Episode 37 Tortillas, Government Agencies, and Behavioral
Science with Owain Service
In this episode, we have Owain Service, cofounder and former managing director of the UK's Behavioral
Insights Team and former deputy director of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, joining us to explore the
possibilities of behavioral sciences in other sectors.
Episode Highlights
Randomized Controlled Trials
Randomized Controlled Trials are prospective studies that measure the effectiveness of a new intervention or treatment. Although no study is likely on its own to prove causality, randomization reduces bias and provides a rigorous tool to examine cause-effect relationships between an intervention and outcome.
The Best Tortilla
The bar in San Sebastián that uses the principle of scarcity to perfection, making only one tortilla and cut into 12 pieces. The principle of scarcity not only creates demand in the customers but also enables them to make it an exclusive experience in their claim of Best Tortilla in the World.
Browne & Swarbrick Jones meta-analysis
A meta-analysis conducted over 6700 large e-commerce experiments that gave the conclusion that scarcity, social proof and urgency created the most demand.
Resources & Useful Links
Want to dig deeper on the idea of social proof and the intention of actions gap? Here are some
additional resources that show how to make your brand more popular with consumers and the
importance of combining motivation with triggers to convert intention into action.
Keep Listening
Ep30 - Optimism Bias with Tali Sharot
How consumer behavior has the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive events and underestimate the likelihood of negative events
Ep31 - Costco: Loyalty Cards, Ski Trips, and the Sunk Cost Effect
How consumer behavior can be decided by loyalty programes and the theory of sunken cost
