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Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work
From New York Times bestselling author and economics columnist Robert Frank, bold new ideas for creating environments that promise a brighter future
Psychologists have long understood that social environments profoundly shape our behavior, sometimes for the better, often for the worse. But social influence is a two-way street--our environments are themselves products of our behavior. Under the Influence explains how to unlock the latent power of social context. It reveals how our environments encourage smoking, bullying, tax cheating, sexual predation, problem drinking, and wasteful energy use. We are building bigger houses, driving heavier cars, and engaging in a host of other activities that threaten the planet--mainly because that's what friends and neighbors do.
In the wake of the hottest years on record, only robust measures to curb greenhouse gases promise relief from more frequent and intense storms, droughts, flooding, wildfires, and famines. Robert Frank describes how the strongest predictor of our willingness to support climate-friendly policies, install solar panels, or buy an electric car is the number of people we know who have already done so. In the face of stakes that could not be higher, the book explains how we could redirect trillions of dollars annually in support of carbon-free energy sources, all without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone.
Most of us would agree that we need to take responsibility for our own choices, but with more supportive social environments, each of us is more likely to make choices that benefit everyone. Under the Influence shows how.
Psychologists have long understood that social environments profoundly shape our behavior, sometimes for the better, often for the worse. But social influence is a two-way street--our environments are themselves products of our behavior. Under the Influence explains how to unlock the latent power of social context. It reveals how our environments encourage smoking, bullying, tax cheating, sexual predation, problem drinking, and wasteful energy use. We are building bigger houses, driving heavier cars, and engaging in a host of other activities that threaten the planet--mainly because that's what friends and neighbors do.
In the wake of the hottest years on record, only robust measures to curb greenhouse gases promise relief from more frequent and intense storms, droughts, flooding, wildfires, and famines. Robert Frank describes how the strongest predictor of our willingness to support climate-friendly policies, install solar panels, or buy an electric car is the number of people we know who have already done so. In the face of stakes that could not be higher, the book explains how we could redirect trillions of dollars annually in support of carbon-free energy sources, all without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone.
Most of us would agree that we need to take responsibility for our own choices, but with more supportive social environments, each of us is more likely to make choices that benefit everyone. Under the Influence shows how.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2020
45 people are currently reading
789 people want to read
About the author
Robert H. Frank
101 books181 followersRobert H. Frank is the Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management and a Professor of Economics at Cornell University's S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management. He contributes to the "Economic View" column, which appears every fifth Sunday in The New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 2, 2020
3.5 stars. I really like Robert Frank's views, and easy to understand writing style. He is a professor of economics with a background in statistics. I read his last book called Success and Luck, and this book which follows a similar formula. That is, spend about half of the book very succinctly and successfully explaining and arguing a particular view, then spend the second half talking about how it can be employed to make the world a better place. Frank was more successful at this in Success and Luck than he is in this book. Under the Influence is about behavioral contagion. The first half or so is fantastic, and he really does a good job at explaining the very real phenomenon. For example, a group of friends that has one smoker is much more likely to add additional smokers over time than a group with no smokers. Or, how the purchase of solar panels spreads through a neighborhood. However, he then goes deep into his tax theory that he already covered in Success and Luck. It is a stretch to connect behavioral contagion to his tax theory, and he doesn't even try that hard. While I do admire the theory of progressive consumption tax as a replacement to federal income tax, it just seemed out of place and took away from the really good information on how behavior spreads. Still, this book has good information that helped me better understand when I might be doing something I think I'm choosing to do without influence, that I'm really doing because others around me are too.
February 15, 2020
I like the book, but mainly because it resonates with my beliefs and interest. Not sure how much it adds in terms of new insights. It also reminded me of an couple of columns I read recently. One was from Anand Giridharadas one a review of Jared Diamonds last book and how his position in society led him to write sloppy and anecdotal social sciences. The other was a new republic piece on how Cass Sunstein has written several times the same book.
April 30, 2020
Amazingly I read this briefly before the corona virus pandemic and in many ways the effects of peer influence he described are being put to test. Timing of the publishing is unfortunate as the perspective he brings to the world is enlightening. His thoughts on behavioral economics and policy couldn't be more important yet under-represented in the current political climate.
July 8, 2024
Perhaps another 3.5 that I'm going to round up. Overall it's a solid book on the influence of social persuasion and just how much it applies to so many situations in our lives. Always a helpful reminder of our capacity to make an impact, especially when one can often become discouraged by their ability to do so, on the margin, with respect to various collective action-type issues.
However, I don't think the author did an impressive job in steel-manning various points of opposition, around tax regulation, climate change policies, and a few other issues. I also think that his 'Mother of All Cognitive Illusions' could have been defended more broadly, or at least considered points beyond peoples' affinity to compare themselves to surrounding persons. E.g. Many people tend to compare their current versions of themselves to former version of themselves, to determine whether or not they are 'making progress' or 'succeeding' in their goals. I think that some of this would likely not apply to how he focuses on comparing ourselves to others. If it does, then I think it at least deserves mention and a bit of discussion, since so much of our psychology is contingent on our past experiences on fluctuating identities, and not merely who were are surrounded by.
However, I don't think the author did an impressive job in steel-manning various points of opposition, around tax regulation, climate change policies, and a few other issues. I also think that his 'Mother of All Cognitive Illusions' could have been defended more broadly, or at least considered points beyond peoples' affinity to compare themselves to surrounding persons. E.g. Many people tend to compare their current versions of themselves to former version of themselves, to determine whether or not they are 'making progress' or 'succeeding' in their goals. I think that some of this would likely not apply to how he focuses on comparing ourselves to others. If it does, then I think it at least deserves mention and a bit of discussion, since so much of our psychology is contingent on our past experiences on fluctuating identities, and not merely who were are surrounded by.
May 16, 2022
2nd read:
Hot damn is this book good! I love Robert Frank’s books. This was my second time reading this particular book, and I remember not really enjoying it the first time around. This time, I absolutely loved it. I think the first time I read it was around the time that I was reading a ton of books about conformity, so I was bored with the topic. I also don’t think I understood the concepts too well my first time reading the book as well. As I read the book again, I just kept thinking about how amazing it is.
Robert Frank combines economics, evolutionary psychology, and some philosophy to explain how peer pressure can be used for good. He cites a ton of research about how we influence each other, which leads to how we can make this world a better place. He uses easy-to-grasp examples like how we influence each other to smoke and do other unhealthy activities, and how what’s worked to slow the spread of these behaviors. Then, he transitions that into making the world better to reduce the effects of climate change and a practical idea for taxing the wealthy, and much more.
I loved this book oh so much. Go get it now, and tell all of your friends.
1st read:
Fantastic book discussing how we can use social influences to improve the well-being of everyone on earth
Hot damn is this book good! I love Robert Frank’s books. This was my second time reading this particular book, and I remember not really enjoying it the first time around. This time, I absolutely loved it. I think the first time I read it was around the time that I was reading a ton of books about conformity, so I was bored with the topic. I also don’t think I understood the concepts too well my first time reading the book as well. As I read the book again, I just kept thinking about how amazing it is.
Robert Frank combines economics, evolutionary psychology, and some philosophy to explain how peer pressure can be used for good. He cites a ton of research about how we influence each other, which leads to how we can make this world a better place. He uses easy-to-grasp examples like how we influence each other to smoke and do other unhealthy activities, and how what’s worked to slow the spread of these behaviors. Then, he transitions that into making the world better to reduce the effects of climate change and a practical idea for taxing the wealthy, and much more.
I loved this book oh so much. Go get it now, and tell all of your friends.
1st read:
Fantastic book discussing how we can use social influences to improve the well-being of everyone on earth
September 18, 2021
تحت تاثیر
معرفی کتاب- در این اثر فرانک به بررسی تاثیر پذیری ما از دیگران و چگونگی سرایت رفتار می پردازد. کتاب "رفتار چگونه گسترش می یابد" دامون سنتولا تا حدی همسو و موید کتاب سنتولا است.
انسان ها بیش از آنکه فکر می کنند از یکدیگر تاثیر می پذیرند. در عمل می توان گفت که کشیدن سیگار، چاقی و اضافه وزن، مصرف الکل و مواد مخدر، الگوهای رفتار جنسی، تمایل به خرید کالا و تجملگرایی و بسیاری رفتارهای دیگر درجه سرایت بالایی دارند. او با اشاره به چندین پژوهش کلیدی و تامل برانگیز نشان می دهد که این سرایت جنبه علیتی دارد و صرفاً یک همبستگی آماری نیست. اما اگر رفتارها مسری هستند تکلیف مقوله اراده آزاد و انتخاب چه می شود؟ اگر ما بدون آنکه خود بدانیم از دیگران بشدت تاثیر می پذیریم چگونه می توانیم ادعا کنیم که مسئول تمامی انتخاب های خود هستیم؟
از طرف دیگر اگر رفتارها سرایت پذیر هستند آیا حاکمیت ها اجازه دارند برخلاف میل شهروندان و به صرف محافظت از دیگران، مانع برخی رفتارها گردند؟ آیا چون پرخوری و اضافه وزن سرایت پذیر است می بایستی از غذاهای پرکالری و چاق کننده مالیات مضاعف اخذ کرد؟
او همچنین در کتاب حاضر بحث "کالاهای موقعیتی" و مسابقه تسلیحاتی در مصرف تجملی که در کتاب های قبلی خود یعنی اقتصاد داروین و موفقیت و شانس بدانها اشاره کرده است، را ادامه می دهد. برای متوقف کردن رقابت مخرب و غیر سازنده انسان ها در بدست آوردن کالاهای موقعیتی که با کاهش حس شادکامی و رضایتمندی از زندگی همراه است چه باید کرد؟
در بخش دیگری از کتاب به چگونگی تغییر باورها نگاه عمیق تری دارد و نشان می دهد در بسیاری از موارد شبکه های اجتماعی به افزایش قطبی شدن سیاسی و عقیدتی دامن زده اند. راهکار روشنگری و تغییر باورهای نادرست چیست؟
* نقل از دکتر آذرخش مکری
#Azarakhsh_mokri
معرفی کتاب- در این اثر فرانک به بررسی تاثیر پذیری ما از دیگران و چگونگی سرایت رفتار می پردازد. کتاب "رفتار چگونه گسترش می یابد" دامون سنتولا تا حدی همسو و موید کتاب سنتولا است.
انسان ها بیش از آنکه فکر می کنند از یکدیگر تاثیر می پذیرند. در عمل می توان گفت که کشیدن سیگار، چاقی و اضافه وزن، مصرف الکل و مواد مخدر، الگوهای رفتار جنسی، تمایل به خرید کالا و تجملگرایی و بسیاری رفتارهای دیگر درجه سرایت بالایی دارند. او با اشاره به چندین پژوهش کلیدی و تامل برانگیز نشان می دهد که این سرایت جنبه علیتی دارد و صرفاً یک همبستگی آماری نیست. اما اگر رفتارها مسری هستند تکلیف مقوله اراده آزاد و انتخاب چه می شود؟ اگر ما بدون آنکه خود بدانیم از دیگران بشدت تاثیر می پذیریم چگونه می توانیم ادعا کنیم که مسئول تمامی انتخاب های خود هستیم؟
از طرف دیگر اگر رفتارها سرایت پذیر هستند آیا حاکمیت ها اجازه دارند برخلاف میل شهروندان و به صرف محافظت از دیگران، مانع برخی رفتارها گردند؟ آیا چون پرخوری و اضافه وزن سرایت پذیر است می بایستی از غذاهای پرکالری و چاق کننده مالیات مضاعف اخذ کرد؟
او همچنین در کتاب حاضر بحث "کالاهای موقعیتی" و مسابقه تسلیحاتی در مصرف تجملی که در کتاب های قبلی خود یعنی اقتصاد داروین و موفقیت و شانس بدانها اشاره کرده است، را ادامه می دهد. برای متوقف کردن رقابت مخرب و غیر سازنده انسان ها در بدست آوردن کالاهای موقعیتی که با کاهش حس شادکامی و رضایتمندی از زندگی همراه است چه باید کرد؟
در بخش دیگری از کتاب به چگونگی تغییر باورها نگاه عمیق تری دارد و نشان می دهد در بسیاری از موارد شبکه های اجتماعی به افزایش قطبی شدن سیاسی و عقیدتی دامن زده اند. راهکار روشنگری و تغییر باورهای نادرست چیست؟
* نقل از دکتر آذرخش مکری
#Azarakhsh_mokri
August 3, 2021
Important to notice the contagient of certain activities we do or the people surrounding us do. Mostly about smoking, living in a home you can't afford so your kids go to a better school, doing what your neighbors do, and doing things that are damaging the planet or ourselves. I can see how some of his ideas will work specially the way he talks about taxes.
My biggest take away might be about the way he teaches his classes, focusing on rating the quality of the questions from his students. There is actually a book published with about his students most popular questions. Im gonna take a look.
My biggest take away might be about the way he teaches his classes, focusing on rating the quality of the questions from his students. There is actually a book published with about his students most popular questions. Im gonna take a look.
April 3, 2024
A bit dry. Not a page turner at all!
April 29, 2020
There are large scale changes that can start with just one person
Frank demonstrates the effect, both positive and negative, that the change in just one person. Can have on their social group. One member of a social group makes it more likely that an additional member will take up smoking. One house in a neighborhood getting solar panels makes it that much more likely that another house will as well. There are problems in the world that will take large scale social change, but it is important to be aware of the degree to which convincing just one person to alter their behavior can create measurable ripple effects that generate progress towards that large scale change beyond that one person.
Frank demonstrates the effect, both positive and negative, that the change in just one person. Can have on their social group. One member of a social group makes it more likely that an additional member will take up smoking. One house in a neighborhood getting solar panels makes it that much more likely that another house will as well. There are problems in the world that will take large scale social change, but it is important to be aware of the degree to which convincing just one person to alter their behavior can create measurable ripple effects that generate progress towards that large scale change beyond that one person.
July 12, 2020
Why do we behave the way we do? Is it primarily due to our individual values and personality, or do social circumstances better explain behavior? Robert Franks subscribes to the notion that people are psychologically disposed to imitate others. "It's the situation, not the person."
There has always been some overlap between economics and psychology, since economists predict human behavior. A behavioral economist, Robert Franks has argued for three decades that price is not the sole factor influencing economic decisions.
His thesis is that what others do around us influences what we do, and what we do influences others. It's social contagion. The influence of example can be for good or bad. Franks argues that public policy should shape peer pressure for good. That last part is the most controversial.
How powerful is behavioral comtagion?
When we see others yawn, we are more likely to yawn. We have free will, but we often imitate others, and we underestimate just how powerful the effect of social context is on us. "Our tendency to mimic one another lies almost entirely outside of conscious awareness."
Franks' favorite example of social contagionĺ is the onset of smoking. A big factor in whether young people smoke is how many of their friends smoke. As the percentage of friends who smoke rises, the likelihood of an individual teen smoking rises almost as much.
In other words, the harm smokers cause to others is not only secondhand smoke. It is also the peer pressure that increases the probability one or more of their peers will emulate them -- individuals who otherwise may never have smoked. The harm of being a smoker is much greater than the harm from secondhand smoke. In short, peer pressure can cause enormous harm.
Obesity is also more widespread due to behavioral contagion. Ditto for drinking.
Among many behaviors shown to be shaped by the social environment are speeding, tatoos, body piercings, theft, assault, selling or buying stocks, buying SUVs, installing solar-powered panels, etc.
Our values are also influenced by peer pressure. A recent example is the rapid shift in public opinion on same-sex marriage. Large majorities of Americans opposed marriage equality as late as 2008 when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama still opposed it. By 2018, a large majority favored it. Other examples of rapid shifts in opinion are reflected by the Me-Too movement, cannabis legalization, and Black Lives Matter.
Military spending is a clear example of behavior influenced by what rivals do. When countries agree to limit arms races, then more resources are available for health care, education and infrastructure, instead of an endless arms race.
"Exactly analogous forces have created enormous waste in our private consumption patterns," asserts Franks.
People spend on certain visible goods to maintain or to improve status, wastefully bidding up prices for luxury goods in the process.
Spending patterns distorted by status concerns are fueled by rising incomes and income inequality. A growing share of national income is spent on luxury consumption. Buying bigger houses, boats and vehicles increases greenhouse gas emissions. "Across-the-board increases in most forms of private consumption do little more than raise the bar that defines what people consider adequate." People bid up the prices for, say, homes in excellent school districts. Meanwhile, less of national income is being spent on infrastructure.
Franks argues that public policy has a role to discourage harmful choices. Taxes are an efficient way to discourage them, and are less intrusive than mandates or prohibtion. One example is high taxes on tobacco.
Most taxes are imposed on beneficial activities such as on earning, saving, investing and creating jobs. It would be preferable to "raise as much tax revenue as possible from levies on activities that cause undue harm to others."
With pollution, for instance, a tax on noxious emisions beyond a tolerable level is based upon the amount of such emisions. This encourages businesses to reduce emissions to reduce their taxes.
Another proven method is tradable permits to release an effluent. During the 1990s, acid rain was greatly reduced after a market was created for tradable permits for sulfur dioxide. A Harvard panel in 2011 concluded that this market is "widely regarded as a landmark step in the worldwide history of environmental regulation." This demonstrates that broad-based cap-and-trade systems can work well.
A carbon dioxide tax "must be a central pillar of any serious effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions," writes Franks. "By making the discharge of carbon dioxide more expensive, it would provide a strong incentive for producers and consumers to emit less of it."
There would also be a strong social feedback effects: more people will adopt ways of reducing Co2 as they see more of their neighbors doing so. As fewer people buy SUVs to reduce emissions, then even fewer would buy SUVs due to social contagion.
A.carbon tax is more palatable via revenue rebates to every family in equal amounts, thus benefiting people of modest means who use less than average amounts of fossil fuel.
A carbon tax can't be adopted, however, unless the wealthy are convinced that "higher top tax rates wouldn’t alter their relative bidding power," and that "no real sacrifices would be necessary."
Another way to discourage rising luxury consumption is to replace the income tax with a progressive consumption tax. The family’s total taxable consumption would be calculated as its income minus its savings, less a large standard deduction—say, $10,000 per person. Tax rates would start low and then rise with consumption. A tax on spending rather than on income removes the disincentive to save and earn caused by a high income tax. Less spending on luxuries would leave money available for investment that would no longer be taxed.
Franks makes a strong case that behavioral contagion exists, that it has huge economic and social costs, and that those costs can be mitigated by public policy, the most crucial of which is a carbon tax. It's a fascinating book well worth the read. ###
There has always been some overlap between economics and psychology, since economists predict human behavior. A behavioral economist, Robert Franks has argued for three decades that price is not the sole factor influencing economic decisions.
His thesis is that what others do around us influences what we do, and what we do influences others. It's social contagion. The influence of example can be for good or bad. Franks argues that public policy should shape peer pressure for good. That last part is the most controversial.
How powerful is behavioral comtagion?
When we see others yawn, we are more likely to yawn. We have free will, but we often imitate others, and we underestimate just how powerful the effect of social context is on us. "Our tendency to mimic one another lies almost entirely outside of conscious awareness."
Franks' favorite example of social contagionĺ is the onset of smoking. A big factor in whether young people smoke is how many of their friends smoke. As the percentage of friends who smoke rises, the likelihood of an individual teen smoking rises almost as much.
In other words, the harm smokers cause to others is not only secondhand smoke. It is also the peer pressure that increases the probability one or more of their peers will emulate them -- individuals who otherwise may never have smoked. The harm of being a smoker is much greater than the harm from secondhand smoke. In short, peer pressure can cause enormous harm.
Obesity is also more widespread due to behavioral contagion. Ditto for drinking.
Among many behaviors shown to be shaped by the social environment are speeding, tatoos, body piercings, theft, assault, selling or buying stocks, buying SUVs, installing solar-powered panels, etc.
Our values are also influenced by peer pressure. A recent example is the rapid shift in public opinion on same-sex marriage. Large majorities of Americans opposed marriage equality as late as 2008 when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama still opposed it. By 2018, a large majority favored it. Other examples of rapid shifts in opinion are reflected by the Me-Too movement, cannabis legalization, and Black Lives Matter.
Military spending is a clear example of behavior influenced by what rivals do. When countries agree to limit arms races, then more resources are available for health care, education and infrastructure, instead of an endless arms race.
"Exactly analogous forces have created enormous waste in our private consumption patterns," asserts Franks.
People spend on certain visible goods to maintain or to improve status, wastefully bidding up prices for luxury goods in the process.
Spending patterns distorted by status concerns are fueled by rising incomes and income inequality. A growing share of national income is spent on luxury consumption. Buying bigger houses, boats and vehicles increases greenhouse gas emissions. "Across-the-board increases in most forms of private consumption do little more than raise the bar that defines what people consider adequate." People bid up the prices for, say, homes in excellent school districts. Meanwhile, less of national income is being spent on infrastructure.
Franks argues that public policy has a role to discourage harmful choices. Taxes are an efficient way to discourage them, and are less intrusive than mandates or prohibtion. One example is high taxes on tobacco.
Most taxes are imposed on beneficial activities such as on earning, saving, investing and creating jobs. It would be preferable to "raise as much tax revenue as possible from levies on activities that cause undue harm to others."
With pollution, for instance, a tax on noxious emisions beyond a tolerable level is based upon the amount of such emisions. This encourages businesses to reduce emissions to reduce their taxes.
Another proven method is tradable permits to release an effluent. During the 1990s, acid rain was greatly reduced after a market was created for tradable permits for sulfur dioxide. A Harvard panel in 2011 concluded that this market is "widely regarded as a landmark step in the worldwide history of environmental regulation." This demonstrates that broad-based cap-and-trade systems can work well.
A carbon dioxide tax "must be a central pillar of any serious effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions," writes Franks. "By making the discharge of carbon dioxide more expensive, it would provide a strong incentive for producers and consumers to emit less of it."
There would also be a strong social feedback effects: more people will adopt ways of reducing Co2 as they see more of their neighbors doing so. As fewer people buy SUVs to reduce emissions, then even fewer would buy SUVs due to social contagion.
A.carbon tax is more palatable via revenue rebates to every family in equal amounts, thus benefiting people of modest means who use less than average amounts of fossil fuel.
A carbon tax can't be adopted, however, unless the wealthy are convinced that "higher top tax rates wouldn’t alter their relative bidding power," and that "no real sacrifices would be necessary."
Another way to discourage rising luxury consumption is to replace the income tax with a progressive consumption tax. The family’s total taxable consumption would be calculated as its income minus its savings, less a large standard deduction—say, $10,000 per person. Tax rates would start low and then rise with consumption. A tax on spending rather than on income removes the disincentive to save and earn caused by a high income tax. Less spending on luxuries would leave money available for investment that would no longer be taxed.
Franks makes a strong case that behavioral contagion exists, that it has huge economic and social costs, and that those costs can be mitigated by public policy, the most crucial of which is a carbon tax. It's a fascinating book well worth the read. ###
April 6, 2021
I enjoyed this, even if it felt achingly slow at times. In particular, Dr. Frank repeatedly returns to the example of policies to curb smoking to illustrate his ideas — but I do have to commend him at least some for his structure on this, as it was seemingly an intentional, repetitive scaffolding of ideas to help readers retain the information shared, and I *think* it worked.
That said, it's hard to think of a book that's more pertinent to our current political / social environment: Dr. Frank touches on climate policy, how to influence those on the opposite side of the political spectrum (e.g. via "deep canvassing"), tax policy (e.g. how even with higher taxes, those at the upper end of the income spectrum can retain roughly the same purchasing power for luxury items, since those things are priced *relative* to the wealth of all those at the top — and so have very little reason to fear increased taxation), and much more.
I especially appreciate Frank's central focus in this book on the little- acknowledged influence of those around us on what feels like our individual behaviors and decisions. Frank uses the example of policies to curb smoking, especially, to explain (via compelling data) the ways in which having a friend who begins to smoke dramatically increases the likelihood we will begin to smoke as well — and the ways in which this same principle applies to impacts of our others' decisions on our weight (e.g. the kinds of foods and exercise our friends and significant others eat and do), purchasing SUVs or large houses (e.g. the kinds of cars and homes our friends and neighbors buy), and the types of policies we support (e.g. the willingness of our friends and family to support a carbon tax, or gay marriage, or... perhaps believe the election was stolen or QAnon is something/someone to be trusted.)
To sum: this book was slow at times, but I certainly learned a few big, deep things in a way that I hope will influence my way of thinking (and acting) in the world for years to come.
(Fwiw, I listened to this as an audiobook, which almost certainly impacted my enjoyment & interpretation of the book, for better and worse.)
That said, it's hard to think of a book that's more pertinent to our current political / social environment: Dr. Frank touches on climate policy, how to influence those on the opposite side of the political spectrum (e.g. via "deep canvassing"), tax policy (e.g. how even with higher taxes, those at the upper end of the income spectrum can retain roughly the same purchasing power for luxury items, since those things are priced *relative* to the wealth of all those at the top — and so have very little reason to fear increased taxation), and much more.
I especially appreciate Frank's central focus in this book on the little- acknowledged influence of those around us on what feels like our individual behaviors and decisions. Frank uses the example of policies to curb smoking, especially, to explain (via compelling data) the ways in which having a friend who begins to smoke dramatically increases the likelihood we will begin to smoke as well — and the ways in which this same principle applies to impacts of our others' decisions on our weight (e.g. the kinds of foods and exercise our friends and significant others eat and do), purchasing SUVs or large houses (e.g. the kinds of cars and homes our friends and neighbors buy), and the types of policies we support (e.g. the willingness of our friends and family to support a carbon tax, or gay marriage, or... perhaps believe the election was stolen or QAnon is something/someone to be trusted.)
To sum: this book was slow at times, but I certainly learned a few big, deep things in a way that I hope will influence my way of thinking (and acting) in the world for years to come.
(Fwiw, I listened to this as an audiobook, which almost certainly impacted my enjoyment & interpretation of the book, for better and worse.)
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December 11, 2020Some good takeaways but found the explanation of citations too long. And as warned early on in the book, smoking is heavily repeated throughout...Not every text book author can be an author of books for the plebs. A criticism of layout and not the author, but too many of the figures and images do not appear on the page where they are first mentioned. Not to be too glib about the hard work that went into this but commoners like me are likely better off listening to Planet Money.🤷🏻♀️
December 30, 2020
I liked Under the Influence a lot. I have a Kindle copy, although I ended up listening to it as an audiobook on Scribd as I walk the dog, since I was too pressed for time. Robert H. Frank might not offer anything new on the topic and the main reason I liked his book is that I found myself agreeing with him most of the time, but he did systematise the topic quite well for me. I would like to read it again on Kindle next year. I find it hard to concentrate on audiobooks lately and Robert H. Frank deserves my full attention.
June 5, 2020
An important book with a key insight about the power of our context to mold our beliefs. A number of well-explored case studies to reinforce the primary thesis but for someone who likes his provocative ideas served straight with a minimum of fluff, the book, like many in the genre, could have delivered its message more efficiently over fewer pages.
April 23, 2020
a paternalist who is here to protect you from paternalism: just give him your freedom and he will give you heaven, like so many prophets before him. and he will do it disinterested as he is already living a good life on his tax sponsored sinecure.
August 5, 2021
Not the most consistently interesting book, but a very good book on public policy nonetheless. The example this book gives about how to calculate the societal cost of smoking, is fascinating, and has stuck with my and informed how I conduct cost benefit analysis.
April 7, 2023
The idea of behavioral contagion is powerful and its potential fascinating. The book is unfocused, however, as the author fluctuates between the book’s topic (behavioral economics) and his (legitimate) concern for broader policies to better humanity. Connections between the two are often not clear.
June 25, 2020
Uplifting book about behavioural economics that uses the latest research to show climate change disaster is not an inevitability. It's a slightly tough read but worth it.
November 22, 2020
The first two-thirds is very similar to Frank's other books. The last part is a good discussion of climate change and how to get past divisiveness and polarization.
December 6, 2020
A insightful discussion of important concepts for policy workers and activists. Pigovian taxes, positional goods, effective rhetoric, choice architecture, and our peer focused behaviour.
May 8, 2021
Somehow I found this book not very interesting. Yes, some ideas were very good, but mostly if you have read a books about behavior economics then ideas are not new.
December 1, 2024
Great Cornell professor, illustrates how much influence (from others) impacts decisions
December 3, 2020
النفور من الخسارة
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مثال حي لكيفية تأثير النفور من الخسارة على تصوراتنا يأتي من تجربة بدأت بإخبار المشاركين أن الولايات المتحدة تستعد لتفشي مرض غير عادي من المتوقع أن يقتل ستمائة شخص إذا لم نتخذ أي إجراء ، وأن هناك بديلين حيث تم اقتراح برامج لمكافحة المرض.
قيل لإحدى المجموعات أن تفترض أن نتائج البرنامجين ستكون بالضبط كما يلي:
إذا تم تبني البرنامج أ ، سيتم إنقاذ مائتي شخص.
إذا تم اعتماد البرنامج ب ، فهناك فرصة بنسبة الثلث لإنقاذ ستمائة شخص ، وفرصة الثلثين ألا يتم إنقاذ أي شخص.
عندما سُئل الأشخاص بعد ذلك عن الخيار الذي يفضلونه ، اختار 72 بالمائة "أ" و 28 بالمائة اختار "ب". بدت الموضوعات في هذا الإصدار من التجربة عازفة عن المخاطرة ، مفضلة إنقاذ مائتي حياة بالتأكيد بدلاً من اختيار احتمال محفوف بالمخاطر .
بعد وصف نفس المرض لمجموعة ثانية من الأشخاص ، طلب المجربون الاختيار بين هذين الخيارين:
إذا تم تبني البرنامج ج ، سيموت أربعمائة شخص.
إذا تم اعتماد البرنامج د ، فهناك احتمال بنسبة الثلث ألا يموت أحد وثلثي احتمال وفاة ستمائة.
هذه المرة ، اختار 22 في المائة "ج" و 78 في المائة "د" على عكس المجموعة الأولى التي بدا أنها تفضل الخيار الأكثر أمانًا ، بدا أن المجموعة الثانية تفضل الخيار الأكثر خطورة.
بشكل عام ، عندما يُمنح الأشخاص خيارًا بين الخيارات بنفس القيمة المتوقعة ، كما هو الحال هنا ، يختار معظم الأشخاص الخيار الأكثر أمانًا. هذا بالطبع ما فعلته المجموعة الأولى ، التي تم تأطير خياراتها من حيث عدد الأرواح التي سيتم إنقاذها ، في الواقع. لكن أولئك في المجموعة الثانية ، الذين تم تأطير خياراتهم من حيث عدد الأرواح المفقودة ، اختاروا الخيار المحفوف بالمخاطر. الأمر المثير للاهتمام في هذه النتيجة هو أنه ، كما يتضح من تأمل لحظة ، البرنامج أ هو نفسه البرنامج ج ، والبرنامج ب هو نفسه البرنامج د .
على الرغم من أن أزواج الخيارات المتاحة للمجموعتين كانت متطابقة وظيفيًا ، تحدت المجموعة الثانية التقليد باختيار الخيار المحفوف بالمخاطر ، الخيار الذي حافظ على فرصة لتجنب أي خسائر. لم يدعي المجربون أن المجموعة الثانية اختارت بطريقة غير منطقية. لكنهم رأوا النمط الملحوظ للاختيارات كدليل واضح على قوة نفور الناس من الخسائر.
لا يجادل أي عالم سلوكي جاد في هذا السياق بشكل كبير في تشكيل تصوراتنا وتقييماتنا. يتفق معظم العلماء أيضًا على أنه على الرغم من تفضيل الانتقاء الطبيعي للأنظمة الإدراكية التي تقدم معلومات دقيقة حول البيئات التي نعيش فيها ، فإن هذه الأنظمة بعيدة عن الكمال.
كما رأينا ، على سبيل المثال ، تحث أنواع معينة من المحفزات كثيرًا منا على استخلاص استنتاجات خاطئة حول الواقع. ركز العلماء في مجال الاقتصاد السلوكي ، الذي يقع عند تقاطع علم النفس والاقتصاد ، إلى حد كبير على أخطاء من هذا النوع. كما أحب (عاموس تفرسكي) _ الذي أثر عمله بشدة في هذا المجال النابض بالحياة _ أن يقول : "زملائي ، يدرسون الذكاء الاصطناعي. أما أنا فأدرس الغباء الطبيعي ".
الآليات الإدراكية والمعرفية التي نستخلص من خلالها استنتاجات حول بيئاتنا تعمل إلى حد كبير خارج الإدراك الواعي. هذا صحيح ليس فقط عندما تدعم هذه الآليات أحكامًا دقيقة ، ولكن أيضًا في الحالات العرضية التي لا تدعمها.
سوف أزعم أن أهم الأضرار التي تسببها العدوى السلوكية تنبع من ميل تقييماتنا إلى الاعتماد على المقادير النسبية. "ساخن" تعني ساخن من الناحية النسبية. "بعيد" تعني بعيدًا من الناحية النسبية. و "غني" تعني الثراء من الناحية النسبية. أي شخص لم يعتمد بشكل كبير على التقييمات السياقية من هذا النوع سيكون في وضع تنافسي شديد الحرمان.
لكن كما سيتضح ، غالبًا ما يؤدي هذا الاعتماد إلى خسائر فادحة للجماعات.
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Robert H. Frank
Under The Influence
Translated By #Maher_Razouk
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مثال حي لكيفية تأثير النفور من الخسارة على تصوراتنا يأتي من تجربة بدأت بإخبار المشاركين أن الولايات المتحدة تستعد لتفشي مرض غير عادي من المتوقع أن يقتل ستمائة شخص إذا لم نتخذ أي إجراء ، وأن هناك بديلين حيث تم اقتراح برامج لمكافحة المرض.
قيل لإحدى المجموعات أن تفترض أن نتائج البرنامجين ستكون بالضبط كما يلي:
إذا تم تبني البرنامج أ ، سيتم إنقاذ مائتي شخص.
إذا تم اعتماد البرنامج ب ، فهناك فرصة بنسبة الثلث لإنقاذ ستمائة شخص ، وفرصة الثلثين ألا يتم إنقاذ أي شخص.
عندما سُئل الأشخاص بعد ذلك عن الخيار الذي يفضلونه ، اختار 72 بالمائة "أ" و 28 بالمائة اختار "ب". بدت الموضوعات في هذا الإصدار من التجربة عازفة عن المخاطرة ، مفضلة إنقاذ مائتي حياة بالتأكيد بدلاً من اختيار احتمال محفوف بالمخاطر .
بعد وصف نفس المرض لمجموعة ثانية من الأشخاص ، طلب المجربون الاختيار بين هذين الخيارين:
إذا تم تبني البرنامج ج ، سيموت أربعمائة شخص.
إذا تم اعتماد البرنامج د ، فهناك احتمال بنسبة الثلث ألا يموت أحد وثلثي احتمال وفاة ستمائة.
هذه المرة ، اختار 22 في المائة "ج" و 78 في المائة "د" على عكس المجموعة الأولى التي بدا أنها تفضل الخيار الأكثر أمانًا ، بدا أن المجموعة الثانية تفضل الخيار الأكثر خطورة.
بشكل عام ، عندما يُمنح الأشخاص خيارًا بين الخيارات بنفس القيمة المتوقعة ، كما هو الحال هنا ، يختار معظم الأشخاص الخيار الأكثر أمانًا. هذا بالطبع ما فعلته المجموعة الأولى ، التي تم تأطير خياراتها من حيث عدد الأرواح التي سيتم إنقاذها ، في الواقع. لكن أولئك في المجموعة الثانية ، الذين تم تأطير خياراتهم من حيث عدد الأرواح المفقودة ، اختاروا الخيار المحفوف بالمخاطر. الأمر المثير للاهتمام في هذه النتيجة هو أنه ، كما يتضح من تأمل لحظة ، البرنامج أ هو نفسه البرنامج ج ، والبرنامج ب هو نفسه البرنامج د .
على الرغم من أن أزواج الخيارات المتاحة للمجموعتين كانت متطابقة وظيفيًا ، تحدت المجموعة الثانية التقليد باختيار الخيار المحفوف بالمخاطر ، الخيار الذي حافظ على فرصة لتجنب أي خسائر. لم يدعي المجربون أن المجموعة الثانية اختارت بطريقة غير منطقية. لكنهم رأوا النمط الملحوظ للاختيارات كدليل واضح على قوة نفور الناس من الخسائر.
لا يجادل أي عالم سلوكي جاد في هذا السياق بشكل كبير في تشكيل تصوراتنا وتقييماتنا. يتفق معظم العلماء أيضًا على أنه على الرغم من تفضيل الانتقاء الطبيعي للأنظمة الإدراكية التي تقدم معلومات دقيقة حول البيئات التي نعيش فيها ، فإن هذه الأنظمة بعيدة عن الكمال.
كما رأينا ، على سبيل المثال ، تحث أنواع معينة من المحفزات كثيرًا منا على استخلاص استنتاجات خاطئة حول الواقع. ركز العلماء في مجال الاقتصاد السلوكي ، الذي يقع عند تقاطع علم النفس والاقتصاد ، إلى حد كبير على أخطاء من هذا النوع. كما أحب (عاموس تفرسكي) _ الذي أثر عمله بشدة في هذا المجال النابض بالحياة _ أن يقول : "زملائي ، يدرسون الذكاء الاصطناعي. أما أنا فأدرس الغباء الطبيعي ".
الآليات الإدراكية والمعرفية التي نستخلص من خلالها استنتاجات حول بيئاتنا تعمل إلى حد كبير خارج الإدراك الواعي. هذا صحيح ليس فقط عندما تدعم هذه الآليات أحكامًا دقيقة ، ولكن أيضًا في الحالات العرضية التي لا تدعمها.
سوف أزعم أن أهم الأضرار التي تسببها العدوى السلوكية تنبع من ميل تقييماتنا إلى الاعتماد على المقادير النسبية. "ساخن" تعني ساخن من الناحية النسبية. "بعيد" تعني بعيدًا من الناحية النسبية. و "غني" تعني الثراء من الناحية النسبية. أي شخص لم يعتمد بشكل كبير على التقييمات السياقية من هذا النوع سيكون في وضع تنافسي شديد الحرمان.
لكن كما سيتضح ، غالبًا ما يؤدي هذا الاعتماد إلى خسائر فادحة للجماعات.
.
Robert H. Frank
Under The Influence
Translated By #Maher_Razouk
February 21, 2020
I've listened to it in the audiobook and found it was clear and reasonable topics for me. In Japanese culture, it seems to be natural that there is high peer pressure but I was a little surprised to hear that peer pressure is very important even in the US culture. I don't like to compare to others, but I think I'm also influenced by others without consciousness. I learned a lot from this book.
February 12, 2020
Some interesting ideas, especially concerning positional arms races and "behavioural externalities" (smokers inspiring others to affect smoking) and why they should be treated like other externalities. However, somewhat unstructured, idiosyncratic and long-winded.
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