Can lessons from video games change our money habits? | Your Brain on Money EP.03 | Big Think

Can lessons from video games change our money habits? The word is out on gaming—it’s not just something that children do for fun anymore. Games are tools that can be used to teach new skills, reduce stress, and even change behaviors by triggering chemical reactions in the brain. These benefits and more have provided scientists and developers with a promising path forward. “Games reduce the stress of making decisions,” says neuroscientist and professor Paul Zak. “App designers have now used game structures to help people learn new information, make new decisions; and one of the most exciting applications is in financial decision making.” But simply turning something into a game isn’t enough to see meaningful changes in habits. Developers of gamified apps like Long Game have found ways to combine the engaging and fun experience we expect from video games, with something that has traditionally not been very fun: saving money. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ chapters:- 0:00 introduction 0:08 what is gaming 0:54 your brain on money 1:35 habits 2:28 gamification 3:25 prize link savings 4:18 Julia's experiment 4:45 bad habits 5:08 help 5:48 conclusion. Listen To This Next: Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential The science of super longevity Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Smarter, Faster. With Episodes From The Worlds Greatest Thinkers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices