The Decision Education Podcast

Why do we crave explanations—and what happens when they lead us astray? In this episode, our host, Annie Duke, sits down with cognitive scientist Tania Lombrozo to explore the psychology of “why.” From puzzling over everyday baking mishaps to big-picture questions about conspiracy theories, Tania unpacks how our drive to explain shapes what we believe, how we learn, and the choices we make. Together, Annie and Tania dive into strategies for better reasoning—like probabilistic thinking, generating alternative explanations, and shifting from “could it be true?” to “must it be true?”Key takeaways include why teaching is one of the most powerful learning tools, how to avoid the trap of “satisfying over correct” explanations, and what conspiracy thinking reveals about our deep discomfort with randomness.—--------------------------------------------------------This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.

How does the stock market express uncertainty? In this insightful conversation, co-founder of Oaktree Capital, renowned investor, and Alliance Board member Howard Marks joins our host, Annie Duke, to discuss the psychology behind market volatility and investor behavior. Howard explains how fluctuations in stock prices often reflect investor sentiment rather than changes in a company's intrinsic value, and discusses the biases that arise in both stable and volatile markets. Howard also examines the pitfalls of striving for above-average returns without the requisite skills and knowledge, stressing realism and patience as vital components of successful investing.Key takeaways include how optimism is inherent in investing, why investors mistake price changes for information, and the value of understanding base rates for making informed decisions. —--------------------------------------------------------This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.

What does it really mean to choose with intent—and why do we often go with the default option? Our host, Annie Duke, is joined by award-winning Cornell University professor and expert in organizational psychology Dr. Sunita Sah to explore the hidden forces behind compliance, consent, and ethical decision-making. Drawing on her multidisciplinary background in medicine, psychology, and consulting, Sunita unpacks why we say “yes” when we really want to say “no,” and how seemingly simple disclosures can backfire in high-stakes situations. Whether it’s navigating career pivots or teaching kids to stand their ground, Sunita makes a compelling case for redefining defiance not as disobedience, but as integrity in action.Key takeaways include the difference between compliance and true consent, how to recognize and overcome “insinuation anxiety,” and how to use tools like the Defiance Compass to act in line with your values—especially when it’s uncomfortable.—--------------------------------------------------------This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.

Season 6 of The Decision Education Podcast unveils decision-making tips from experts in AI, investing, entrepreneurship, and sports. Host, Annie Duke, engages our guests in interesting discussions, in which they unpack their decision toolkits and share how the world might look different if we practiced decision-making skills from a younger age.

What forces shape the choices we make? Seth Godin, renowned author, entrepreneur, and marketing expert, joins our host, Annie Duke, to explore the impact of societal and external pressures on decision-making, and the role of systems in shaping our choices. Godin shares his unique perspectives on the power of social identities and the significance of empathy in leadership. Together, they examine how both social identities and systems shape human behavior and discuss actionable ways to reclaim our agency, even as forces work against us. Key takeaways from this episode include how tribes foster community but can also perpetuate division, how emotional appeals and storytelling drive decisions, and how differentiating between "picking" and "sorting" can reduce decision fatigue. ----------------------------------------------------------------- This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives. Thanks to⁠ First Round Capital⁠ for supporting The Decision Education Podcast—empowering leaders to make choices that shape our future.

How do you know a good founder when you see one? Annie Duke and Josh Kopelman, a co-founder and managing partner of First Round Capital, tackle this question by exploring the transition from gut feeling to quantifiable evaluation in venture capital. Together, they highlight First Round Capital's rigorous process for assessing startups and the role of understanding probability in enhancing decision quality. Key takeaways from this episode include the importance of making the implicit explicit, addressing long feedback loops, and the necessity of truth-seeking and humility for effective decision-making. ----------------------------------------------------------------- This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives. Thanks to First Round Capital for supporting The Decision Education Podcast—empowering leaders to make choices that shape our future.

What if happiness is a skill we can learn? Dr. Laurie Santos, a Yale professor, cognitive psychologist, and host of the popular podcast The Happiness Lab, joins our host, Annie Duke, to explore the science behind happiness and why her course, “Psychology and the Good Life,” has become the most popular course in Yale’s 300-year history. Santos advocates for intentional decision-making and social connection as tools for improving mental well-being. Key takeaways from this episode include the powerful effects of “time affluence” and “time famine,” how to use counterfactual thinking in positive ways and gain insight on how creating intentional happiness habits can lead to a more fulfilling life. This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives. Thanks to First Round Capital for supporting The Decision Education Podcast—empowering leaders to make choices that shape our future.

What have we misunderstood about decision-making? In this episode, Dr. Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to discuss common misconceptions about decision-making and “System 1” and “System 2” thinking. Together, they discuss the significance of evaluating individual components before making judgments and uncover the surprising parallels between human cognition and modern Artificial Intelligence. Daniel shares a compelling analogy between perception and cognition, illustrating how cognitive shortcuts can lead us astray. Additionally, he sheds light on why new restaurants continue to open in seemingly “doomed” locations and the valuable lessons we can learn from studying the paths of those who went before us.

Can giving advice actually be more valuable than receiving it? In this episode, Dr. Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and world-renowned author, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to rethink the ways we work and learn. Adam discusses which type of people excel the most in the workplace: givers, takers, or matchers. Adam and Annie delve into how establishing “personal policies” can help us with decision-making in the workplace and how we can make workplaces more equitable. Adam explores why he believes the hallmark of true intelligence is the ability to rethink, unlearn, and be open to changing our minds when we encounter new information. He also provides a glimpse into the secrets of his Junior Olympic diving success, as featured in his latest book, Hidden Potential. Finally, Adam shares the surprising similarity between academic writing and performing magic tricks!

Do judges impose harsher sentences on Friday afternoons? In this episode, Dr. Cass Sunstein, law professor, former administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and co-author of Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education. They discuss the concept of noise, inconsistencies in human judgment that can arise even when people are presented with the same information. Annie and Cass talk about how we are more likely to believe things we hear repeatedly, even when they’re not true, and how “nudges” can positively influence our choices without us realizing it. Cass also sheds light on the surprising impact group polarization has on everyday decision-making, including the tendency of juries to impose harsher sentences collectively than any individual jurors would choose alone. This has big implications for the group decisions we make every day at work, at home, and in our families!

Do our brains trick us into thinking things are worse than they are? In this episode, Dr. Steven Pinker, experimental psychologist and world-renowned author, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to explore why we make irrational decisions and to share some useful tools to help improve our judgment. They discuss how our brains are wired for nostalgia and why we erroneously think that the world is getting worse. Steven also explains how expected value can be a useful decision-making tool. And finally, Steven and Annie discuss game theory and negative externalities, revealing what hockey players wearing helmets have in common with ordinary citizens trying to save the planet!

Season 4 of The Decision Education Podcast unveils decision-making tips from experts in behavioral science, cognitive biases, choice overload, and making decisions in the workplace. Host Annie Duke engages our guests in fruitful discussions where they unpack their decision toolkits and share how the world might look different if we practiced decision-making skills from a younger age.

How can celebrating failure make us more successful? Tenured Harvard Professor and former Chief Decision Scientist in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Jennifer Lerner, joins your host, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, Dr. Joe Sweeney, to discuss why most organizations reward leaders who continue investing time and money into projects that are underperforming and how to break this pattern. She also shares how leaders can terminate an initiative while maintaining the confidence of their team, and how throwing “failure parties” may be the key to success. Jenn also shares a surprising insight about how feeling angry can make us unrealistically optimistic.