Ideas change everything

How can groups make good decisions?

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Mariano Sigman and Dan Ariely |

TED Studio

• April 2017

We all know that when we make decisions in groups, they don't always go right -- and sometimes they go very wrong. How can groups make good decisions? With his colleague Dan Ariely, neuroscientist Mariano Sigman has been inquiring into how we interact to reach decisions by performing experiments with live crowds around the world. In this fun, fact-filled explainer, he shares some intriguing results -- as well as some implications for how it might impact our political system. In a time when people seem to be more polarized than ever, Sigman says, better understanding how groups interact and reach conclusions might spark interesting new ways to construct a healthier democracy.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

We all know that when we make decisions in groups, they don't always go right -- and sometimes they go very wrong. How can groups make good decisions? With his colleague Dan Ariely, neuroscientist Mariano Sigman has been inquiring into how we interact to reach decisions by performing experiments with live crowds around the world. In this fun, fact-filled explainer, he shares some intriguing results -- as well as some implications for how it might impact our political system. In a time when people seem to be more polarized than ever, Sigman says, better understanding how groups interact and reach conclusions might spark interesting new ways to construct a healthier democracy.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

About the speakers

Behavioral economist

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Dan Ariely questions the forces that influence human behavior and the irrational ways we often behave.

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In his provocative, mind-bending book "The Secret Life of the Mind," neuroscientist Mariano Sigman reveals his life’s work exploring the inner workings of the human brain.

Learn more

The Secret Life of the Mind: How Our Brain Thinks, Feels and Decides

Mariano Sigman | William Collins (2017)

Mariano Sigman - *The Secret Life of the Mind: How Our Brain Thinks, Feels and Decides*

"How can we improve democracy? One intriguing idea: Set up a jury system."

Collective wisdom might best be found when small groups of people are given a chance to discuss and deliberate, say social scientists Mariano Sigman, Joaquin Navajas, Gerry Garbulsky and Dan Ariely. Could this suggest a better way to vote?

null - "How can we improve democracy? One intriguing idea: Set up a jury system."