5 Must-Read Behavioral Science Books for Product Managers

Behavioral science can often be something implicitly implemented in areas like product development, product management, and marketing. Frequently, when speaking with colleagues from the industry about the methodologies we use in behavioral science to influence decision-making in a predictable way I’m met with variations of the statement: “We already do something like that”. That’s not exactly true. The key difference is that the mental models and the assumptions used in traditional business are frequently not guided by an understanding of human psychology. How and why should we use this as product managers?

A user experience design that considers psychology and human behavior is one of the crucial factors that engaging and successful technology products frequently have in common. Adapting to your user’s actual behaviors will bring a host of benefits such as higher adoption rates, usage frequency, and ultimately it will increase the probability that you design something that people love to use and want to share with their friends. For those of you out there beginning a journey as product or project managers or for seasoned experts seeking a fresh perspective, here’s a list of behavioral science books that can help you understand how to design better products with human behavior in mind.?

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

This gem of a book is a great introduction to designing with psychology and behavior in mind. As Don puts it, “design is really an act of communication”. In order for it to be effective, there must exist an understanding of the user for whom a product is being designed. This book will teach you the principles that good designs have - discoverability and understanding - and will also guide you into applying them to all kinds of products and objects. Trust me, you will never look at user errors that same way after this book. Consider this an introduction into designing products with psychology in mind. Find it here .?

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Thinking, Fast and Slow from the late Daniel Kahneman - one of the most renowned researchers in the discipline - will teach you about how we engage two different systems of thinking: System 1 and System 2. These two entail varying forms of processing. System 1 is quick, emotional, heuristic-based thinking while System 2 is slow, logical, and deliberative. This can be a very useful framework to adopt when considering product design as it makes you reflect on the mode of thinking your user is likely employing when engaging with a particular task. Depending on the thinking System used, your user experience could be tailored to it to obtain the best results. As a bonus, this book will generally improve your own way of making decisions in everyday life. Just read it. Now. Whether you are a product manager or not.?

Nudge: The Final Edition by Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein

A classic for good reason. A nudge as defined in the book is “any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people’s behaviors in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing? their economic incentives”. Nudge will provide you with an introduction to several behavioral science concepts and their application in policy areas such as health and financial management. You will learn how to use biases like “loss aversion”, how take advantage of default options, and how time also plays a role in our decision-making. You will be sure to have new ideas for nudges that can help your product achieve its objectives. Pro tip: buy the new and updated edition, it includes examples from COVID-19, climate change, and how nudges can be used to the detriment of users.?

Designing for Behavior Change by Stephen Wendel

So Nudge gives you an intro on behavioral science and its applications, mainly in public policy. Thinking Fast, and Slow introduces you to the systems of thinking that you and your users engage in. Now we need to land this into product design and optimization. This is where Stephen Wendel’s Designing for Behavior Change comes in. It’s where design thinking meets behavioral science. This book will show you a four-stage method to design products with behavior change in mind.?

The Voltage Effect by John List

Now that you’ve covered how to design a product with human behavior in mind, The Voltage Effect will guide you towards scaling your product. In it, John List, a professor of Economics in the University of Chicago, teaches you how to identify ideas that have the potential to scale, how to keep the momentum (here called “voltage”) of your idea going, and also the red flags of something that won’t scale. Professor List includes great examples that help drive the concepts home. As you make progress on building a product and taking it to a bigger audience, this book is likely to be a handy companion on your journey.????