Think Like a Freak

Chapter 7 explains how game theory is used to identify people who don’t want to be identified. King Solomon and David Lee Roth (among others described) created schemes to anticipate people’s actions so such people unwittingly identified themselves. This is often how mystery or detective stories play out. Choose a story to analyze in terms of game theory. What were the circumstances, and what method or scheme did the protagonist use to draw out the guilty party?

Levitt and Dubner warn that incentives can often backfire and have unintended consequences, like the Mexico City driving restriction that actually led to more cars on the road. Describe an example of this from your own life—maybe from school, work, or your community. What did the incentive(s) intend to do, and what actually happened? Why? Be sure to break down the reasons for this as you see them.

The authors describe how fixing small problems can contribute to solving the larger problems of which they are a part, such as improving kids’ school performance by helping them see better with a pair of eyeglasses. What’s another example of this? Be sure to describe both the small and large issues and how addressing the former contributes to improving the latter.

Brian Mullaney reframed the relationship between donor and nonprofit organization in his work with Smile Train, creating a very successful new approach to fundraising. Find another case in which someone reframed a relationship to create a new paradigm. You can explore any dynamic: teacher/student, politician/citizen, businessperson/customer, artist/public, and so on. What was the old relationship, and how was it changed? What effect or improvement did this have?

One of the examples of incentives discussed in the book is paying students for earning good grades. Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not? What evidence exists that it works or doesn’t work—and do we know for sure?

In Chapter 8 the authors give several suggestions to keep in mind as advice for trying to persuade others. Compare this advice to Aristotle’s classic modes of persuasion often used in composition classes (ethos, pathos, logos). How are they similar? How are they different? Which do you think is more effective or accurate, and why?

Levitt and Dubner refer to dogmatism several times in the book, such as in their discussion on predictions in Chapter 2 and thinking like a child in Chapter 5. Why does dogma have such a powerful hold over people’s behavior? What does the research say about this? Include at least one example of how people followed dogmatism over logic, facts, etc., and analyze it in terms of what you have learned.

As the last chapter explains, quitting and failing carry a strong stigma in our society. However, there are many examples of people who failed or quit something only to rebound and become very successful. Abraham Lincoln and Henry Ford are just two such examples. Choose someone whose life included failure or quitting before turning out to be a success, and describe both periods. What happened, and how did the failure or quitting influence this person’s later success?