FAQs with Dr. Darcie Dixon!

I get tons of requests for coffee chats. Dare I say zillions of requests! These requests aren’t always specific to me, but more generic questions. Let me try to answer them here in order to save us all some time.

I’m interested in learning about Behavioural Economics. How do I start?

Yay! That’s great. Behavioural Economics is AWESOME. Glad you think so, too!

I would recommend starting by reading some of the central and popular books in the field. 

  • Predictably Irrational

  • Nudge

  • Thinking, Fast & Slow

I’ve read those books, what should I do next?

I would recommend looking into the online course BE101x - Behavioural Economics in Action. It is a self-paced course and can be accessed for free.  

How do I get a job in Behavioural Insights?

Behavioural Insights is still an emerging field and as such there aren’t too, too many dedicated Behavioural Scientist jobs. These jobs tend to go towards people who have graduate school degrees in the field or related discipline because the research and experimentation skills, along with core knowledge of Behavioural Insights principles, are necessary to do the job.

There are three areas that are growing  in Behavioural Insights: government ‘nudge’ units, consulting firms, and in-house at private sector companies.

To understand what opportunities are available, do your research. Google companies, search on LinkedIn, etc. Join special interest groups related to Behavioural Insights in your geography to be made aware of opportunities. 

If you aren’t a behavioural scientist, don’t despair. The principles of behavioural insights can apply in any job! I would encourage you to think about how you could apply some of the ideas and concepts I talk about in my blog articles to your day-to-day at work. It will help you shore up your skills and knowledge. Lastly, advocate for Behavioural Economics in your company.  Who’s telling you that you can’t just make an opportunity for yourself? The more people advocate for Behavioural Insights, the more positions there will be. So get going!

What are the best universities to study Behavioural Economics?

I absolutely cannot answer this question, having not experienced most of them. I’d encourage you to do your own research based on what kind of a university experience you’re looking for, or you can look at this list of English-taught behavioural economics programs here, or these rankings here. 

What are your book recommendations?

Beyond the books I recommended in the earlier section, I really enjoy and would recommend the following:

  • Noise

  • Tiny Habits

  • The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty

  • Influence

What kinds of skills do I need to work in Behavioural Insights?

I like to think of two major sets of skills that define a Behavioural Scientist: Research skills and a foundational knowledge of the field.

Research skills include quantitative and quantitative (qualitative?) methods, experimental design, data collection, data analysis (aka stats), perhaps data modelling, data visualization, interpretation, and communication in written, presentation, and storytelling forms. 

A foundational knowledge of the field includes a pretty robust understanding of biases and heuristics, and how and where they apply in real-life settings. 

How do I get a job in consulting?

Please go see a career coach.

How do I prepare for job interviews? 

Again, please go see a career coach!

Hope that helps! Always happy if you drop me a line if any of the above was helpful :)

Love, 

Dr. D