Predictably Irrational

Ariely, Dan. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2008. Print.

From Dan Ariely's book Predictably Irrational, I selected chapter four, "The Cost of Social Norms, Why we are happy to do things, but not when we are paid to do them.". This chapter explores the difference between social norms and market norms, in other words, paid transactions and unpaid services. Ariely is able to give many examples for situations where market norms/payment would be offensive in a social norm context: family Thanksgiving dinner , neighborly favors, and dating. After conducting several experiments using social norms and market norms, Ariely's findings provide insights about motivation and payment. What is startling is that the findings indicate that although people enjoy salary and monetary compensations; they/we are more motivated by gifts or social reciprocity. This is an interesting discovery as society continues to move towards market norms for just about everything. For example, Airley does an experiement with daycare and late charges. Parents were asked to sign an agreement about tardiness, but were not fined for late pick-up and with this policy (social norm) there were virtually no instances of tardy pick up. Then the policy is changed to a charge for tardy pick-up (market norm); parents viewed this as a charge for minutes and instances of tardy pick-ups doubled. The point is market norms are not always the correct inscentive/motivator, nor are they always the best solution. In connection to Zombardo's Secret Powers of Time, a suprise reward would be more effective in terms of its present hedonist connection and effect. In other words the unexpected gift creates an in the moment response of happiness that is unattainable by a promised reward (future goal oriented) which is a delayed gratification.
As an educator, I was curious as to how this might apply to education as standards, testing and funding all move education toward market norms. Ariely does speak to this in chapter two and says that applying market norms to education will only cause more detriment to student learning as reasearch indicates. Instead he suggests, "We should probably rethink school curricula, and link them in omore obvious ways to social goals (eliminiation of poverty and crime, elevation of human rights, cure for diseases: cancer, diabetes, boosting energy conservation, space eploration). This way students, teachers, parents, citizens might see the larger point in education and become more enthusiastic and motivated about it." (94). I think isolating skills devoid of context takes away the magic of learning and certainly the love of/for it. Giving students a context where thier education becomes more rewarding in the moment may be the only way to stop the downslide and disaster that faces a stagnant educational system.
There are many examples in history, literature, and film that portray the awardness and conflict through the shifting of social and market norms. For example, the treaties between Native Americans and European settlers illustrate not only a cultural conflict, but a conflict between social and market norms. Native Americans viewed the land as something shared not owned or bought and, of course, European settlers looked at land throught the lens of economics thus were able to "buy" land from the Native Americans without thier full understanding. In literature, The Great Gatsby illustrates how friendship exists in a social norm and becomes awkward when market norms are forced into the relationship. Gatsby tries to buy his way into society and even tries to "buy" Nick Carraway who dismisses Gatsby's offers and remains Gatsby's only true friend. In the film, Pretty Woman, Richard Geare tries to buy love and a relationship with prostitute Julia Roberts this creates awkward social encounters with Geare's high society and becomes an obstacle in building a relationship.