Turkey Day Nudges

I was grocery shopping at Town & Country earlier this month when I learned about the 'Turkey Day Incentive Program'.  It goes something like this: Spend $350 or more, and get a free Turkey for Thanksgiving, or spend $750 or more and get a free organic turkey.  That one simple word--free--seemed to dissolve all rational thought surrounding the offering.  My first thoughts were "oh spend $350 and get a free turkey? Hell yeah I can do that.  I'll just make sure to get all of my groceries here".  The thought of spending such an absurd amount of money to obtain a 'free' turkey(which is probably only worth about $30 bucks), never crossed my mind.  It wasn't until later that I realized what a subtle, and effective nudge this was.  Everyone I know seems to be yearning for their "free" turkey, and spending more and more at Town & Country-even on items they don't normally buy.  I find this shift in consumer behavior fascinating and terrifying at the same time.  Are we really that easy to manipulate?

Overview of 'Connected' by Nicolas Christakis and James Fowler

I recently picked up 'Connected' by Nicolas Christakis and James Fowler, which is about "how your friends' friends' friends affect everything you feel, think and do".

'Connected', is as you might have guessed, all about connectedness and the influence that those in our networks have upon us.  The book stresses the idea that we are often unconsciously influenced by those around us, and that the power of influence extends 3 degrees (friend's friend's friends).  The book expands upon the power of social ties and how they affect emotions, sex, health, politics, money, and technology.  The book goes on to make some interesting claims--here are a few I found interesting:

-The biggest predictor of grades in US Universities are the grades of other students in their dorm

-When people sit next to a person who is over-eating, they tend to eat more

-Suicide can be contagious

-Whilst no one vote has ever swung any election, a decision to vote increases the likelihood of others to vote

-Even sickness can be influenced by networks.  Back pain tends to be a culture-bound syndrome

'Connected' argues that it's not enough to understand individual behavior, we must understand the human network as an entire connected system.  I'd highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging and enlightening read.