BJ Fogg is a behavioral scientist, an expert on behavior change, and the director of the Persuasive Tech Lab at Stanford University. He has dedicated his career to understanding why some people are more persuadable than others and then figuring out how to get those people to change.
His research has led to some pretty cool applications, like in-office behavioral therapy for weight loss, and a campaign to get people to vote that used the power of social pressure.
What if you could improve every aspect of your life by just a few small habits? As an online persona, BJ Fogg is something of a rock star in the world of social psychology. His TED Talk on Tiny habits has been viewed more than 4 million times, and he’s known as the “guru of small changes.” If you’re looking to make a difference in your life, you’ve probably heard of BJ Fogg.
Works
BJ Fogg is also an expert on behavior change and the director of the Persuasive Tech Lab at Stanford University. His research has led to some pretty cool applications, like in-office behavioral therapy for weight loss, and a campaign to get people to vote that used the power of social pressure.
But like a lot of behavioral scientists, Fogg is most excited by the big picture questions his research raises—questions like if we can understand the most basic building blocks of human behavior, can we use that understanding to change those building blocks, and ultimately people, for the better? Or, can we use the latest and greatest technology to apply behavioral science in new and exciting ways?
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Key Work by BJ Fogg
Is The “Tiny Habits” Approach Really Helpful For Habit Building?
Tiny Habits vs The Power of Habits
Habit Anchoring: The Secret to Embracing Lasting Behavioral Change
The Fogg Behavior Model or the B=MAP Model For Building Habits
Everything You Need to Know About Tiny Habits
‘Tiny Habits’ by BJ Fogg Book Review
10 Quotes by BJ Fogg to Change The Way You Approach Habit-Building
Notable quotes
- “Goals are harmful unless they guide you to make specific behaviors easier to do. Don’t focus your motivation on doing Behavior X. Instead, focus on making Behavior X easier to do.”
- “Design your life to minimize reliance on willpower.
- “Plant a good seed in the right spot and it will grow without further coaxing
- “People are generally resistant to teaching and training because it requires effort. This clashes with the natural wiring of human adults: We are fundamentally lazy.
- “Persuading through Simplifying – Using computing technology to reduce complex behavior to simple tasks increases the benefit/cost ratio of the behavior and influences users to perform the behavior.”
- “Put hot triggers in the path of motivated people.”
- “Design your site so it looks professional”
- “Step 1: Write this phrase on a small piece of paper: I change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad.”
- “So many frustrating family dynamics and workplace dramas erupt because of the misplaced belief that manipulation motivation is the key to changing behavior. But now you know that simplicity is what reliably changes behavior.”
- “After you put your feet on the floor in the morning, immediately say this phrase, “It’s going to be a great day.” As you say these seven words, try to feel optimistic and positive.”