How can we learn best from peers and nudges?

Research Roundup

We learn from peers, not peer comparisons

Many leaders trying to develop human capacity in their organizations actually make them worse.

A classic example is peer comparisons, “showing people how their behavior compares to that of their peers”. But research on doctors found that “peer comparison did not significantly improve physicians’ preventive care performance” but “it did significantly decrease job satisfaction and increase burnout”. Without intending to, leaders “inadvertently signaled a lack of support”. As a general rule, unstructured peer comparisons are (almost) always shit interventions.

On the other hand, nudges can sometimes be an effective strategy. By making certain behaviors easier than others, leaders can tip the scales in desired directions. As it turns out, though, you can’t nudge what isn’t there. While “nudge effects do not hinge on transparency or modes of thinking”, “people cannot be nudged into something they do not want”. You cannot induce a new behavior, only slowly lead someone through a series of behaviors.

We need a more dynamic society, but inspiring change in others requires more than good intentions.

Faint Praise

I have often said that there are very few true villains in this world. Most of us are just humans struggling to admit their failings to themselves. Only the humans need to keep reading.

An analysis of “6,400 letters of recommendation for more than 2,200 economics and finance Ph.D. graduates from 2018 to 2021” found that “female, Asian, and Black or Hispanic candidates are all less likely to be recommended to top academic departments, even after controlling for other letter characteristics.” These systematic differences have consequences as they impact the rest of their career: a “‘top’ recommendation has meaningful effects on initial job placements and journal publications” through a career.

Before I see a clear villain in this story, let’s look at another case of bias that has surprise twist. In “international piano competitions held between 1890 and 2023 across approximately 100 countries”, “female competitors are less successful when judged by juries with a higher proportion of women”. In fact, “replacing an all-male jury with an all-female jury reduces the likelihood that a female pianist reaches the finals by over 20%, reaches the podium by over 30%, or wins by over 40%”. Why? It seems that “female jurors are stricter than their male counterparts in their relative assessments of female versus male competitors” largely driven by “prime-age female jurors who were previous winners in less prestigious competitions”

Bias is real, but bias is messy. It’s right to name it, but never forget to look just as hard at yourself.

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Weekly Indulgence

Rome, the UN, the World Bank…truffles!

I had a blast speaking on “The Neuroscience of Trust” at the [deep breath] Association of Human Resource Managers in International Organizations — one of the few entirely non-AI talks I’ve given all year.

Stage & Screen

• I had an amazing time last week in Rome (with the UN, World Bank, and others) and then in Copenhagen visiting both Optoceutics and Novo Nordisk's AI Day.
• December 10, NYC: It's that time of year again: RFK Human Rights's Annual Gala. Another year to support our amazing work in defending journalists and civil rights defenders around the world.
  • It's sad that I must say this but...we have nothing to do with RFK Jr.
• Are you in NYC this December? Let's meet!

If your company, university, or conference just happen to be in one of the above locations and want the "best keynote I've ever heard" (shockingly spoken by multiple audiences last year)?

SciFi, Fantasy, & Me

It’s cozy-core for me this week (for obvious reasons). Dive into Somewhere Beyond the Sea for just a moment away from the good fight. This sequel returns to its island orphanage for wyverns, blobs, garden gnomes, and more for another dose of feelgood monstrosity.

Vivienne L'Ecuyer Ming