Summary of Google's Head of Behavioral Science on Why We Do What We Do? | Maya Shankar, PhD

00:00:00 - 00:20:00

Behavioral science is the study of how and why people make the decisions that they do. It can help us understand the surprising ways our behaviors are influenced by factors we shouldn't be influenced by. In the video, "Google's Head of Behavioral Science on Why We Do What We Do? | Maya Shankar, PhD," Shankar discusses how our decisions are influenced by our likes and dislikes, our sense of investment, our perception of control, and how we remember experiences. She notes that behavioral science can be used to improve policy design and understanding of end-life decisions.

• 00:00:00 Behavioral science is the study of how and why we make the decisions that we do, and it can help us understand the surprising ways our behaviors are influenced by factors we shouldn't be influenced by. In 2015, the Obama White House used behavioral science to increase access to a government program for veterans. One example of this is the endowment effect, which says that we value things more when we feel that we have earned them or own them.
• 00:05:00 The first principle is that people tend to act in ways that are consistent with their social identities. The second principle is that user agency and control is important, and the third principle is that people like being in the driver's seat. These principles are relevant for many aspects of life, including end-of-life care and decision making.
• 00:10:00 The video discusses how our decisions are influenced by our likes and dislikes, our sense of investment, our perception of control, and how we remember experiences. The video discusses how the city of Boston used research to improve trust and communication with citizens.
• 00:15:00 The video discusses how Nobel Prize-winning economist Nobel Prize in Economics researcher Maya Shankar explains why humans do what they do, and how to take this into account when designing procedures that are unpleasant but necessary. Two examples are given of how this has been applied in real life, one concerning a water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and the other involving student financial aid.
• 00:20:00 The speaker discusses how behavioral science can be used to improve policy design and understanding of end-life decisions. She notes that she is not an expert in this area, but thinks it is important to account for these insights when making decisions.