4 chapters across the catalog
Logan Ury, a behavioral scientist at Hinge and author of "How to Not Die Alone," discusses three types of daters: the Romanticizer (waiting for a soulmate), the Maximizer (seeking the next best thing), and the Hesitator (waiting to be "ready"). The hosts note that Ury's "scientific" findings often mirror Kevin Samuels' advice, but are received differently because of her background and "politically correct" delivery.
A throwback to Episode 5 explores the concept of "Nudging" and "Choice Architecture" developed by Professor Richard Thaler. The theory suggests that the government can influence public behavior by arranging choices in a specific way, such as placing salads before burgers in a cafeteria. The hosts argue that the new Disinformation Governance Board is the "brakes" to the Nudge Unit's "gas," designed to stop the flow of "unhealthy" information.
A 2020 clip regarding measles vaccinations is used to show how medical professionals were coached to find "common ground" and use empathy rather than judgment. The hosts argue that the measles outbreaks in New York were a "test run" for the social shaming and lockdown mechanics later used during the COVID-19 pandemic. They highlight the tension between scientific knowledge and personal belief systems.
"Nudging" is a psychological tactic used by governments and corporations to subtly influence public behavior and perception without overt coercion. Examples include the marketing of Ring doorbells through viral "native ads" of neighborhood crimes and the creation of the Social and Behavioral Science Team under the Obama administration. The failure of 2016 election polls is cited as an instance where aggressive nudging failed to overcome voter reality.
