Episodes

  • Robert Cialdini: “This study on 6,700 websites proved my principle!”

    Robert Cialdini: “This study on 6,700 websites proved my principle!”
    Jan 19 2026
    This study analysed 6,700 websites in an unprecedented A/B test. The results proved something that Dr Robert Cialdini had been preaching for years. Today, on Nudge, Robert Cialdini joins me again, covering another of his seven principles of persuasion. And I share a marketing lesson that (I think) every business needs to know. --- Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults See Agent Spark in action at gwi.com/spark Read Cialdini’s bestseller Influence: https://amzn.to/4prHb7Y Read the new and expanded Influence: https://amzn.to/43TY0jI Read Pre-Suasion: https://amzn.to/48hA6Qr Read Yes! (Containing 60 Psyc-Marketing Tips): https://amzn.to/48ddNNf Join 10,189 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Bell, T. [Taylor Bell]. (2025, February 13). Inside Trader Joe’s: The genius strategy behind its cult following (and low prices) [Video]. YouTube. Bornstein, R. F., Leone, D. R., & Galley, D. J. (1987). The generalizability of subliminal mere exposure effects: Influence of stimuli perceived without awareness on social behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(6), 1070–1079. Browne, D., & Swarbrick-Jones, A. (2017). The science of persuasion in e-commerce: An analysis of 6,700 online A/B tests. Conversion Rate Experts. Danziger, S., Levav, J., & Avnaim-Pesso, L. (2011). Extraneous factors in judicial decisions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(17), 6889–6892. Drachman, D., deCarufel, A., & Insko, C. A. (1978). The extra credit effect in interpersonal attraction. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 14(5), 458–465. Fang, X., Singh, S. N., & Ahluwalia, R. (2007). An examination of different explanations for the mere exposure effect. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(1), 97–103. Gladka, A., & Żemła, M. (2016). Effectiveness of reciprocal rule in tourism: Evidence from a city tourist restaurant. European Journal of Service Management, 17(1), 57–63. Mita, T. H., Dermer, M., & Knight, J. (1977). Reversed facial images and the mere-exposure hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(8), 597–601. Nicholson, C. Y., Compeau, L. D., & Sethi, R. (2001). The role of interpersonal liking in building trust in long-term channel relationships. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29(1), 3–15. Razran, G. (1940). Conditioned response changes in rating and appraisal. Psychological Bulletin, 37(6), 481–493. Shotton, R. (2023). The illusion of choice: 16½ psychological biases that influence what we buy. Harriman House. Strohmetz, D. B., Rind, B., Fisher, R., & Lynn, M. (2002). Sweetening the till: The use of candy to increase restaurant tipping. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(2), 300–309. Zajonc, R. B., & Rajecki, D. W. (1969). Exposure and affect: A field experiment. Psychonomic Science, 17(4), 216–217.
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • The Secret Behind KFC’s Success

    The Secret Behind KFC’s Success
    Jan 12 2026
    KFC keeps its recipe secret. It’s stored in a vault in an unknown location. Only two KFC executives know the ingredients. Neither are allowed to fly on the same plane. But this secrecy is illogical. The recipe isn’t important. Today on Nudge, Richard Shotton explains how the secrecy makes customers more loyal. He shares his favourite ad of all time, and we run one of his experiments on you. --- Read Richard’s book: https://a.co/d/fEW7amQ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Heimbach, J. T., & Jacoby, J. (1972). The Zeigarnik effect in advertising. Advances in Consumer Research: Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research, 746–757. Loewenstein, G. (1994). The psychology of curiosity: A review and reinterpretation. Psychological Bulletin, 116(1), 75–98.Zeigarnik, B. (1927). Über das Behalten von erledigten und unerledigten Handlungen. Psychologische Forschung, 9(1), 1–85.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • Why is it so hard to say no?

    Why is it so hard to say no?
    Jan 5 2026
    In 1963, the Milgram experiments revealed something unsettling. Most people kept administering what they believed were painful electric shocks, not because they wanted to, but because they couldn’t bring themselves to say no. In this episode, my guest shares why we agree to extra projects, unpaid favours and unreasonable requests even when we know we shouldn’t. I’m joined by behavioural scientist and physician Dr Sunita Sah of Cornell University. She studies how social pressure and conflict-of-interest disclosures can quietly steer us toward yes. --- Read Sunita’s book Defy: https://amzn.to/48LsreG Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 10,428 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4), 371–378. Sah, S. (2025). Defy: The power of no in a world that demands yes. One World. Sah, S., Loewenstein, G. F., & Cain, D. M. (2013). The burden of disclosure: Increased compliance with distrusted advice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(2), 289–304. Sah, S., Loewenstein, G. F., & Cain, D. M. (2019). Insinuation anxiety: Concern that advice rejection will signal distrust after conflict of interest disclosures. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(7), 1099–1112. Woodzicka, J. A., & LaFrance, M. (2001). Real versus imagined gender harassment. Journal of Social Issues, 57(1), 15–30.
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • The top 9 tips from 55 Nudge episodes in 2025

    The top 9 tips from 55 Nudge episodes in 2025
    Dec 29 2025
    In today’s special end-of-year episode, you’ll hear the best insights from Nudge in 2025. Hear from Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer, Richard Shotton, Bas Wouters, Philip Graves, Prof. Matt Johnson and a Behavioural Insights Team director. ---- Subscribe to the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ ---- Today’s Sources: Beilock, S. L., Bertenthal, B. I., McCoy, A. M., & Carr, T. H. (2004). Haste does not always make waste: Expertise, direction of attention, and speed versus accuracy in performing sensorimotor skills. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 11(2), 373–379. Bellaiche, L., Shahi, R., Turpin, M. H., Ragnhildstveit, A., Sprockett, S., Barr, N., & Seli, P. (2023). Humans versus AI: Whether and why we prefer human-created compared to AI-created artwork. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 8(1), 42. Groen, J., & Wouters, B. (2020). Online Influence: Boost your results with proven behavioral science. Amazon Digital Services LLC. Milkman, K. L., Patel, M. S., Gandhi, L., Graci, H. N., Gromet, D. M., Ho, H., Kay, J. S., Lee, T. W., Akinola, M., Beshears, J., Bogard, J. E., Buttenheim, A. M., Chabris, C. F., Chapman, G. B., Duckworth, A. L., Goldstein, N. J., Goren, A., Halpern, S. D., John, L. K., ... & Van den Bulte, C. (2021). A megastudy of text-based nudges encouraging patients to get vaccinated at an upcoming doctor’s appointment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(20), e2101165118. Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977). Telling more than we can know: Verbal reports on mental processes. Psychological Review, 84(3), 231–259. van den Broek, E., & den Heijer, T. (2024). The Housefly Effect. Bedford Square Publishers. Vennard, D., Park, T., & Attwood, S. (2019). Encouraging Sustainable Food Consumption By Using More-Appetizing Language.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • The nudge that persuaded Aussies to stop speeding

    The nudge that persuaded Aussies to stop speeding
    Dec 22 2025
    How would you encourage Australians to drive slower? That’s what today’s guest on Nudge, Adam Ferrier, had to do. Being an applied behavioural scientist, he tackled this challenge in a novel way. Listen to hear about his interesting campaign, how Jaws killed surfing and the secret behind Derren Brown’s “hypnosis” trick. --- Watch the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/66dcb18641 Adam’s agency: https://thinkerbell.com/ Adam’s books: https://amzn.to/431eYfD Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Cialdini, R. B. (1984). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. William Morrow. Shotton, R. (2023). The illusion of choice: 16½ psychological biases that influence what we buy. Harriman House. Sutherland, S. (1992). Irrationality: The enemy within. Constable.
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • Don’t listen to this podcast

    Don’t listen to this podcast
    Dec 15 2025
    Seriously. Don’t listen to this episode. Whatever you do. Don’t. Press. Play. (Warning: this episode contains explicit language.) --- Adam’s agency: https://thinkerbell.com/ Adam’s books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B07K5R1MTX Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources Driscoll, R., Davis, K. E., & Lipetz, M. E. (1972). Parental interference and romantic love: The Romeo and Juliet effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24(1), 1–10. Heath, R. (2006). Brand relationships: strengthened by emotion, weakened by attention. Journal of Advertising Research, 46(4), 410–419. Maimaran, M., & Fishbach, A. (2014). If it’s useful and you know it, do you eat? Preschoolers refrain from instrumental food. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(3), 642–655. Mazar, N., & Soman, D. (Eds.). (2022). Behavioral science in the wild: Behaviorally informed organizations. University of Toronto Press. Ryan, R. M. (1982). Control and information in the intrapersonal sphere: An extension of cognitive evaluation theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43(3), 450–461.
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • Why We’re Irrationally Loyal to Amazon Prime

    Why We’re Irrationally Loyal to Amazon Prime
    Dec 8 2025
    2 out of 3 internet users in the USA pay for Prime. Yet, most of them are irrationally loyal. They feel like the subscription provides more cost savings than reality. Today, on Nudge, Richard Shotton and I explore the behavioural science behind Amazon Prime. We look at the sunk-cost fallacy and pennies-a-day effect to explain why so many are irrationally loyal to Amazon Prime. --- Subscribe to the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Read Richard’s book: https://a.co/d/fEW7amQ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Arkes, H. R., & Blumer, C. (1985). The psychology of sunk cost. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 35(1), 124–140. Gourville, J. T. (1998). Pennies-a-day: The effect of temporal reframing on transaction evaluation. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(4), 395–403. Gourville, J. T., & Soman, D. (1998). Payment depreciation: The behavioral effects of temporally separating payments from consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 25(2), 160–174. Roth, S., Robbert, T., & Straus, L. (2015). On the sunk-cost effect in economic decision-making: A meta-analytic review. Business Research, 8(1), 99–138.
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • Robert Cialdini: "Everyone Should Memorise This Persuasion Principle"

    Robert Cialdini: "Everyone Should Memorise This Persuasion Principle"
    Dec 1 2025
    His book Influence sold 5 million times. He’s known as the Godfather of Influence. He’s arguably the best-known behavioural science practitioner. And he’s finally (after years of pestering) joining me on Nudge. Ladies and gentlemen, today I present: Robert Cialdini and the persuasion principles that EVERYONE should memorise. --- Cialdini’s Influence Unleashed Event: https://cialdini.com/decevent Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Read Cialdini’s bestseller Influence: https://amzn.to/4prHb7Y Read the new and expanded Influence: https://amzn.to/43TY0jI Read Pre-Suasion: https://amzn.to/48hA6Qr Read Yes! (Containing 60 Psyc-Marketing Tips): https://amzn.to/48ddNNf Join 10,142 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today’s sources: Agnew, P. (Host). (2021, November 22). #69: Reciprocity | How one nudge saved 246,184 lives [Audio podcast episode]. In Nudge – Marketing Science Simplified. YouTube. https://youtu.be/0QxcahCnoCs Cialdini, R. B. (1984). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. HarperCollins. Cialdini, R. B., Cacioppo, J. T., Bassett, R., & Miller, J. A. (1978). Low-ball procedure for producing compliance: Commitment then cost. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(5), 463–476. Deutsch, M., & Gerard, H. B. (1955). A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgment. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 51(3), 629–636. Friedman, H. H., & Rahman, A. (2011). The effect of a gift-upon-entry on sales: Reciprocity in a retailing context. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(15), 155–162. Regan, D. T. (1971). Effects of a favor and liking on compliance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 7(6), 627–639.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins