Word: behaviorism
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...used to be, when we wanted to use public policy to nudge private behavior, we poked people with a stick: 40 years of issuing health warnings couldn't reduce smoking as much as hiking taxes so that a pack can cost upwards of $9. But nowadays, Congress would much rather reward than penalize, and bribery as policy has a modern elegance to it. Cash for Clunkers didn't involve intricate algorithms or a 1,400-page appropriations bill. The only debate was over how much sugar was needed to sweeten the pot. That first billion was supposed to last...
...There may be something in the very nature of public achievement that brings with it this risk-taking behavior," observes Edward Klein, who has written five books on the Kennedy family. "People who cheat on exams -probably there is something in them that wants to get caught...
Scientists at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute are skeptical, however, of simulator studies. In July the institute released a data analysis of the behavior of scores of drivers who agreed to have a camera placed in their vehicle for a year or so. After examining footage that preceded crashes and near crashes, the researchers concluded that while manual manipulation of a cell phone (dialing and texting) led to a greater risk of an accident, simple participation in a phone conversation (talking or listening) did not lead to a statistically significant increase in risk. The study will be presented next month...
...clear that no one - not the bands, the organizers or the audience - had a clue what they were supposed to be doing, and with good reason: no one had ever done it before. Prior to Woodstock there weren't many impromptu six-figure gatherings or stadium tours, so appropriate behavior had to be invented. Luckily a leader emerged near the end of Day Two. Using the only lull in a churning 17-minute medley, Sly Stone explained that singing along isn't old-fashioned, that it wouldn't turn the kids into their parents: "You must...
...subspecies of Harvard student known for aggressive, competitive behavior. 2. A frequenter of Cabot Library who goes into fits when organic chemistry notes are misplaced. 3. You will never see these students out at a party...