The Ultimate Behavioral Science Playlist: Appeal
By Aline Holzwarth
Illustrations by Matt Trower
We have joined together with other behavioral scientists to compile a playlist of over 5 hours of songs from a diverse range of genres that each, in some way or another, exemplify the principles of behavioral science. These songs are organized by the categories of the BEHAVIOR Framework (a mnemonic for remembering different behavior change strategies: Bias, Ego, Habits, Appeal, Visceral, Incentives, Others, Reminders), and will be released with their descriptions in the coming weeks, one category at a time.
Design and framing matter. People like pretty things, and everything is relative. It probably doesn’t surprise you that the same exact wine is judged more highly when it’s priced at $98 than when it’s $18. Even you, the discerning person that you are, might be somewhat more tempted by the piece of cake on the left than the one on the right. But take a closer look, and you’ll see that the two slices are identical; the left piece is merely sitting on a smaller plate, making the cake appear larger.
All decisions, like these pieces of cake, are context-dependent — they are evaluated in comparison to the most salient reference point. The behavioral principle of appeal demonstrates all the ways that we are influenced by how something is presented. Choices can be described, or framed, in ways that highlight certain aspects, influencing their perceived attractiveness. (For a deep dive on recently conducted research on framing from the Center for Advanced Hindsight, check out our article in the 2020 BE Guide, Applying Behavioral Science to Health and Financial Decisions: Five case studies on the impact of framing on real-world decisions, from paying off debt and increasing savings to promoting exercise and vaccination).
In another recent publication, the primary findings of Kahneman and Tversky’s prospect theory were successfully replicated, showing that appeal matters: the authors demonstrate the resilience of the framing effect (where loss framing is more psychologically powerful than gain framing), the isolation effect (the sequence of presentation matters), the tendency to overweight small probabilities (the difference between 1% and 2% is perceived as larger than the difference between 51% and 52%) and magnitude perception (the difference between $100 and $200 is perceived as larger than the difference between $1,100 and $1,200). We see diminishing marginal utility in percentages and dollars, but also in effort and labor — the effects of appeal are not limited to that which is easily quantifiable. Appeal is no stranger to musical artists, who are more than accustomed to wading through the waters of subjectivity and relativity.
Indeed, as Erik Johnson observes, “Kendrick Lamar poses the age-old behavioral economics question in “How Much A Dollar Cost” — is a dollar always really a dollar? The answer, of course, is a firm ‘No.’ In this song, Kendrick describes an interaction with a homeless man who asks him for a dollar, and the knee-jerk response that this request conjures in him.”
These displays of appeal in music (and more) appear in the ultimate behavioral science playlist, a compilation of songs that demonstrate common behavioral principles. These songs are organized by the categories of the BEHAVIOR Framework (a mnemonic for remembering different behavior change strategies: Bias, Ego, Habits, Appeal, Visceral, Incentives, Others, Reminders).
In collaboration with behavioral scientists from eight cooperating organizations (Action Design, Behavioral Grooves, Habit Weekly, behavioraleconomics.com, ideas42, Behavioral Scientist, PeopleScience and Betterment), we are pleased to share the ultimate behavioral science playlist with you. We hope you enjoy it, and share it with one other person!
Listen to the Ultimate Behavioral Science Playlist:
Songs About the Behavioral Principle: Appeal
Good As Hell
Lizzo
Aline Holzwarth
"Come now, come dry your eyes
You know you a star, you can touch the sky
I know that it's hard but you have to try
If you need advice, let me simplify
If he don't love you anymore
Just walk your fine ass out the door
I do my hair toss
Check my nails
Baby how you feelin'?
Feeling good as hell"
In this anthem for resilience and self-love, Lizzo urges us to pick ourselves up from adversity and thrive rather than wallow in our sorrow. She reminds us that mindset matters, and a little bit of the right framing can go a long way.
100 Bad Days
AJR
Troy Campbell
"Oh my God, I felt so dumb, lucky me
I wrote a song that no one knows
I played a show and no one showed
Oh my God, I felt so alone, lucky me
A hundred bad days made a hundred good stories
A hundred good stories make me interesting at parties
Yeah, no, I ain't scared of you
No, I ain't scared of you no more"
AJR reframes how negative experiences lead to positive outcomes in “100 Bad Days,” including having interesting stories and losing fear, growin stronger as a result of overcoming adversity.
5748 Km
Lisa LeBlanc
Zarak Khan
"You're in Vancouver and I'm in New Brunswick
That makes 5, 748 kilometers
We're talking two different oceans, four time zones apart
A seven-hour plane ride, plus connections
A six-day drive if you don't stop to pee too much
It's probably the dumbest idea I've ever had
But I love you, yes, I really do"
If you’re contemplating a long distance relationship, it can be hard to imagine what that means. Lisa LeBlanc does a good job of framing how you’ll quickly come to think about it in “5748 Km” — measuring in calendar dates and time zone differences. These are markers that make the decision more salient than just imagining. And that it can still be great!
Loss Aversion
Behavioral Grooves
Kurt Nelson
"Loss Aversion,
my minds perversion,
losing always feels worse than a gain..."
Our demo version of “Loss Aversion” live! Kurt and Tim decided we should write some behavioral science songs ourselves and “Loss Aversion” was the first to bubble up. We went straight for the gutteral on this one.
How Much A Dollar Cost
Kendrick Lamar
Erik Johnson
"How much a dollar really cost?
The question is detrimental, paralyzin' my thoughts
Parasites in my stomach keep me with a gut feeling, y'all
Gotta see how I'm chillin' once I park this luxury car"
Kendrick Lamar poses the age-old behavioral economics question in “How Much A Dollar Cost” — is a dollar always really a dollar? The answer, of course, is a firm “No.” In this song, Kendrick describes an interaction with a homeless man who asks him for a dollar, and the selfish response that this request conjures in him.
Aline Holzwarth
Aline spent most of her time frolicking in the quaint city of Los Angeles until attending Reed College in Portland where...
Matt Trower
Matt is a comic artist and illustrator with a dog named Evan Williams. Originally from Seattle, they have held onto...
Maxwell Marion-Spencer
Max has a bachelor's degree in biology from Dalhousie University and is currently enrolled in the Master's of Statistics program...
