Why is it so hard to say no?

In 1963, the Milgram experiments revealed something unsettling. Most people kept administering what they believed were painful electric shocks, not because they wanted to, but because they couldn’t bring themselves to say no. In this episode, my guest shares why we agree to extra projects, unpaid favours and unreasonable requests even when we know we shouldn’t. I’m joined by behavioural scientist and physician Dr Sunita Sah of Cornell University. She studies how social pressure and conflict-of-interest disclosures can quietly steer us toward yes. --- Read Sunita’s book Defy: https://amzn.to/48LsreG Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 10,428 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4), 371–378. Sah, S. (2025). Defy: The power of no in a world that demands yes. One World. Sah, S., Loewenstein, G. F., & Cain, D. M. (2013). The burden of disclosure: Increased compliance with distrusted advice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(2), 289–304. Sah, S., Loewenstein, G. F., & Cain, D. M. (2019). Insinuation anxiety: Concern that advice rejection will signal distrust after conflict of interest disclosures. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(7), 1099–1112. Woodzicka, J. A., & LaFrance, M. (2001). Real versus imagined gender harassment. Journal of Social Issues, 57(1), 15–30.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(303)

How these two marketers manipulate your music taste

In a fairly inconspicuous SXSW podcast, two marketers shook the music industry. Jesse Coren and Andrew Spelman, two co-founders at Chaotic Good, explained how they make bands go viral. Their metho...

27 Juli 30min

Can balsamic vinegar make beer better?

In 2007, two Harvard researchers added a splash of balsamic vinegar to beer. When drinkers knew the beer contained vinegar, they hated it. But when the researchers told them “this is our MIT brew,...

20 Juli 28min

88 out of 90 people fall for this bias. Do you?

Imagine you’re a chef. You are shown the recipe for a soup. It has five ingredients. You’re told to improve the recipe. What do you do? 96% of people reveal a bias when answering this question...

13 Juli 19min

Will the UK’s social media ban backfire?

The British government recently announced a ban on all social media usage for children up to the age of 16. But will the ban work? Today on Nudge, I explore the psychology of restrictions, bans an...

6 Juli 26min

Katy Milkman: Learn how to change habits in 39 minutes

World-leading behaviour change expert Katy Milkman details how to change your habits. --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/...

29 Juni 39min

Were the 2018 Gatwick drones real?

In December 2018 Gatwick Airport shut down. 109 eyewitnesses reported sighting 170 drone flights over the airport. All flights were grounded, and the nation braced for a terrorist attack. But what ...

22 Juni 31min

Do broken windows cause crime?

The broken windows theory suggests that one broken window can cause a neighbourhood to descend into disrepair. But is it true? Today, with the award-winning professor Leidy Klotz, we investigate the...

15 Juni 23min

“How we used nudges reach £12 billion in sales” Octopus Energy's Pete Miller

Octopus Energy went from £0 in revenue to £12 billion in 10 years. Today, on Nudge, I chat with their first employee Pete Miller, who explains how they used nudges to grow. Hear why they: 1) Enc...

8 Juni 40min