspective on the world among other ideas =) thank you, Dan =)

[@katiekat4457]

More Joy Less Pain Can you tell me what his books are about. Meaning what will I get out of it. Will it improve me in someway. I’m thinking about getting them because you are the 2nd person to say how great his books are. How did they help you?

[@tipsivelearned7695]

@@katiekat4457 @Katie Kat ​ Katie Kat Hi =) It would take a very long while... but I would try to give at least some impression... There are two important things - he is 1) Behavioral Economist (that's basically the same as social psychology - so you might be also interested in reading the books by Robert Cialdini - also absolutely great) and 2) His motto is to express the ideas in simple language even though he is a scientist and you know how most scientists talk =) So it's a solid read but in a normal language. Now... Definitely start with a book Predictably Irrational - it will give you a very pleasant understanding of how irrational people are including you but also that the ways they are irrational are predictable and so basically by understanding that you gain much more control and can shape more effectively your own behavior/habits/decisions and so on and the same of other people (that's the answer to your question of what you can expect to get out of this reading). His first 4 books are more practical and entertaining ("The Honest Truth About Dishonesty" may be the most enjoyable if you are new to the topic though not the most practical of these four) in my opinion than his last 3 books. I hope I made my point across =) Dan Ariely has a lot of great videos apart from this one but if you want to hear someone else from his field you can also check the following clear talk as well - 2018 TED David Asch "Why it's so hard to make healthy decisions". See you =)

[@renatacampos8652]

Ted talks are in general very good but this one is just outstanding. Not because of the content but because of how the speaker presents it.

[@israelabook3342]

Its good watching a study done in you're own country...Kenya

[@sergiokaminotanjo]

l had the sensation this was about improving yourself but for the good of others,not just for yourself

[@ancientpoet6958]

Good humor and funny 😁 he brought a smile to my face and he is knowledgeable

[@VitruvianAlgo]

am a simple man, i see a Dan Ariely video, i click like

[@Grandmagrammy]

Dan Ariel’s

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

Because psychology is just physics done with different objects of study. I switched from physics to psychology and there's sod-all difference between what I used to do and what I do now. So his rocket analogy is spot on.

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

In physics, we measure the attributes and behaviour of objects. These objects are particles of some sort (in that we can model them as particles) or waves of some sort (in that we can model them as waves). This covers all of the physical universe, and everything that can be modelled one way can be modelled the other way (merci, á Prince de Broglie). By observing their interactions with each other and their immediate environments, we can gather data reliable enough to make sensible predictions about their behaviour. In psychology, we measure the attributes and behaviour of objects. These objects are organisms (predominantly human ones!), and by observing their interactions with each other and their immediate environments, we can gather data reliable enough to make sensible predictions about their behaviour. Apart from the de Broglie reference, those activity descriptions are practically identical. Psychology is the physics of organisms. In fact, it used to be called psychophysics. Strictly speaking, though, nowadays psychophysics refers to the study of sensory input detection and the physics of nerve conduction and so on. This is rather limited, and does nothing to diminish the impact of Freud on the discipline - the ridiculing of psychology as a non-science.

[@SinVerba]

He is a gifted man

[@HSsDA]

I literally clicked on the clip for the beard!

[@SadiqKhan-qi7mo]

We have been waiting for a long time.... When will ted talk??

[@akaciasmith5196]

This was awesome! Very funny and informative

[@NotFound-iu8wx]

I read his book and it was amazing

[@ekachandraa8133]

wow, nice talk really loved this guy give me enlightening about life

[@teri2466]

Very informative, thank you! Regarding the father & son - my first thought was that the father was "handing the torch" to his son. 🙂

[@matrinaortiguesa5876]

I love his book, Predictably Irrational!

[@kinkywong4237]

Thanks, I will buy it

[@MuhammadBerki]

Great talk, thanks

[@SenseiEli]

I liked before I have heared. Now I like it even more.

[@user-vp1of4cn2i]

I’m a Japanese who study English. His speech is interesting. In addition his looks also really interesting for me😂

[@CraigsOverijse]

Tuna Mayonase he also isn’t a native English speaker good luck to you

[@angl4372]

Well presented and so engaging

[@captnmaico6776]

Always great listining to you dan :)

[@beautydoctorcardiff]

Reduce Friction, Improve Motivation

[@nO_d3N1AL]

If anyone found this interesting, I'd highly recommend Daniel Kahneman's book (Thinking Fast & Slow)

[@tamiamatini4149]

Thank you!

[@streif411]

Absolutely. As Nobel winners, Kahneman's & Taversky's works are on another level.

[@naniv]

Hard read

[@leonbenj]

In short, it's about reducing the friction. So well presented! Thanks for sharing this talk!

[@micssr]

And make it visible, lay it out and put it somewhere in your living space so you don't only get motivated when it comes to your mind but also when you see it.

[@benitoaguilar3648]

When he said we hate returning letters, I busted out laughing. I must be werid cuz I like respond to mail 😅😅

[@emiliam778]

I love your ideas. So helpful. Thanks for this video!

[@tsuka414]

Small behavior matters. Think from the actions of people, Resistance and motivation.

[@Msmotionocean]

Great talk!

[@WeemusStudio2017]

I have downloaded so many TED Talks. This is perfect for me today. Are there transcripts on our TED webpages for these KZbin Talks? Thanks. Long many TED Wave, I mean, talk.

[@loveforeignaccents]

Interesting and humorous!

[@shirmes9950]

כיף לראות ישראלים על במה עולמית תודה רבה על ההרצאה המעניינת

[@NChambernator]

Great Talk

[@rahulshah9273]

Big Fan Dan!

[@TheNubbbler]

This man is inspiring. Life gives him challenges and he makes the most of it. Badly burned on half his body. Many would self-pity and have it as a hindrence. He uses it as a story to lead into his intellect. Ugly? Pfft. The women can't get enough of him!

[@christiestoddart9108]

i love dan ariely

[@user-oz8xl2vy7c]

This man is so amazing,He had a great influence on my motivation😊

[@Kt-hp7cv]

I hope you’ve become aware that this guy has been exposed as a fraud in the scientific community.

[@starfishfuukow6860]

Dan Ariely 😍😍

[@ebbyc1817]

The title of this video was so vague that I had to watch😄 Like, who wouldn't want to improve their behaviour.

[@ahlamddj]

really helpful and eye opening talk 👏

[@fis1256]

Interesting ideas that made think of how we think..

[@gauravbanakar8434]

nicest two-faced guy ever.

[@phucthinhnguyen7859]

Gaurav Banakar why call him two faced guy , i dont understand

[@penguin5781]

Not funny

[@waitwhat6882]

Childish

[@HeavyFogPSPKC]

Cool beard story, nice friction/energy rocket analogy, but I'm still confused as to how I change my behavior for the better. Should I go to Kenya and buy funeral insurance? Or wait for a research group to contact me with incentives?

[@TheUjosh]

He is basically saying 2 important factors: friction (environmental challenges) and fuel (motivation). Identify what makes it difficult for you to act in the direction you want (friction) and do something about it so that there is less excuse to not do it, followed by deciding an incentive (fuel/motivation) which gives you a goal to focus on and keep moving. The other conclusion is that the specific answer for a situation (e.g. weight loss) is not the same for everyone, and that you need to understand yourself (social aspect) better in order to use what works best.

[@sarableu8799]

When_Life_Gives_You_Lemons well said!

[@brendacshea]

I LOVE how he almost forgot to do the good joke and then backed up a bit because it's A Good Joke.

[@Mavericks0ul]

good talk, some visual representation would have been very helpful, it is a little difficult to follow the speaker's methodologies (coin scratching technique, etc)

[@Joachim1010]

Yeah

[@stefanhauser2804]

Interesting, so it doesn't help to know how to act correctly, how to make the smart choices, but even small changes in the environment help you to change your own behaviour completely.

[@ceciliasoans8113]

I am motivated by simply seeing his positivity and desire to be involved with the poor..

[@DoudouLMC]

Merci aux traducteurs

[@MarkNiceyard]

This guy is funny!

[@realbobbyaxel]

BIG FAN DAN!!!

[@connormurphy7873]

This guy needs to be consulting with public officials if he isn't already. This is the type of thinking that gets positive change not the absolute idiots that currently make the decisions.

[@Robert_Lindsay]

Half a beard. That's a great conversation starter :)

[@lJUSTwanaCOMMENT]

Not a deep thought, but I always thought his beard was by choice. Actually before I learned of Dan, I wanted to do exactly that style for the longest time. It's just a really edgy look I think. I think he really rocks it.

[@goldensands7113]

"how to change YOUR behavior for the better" How did any of this help me change my behavior? This all seems like how to change a customer or potential customers outlook on how to buy your product with less "friction"

[@danielbelokon]

Then think of your desired behavior as the product. See what causes the 'friction', add incentive, voila, you've got the point of the talk.

[@LoloLolo-vv2pv]

Amazing

[@Tsahalal]

Thanx

[@livondiramerian5467]

Good.

[@lalbiakzualachhakchhuak9958]

Is this a repost? I saw similar topic by the same guy like a day ago

[@jvaleriya]

אלוף

[@user-lx6fr8wi3q]

I read your study at school. I am high school student. Restricting freedom improves self control and performance. through this, l will set deadlines and improve my grade. thank you from korea!

[@upriseproduction2733]

I like this

[@adriangalvan7872]

So adding visuals adds to motivation?

[@user-fy1qq3pw2m]

한국어 번역도 올려줘오 테드 !!!

[@asdwefful]

Could you explain this lecture of subject? it is hard to understand lecture ㅜㅜ

[@HouseJug]

Any ideas how I can get my mum to exercise?

[@stachowi]

We're days away from 2020... why are we watching in 480p?!

[@coiorr8370]

Reduce friction: make easier for the behaviour to happen.

[@uttarakhanddevbhoomi7306]

Most important change your environment. This is the only method to change your environmental cues which make u remember to do this and that. 2nd. Reduce the friction to do things make it easy and compulsion of good behaviour. 3. Negative reinforcement for bad behaviour. 4. Findle little little things to change and fix them. 5.complex problem break it into small steps add motivation and reduce friction.

[@PaperRaines]

I give Dan full credit as an awesome thinker, and being successful enough to credibly give speeches. I just think he's way over complicating the subject, and giving way too much quarter to lazy people. I mean if you have to spoon feed a benefit to someone (pre-match) then there's absolutely no surprise it didn't stick. Obtaining something you don't work for is like writing in the sand, it won't last Making people better is actually really simple: To change your life you have to change your priorities, because you can't do multiple things at once (literally), and there is no such thing as "more" or "making" time (also, literally). You have to change the order of the things you do, with what's most important at this point at the top Change, Equals, Loss. To change *_anything_* you have to lose something. Think about that for a minute So why don't most people change? Because most people are under the belief that they can change their life without changing themselves, saliently, without losing anything in their life. So the change, if it ever starts in the first place, doesn't stick You change your priorities, you'll change your life. To change priorities, you have to lose something(s). That's the rub, and that's why speeches like this are a dime a dozen. Nice to listen to, but ultimately it's missing the point

[@themultiverse5447]

I literally got more out of your comment than I did from the video. Will you be doing a TED talk, or do you have a book, or some way to follow you?

[@harrydouglas9617]

.

[@mementobox]

The way humans work is complex, so I don't think he is over-complicating. Personally, it seemed he was simplifying it down for his talk. The ideas he introduced, friction and motivation, are ways we can help facilitate a change in someone's priorities. Change in your situation involves your priorities as well as the environment. Once someone makes the change from an easier environment, they can see the benefit of the change and have the motivation to then change priorities. Dan's real-life applications in his examples had people who lost things in order to make the change, even if it was something as small as time and especially if it was the food they could have eaten that night.

[@skeptical_citizen]

Well, you would need motivation to change your priorities. So back to what he was saying...

[@PaperRaines]

@@skeptical_citizen I don't think practically begging and bribing somebody to do something for their own benefit classifies as motivation. You can cause a change in behavior, however long that lasts, and I suspect it won't be long most of the time, but it certainly probably won't make them "better" I said I think Dan missed the point, the point of priorities. He mentioned scenarios where that is a factor (having less food, but the coin. That's a choice), but that wasn't the gravamen of his speech. I simply don't agree that reducing fiction (in this context) is the key to actual change for people

[@DrSRanjanMBBSAcupuncturist]

Environment plays important role in health as well. (Epigenetics)

[@MarkWaffensmith]

How do you change your own friction in dealing with your own behavior?

[@DestinyDiamond]

I like his half shaved look.

[@hokaheynineteen]

This man has zero credibility.

[@atulsalgaonkar6222]

Good video but the title is overstated and misleading. TED should know better. Also a minor nit: in the opening sequence, Prof Ariely asks the audience about washing their hands and then conflates the lower (than before) turnout with reduced honesty. He should know better.

[@tanquang4512]

i can not understand what the speaker mean from 8:30 to 11:00

[@RealityTrailers]

Everything originates from imagination. You want change? Then change your imagination.

[@aaronvr_]

yo that half-beard is littt why hasn't this caught on?!?!

[@markc3845]

poor choice of words...

[@2Rachael3]

booooo

[@micssr]

@@markc3845 It was intentional, Mark. It's called humour.

[@moviehipster]

His discourse just stopped, Rather then having a conclusion or ending. I came with empty glass to be filled, i listened and enjoyed the whole speech, but was given 6 drops of random unusual studies, that worked sometimes.

[@Overonator]

This some of the same knowledge that is being put to use to manipulate people into paying for in game purchases in video games.

[@RAiNfORAiNbOW]

Can you explain why

[@Overonator]

@@RAiNfORAiNbOW Sure I can explain but this video will explain it better. One topic is the loss aversion that he discusses. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rn_NemNpeKyemJY

[@moscowboy3994]

Did anyone after watching all these great Dan's videos understand what was actually the practical way to use this anecdotal theory? I mean we all like these wow moments about unexpected research results and we think "wow, these guys must know some OTHER way to make people do this and not that and probably have a magic pill". But in reality Dan Ariely does two things: 1) he tries to prove his main statement that people more often behave irrationally 2)Tells success stories when somebody did something not obvious to those irrational people and it worked miracles. Cool, right? But, in fact, here and there Dan says that they, whoever they it was, did this or that based solely on research, which means testing several ideas, approaches etc. I suspect that this means these researchers didn't know in advance what results they would get - Dan admits it himself. I personally quite like this entertaining look at things Dan is preaching, but eventually it comes to one thing: does he or anyone from his team has any other weaponry than constant testing different ideas? What does this brilliant theory adds to the testing process that has been on the marked for ages? I honestly don't see any "meat" behind all this or the reason I should hire this guys opposed to hiring any other good marketing team doing research and testing. Could anyone prove me wrong? I would be only glad. P.S. Pls don't try to "talk me into it" - just show me a practical 1-2-3-benefit method, if there's one.

[@feipusong-diaz7229]

Let me see if I got your question right- if you go to his (and his team)’s program, you will see the importance of experiments and research. In short, no there is no one cure-all, even if there is a best practice for any given problem, the context is different, audience is different, it might lose relevance.

[@vsemprivet]

@@feipusong-diaz7229 OK, let's start again. I didn't say testing and experimenting was unimportant. I didn't say there is the ultimate solution. What I did say is that Dan is a great storyteller, and this Irrational behaviour smth is quite intriguing and makes people think that there's is a NEW way to do marketing, sales, communication whatever, as we see in these interesting cases people apparently behave not the way they are supposed to. Right? But once we start digging deeper, we still can't see anything except interesting fluctuations in people's behaviour and nice cases when Dan exploited them. Ok, we got it, good for you - but how I CAN implement it, as Dan called it THE NEW SYSTEM? The new "system" implies that is has a certain alghorythm, certain wireframe, template whatever, that leads you to a predictible and mesurable result. Right? But I failed to find any glimpse of this very SYSTEM in Dan's materials. In every other video Dan says - we have to do tests and experiments to find out what works and what doesn't. OK, but this is exactly what marketers do for decades - they test different theories and approaches. In Dan's niche, when they see some fluctuation - some TA doesn't do what they were supposed to do (remember those pension plans?), Dan's team in the beginning normally doesn't have a slightest idea what is going on. The only thing they do - they start asking quiestions and experimenting. And one of the experiments is often succesful. Great, but so what? I don't say Dan and his team are worthless or stupid, or they cheat - God forbid. I just can't understand what magical dust is about what they do - they do quite predictable and obvious things, and they don't do it much differently compared to any strong marketing team.

[@kariukinjoroge5315]

Kibera 💯

[@kellygoodine9944]

I believe the Netherlands changed their organ donation to automatically enrolled and having to opt out from having people opt in.

[@rajaneeshr9684]

We hate returning letter 😅😂

[@coiorr8370]

How to change the motivation and the friction for the new behaviour

[@user-xv3rk6qb8n]

Areal change begins with areal decision comes from inside heart and mind.so actions will be real witness for this change of behaviour

[@oneworldonehome]

You are wise! Listen to this if you can: www.newmessage.org/the-message/other-revelations/real-change

[@bangnguyenthi7138]

Really

[@TerminallyChill85]

Cheat cheat cheat