Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces that Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave

The world is populated with words and images that prompt unexpected, unconscious decisions. Why are people named Kim, Kelly, and Ken more likely to donate to Hurricane Katrina victims than to Hurricane Rita victims? Are you really more likely to solve puzzles if you watch a light bulb illuminate? The human brain is fantastically complex, having engineered space travel and liberated nuclear energy, so it’s no wonder that we resist the idea that we’re deeply influenced by our surroundings. Dr. Adam Alter explores how our environment shapes what we think, how we feel, and the ways we behave, and shows how the most unexpected factors lead us to think, feel, and behave the way we do.

Speaker Details

Adam Alter is an Assistant Professor of Marketing and Psychology at NYU’s Stern School of Business and Psychology Department. His research focuses on the intersection of behavioral economics, marketing, and the psychology of judgment and decision-making. Alter received his B.Sc in Psychology from the University of New South Wales, where he won the University Medal in Psychology, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from Princeton, where he held a Fellowship in the Woodrow Wilson Society of Scholars. His work has been widely published in academia and has been featured in the mainstream media, on PBS and BBC, and in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist.

Date:
Speakers:
Adam Alter
Affiliation:
NYU's Stern School of Business & Psychology
    • Portrait of Jeff Running

      Jeff Running