Syndetics cover image
Image from Syndetics

Sway : the irresistible pull of irrational behavior / Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublication details: New York : Doubleday, c2008.Edition: 1st edDescription: xiii, 206 p. ; 22 cmISBN:
  • 0385524382 (hc : alk. paper)
  • 9780385524384 (hc : alk. paper)
Subject(s):
Contents:
Anatomy of an accident -- The swamp of commitment -- The Hobbit and the missing link -- Michael Jordan and the first-date interview -- The bipolar epidemic and the chameleon effect -- In France, the sun revolves around the earth -- Compensation and cocaine -- Dissenting justice.
Summary: A journey into the hidden psychological influences that derail our decision-making. Why is it so difficult to end a doomed relationship? Why do we listen to advice just because it came from someone "important"? Why are we more likely to fall in love when there's danger involved? Here, organizational thinker Ori Brafman and his brother, psychologist Rom Brafman, answer these questions and more. Drawing on research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, Sway reveals forces that influence every aspect of our personal and business lives, including loss aversion, the diagnosis bias, and the "chameleon effect." The Brafmans not only uncover rational explanations for a wide variety of irrational behaviors, but also point readers toward ways to avoid succumbing to their pull.--From publisher description.
Fiction notes: Click to open in new window
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 155.92 B812 Available 33111005727157
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Why are we more susceptible to falling in love when we feel we are in danger? How was a Harvard Business School professor able to convince a student to pay 208 dollars for a twenty-dollar bill? What caused the head of safety at KLM Airlines to disregard his training and the rules of aviation, leading to the deadliest airline crash in history? In SWAY, renowned organizational thinker Ori Brafman and his brother, psychologist Rom Brafman, explain what these phenomena have in common by revealing the hidden psychological forces that drive irrational behavior. Drawing on the latest research from social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, the Brafmans reveal the ongoing dynamic forces that affect nearly every aspect of our personal and business lives, including: - Loss aversion: our tendency to go to great lengths to avoid perceived losses - The diagnosis bias: our inability to reevaluate our initial diagnosis of a person or situation - Commitment: our reluctance to change the course of a plan or decision, even when it's not working A lively and thought-provoking narrative in the bestselling tradition of Blink, SWAY shows how these and other psychological undercurrents distort logical thought, and reveals how readers can avoid falling victim to them.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Anatomy of an accident -- The swamp of commitment -- The Hobbit and the missing link -- Michael Jordan and the first-date interview -- The bipolar epidemic and the chameleon effect -- In France, the sun revolves around the earth -- Compensation and cocaine -- Dissenting justice.

A journey into the hidden psychological influences that derail our decision-making. Why is it so difficult to end a doomed relationship? Why do we listen to advice just because it came from someone "important"? Why are we more likely to fall in love when there's danger involved? Here, organizational thinker Ori Brafman and his brother, psychologist Rom Brafman, answer these questions and more. Drawing on research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, Sway reveals forces that influence every aspect of our personal and business lives, including loss aversion, the diagnosis bias, and the "chameleon effect." The Brafmans not only uncover rational explanations for a wide variety of irrational behaviors, but also point readers toward ways to avoid succumbing to their pull.--From publisher description.

Powered by Koha