Podcast appearances and mentions of michele gelfand

Every day, we make countless choices—but are these decisions guided by desire or design? This hour, TED speakers on what shapes the food we eat, how we power our homes, and how we communicate. Guests include food systems expert Sarah Lake, infrastructure engineer Deb Chachra, cross-cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand, urban planner Jeff Speck, and Tempe resident Ignacio Delgadillo. TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We've been thinking a lot about culture recently, and reflecting on how–whether or not we're aware of it–culture is a force that's always exerting influence on us. It's typically only when we get outside of our daily routine, our city or even our country, and are confronted with new ways of doing things that we can clearly see the values, norms, and practices that make up the culture we live in. Today, we're re-running a thought-provoking conversation we had with Michele Gelfand about notions of what she calls “tight” and “loose” cultures. It's a conversation that helps illuminate some of the invisible forces of culture, and also sheds light on how understanding these forces helps us better navigate the world. We hope you'll take another listen and enjoy. Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your quest. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu.Episode Reference Links:Stanford Profile: Michele Gelfand Mindset QuizConnect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / FacebookChapters:(00:00:00) IntroductionRuss Altman introduces Michele Gelfand, a professor of psychology and business studies at Stanford University.(00:02:22) What is Culture?Defining culture as a set of norms, values, and beliefs.(00:03:36) The Tight-Loose ContinuumTight versus loose cultures and their enforcement of social norms.(00:06:20) Individual vs Societal Tight-LooseThe differences in tight-loose orientation across individuals and nations.(00:08:25) Tight-Loose Across Societal LevelsHow history, ecology, and mobility shape cultural tightness or looseness.(00:11:25) Cultural Intelligence (CQ)The role of cultural intelligence in negotiations and leadership.(00:16:21) Tight-Loose in Personal & Professional LifeNegotiating cultural differences in relationships and organizations.(00:19:53) Cultural Evolutionary MismatchCultural responses to crises and the influence of perceived vs. real threats.(00:23:45) Tight-Loose Differences in BusinessCultural differences in mergers, acquisitions, and financial performance.(00:25:58) Improving Cultural IntelligenceWhether individuals can improve their CQ through practice and exposure.(00:28:37) Tight-Loose in PoliticsThe growing tight-loose divide in political and social issues.(00:31:09) Conclusion Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Ten essential communication strategies designed to elevate your skills.2024 has been an incredible year for learning and growth, and as we head into 2025, there's no better time to reflect on the skills and strategies that can shape our communication and careers. In this special episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams takes us through ten standout lessons from the past year. These aren't just ideas to remember — they're practices to evolve with. From Priya Parker's insights on generous authority to Huggy Rao's call to cut through jargon monoxide, each concept highlights how small shifts in mindset and behavior can lead to big transformations. With actionable advice and real-world examples, this episode is packed with inspiration to help you Think Fast, Talk Smart, and communicate better in the year ahead.Thank you to our Sponsor Superhuman for offering the TFTS community one month free.Episode Reference Links:Ep.174 Fix Meetings: Transform Gatherings Into Meaningful MomentsEp.164 Using "Pre-suasion" to Influence OthersEp.158 Hope for Cynics: Building Trusting Relationships through CommunicationEp.156 Creative Communication: How Our Design Choices Illustrate Our ValuesEp.148 Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard ConversationsEp.142 Power and Persuasion: Live Insights from Stanford ExpertsEp.137 When Words Aren't Enough: How to Excel at Nonverbal CommunicationEp.138 Speak Your Truth: Why Authenticity Leads to Better CommunicationEp.134 How to Chat with Bots: The Secrets to Getting the Information You Need from AIEp.131 Friction Fixing: How to Use Obstacles to Your Advantage          Ep.120 A Few of Matt's Favorite Things: 10 Communication Takeaways from 2023's TFTS Episodes Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (02:23) - Priya Parker: Gatherings And Generous Authority (04:29) - Robert Cialdini: Pre-Suasion (06:15) - Jamil Zaki: Trust Loudly (07:28) - Scott Dorley: Design Your Environment (09:54) - Irv Grousbeck: Brevity Conveys Conviction (11:23) - Michele Gelfand: Mind Your Metaphors (12:53) - Dana Carney: Take Space With Words (14:23) - Julia Minson: Use Hear When In Conflict (16:59) - Jeremy Utley And Kian Gohar: How To Chat With Bots (18:38) - Huggy Rao: Avoid Jargon Monoxide (20:44) - Conclusion ********Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.Take advantage of our Sponsor offer from Superhuman

Each weekend on Best Of The Gist, we revisit an archival segment from the past and pair it with a replay of something from the past week. This weekend, we revisit Mike's 2018 interview with cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand, who challenges us to think of societies not along the traditional “liberal to conservative” spectrum but instead as ranging from “tight to loose.” It's a theory she explores in her book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. From the past week, we replay Mike's Tuesday Spiel about the acquittal of Daniel Penny.    SUBSCRIBE  We offer premium subscriptions, including an AD-FREE version of the show and options for bonus content.    The Gist is produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara    Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com  Subscribe to The Gist's YouTube Page  Follow Mike's Substack > Pesca Profundities  To advertise on the show, click here  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Behind every lesson lies a journey of discovery. In this special episode of If/Then, we step into the classrooms of Stanford Graduate School of Business to uncover the human stories driving extraordinary insights. Christian Wheeler, professor of marketing at Stanford GSB, challenges our fear of failure, reframing it as the sharp edge where growth truly happens. “Be comfortable being uncomfortable,” he says, urging leaders to embrace the anxiety of pushing limits to unlock their peak potential.Michele Gelfand, a professor of organizational behavior, takes us into the intricate world of cultural intelligence. “Negotiating across cultures isn't just about competence—it's about curiosity,” she explains, showing how understanding diverse perspectives can transform deadlock into breakthrough.And Jesper Sørensen, professor of organizational behavior, redefines what it means to lead. “Strategy isn't a blueprint; it's a living process,” he reflects, advocating for leaders to connect the dots, not just assign tasks, and to see uncertainty as a gateway to discovery.These faculty members remind us that leadership is as much about understanding ourselves as it is about guiding others. Whether it's failure, negotiation, or strategy, this episode showcases how curiosity and humanity are integral to leadership.Key Takeaways:Strategy is dynamic, not static: Leaders must explain the "why" to align their teams.Fear of failure can hinder growth: Growth requires embracing discomfort and using storytelling to connect and lead.Metaphors as tool for negotiation: Use metaphors to guide your goals and assess your success in the negotiation process. More Resources:Christian Wheeler, faculty profileJesper Sørensen, faculty profileMichele Gelfand, faculty profileClass TakeawaysThis episode of If/Then uses previously recorded audio and is repackaged in a new way. It features faculty talking about their research and the goal is to share more about faculty, while also keeping the If/Then podcast feed producing thought-provoking, research-backed content for our audiences. Chapters: (00:00:00) IntroductionKevin Cool introduces the episode featuring clips from the Class Takeaways series.(00:00:55) Embracing FailureProfessor Christian Wheeler discusses how embracing failure can lead to growth.(00:03:55) Strategy as a Dynamic ProcessProfessor Jesper Sørensen redefines strategy as an evolving course of action, not a static plan.(00:08:00) Cultural Intelligence in NegotiationProfessor Michele Gelfand explains how cultural intelligence is key to negotiation.(00:12:31) ConclusionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Michele Gelfand is a cultural psychologist and author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers. She joins us to discusses how “tight” and “loose” cultures shape societies. Tight cultures, like Japan's, respond to threats with strict rules and order, while looser ones, like the U.S., allow greater flexibility. Gelfand suggests a balanced “Goldilocks” approach, adjusting strictness and flexibility to suit each environment's needs, from families to organizations. She also explores online accountability, recommending "nudges" to promote civility, and sees AI as a potential tool for managing biases and promoting understanding.     Guest Bio Michele Gelfand is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Professor of Psychology by Courtesy at Stanford University. Gelfand uses field, experimental, computational, and neuroscience methods to understand the evolution of culture--as well as its multilevel consequences for human groups. Her work has been cited over 20,000 times and has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Voice of America, Fox News, NBC News, ABC News, The Economist, De Standard, among other outlets.   Gelfand has published her work in many scientific outlets such as Science, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Psychological Science, Nature Scientific Reports, PLOS 1, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Research in Organizational Behavior, Journal of Applied Psychology, Annual Review of Psychology, American Psychologist, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Current Opinion in Psychology, among others. She has received over 13 million dollars in research funding from the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and the FBI.   As a native New Yorker, Michele is now a California transplant. She is married to Todd Betke and has two daughters, Jeanette and Hannah, two birds (Bonnie and Theo) and a Portuguese water dog, Pepper.     Show Notes (1:47) What is culture? (4:08) The age that we start learning norms (10:01) What makes a person or nation a tight versus a loose culture (15:12) How the movement of people affect looseness and tightness dynamics (17:57) How changes in attitudes occur (20:59) Tightness doesn't mean a lack of creativity (24:26) The Goldilocks Approach (30:49) Avoiding becoming too tight or too loose (32:55) Applying the Goldilocks Approach on social media (35:56) The disrupting force technology can have on loose and tight cultures (38:19) AI's ability to understand culture (41:11) What's next for Dr. Michele Gelfand (45:00) How to follow Michele's work     Links Referenced Values, Political Action, and Change in the Middle East and the Arab Spring: https://www.amazon.com/Values-Political-Action-Change-Middle/dp/019026909X Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World: https://www.amazon.com/Rule-Makers-Breakers-Tight-Cultures/dp/1501152939 Personal website: michelegelfand.com  

In this episode of If/Then, we're diving into insights from three GSB experts featured on Think Fast, Talk Smart. Join us as professor of organizational behavior Michele Gelfand explains her "tight and loose" cultural framework, revealing how societal structures impact everything from crime rates to creativity. We also hear from marketing professor Jonathan Levav, who explores decision fatigue in judicial settings, shedding light on how mental depletion influences choices. Finally, marketing professor Szu-chi Huang discusses the role of motivation and emotionality in decision-making, drawing from her experiences in advertising and academia. Together, these discussions provide a multifaceted view of the elements influencing our choices and interactions.Key Takeaways:Switch between “tight” and “loose” mindsets: Individuals can code switch between “tight” and “loose” mindsets depending on the setting. You can shape your environment to help promote certain mindsets.Take mental breaks: Decision fatigue causes individuals to make the easier decision, not necessarily better ones. Taking breaks can help replenish your mental energy to think through decisions properly.Target your audience's emotional needs: Emotion drives decision making. Messaging that meets emotional needs is more impactful.More Resources:Michele Gelfand, faculty profileJonathan Levav, faculty profileSzu-chi Huang, faculty profileThink Fast Talk Smart If/Then is a podcast from Stanford Graduate School of Business that examines research findings that can help us navigate the complex issues we face in business, leadership, and society. For a full transcript of this episode, visit our podcast's website.Chapters: (00:00:00) IntroductionKevin Cool introduces the episode featuring GSB faculty discussing their research on the Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast.(00:00:35) Cultural Tightness vs. LoosenessThe benefits of "tight" versus "loose" culture.(00:03:47) Adjusting to Different Cultural NormsWhether individuals can adapt to cultural tightness or looseness.(00:05:24) Decision Fatigue in Court SettingsA study on how decision fatigue affects parole rulings over time.(00:07:29) Communication to Combat Decision FatigueInsights into overcoming decision fatigue and enhancing communication.(00:09:48) The Roots of MotivationThe transition from advertising to studying motivation in academia.(00:11:13) Needs and Emotions in Decision-MakingThe influence of needs and emotions in effective decision-making.(00:13:43) ConclusionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This month's Deep Dive series is about flouting parenting rules and advice that don't work for us. Listen to a Spotify playlist of all the episodes in the series here. Are you a rule breaker or a rule follower? Are you married to your opposite? We're both rule followers, and when one builds a life with someone who sees the "NO DOGS IN THE LAKE" sign as an invitation to let the golden retriever go for a swim, one is caught between two bad choices: swallow the horrible anxiety that others might think *you* are the sort of person who has zero consideration for clearly posted signage, or be the stick in the mud who can never loosen up a little. In this episode we discuss why both kinds of people exist, and bump up against each other– and why the "no rules pool" isn't as fun as it sounds how rules limit possibilities, good and bad why humans tend to create more rules during and after times of struggle whether kids are born to be rule followers It's worth the struggle to find the balance for our families. In order for our kids to have the secret thrill of breaking a rule, there need to be a few rules there in the first place. Here are links to some of the writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: Michele Gelfand: Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World Diane Spear: Play By the Relationship Rules! Michele Gelfand for The Guardian: Why countries with 'loose', rule-breaking cultures have been hit harder by Covid Wikipedia: Rumspringa What Fresh Hell Podcast is going on tour across the Northeast US this fall! Join us for a live version of the podcast and bring all your mom friends. We can't wait to go back on the road! https://bit.ly/whatfreshhelltour  We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid's behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, bad advice, bad parenting advice, parenting rules, family rules

Welcome to Grit & Growth's masterclass on cross-cultural dynamics with Michele Gelfand, Stanford Graduate School of Business professor in organizational behavior. Gain new insights and strategies for understanding your company's culture – from tight to loose – and how you can use that knowledge to build cultural intelligence in your organization, navigate interactions, enhance company-wide innovation, and drive business growth. Companies and countries can be a lot like people. Some are tight. Others are loose. Neither is inherently good or bad, according to Michele Gelfand, a leading expert on the impact of organizational culture and the best-selling author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. Gelfand says this important and often invisible force can drive behavior and ultimately performance – which is why she finds the subject so fascinating and why she believes entrepreneurs should pay attention to culture as they build their leadership and business.Key Takeaways Culture matters“If we don't understand culture, we're putting ourselves and our businesses at risk. All cultures have rules, and they're really one of our best inventions because they help us predict each other's behavior and coordinate. They're the glue that keeps us together.”Tight vs. Loose“Tight cultures have strict rules and very reliable punishments for when you deviate from rules. They restrict the range of behavior that's permissible in any context. Loose cultures have weaker rules, their wider range of behavior that's permissible.”Strive for flexible tightness“Loose cultures are more creative, but they don't necessarily scale up. Tighter cultures are better able to implement and scale up, but they're not as good at coming up with these really novel ideas. And so the big trick here is: How do you bring together both of these elements?”Watch out for resistance to cultural change“Try to balance accountability and empowerment, but pay close attention to pushback. Extreme change can be very threatening for people's sense of control, predictability, and order that's really needed in these contexts. And what we know is that we need to manage these sources of resistance.” Listen to Michele Gelfand's advice to entrepreneurs for creating culturally ambidextrous organizations and learn more about her future research. Don't forget to take Gelfand's quiz for determining where you and your team fall on the tight/loose spectrum.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are rules made to be followed—or meant to be broken? Often, the answer will depend on culture and the context in which people make decisions. In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, we look at how carefully people in different contexts follow social norms, rules, and procedures. We'll also see how strict and relaxed cultures affect the quality of our decisions—and how to find the sweet spot depending on your goals.Professional kitchens have historically been challenging work environments: high standards, long hours with low pay, and a strong hierarchy of cooks in the kitchen. "Yes, chef" was the only appropriate reply to higher-ranked chefs when Simon Rogan came through the ranks during the 1980s and '90s—a time when kitchen culture was tight and uncompromising. Today, Simon is working hard to change that culture across his restaurant group. Simon Rogan is a chef and restaurateur in the U.K. whose flagship restaurant, L'Enclume, has three Michelin stars and also holds a Michelin Green Star for its sustainable practices. Simon also runs a culinary program for young chefs called the Academy by Simon Rogan. Next, Katy speaks with Michele Gelfand about her research on tight and loose cultures and their impact on decision-making in different contexts. You can learn more from Michele's paper “Differences Between Tight and Loose Cultures” and take the quiz to determine if you tend to lean tight or loose. Michele Gelfand is the John H. Scully Professor in Cross-Cultural Management and Organizational Behavior at Stanford University. She's also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the author of the book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World.Choiceology is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. Important DisclosuresThe comments, views, and opinions expressed in the presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Charles Schwab.Data contained herein from third party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable source. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed and Charles Schwab & Co. expressly disclaims any liability, including incidental or consequential damages, arising from errors or omissions in this publication. All corporate names and market data shown above are for illustrative purposes only and are not a recommendation, offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Supporting documentation for any claims or statistical information is available upon request. Investing involves risk including loss of principal.The book How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.). Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.) has not reviewed the book and makes no representations about its content.Apple, the Apple logo, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Podcasts are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.Spotify and the Spotify logo are registered trademarks of Spotify AB.(0424-TPAD)

Professor and cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand's latest book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, explores notions of what she calls “tight” and “loose” cultures, and how each shapes us as individuals and the world around us. Tight cultures closely follow unwritten cultural norms, while those on the looser side have more latitude. Culture is complicated, she says, but understanding its nuances is key to understanding the world, Gelfand tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering's The Future of Everything podcast.Episode Reference Links:Michele Gelfand Website / BioRule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight & Loose Cultures Wire Our World (Michele Gelfand's Book)Mindset Quiz  (Quiz on Michele's Website)Threat DictionaryTight-Looseness Across the 50 United States  (PNAS paper on reclassifying states from red/blue to tight/loose)The Culturally Intelligent Negotiator: The Impact on Cultural Intelligence (CQ) on Negotiation Sequences & Outcomes   (Michele Gelfand & Lynn Imai Study)Differences Between Tight and Loose Cultures: 33 Nation Study (Michele's study published in Science on factors that predict strict and permissive social norms)Together From Afar: Introducing a Diary Contact Technique for Improving Intergroup Relations  (US / Pakistan Study)Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads or Twitter/XConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/XChapters:(00:00:00) IntroductionRuss introduces Michele Gelfand and her research on the study of culture and cultural intelligence.(00:02:33) Defining CultureA working definition of culture and the invisible impact of cultural norms, values, and beliefs.(00:03:46) The Tight-Loose SpectrumThe concept of tight and loose cultures and how social norms vary across cultures.(00:06:30) Cultural Variance within and between SocietiesVariations of tight-loose norms at national, state, and organizational levels,  and the role of threat in shaping these norms.(00:11:34) Cultural Intelligence in Global LeadershipHow the tight-loose spectrum and cultural studies inform leadership, and the significance of cultural intelligence (CQ) in global interactions.(00:18:59) Cultural Evolutionary MismatchImplications for global threats and societal responses.(00:23:56) Applying Cultural Insights in BusinessInsights on applying cultural understanding to improve business mergers, negotiations, and the success of expatriate assignments.(00:26:09) Enhancing Cultural IntelligenceImproving cultural intelligence and steps individuals can take to enhance their CQ and adapt to cultural differences.(00:28:48) Urban vs. Rural Cultural DifferencesTight-loose division in politics and societal contexts, and the cultural divide between urban and rural areas.(00:31:19) Conclusion Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads or Twitter/XConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X

Eric chats with Michele Gelfand, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Michele's culture lab studies the strength of cultural norms, negotiation, conflict, revenge, forgiveness, and diversity, drawing on many different disciplines. Michele is world-renowned for her work on how some cultures have stronger enforcement of norms (tight cultures), while others are more tolerant of deviations from the norm (loose cultures). She is the author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers.In this chat, Eric and Michele discuss the latest insights into loose and tight cultures, what academic disciplines are tight versus loose, and how this framework explains phenomena as disconnected as Covid fears, the appeal of populist leaders, and why Ernie and Bert have so many disagreements. Michele then shares how she stays so passionate and productive, the barriers she has faced trying to be so interdisciplinary, how she deals with setbacks, and why she sometimes dresses up as a pickle.JOIN OUR SUBSTACK! Stay up to date with the pod and become part of the ever-growing community :) https://stanfordpsypod.substack.com/If you found this episode interesting at all, consider leaving us a good rating! It just takes a second but will allow us to reach more people and make them excited about psychology.LinksBook: https://www.michelegelfand.com/rule-makers-rule-breakersHow tight or loose are you? https://www.michelegelfand.com/tl-quizTight vs loose cultures: https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1197754?casa_token=P4iNAMuyYeQAAAAA:gyWMq9sohJJ0LsH-bBRg844OqN8-e9AwiVb649lkXe8cXzCP5jcSmqtAojp-1Lfvg5itKyD2nPP8J4gCulture, threat, tightness and looseness: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2113891119Eric's websiteEric's Twitter @EricNeumannPsyPodcast Twitter @StanfordPsyPodPodcast Substack https://stanfordpsypod.substack.com/Let us know what you think of this episode, or of the podcast! :) stanfordpsychpodcast@gmail.com

"Rule Makers, Rule Breakers" by Michele Gelfand (Review) by Dr Alice Evans

Michele Gelfand is a Professor at Stanford University, and an expert on negotiation and cross-cultural psychology. Her book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers explores how tight and loose cultures wire our world, and in doing so offers unique insights on how we might bridge today's cultural divides. Michele and Traci chat about the impact of culture on everything from international negotiation to couple's arguments over chores… in a wide-ranging and fascinating conversation that might just shift how you see yourself and the people around you. Episode Timeline [00:09] Intro  [0:58] Meet Michele [3:33] “Tight” and “loose” culture as a puzzle [5:25] Michele and Traci share traveling stories and how they illuminate cultural differences (and subcultural similarities) [8:58] What is culture? [10:19] How countries develop a tight or loose culture [12:17] How understanding culture can create empathy [16:27] The polarization at play in the USA's culture [17:40] Why experiencing threat can lead people to want a tighter culture [19:31] Michele shares the behind-the-scenes of a fascinating study challenging the views of people from Pakistan and the USA have of each other [21:33] Cultural intelligence as a way of connecting more deeply [26:32] How tight and loose cultures responded to the pandemic [29:16] Getting curious about psychology in international negotiating  [34:07] Negotiations in couples (the impact of leaning tight or loose) [35:45] Household chores and the surprising thing they reveal about attitudes and culture [40:51] The relationship between rules and social class [44:48] Michele's life advice (including a touching reflection from her late father-in-law) [47:35] Closing [48:01] Outro Resources Mentioned Rule Makers, Rule Breakers (Michele's book) Standout Quotes “Cultural intelligence is critical for connection because then you're really open-minded to people's lives and why they evolved the way they did. And it's really hard sometimes not to be judgmental.” (Michele) “In the US, individualism and doing your own thing is so part of the culture. And partly it's something that we've inherited because we have more wealth than other cultures and so in contexts where there's not a lot of wealth, you need to have strong support. You need to kind of help out the family. Like, it's just absolutely necessary.” (Michele) “there's less debt and there's less alcoholism, less obesity in tighter cultures.” (Michele) “loose cultures did far worse during COVID. But loose cultures are really open and creative and tolerant.” (Michele) Connect: Find | Sidewalk Talk  At sidewalk-talk.org On Instagram: @sidewalktalkorg On Twitter: @sidewalktalkorg   Find | Traci Ruble At Traciruble.com On Instagram: @TraciRubleMFT On Twitter: @TraciRubleMFT On Facebook: @TraciRubleMFT   Find | Michele Gelfand At https://www.michelegelfand.com/  On Twitter: @MicheleJGefland   SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PODCAST On Apple Podcasts On Google Podcasts On Spotify On YouTube

The culture we live in has an invisible influence over our individual and collective behaviors. The tendency towards openness or order in a society is expressed by Michele Gelfand, as the looseness or tightness of a culture. How loose or tight a country is can be correlated to the amount of threat the nation has faced in the past, and in turn, can indicate how its people will respond to a new threat, such as a global pandemic.   Michele Gelfand is Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Professor of Psychology by Courtesy at Stanford University. She wrote her book “Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: Tight and Loose Cultures and the Secret Signals That Direct Our Lives” in the era before COVID. Despite that she astutely addressed how tight and loose nations would respond to the threat of a global pandemic. We were honored to have the time to chat more with Michele about this topic and many others in this episode.    Topics (5:49) Welcome and speed round questions. (6:27) How culture influences our behavior.  (10:26) How the threat to a nation influences how tight and loose cultures are. (13:21) What Bert and Ernie can teach us about our tight and loose personalities. (16:27) What factors influence our default tendency to be tight or loose people?  (20:21) The global threat of the pandemic and how loose and tight cultures responded.  (28:48) What Ukraine has taught us about national identity. (30:47) How can societies maximize both order and openness? (35:02) Can organizations instigate flexible tightness? (39:42) Do we have blind spots on how open we are? (43:26) How values and attitudes influence your behaviors in different cultures. (47:41) What nudge worked to encourage mask wearing among Republicans and Democrats? (51:50) The music that influences Michele's work.   © 2022 Behavioral Grooves   Links Michele Gelfand: www.michelegelfand.com “Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: Tight and Loose Cultures and the Secret Signals That Direct Our Lives” book by Michele Gelfand: https://amzn.to/37O7OSC  Mindset Quiz: How tight or loose are you? www.michelegelfand.com/tl-quiz  Episode 266, Sandra Sucher, Trust: The Four Key Steps to Genuinely Build It: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/four-key-steps-to-build-trust/  Episode 102, Cristina Bicchieri, Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/    Musical Links Oscar Peterson “C Jam Blues”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTJhHn-TuDY  Les McCann “A Bag of Gold”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50bGvY3Roj0  Dave Brubeck “Take Five”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmDDOFXSgAs  Bach “Brandenburg Concertos”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCPM8DEsvmc

Which of these words feels more like you? Restraint, prevent, adhere. Or: allow, freedom, create? Professor Michele Gelfand reveals how our words, clothing and culture reflect where we sit on the tight-loose-scale. And importantly, what this says about our behaviour as employees, citizens and leaders.

In Singapore, you can face a heavy fine or even jail for offenses like spitting on the sidewalk and importing chewing gum. Meanwhile in New Zealand, a man who hatched himself from a giant egg was appointed the country's “official wizard.” These are examples of tight and loose cultures. Much of what's going on in America and the world right now can be understood better through knowing more about tightness and looseness: for example, the appeal of authoritarian leaders, or refusals to follow COVID safety guidelines. Spencer's guest this time is Michele Gelfand, an expert on tight and loose cultures, a Stanford University cultural psychologist  and the author of the fascinating book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: Tight and Loose Culture and the Secret Signals That Direct Our Lives.

Will's website: https://willstorr.com/ Follow Will on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wstorr References Will's two previous Two for Tea appearances: https://soundcloud.com/twoforteapodcast/17-will-storr https://soundcloud.com/twoforteapodcast/30-will-storr-the-psychology-of-stories Buy Will's book Selfie: How the West Became Self-Obsessed: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Selfie-How-West-Became-Self-Obsessed/dp/144728366X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551697010&sr=1-1&keywords=selfie+will+storr Buy Will's book The Science of Storytelling: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Storytelling-Will-Storr/dp/0008276943 Buy Will's novel The Hunger and the Howling of Killian Lone: https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Howling-Killian-Lone-ebook/dp/B00B73VMCE Buy Will's book The Heretics: Adventures with the Enemies of Science: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B7N26DS/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3 Buy Will's latest book The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Status-Game-Will-Storr/dp/0008354634 The Rise of Victimhood Culture by Bradley Campbell and Jason Manning: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rise-Victimhood-Culture-Microaggressions-Spaces/dp/3319703285/ ‘Who Is the Bad Art Friend?' - by Robert Koller New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/05/magazine/dorland-v-larson.html ‘Tight and Loose Cultures: A Conversation with Michele Gelfand' - by Dave Nussbaum, Behavioral Scientist: https://behavioralscientist.org/tight-and-loose-cultures-a-conversation-with-michele-gelfand/ Timestamps 2:03 Iona waxes lyrical over Will's reading voice. 3:16 Iona reads an excerpt from The Status Game on “the tyranny of the cousins”. 6:18 The three different types of ‘status games': dominance, virtue, and success. How these still influence our social life today. How we share these games with other animals. 10:23 How Will's concepts link with Jason Manning and Bradley Campbell's delineation of three types of culture: honour, dignity, and victimhood. How different types of status games have been dominant at different periods of history. How we have returned to virtue games after a period dominated by success games. 13:14 The Bad Art Friend controversy and its relation to the ideas in Will's book. Why status matters to us as much as food and water. Why we become annoyed when other people claim status: the relativity of status. 19:52 Will further explains the concept of “the tyranny of the cousins”. How this applies to today's social media and cancel culture. Social media just changes the landscape within which our instincts act. 26:10 Have we improved morally over time? The Pinkerian view à la Will: progress as a story of our overcoming how beholden we are to primitive status games. The Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution replaced virtue games with success games: status rewards for knowledge. Success games = progress. Status-seeking in science. 30:08 Michele Gelfand's ‘tight' vs. ‘loose' cultures and how Will applies these concepts: tight vs. loose games. Tyrannies and cults as tight games. ‘Tight virtue games' on Twitter: conformist, punitive. 34:34 Do we need tight games such as religion to function as a society? Has there been a decline in the quality of the kinds of status we can aim for today? Lack of pride and dignity as a hidden form of deprivation in the post-religious world. Is our obsession with virtue nowadays a result of the lack of meaning in our capitalistic lives? 41:52 The shift away from in-person interactions to online interactions. ‘Being listened to' as a form of status that we now seek online. ‘Inflation' of online status in this regard. How the online world negates our brains' complex, evolved social systems. 45:52 Why do smart people believe stupid things? Why do ordinary, decent people do evil things? And how does all this relate to status? How does the status game perspective explain the Nazis? and more on full version.

Are you a rule breaker or a rule follower? Are you married to your opposite? We're both rule followers, and when one builds a life with someone who sees the "NO DOGS IN THE LAKE" sign as an invitation to let the golden retriever go for a swim, one is caught between two bad choices: swallow the horrible anxiety that others might think *you* are the sort of person who has zero consideration for clearly posted signage, or be the stick in the mud who can never loosen up a little. In this episode we discuss why both kinds of people exist, and bump up against each other– and why the "no rules pool" isn't as fun as it sounds how rules limit possibilities, good and bad why humans tend to create more rules during and after times of struggle whether kids are born to be rule followers It's worth the struggle to find the balance for our families. In order for our kids to have the secret thrill of breaking a rule, there need to be a few rules there in the first place. Here are links to some of the writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: Michele Gelfand: Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World jthreenme: Raising a Rule Follower When You're Married To a Rule Breaker Diane Spear: Play By the Relationship Rules! Michele Gelfand for The Guardian: Why countries with 'loose', rule-breaking cultures have been hit harder by Covid Wikipedia: Rumspringa Special thanks to this month's sponsors: Betterhelp Start taking charge of your mental health– no matter where you live! Go to betterhelp.com/fresh to get 10% off your first month of counseling. Membrasin is the totally natural, estrogen-free, clinically proven feminine dryness formula. Go to membrasinlife.com to find out more- and use the code FRESH to get 10% off. Prose is the healthy hair regimen with your name all over it! Get 15% off your first order today! Go to prose.com/laughing.  KiwiCo projects make science, technology, engineering, art, and math super fun– and best of all, kids of all ages can work on them independently! Get your first month FREE on select crates at kiwico.com/motherhood. Green Chef's expert chefs design flavorful recipes that go way beyond the ordinary. Go to greenchef.com/laughing100 and use code laughing100 to get $100 off including free shipping! Happy Dance skin care products are made with premium ingredients, including the highest quality CBD. Get 15% off your first Happy Dance order by going to doahappydance.com/laughing.  Helix customized mattresses will give you the best sleep of your life! Get up to $200 off all mattress orders, plus two free pillows, at helixSleep.com/laughing. Design like a pro with Canva Pro! We use it for all our images– we've upped our game and saved time too. Right now,  you can get a FREE 45-day extended trial when you go to canva.me/fresh. The Cozi Family Organizer is for anyone juggling camp schedules, practices, meetings, doctor's appointments, and maybe a date night once in a while. Download Cozi for free from the app store! Magic Spoon cereal gets protein into your kids' breakfast- and with 0 grams of sugar. Go to magicspoon.com/FRESH and use the code FRESH at checkout to get $5 off! Jane.com is a boutique marketplace featuring the latest in women's fashion, accessories, home decor, children's clothing, and more. You will not believe the prices! Visit jane.com/laughing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we take a mindset quiz that measures how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms.  Inspired from a book written by Michele Gelfand called "Rule Makers and Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World".  We share our results from this online quiz and talk about our personal dealings with tight vs loose mindsets and how this translates to larger social and cultural frictions.   ________________________ If you enjoy this show don't forget to leave a rating! Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehonestdrink_/ Email: thehonestdrink@gmail.com Join Us On WeChat: THD_Official Find us on: Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Ximalaya, 小宇宙, 网易云音乐, Bilibili or anywhere else you get your podcasts.

Today we take a mindset quiz that measures how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms. Inspired from a book written by Michele Gelfand called "Rule Makers and Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World". We share our results from this online quiz and talk about our personal dealings with tight vs loose mindsets and how this translates to larger social and cultural frictions.​If you enjoy this show don't forget to leave a rating and subscribe!Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehonestdrink_/Email: thehonestdrink@gmail.comJoin Us On WeChat: THD_OfficialFind us on: Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Ximalaya, 小宇宙, 网易云音乐, Bilibili or anywhere else you get your podcasts.

Other podcast summaries in Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/5-min-summariesIn other podcast apps, search 'podcast summaries'.Original episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-sense-with-sam-harris/id733163012?i=1000519494970Written summary: https://www.owltail.com/summaries/2ls0Q-248-Order-Freedom

Other podcast summaries in Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/5-min-summariesIn other podcast apps, search 'podcast summaries'.Original episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-sense-with-sam-harris/id733163012?i=1000519494970Written summary: https://www.owltail.com/summaries/2ls0Q-248-Order-Freedom

In this episode of the podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Michele Gelfand about the difference between tight and loose cultures. They discuss the primacy of cultural norms in governing human behavior, the trade-offs between order and freedom, conservatism vs liberalism, sensitivity to threat, scarcity, the COVID pandemic, the Jeffrey Toobin affair, political polarization, the problem of extreme stereotypes, and other topics. Michele Gelfand is a Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Gelfand uses field, experimental, computational and neuroscience methods to understand the evolution of culture and its multilevel consequences. Her work has been published in outlets such as Science, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Psychological Science, and the Journal of Applied Psychology. Gelfand is the founding co-editor of the Advances in Culture and Psychology series (Oxford University Press). Her book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire the World was published by Scribner in 2018. She is the past President of the International Association for Conflict Management and co-founder of the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution. Gelfand was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019. Website: https://www.michelegelfand.com/ Twitter: @MicheleJGelfand

In this episode of the podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Michele Gelfand about the difference between tight and loose cultures. They discuss the primacy of cultural norms in governing human behavior, the trade-offs between order and freedom, conservatism vs liberalism, sensitivity to threat, scarcity, the COVID pandemic, the Jeffrey Toobin affair, political polarization, the problem of extreme stereotypes, and other topics. SUBSCRIBE to listen to the rest of this episode and gain access to all full-length episodes of the podcast at samharris.org/subscribe.

Every single culture and subculture - from states and governments to user segments and brand tribes - falls along the tight-loose continuum. A culture’s tightness or looseness affects people’s perceptions of threat, how they relate to each other, how they consume, and of course the narratives that shape the businesses and brands that form within that culture. In this third episode in our series on Systems In Flux, we’re talking about the invisible systems that make a culture relaxed or rigid, and the surprising tradeoffs involved. Michele Gelfand is a cultural psychologist and author of the book ‘Rule Makers, Rule Breakers’. Her life’s work has been spent researching how tight and loose cultures form in the first place, and if and how they can actually be changed. We talk about how this affects every kind of brand, including international brands, political brands, lifestyle brands, service brands, and CPG.Of all the studied cultural phenomena out there, this is perhaps one of the most important in helping us understand the world at this very moment. Once you understand the concept, it will not only reveal a new perspective on the world of business and branding, it will also reveal the deeper logic beneath the many seemingly illogical things in the world that may have been on your mind lately.Links to interesting things mentioned in this episode and further reading:Rule Makers, Rule Breakers (Amazon):https://www.amazon.com/Rule-Makers-Breakers-Tight-Cultures/dp/1501152939/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=rule+makers+rule+breakers&qid=1619635856&sr=8-1Tightness–looseness: A new framework to understand consumer behavior (Wiley):https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jcps.2017.04.001Why countries with 'loose', rule-breaking cultures have been hit harder by Covid (Guardian):https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2021/feb/01/loose-rule-breaking-culture-covid-deaths-societies-pandemicOne Reason Mergers Fail: The Two Cultures Aren’t Compatible (Harvard Business Review)https://hbr.org/2018/10/one-reason-mergers-fail-the-two-cultures-arent-compatibleMindset Quiz: How Tight or Loose Are You? (MicheleGelfand.com)https://www.michelegelfand.com/tl-quizFor more brand strategy thinking: https://www.theconceptbureau.com/

Michele Gelfand, Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland, and the author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World, joined Sean on the show.

Have you ever thought that your city is too regulated? Or that the city you live in doesn't do enough to police people who break the rules? In this episode, David Edmonds has been speaking to Michele Gelfand, a psychologist whose research on rule makers and rule breakers could change the way we think about our cities. We'll find out why you might be able to tell the time better in a city that's like Switzerland; why Japanese police officers reportedly egged people on to commit more crimes; and why living in a city like San Francisco could make you more creative. Presented by David Edmonds. Produced by Robbie Wojciechowski for the BBC World Service.

Journalist Eric Eyre on his book "Death in Mud Lick" and tracking opioids. Ofir Turel of Cal State Fullerton on like counts on social media. Michele Gelfand of Univ of Maryland on political of fear. Margret Aldrich on Little Free Libraries. James D. Ivory of Virginia Tech Univ on video games and violence.

The United States’ disjointed and detrimental response to the COVID-19 pandemic stands in stark contrast to the actions we’ve seen in other countries. While some people elsewhere seem more than willing to wear masks and avoid close contact with others, many Americans have balked at measures that they see as encroaching on personal freedoms, even as COVID-19 cases begin to spiral out of control once more. There are several factors at play, including what some have described as a failure of leadership at the national level. But, according to Michele Gelfand, a psychology professor at the University of Maryland and author of “Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World,” we can also look to cultural and social norms.

July 7, 2020 - My guest is Michele Gelfand, Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland and author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire the World - her groundbreaking book on how different cultural norms can be classified into tight and loose cultures, along with the implications of those norms. In our discussion, we focus on the importance of these classifications for organizational behavior, both in terms of resiliency and innovation as well as the impact of threat on cultural tendencies. For board members and executives governing the long-term success of their organizations, Michele's findings are essential knowledge. You can also find more about Michele's innovative research on her website.

Transcript"In the United States, we have a relatively low threat history. We're separated by two oceans from other continents. We haven't been afraid of Canada, Mexico, chronically invading us. We haven't been afraid of constant fury from mother nature. And so, as a result, we have a harder time tightening up than other countries under these conditions because it's hard for people to sacrifice the kind of liberty and freedom that we've had for constraints and rules.” - Michele GelfandIn today’s episode, our host Dr. Celine Gounder and former co-host Ron Klain interview two experts, Michele Gelfand and Howard Lavine, about why Republicans and Democrats are so deeply divided over almost everything to do with COVID. They discuss the shift towards identity politics and why people tend to vote along the lines of their chosen political party instead of in their best personal interests, and how this complicates different states’ responses to COVID. They also examine how a community’s history of threats in the past shapes their response to crises today.Michele Gelfand is a professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, and is the author of "Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World." Howard Lavine is the Associate Dean of Social Sciences and a professor of political science and psychology at the University of Minnesota. He's the co-author of the book "Open Versus Closed: Personality, Identity, and the Politics of Redistribution,” and the editor of the journal Advances in Political Psychology.This podcast was created by Just Human Productions. We're powered and distributed by Simplecast. We're supported, in part, by listeners like you.#SARSCoV2 #COVID19 #COVID #coronavirus

What ultimately drives human behaviour? A leading professor of psychology, Michele Gelfand, suggests that culture is one of the last uncharted frontiers. From her pioneering research into cultural and social norms she’s found an important distinction between tight and loose cultures, and their tendency to make or break rules. These social norms or informal rules of conduct determine whether we co-operate or come into conflict, at both the collective and individual levels. This program was first broadcast in June 2019

What ultimately drives human behaviour? A leading professor of psychology, Michele Gelfand, suggests that culture is one of the last uncharted frontiers. From her pioneering research into cultural and social norms she’s found an important distinction between tight and loose cultures, and their tendency to make or break rules. These social norms or informal rules of conduct determine whether we co-operate or come into conflict, at both the collective and individual levels. This program was first broadcast in June 2019

TVOL's first podcast with Michele Gelfand explored an axis of cultural variation from "tight" (strong norms, strongly enforced) to "loose" (tolerant of individual differences). In this new podcast, we explore the distinctive blend of tightness and looseness needed to adapt to the pandemic.    Related Material Michele's book: Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World Institutional and Cultural Factors Predicting Infection Rates and Mortality of COVID-19. (OSF pre-print). Contributors: Michele Gelfand, Joshua Conrad Jackson, Xinyue Pan, Dana Nau, Chi Yue Chiu   --- Become a member of the TVOL1000 and join the Darwinian revolution   Follow This View of Life on Twitter and Facebook   Order the This View of Life book

Today it’s great to have the cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand on the podcast. Dr. Gelfand is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. Gelfand uses field, experimental, computational, and neuroscience methods to understand the evolution of culture– as well as its multilevel consequences for human groups. In addition to publishing numerous articles in many prestigious scientific outlets, she is the author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire the World. In this episode we discuss: What are social norms? The difference between tight and loose cultures The advantages vs. disadvantages of tight vs. loose cultures Why did tight vs. loose cultures evolve in the first place? How chronic threat produces a tight culture Real vs. perceived (imagined) threats How cross-cultural psychology is expanding  The interdisciplinary expansion of the study of social norms How organizations can be tight vs. loose Why the ambidexterity of an organizational culture matters Why people welcomed ISIS in some contexts How to anticipate radical shifts in culture around the world in ways that can be predictable How people differ in terms of what is perceived a threat The potential for meaningful conversation across the political divide The importance of persevering in science How understanding differing cultural codes can help us navigate and negotiate them How can modifying a nation’s norms address protracted social problems? Why Michele is so excited to be in the field now more than ever How these contexts can breed negative behaviors Why we need to exert more control to achieve the Goldilocks principle Why we need to be mindful of social norms Why Michele is hopeful that we can recalibrate social norms that facilitate greater cooperation among cultures

We talk to Dr Michelle Gelfand about who bends, breaks or follows the rules and why.

Chad and Jared talk about Tight and Loose Cultures- a theory invented by Michele Gelfand. They discuss the criteria for being a tight or loose culture, the benefits and drawbacks of the cultural differences, and then also which culture they think best fits them. Of course, they share new Untranslatable phrases and a Song of The Pod. Website: Untranslatablepodcast.com Twitter- @Untranslatable1  Instagram- @untranslatablepodcast Email- Untranslatablepodcast@gmail.com The Untranslatable Podcast is in Video! Check out our Youtube Channel to watch the Pod!

FINDING BALANCE: We want to have everything. We want and need to have rules and structure to protect us and guide our lives. Yet we also crave freedom and independence. We long to have empathy and compassion in our relationships,but we also want to be challenged so that we can grow. Finding Balance In All Things Tight vs. Loose. Protective vs. Forgiving. Planning vs. Being Present. Everything we do exists on a continuum, a spectrum of finding balance between extremes so that we can create a healthy path on every level. Dr. Michele Gelfand is the author of "Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World," she's been on the stage of TedEx, she's been featured on The Hidden Brain podcast, and now she's here with me to share her wisdom with YOU. I hope her fascinating insights help you find a healthy balance in your life. xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby GrowingSelf.com

In order to give you all a break from the talk about the end of the world, this episode has Jonah speaking with psychologist Dr. Michele Gelfand about one of his pet-obsessions: “tight” and “loose” theories of culture. Why do places like Japan and Singapore seem to be in lockstep while the U.S. is so freewheeling? How should we tighten up, culturally, as a response to COVID? And why are Mexican teachers unions so weird? We ask the hard questions here on The Remnant, so don’t miss it. Show Notes: -Michele’s book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers -The complexity of fractals, for those who actually understand math -Michele’s Tight-Loose Quiz -Mexican teaching jobs are given to… teachers’ kids? -The gum-free land of Singapore -D.E. Brown’s list of universal traits across all human cultures -Jonathan Haidt’s article, which then spawned a book, which then spawned a Remnant episode -Robert Wright, The Moral Animal -John Tooby’s “coalition instinct” -Jonah’s Wednesday “news”letter -Michele’s piece on COVID in the Boston Globe -Michele’s “Honor Dictionary” -The fascinating concept of “pluralistic ignorance” -GetBlueVine.com/dingo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we sit down with psychologist Michele Gelfand and discuss her new book: Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. In the book, Gelfand presents her research into norms, and a fascinating new idea. It isn’t norms themselves that predict how cultures will react, evolve, innovate, and clash -- but how different cultures value those and sanction people who violate them. She categorizes all human cultures into two -- kinds, tight and loose -- and argues that all human behavior depends on whether a person lives in tight culture or a loose one. - Show notes at: www.youarenotsosmart.com - Become a patron at: www.patreon.com/youarenotsosmart SPONSORS • The Great Courses: www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/smart See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Living in a loosely regulated society, the very term “social norms” can be vaguely threatening, as if these norms are a threat to freedom always lurking on the periphery. But cultural psychologist Michele J. Gelfand says norms are not the enemy – they are one of our most important inventions. “Culture,” she says, “is this set of values, norms, and assumptions about the world that we’re socialized into from the time we’re babies. We follow social norms and we need social norms to navigate. It’s really an incredible human invention that helps us predict each other’s behavior and coordinate on large-scales on a regular basis.” That said, Gelfand definitely understands that social norms can seem threatening – or reassuring – based on your perch. That’s the basis of her substantial body of scholarship, and it’s a concept neatly encapsulated in her 2016 book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. In her work and her book, Gelfand explores the continuum between “tight cultures,” which strictly enforce and adhere to social norms (think Singapore), and “loose cultures,” which are much more permissive (such as the United States). But in all cultures norms, are, well, normal. We’re constantly following norms – Gelfand points out how people always face the door of an elevator as they ride up and down – and it’s only when we break them that we realize how important they are. “Social norms are the glue,” she tells interviewer David Edmonds in this Social Science Bites podcast, “that keep people together.” How much glue do we need? Gelfand describes the “simple tradeoff” between tight and loose cultures: tight opts for more order and so reaps some of the hallmarks of that, like less crime and more uniformity and more self-control, while loose aims for openness, which can result in more creativity, tolerance for differences, and openness to change. Gelfand also discusses factors that cause the evolution of these differences. One major contributor is the degree to which groups face ecological and human threats (think constant fury from Mother Nature or the threat of invasions). Groups that have a lot of threat need more rules to coordinate to survive—so they tighten, while groups that have less threat can afford to be more permissive. Other factors that promote the need for coordination also lead to tightness (like working in agriculture versus hunting and gathering). Asked if her depiction is a little too neat, Gelfand tells Edmonds she “love[s] the exceptions ... no theory can be a one-to-one prediction.” Plus, her descriptions are “dynamic constructs – they are not static – they can change over time.” As an example, during times of external threat, looser cultures may tighten  up (although it takes much longer, she notes, for tight cultures to get demonstrably looser when pressure wanes). While Gelfand avoids saying one direction is better or worse than the other (and it is a spectrum, not a binary), the extremes of both – tight to repression, loose to chaos – are a concern. She notes that people experiencing either extreme, whether in a company or a country or a household, become dysfunctional. She calls this “the Goldilock’s principle of Tight-Loose”—and argues that groups that are getting too tight need to insert some discretion (what she calls “flexible tightness”) while groups that are getting too loose need to inserts some structure  (what she calls “structured looseness”). Gelfand is a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Psychology and affiliate of the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, where she runs the interdisciplinary Culture Lab in the school’s the Social Decision and Organizational Sciences group. As she says on the lab’s ‘About’ page, “We work with computer scientists, neuroscientists, political scientists, and--increasingly--biologists to understand all things cultural.” In addition to her best-selling book, Gelfand has seen outside validation, such as from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences which elected her to membership in 2019; from the American Psychological Association, which named her the 2017 Outstanding International Psychologist; and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, which gave her its Diener Award in 2016 and Outstanding Cultural Psychologist award in 2019; or the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which bestowed its Annaliese Research Award. 

Psychologist Michele Gelfand talks about her book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Gelfand distinguishes between loose cultures and tight cultures--the degree to which culture and regulation restrict behavior or leave it alone. Gelfand explores the causes of why some cultures are tighter than others and the challenges societies face when culture is too tight or too loose. She also applies these ideas of cultural tightness and looseness to corporate mergers and family life.

Psychologist Michele Gelfand talks about her book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Gelfand distinguishes between loose cultures and tight cultures--the degree to which culture and regulation restrict behavior or leave it alone. Gelfand explores the causes of why some cultures are tighter than others and the challenges societies face when culture is too tight or too loose. She also applies these ideas of cultural tightness and looseness to corporate mergers and family life.

Most people think of cultural differences in terms of race, class, nationality, or religion. Michele Gelfand introduces the concept of 'tight" and "loose", which cuts across all of those other categories.   Michele is a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park and joins David to discuss cultural diversity from an evolutionary perspective and more, including why the working class cares more about following the rules, the fractal nature of social norms, gamma wave synchrony in response to threat, and the strengths and limits of a tight-loose axis approach.   Links from the Episode 00:56- Michele's book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World 04:00- "On the nature of religious diversity: a cultural ecosystem approach" 22:26- Michele's response to David and Harvey Whitehouse's TVOL article, "Developing the Field Site Concept for the Study of Cultural Evolution"   ---   Become a member of the TVOL1000 and join the Darwinian revolution   Follow This View of Life on Twitter and Facebook   Order the This View of Life book

This interview originally aired in February, 2019.

Working with different cultures has become a norm in most organizations. One of the fundamental differences in cultures and in people is about preferring a tight culture versus a loose culture. Tune in to hear what that means, why these have evolved, which is best, how it impacts performance and how to transform your team to achieve it's potential.

Working with different cultures has become a norm in most organizations. One of the fundamental differences in cultures and in people is about preferring a tight culture versus a loose culture. Tune in to hear what that means, why these have evolved, which is best, how it impacts performance and how to transform your team to achieve it's potential.

In Episode 103 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand, who argues that the world’s cultures can be classified into two categories by virtue of their norms. She offers a lucid explanation of how and why cultures become tight or loose, outlining their different societal attitudes. This episode is full of eye-opening insights for development professionals, policymakers and those working in international business.  According to Gelfand, tight cultures have a large number of social norms that enforce order and conformity and tend to evolve in nations that face many natural and human-made threats. Loose cultures, on the other hand, have more lenient norms and tolerate a wider array of behaviors. They generally face fewer chronic threats – but may tighten up temporarily in the event of an acute threat. Furthermore, says Michele, tight and loose cultures each have advantages and disadvantages and it’s possible to modify a nation’s norms in order to address protracted social problems. This is also true in the private sector. In a particularly relevant part of the conversation, Michele describes how businesses also develop tight or loose cultures and how a cultural mismatch can doom a merger or undermine cooperation among a corporation’s divisions. The example she provides is that of Chrysler and Mercedes Benz, but Demetri also raises the example of AOL-Time Warner, perhaps the most prominent failed marriage of the late 90’s stock market boom.  “Tight” cultures, like Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Germany, embrace rigid norms and mete out harsh punishments for those who deviate. “Loose” cultures, including New Zealand, the United States, and Brazil, are more tolerant of a wide assortment of behaviors. According to Dr. Gelfand, when countries, families, companies, and US states all act in accordance with their divergent conceptions of “normal,” misunderstandings and conflict often arise that help to explain many of the phenomena we encounter in daily life, business, and politics. The overtime to this week's episode includes a conversation about changing cultural norms in the workplace, as well as how the norms in some western countries began to change after terrorist attacks.  This overtime segment, as well as the transcript and rundown to the full episode, are available to audiophile, autodidact, and super nerd subscribers through the Hidden Forces Patreon Page. All subscribers also gain access to our overtime feed, which can be easily be added to your favorite podcast application.  Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe & Support the Podcast at http://patreon.com/hiddenforces Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod

The Health Coach Rule Breakers on The Tony DUrso Show with Omar Cumberbatch Michele Gelfand. This show is dedicated to Helping you, make your Vision become a reality. Omar Cumberbatch, founder of The Health Coach Academy, is a Professional Health Coach & Radio Talk Show Host. He received his training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where he was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Michele Gelfand is Distinguished University Professor in Psychology the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her work is cited over 20,000 times featured in Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Voice of America, Fox News, NBC News, ABC News, Morning Joe, The Economist, the Atlantic, Time Magazine, among other outlets. Listen to The Tony DUrso Show on VoiceAmerica Influencers Platform every Friday at 2pm Pacific or on Apple Podcasts.

The Health Coach Rule Breakers on The Tony DUrso Show with Omar Cumberbatch Michele Gelfand. This show is dedicated to Helping you, make your Vision become a reality. Omar Cumberbatch, founder of The Health Coach Academy, is a Professional Health Coach & Radio Talk Show Host. He received his training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where he was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Michele Gelfand is Distinguished University Professor in Psychology the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her work is cited over 20,000 times featured in Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Voice of America, Fox News, NBC News, ABC News, Morning Joe, The Economist, the Atlantic, Time Magazine, among other outlets. Listen to The Tony DUrso Show on VoiceAmerica Influencers Platform every Friday at 2pm Pacific or on Apple Podcasts.

The Health Coach Rule Breakers on The Tony DUrso Show with Omar Cumberbatch Michele Gelfand. This show is dedicated to Helping you, make your Vision become a reality. Omar Cumberbatch, founder of The Health Coach Academy, is a Professional Health Coach & Radio Talk Show Host. He received his training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where he was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Michele Gelfand is Distinguished University Professor in Psychology the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her work is cited over 20,000 times featured in Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Voice of America, Fox News, NBC News, ABC News, Morning Joe, The Economist, the Atlantic, Time Magazine, among other outlets. Listen to The Tony DUrso Show on VoiceAmerica Influencers Platform every Friday at 2pm Pacific or on Apple Podcasts.

The Health Coach Rule Breakers on The Tony DUrso Show with Omar Cumberbatch Michele Gelfand. This show is dedicated to Helping you, make your Vision become a reality. Omar Cumberbatch, founder of The Health Coach Academy, is a Professional Health Coach & Radio Talk Show Host. He received his training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where he was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Michele Gelfand is Distinguished University Professor in Psychology the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her work is cited over 20,000 times featured in Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Voice of America, Fox News, NBC News, ABC News, Morning Joe, The Economist, the Atlantic, Time Magazine, among other outlets. Listen to The Tony DUrso Show on VoiceAmerica Influencers Platform every Friday at 2pm Pacific or on Apple Podcasts.

The Health Coach Rule Breakers on The Tony DUrso Show with Omar Cumberbatch Michele Gelfand. This show is dedicated to Helping you, make your Vision become a reality. Omar Cumberbatch, founder of The Health Coach Academy, is a Professional Health Coach & Radio Talk Show Host. He received his training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where he was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Michele Gelfand is Distinguished University Professor in Psychology the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her work is cited over 20,000 times featured in Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Voice of America, Fox News, NBC News, ABC News, Morning Joe, The Economist, the Atlantic, Time Magazine, among other outlets. Listen to The Tony DUrso Show on VoiceAmerica Influencers Platform every Friday at 2pm Pacific or on Apple Podcasts.

The Health Coach Rule Breakers on The Tony DUrso Show with Omar Cumberbatch Michele Gelfand. This show is dedicated to Helping you, make your Vision become a reality. Omar Cumberbatch, founder of The Health Coach Academy, is a Professional Health Coach & Radio Talk Show Host. He received his training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where he was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Michele Gelfand is Distinguished University Professor in Psychology the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her work is cited over 20,000 times featured in Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Voice of America, Fox News, NBC News, ABC News, Morning Joe, The Economist, the Atlantic, Time Magazine, among other outlets. Listen to The Tony DUrso Show on VoiceAmerica Influencers Platform every Friday at 2pm Pacific or on Apple Podcasts.

A celebrated social psychologist offers a radical new perspective on cultural differences that reveals why some countries, cultures, and individuals take rules more seriously and how following the rules influences the way we think and act. In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, Michele Gelfand, “an engaging writer with intellectual range” (The New York Times Book Review), takes us on an epic journey through human cultures, offering a startling new view of the world and ourselves. With a mix of brilliantly conceived studies and surprising on-the-ground discoveries, she shows that much of the diversity in the way we think and act derives from a key difference—how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms. Just as DNA affects everything from eye color to height, our tight-loose social coding influences much of what we do. Why are clocks in Germany so accurate while those in Brazil are frequently wrong? Why do New Zealand’s women have the highest number of sexual partners? Why are red and blue states really so divided? Why was the Daimler-Chrysler merger ill-fated from the start? Why is the driver of a Jaguar more likely to run a red light than the driver of a plumber’s van? Why does one spouse prize running a tight ship while the other refuses to sweat the small stuff? In search of a common answer, Gelfand spent two decades conducting research in more than fifty countries. Across all age groups, family variations, social classes, businesses, states, and nationalities, she has identified a primal pattern that can trigger cooperation or conflict. Her fascinating conclusion: behavior is highly influenced by the perception of threat. “A useful and engaging take on human behavior” (Kirkus Reviews) with an approach that is consistently riveting, Rule Makers, Ruler Breakers thrusts many of the puzzling attitudes and actions we observe into sudden and surprising clarity.

------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/the-dissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT Anchor (podcast): https://anchor.fm/thedissenter Dr. Michele Gelfand is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. She uses field, experimental, computational, and neuroscience methods to understand the evolution of culture--as well as its multilevel consequences for human groups. Her work has been cited over 20,000 times and has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Voice of America, Fox News, NBC News, ABC News, The Economist, among other outlets. She is the author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire the World (Scribner, 2018). In this episode, we focus on some of the main topics of Dr. Gelfand's book, Rule Markers, Rule Breakers. Dr. Gelfand gives us a definition of tight and loose culture, and then we explore the several different aspects that go associated with the tightness-looseness continuum. We explore its relationship with other ways of approaching culture, like the individualism-collectivism continuum, and if there is any relationship with the Big Five personality traits. We also refer to the divide in the US between the northern and the southern states. We talk about how normative behavior arises in early stages of development in children. Toward the end, we discuss the relationship between tightness and looseness and some health outcomes, and how we can use this framework to potentially solve some relevant contemporary issues, like political polarization. -- Follow Dr. Gelfand's work: Faculty Page: https://bit.ly/2xRVvPv Website: https://bit.ly/2KU4YPx ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/2VbZbIX Books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XRomhl Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World: https://amzn.to/2JCIFvf Twitter handle: @MicheleJGelfand -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, SCIMED, PER HELGE HAAKSTD LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, RUI BELEZA, MIGUEL ESTRADA, ANTÓNIO CUNHA, CHANTEL GELINAS, JERRY MULLER, FRANCIS FORD, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BRIAN RIVERA, ADRIANO ANDRADE, YEVHEN BODRENKO, SERGIU CODREANU, ADAM BJERRE, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, AIRES ALMEIDA, BERNARDO SEIXAS, HERBERT GINTIS, RUTGER VOS, RICARDO VLADIMIRO, BO WINEGARD, AND JOHN CONNORS! A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, ROSEY, AND JIM FRANK!

Physicists study systems that are sufficiently simple that it’s possible to find deep unifying principles applicable to all situations. In psychology or sociology that’s a lot harder. But as I say at the end of this episode, Mindscape is a safe space for grand theories of everything. Psychologist Michele Gelfand claims that there’s a single dimension that captures a lot about how cultures differ: a spectrum between “tight” and “loose,” referring to the extent to which social norms are automatically respected. Oregon is loose; Alabama is tight. Italy is loose; Singapore is tight. It’s a provocative thesis, back up by copious amounts of data, that could shed light on human behavior not only in different parts of the world, but in different settings at work or at school.Support Mindscape on Patreon.Michele Gelfand received her Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Illinois. She is currently Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and affiliate of the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a past president of the International Association for Conflict Management. Among her numerous awards are the Carol and Ed Diener Award in Social Psychology, the Annaliese Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the Outstanding International Psychologist Award from the American Psychological Association.Web siteUniversity of Maryland web pageGoogle ScholarWikipediaTEDx talk on the secret life of social normsRule Makers, Rule BreakersTwitter

Is your organization’s culture tight or loose? It’s not a duality, it’s a dynamic continuum, says Michele Gelfand, professor of psychology at the University of…

Other than air, what is invisible, omnipresent, affects every single human being and yet is taken for granted? The answer is the cultural norms. They are the unspoken rules of social behaviors and shared conventions that everyone is expected follow, but may be doing so without really connecting it to the WHY.On this episode, our guest, distinguished university professor and professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, Michele Gelfand, Ph.D., discusses the concept of looser or tighter cultures and how our deep cultural programming shapes our views and informs our implicit understanding of what's permissible in public versus private settings. In order to achieve goals we aspire, we need strong Executive Function and self-regulation skills that allow us to activate versus inhibit certain decisions and actions. However, without the true understanding of the social or cultural context or the understanding of social conventions, one might fail to comply because of having failed to code-switch.About Dr. Michele GelfandMichele Gelfand is Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Gelfand uses field, experimental, computational and neuroscience methods to understand the evolution of culture and its multilevel consequences. Her work has been published in outlets such as Science, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Psychological Science, Nature Scientific Reports, Nature Human behavior, PLOS 1, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Applied Psychology, Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Research in Organizational Behavior, Annual Review of Psychology, American Psychologist, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, among others.Gelfand is the founding co-editor of the Advances in Culture and Psychology annual series and Frontiers of Culture and Psychology series (with CY Chiu and Ying-Yi Hong, Oxford University Press). She is the Past President of the International Association for Conflict Management, Past Division Chair of the Conflict Division of the Academy of Management, Past Treasurer of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, and co-founder of the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution. She received the 2016 Diener award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the 2017 Outstanding International Psychologist Award from the APA, the 2019 Outstanding Cultural Psychology Award from SPSP, the 2109 Science-Practitioner award from SIOP, and the Annaliese Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation which was given to 7 scientists worldwide for outstanding contributions in their fields. Her work that was published in Science was honored with the Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019.Websitewww.michelegelfand.comWiki Page – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_J._GelfandBookRule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire the WorldSupport the show (https://mailchi.mp/7c848462e96f/full-prefrontal-sign-up)

What ultimately drives human behaviour? A leading professor of psychology, Michele Gelfand, suggests that culture is one of the last uncharted frontiers. From her pioneering research into cultural and social norms she’s found an important distinction between tight and loose cultures, and their tendency to make or break rules. These social norms or informal rules of conduct determine whether we co-operate or come into conflict, at both the collective and individual levels.

Why is it okay - in some cultures - to jaywalk, while in others you could get arrested for jaywalking? Why was marijuana was sold - legally - for years in the streets of Amsterdam when it is only now become legal in the US? The reason: some cultures are what author Michele Gelfand calls "loose" and others are "tight". Here's my first episode on cross-cultural psychology and I think you're going to really enjoy listening to professor Gelfand to find out how our culture's norms shape our attitudes and behavior.

Workplace cultures vary greatly in terms of how strict or loose they are. Ideally, where a given workplace falls on this spectrum reflects the values and necessities of that business or organization. This raises a crucial question for us as leaders: how do we determine what is just the right amount of tightness or looseness in our workplace cultures? Professor Michele Gelfand of the University of Maryland joins Halelly on this episode of The TalentGrow Show to discuss the high impact role of cultural norms in the workplace. Listen to find out what factors tend to determine tightness or looseness in both organizations and nations, how leaders can harness the power of cultural norms to promote a higher level of effectiveness in their workplaces, and how you can use an understanding of Michele’s ideas to help you become a better negotiator. Plus, discover how these ideas can translate usefully on an individual level as well! Be sure to tune in and share what you learn with others. Shownotes: http://www.talentgrow.com/podcast/episode133 Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/1NiWyZo Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=62847&refid=stpr Google Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Ijwlgz7lklnxqnfzjna7gcr65be iHeartRadio Podcasts: http://www.iheart.com/show/263-The-TalentGrow-Show-Gr/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TalentGrow Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/talentgrowshow Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2CpgIk1 Download the free guide: 10 Mistakes Leaders Make and How to Avoid Them http://www.talentgrow.com/10mistakes Don't forget to LEAVE A RATING/REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS! http://apple.co/1NiWyZo

Michele Gelfand is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, and author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. As a cross-cultural psychologist, Michele uses field, experimental, computational, and neuroscience methods to understand the evolution of culture and its consequences. In 2016 she received the Diener award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, which honors a mid-career scholar who has made major contributions to social psychology. She also received the 2017 Outstanding International Psychologist Award from the APA, the 2018 Outstanding Cultural Psychology Award from SPSP, and the Annaliese Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.Michele brings her considerable academic expertise to help us understand our own tight-loose mindsets, the degree to which we adhere to or are more comfortable flouting social norms. She observes that those who veer toward a tight mindset are stricter in their adherence to rules and they value punctuality, order, and accountability. Those who are closer to the other end of the tight-loose continuum are more comfortable with ambiguity, creativity, spontaneity, messiness. Michele wants to help us understand the mindsets of those around us at work, at home, and in our communities. Her aim, as she and Stew discuss in this episode, is to help increase self-awareness as well as an understanding of others’ perspectives so we can better prioritize what we truly value, convey this to others in a way that they can grasp, and come to a negotiated agreement that honors the important contributions of those with both tight and loose mindsets. They discuss how tight and loose mindsets vary across national cultures, organizational cultures, as well as within marriages and families and the critical role that perceived threats play in whether we veer toward a tight or loose mindset. To assess where you are on the tight-loose continuum take her quiz. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is it wiser for a society to be ‘tight’ – strictly enforcing social rules, or ‘loose’ – in which social rule-breaking barely raise an eyebrow? What do social norms have to do with a sense of threat? And might wise leaders have worked out how to dynamically calibrate the tightness or looseness of their organisations as the situation demands? Michele Gelfand joins Igor and Charles to discuss the role of threat in ‘tight vs loose’ societies, the goldilocks principle, ‘real vs perceived’ threat’s in Trump’s America, autocratic recidivism, rum-fuelled meetings, transgressive hand puppets, and the case for recalibrating the internet. Igor reflects on the tight-loose contradictions at the beating heart of the Disney Corporation, Michele cautions against ‘flipping-off’ drivers in the honour culture of the southern states, and Charles makes peace with his inner spirit muppet, Kermit the frog. Welcome to Episode 14. Special Guest: Michele Gelfand.

MICHELE GELFAND is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is the author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire the World. The Conversation: https://www.edge.org/conversation/michele_gelfand-cultural-intelligence

In this episode, we sit down with psychologist Michele Gelfand and discuss her new book: Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. In the book, Gelfand presents her research into norms, and a fascinating new idea. It isn’t norms themselves that predict how cultures will react, evolve, innovate, and clash -- but how different cultures value those and sanction people who violate them. She categorizes all human cultures into two -- kinds, tight and loose -- and argues that all human behavior depends on whether a person lives in tight culture or a loose one. - Show notes at: www.youarenotsosmart.com - Become a patron at: www.patreon.com/youarenotsosmart SPONSORS • The Great Courses: www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/smart See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this wide-ranging conversation Dr. Shermer talks with the author of the new book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World, Dr. Michele Gelfand, Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her pioneering research into cultural norms has been cited thousands of times in the press, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, and Science, and on NPR. As a cultural psychologist, Dr. Gelfand takes us on an epic journey through human cultures, offering a startling new view of the world and ourselves. With a mix of brilliantly conceived studies and surprising on-the-ground discoveries, she shows that much of the diversity in the way we think and act derives from a key difference—how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms. Why are clocks in Germany so accurate while those in Brazil are frequently wrong? Why do New Zealand’s women have the highest number of sexual partners? Why are “Red” and “Blue” States really so divided? Why is the driver of a Jaguar more likely to run a red light than the driver of a plumber’s van? Why does one spouse prize running a “tight ship” while the other refuses to “sweat the small stuff?” In search of a common answer, Gelfand has spent two decades conducting research in more than fifty countries. Across all age groups, family variations, social classes, businesses, states and nationalities, she’s identified a primal pattern that can trigger cooperation or conflict. Her fascinating conclusion: behavior is highly influenced by the perception of threat. Dr. Shermer and Dr. Gelfand discuss these and other interesting topics: examples of tightness and looseness in everything from parenting to international politics the motivation of suicide terrorists globalization and why it has been so disruptive Trump and why he won how Liberals and Conservatives think why gum is not allowed in Singapore but guns are allowed in America lessons from Jack Nickolson’s speech in A Few Good Men George Lakoff’s theory of moral politics and how that relates to tightness-looseness Jonathan Haidt’s theory of moral foundations and how that relates to tightness-looseness Alan Fiske’s Relational Models theory and how that relates to tightness-looseness. Listen to Science Salon via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Soundcloud. This Science Salon was recorded on February 13, 2019. You play a vital part in our commitment to promote science and reason. If you enjoy the Science Salon Podcast, please show your support by making a donation, or by becoming a patron.  

In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World(Scribner Books, 2018), Dr. Michele Gelfand leverages cultural psychology research to examine social norms and their implications on individuals, organizations, and nations.  Dr. Gelfand examines how the threat environment shapes a nation’s culture, as well as how organizations, such as the military, are shaped by cultural forces. Rule Makers, Rule Breakers is written for a broad audience and includes research that national security readers will find particularly noteworthy. For example, Dr. Gelfand’s research on the Arab Spring in Egypt is an interesting case study of culture’s broader role in politics and national security. Beth Windisch is a national security practitioner. You can tweet her @bethwindisch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World(Scribner Books, 2018), Dr. Michele Gelfand leverages cultural psychology research to examine social norms and their implications on individuals, organizations, and nations.  Dr. Gelfand examines how the threat environment shapes a nation’s culture, as well as how organizations, such as the military, are shaped by cultural forces. Rule Makers, Rule Breakers is written for a broad audience and includes research that national security readers will find particularly noteworthy. For example, Dr. Gelfand’s research on the Arab Spring in Egypt is an interesting case study of culture’s broader role in politics and national security. Beth Windisch is a national security practitioner. You can tweet her @bethwindisch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World(Scribner Books, 2018), Dr. Michele Gelfand leverages cultural psychology research to examine social norms and their implications on individuals, organizations, and nations.  Dr. Gelfand examines how the threat environment shapes a nation’s culture, as well as how organizations, such as the military, are shaped by cultural forces. Rule Makers, Rule Breakers is written for a broad audience and includes research that national security readers will find particularly noteworthy. For example, Dr. Gelfand’s research on the Arab Spring in Egypt is an interesting case study of culture’s broader role in politics and national security. Beth Windisch is a national security practitioner. You can tweet her @bethwindisch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World(Scribner Books, 2018), Dr. Michele Gelfand leverages cultural psychology research to examine social norms and their implications on individuals, organizations, and nations.  Dr. Gelfand examines how the threat environment shapes a nation's culture, as well as how organizations, such as the military, are shaped by cultural forces. Rule Makers, Rule Breakers is written for a broad audience and includes research that national security readers will find particularly noteworthy. For example, Dr. Gelfand's research on the Arab Spring in Egypt is an interesting case study of culture's broader role in politics and national security. Beth Windisch is a national security practitioner. You can tweet her @bethwindisch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology

In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World(Scribner Books, 2018), Dr. Michele Gelfand leverages cultural psychology research to examine social norms and their implications on individuals, organizations, and nations.  Dr. Gelfand examines how the threat environment shapes a nation’s culture, as well as how organizations, such as the military, are shaped by cultural forces. Rule Makers, Rule Breakers is written for a broad audience and includes research that national security readers will find particularly noteworthy. For example, Dr. Gelfand’s research on the Arab Spring in Egypt is an interesting case study of culture’s broader role in politics and national security. Beth Windisch is a national security practitioner. You can tweet her @bethwindisch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World(Scribner Books, 2018), Dr. Michele Gelfand leverages cultural psychology research to examine social norms and their implications on individuals, organizations, and nations.  Dr. Gelfand examines how the threat environment shapes a nation’s culture, as well as how organizations, such as the military, are shaped by cultural forces. Rule Makers, Rule Breakers is written for a broad audience and includes research that national security readers will find particularly noteworthy. For example, Dr. Gelfand’s research on the Arab Spring in Egypt is an interesting case study of culture’s broader role in politics and national security. Beth Windisch is a national security practitioner. You can tweet her @bethwindisch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

University of Maryland professor and cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our Minds." In this episode: (01:14) How Gelfand became a cultural psychologist; (03:12) Why some countries have more rules than others; (08:35) Are techies rule breakers?; (13:28) What changes as successful companies get bigger?; (18:38) Why didn't anyone think about the psychological impact of the internet?; (23:18) Is there really a "Goldilocks" solution to rule culture?; (28:39) Are we entering an era of rule making?; (32:03) Can people find common ground on the internet?; (34:46) What should tech leaders be thinking about?; (39:53) What they should do now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 180 - Dr. Michele Gelfand discusses her book "Rule Makers, Rule Breakers," and how 'tight and loose' cultures wire our world. Michele is a cultural psychologist and a distinguished professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her groundbreaking research has been featured in places like the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Boston Globe...and in national media like NPR, NBC, ABC, among many others. In 2017 she received the Outstanding International Psychologist Award from the American Psychological Association. Host, Kevin Craine Want to be a guest? http://Everyday-MBA.com/guest

Kelly connects with Professor Michele Gelfand whose study of culture has led her to believe that our behaviors and attitudes are largely based on whether we our product of tight cultures or loose cultures. [audio http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3560027/3560027_2018-10-24-172427.64kmono.mp3]

Award-winning social psychologist Michele Gelfand explains how the clash between ‘tight’ and ‘loose’ cultures drives many of our most polarised and intractable global challenges. With rave reviews from heavyweights such as Steven Pinker, Robert Cialdini, Anne-Marie Slaughter and Carol Dweck, Professor Michele Gelfand’s ‘ground-breaking analysis’ of cultural divides ‘Rule Makers, Rule Breakers’ has been hailed as the manual for how we approach today’s most intractable challenges. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday 18th September 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/10/how-culture-divides-us

Rule Makers & Rule Breakers A fascinating interview with Michele Gelfand about her new book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, and the exploration of the powerful forces tight and loose cultures play in wiring the world. Michele Gelfand is a celebrated cultural psychologist having spent two decades of research within this field. Michele takes us on an epic journey through human cultures, offering a startling new view of the world and ourselves. It's not often that we think of how cultures determine our behaviours however with many great examples Michele delivers some surprising discoveries. She explains why and how much of the diversity in the way that we think and act, derives from a key difference—how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms. Enjoy!

Kathryn interviews cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand PhD, author of “Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World”. In 2011, Gelfand and her colleagues conducted a major cross-cultural investigation of the behaviors of 7,000 people in more than 30 countries. This led Gelfand to develop the tightness-looseness classification system of cultures that is the focus of her new book. Gelfand, Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, is featured in The Washington Post, NPR and the NYTimes. Kathryn also interviews humanitarian Hanna Jaff Bosdet, star of the Netflix series “Made in Mexico”. Bosdet was born in San Diego to a Mexican (Catholic) mother and a Kurdish (Muslim) father and learned from a young age about bias and discrimination; in America it is not socially ideal to be either Mexican or Muslim, and she is both. Bosdet knew these biases were wrong, and she was determined to change that narrative.

Kathryn interviews cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand PhD, author of “Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World”. In 2011, Gelfand and her colleagues conducted a major cross-cultural investigation of the behaviors of 7,000 people in more than 30 countries. This led Gelfand to develop the tightness-looseness classification system of cultures that is the focus of her new book. Gelfand, Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, is featured in The Washington Post, NPR and the NYTimes. Kathryn also interviews humanitarian Hanna Jaff Bosdet, star of the Netflix series “Made in Mexico”. Bosdet was born in San Diego to a Mexican (Catholic) mother and a Kurdish (Muslim) father and learned from a young age about bias and discrimination; in America it is not socially ideal to be either Mexican or Muslim, and she is both. Bosdet knew these biases were wrong, and she was determined to change that narrative.

On the #RADIO show we cover the campaign to stop Kavanaugh; the latest in stopping human rights abuses in the name of immigration enforcement; the new book 'Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World; and why voting is more important now than ever. *Special guests include Bob Bland, Women’s March, @womensmarch; Khadija Gurnah, MomsRising, @MomsRising; Michele Gelfand, @MicheleJGelfand; and Donna Norton, @MomsRising.   featuring music from bensound.com

You probably just assume food grown organically is healthier – and maybe it is. But you also probably think that organic food tastes better. You may not think you think that – but you do. We start this episode with an explanation as to why. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2302835/Organic-food-labels-trick-thinking-food-healthier-tastier.htmlConspiracy theories abound! I’m sure you’ve heard that some people believe the U.S. government was behind the 9/11 attacks or the Holocaust never happened or that the mafia really killed President Kennedy – or was it Castro? Where do these theories come from? Why do people believe them? And how do you have a conversation with someone if you think what they believe is crazy? Mick West, author of the book, Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories using Facts, Logic, and Respect (https://amzn.to/2R1HyXI) has researched conspiracy theories and the people who believe them and he has some great insight and advice for the next time you find yourself talking to someone who believes the world is really flat!Over half the population has foot problems that hamper their daily lives. So I reveal some proven strategies to help alleviate and/or prevent those problems so your feet stay happy. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-footpain-ess.htmlEvery culture is governed by rules – whether it is a nation, an organization, group or a family. Some cultures have very tight and strict rules while others take a more laid back approach. But which is better? Do you humans excel under strict regulations or is loose and easy a better way? Well, it all depends, according to cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand author of the book, Rule Makers Rule Breakers : How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World (https://amzn.to/2xRrRcE). She joins me to explain the fascinating reasons why different cultures adopt tight or loose controls and how those rules impact the lives of people they affect.This Week's SponsorsRobinhood. To open your free account and get your FREE stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint to help build your portfolio! Sign up at something.robinhood.comAncestry. To get 20% off your Ancestry DNA Kit go to www.ancestry.com/somethingGlip. To open your free, full-featured GLIP account go to www.glip.com/something

Kavanaugh accuser Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Brett Kavanaugh, the Kavanaugh vote and a look at RULE MAKERS, RULE BREAKERS and how our classification effects our politics with cultural psychologist and author of the book of the same title, Michele Gelfand, the topics we explore on The Halli Casser-Jayne Show the podcast posted at Halli Casser-Jayne dot com. Also joining me at my table in our weekly politics segment, Podcast America, is journalist Matthew Cooper. As we do every week, newsman Matthew Cooper will join me for our politics segment, PODCAST AMERICA, in which Matt and I slice and dice all things politics. Matthew Cooper is known for his in-depth reporting and analysis from Washington. Mr Cooper has worked for some of America's most prestigious magazines including Time, Newsweek, The New Republic, National Journal and U.S. News & World Report. He now serves as a contributing editor to Washingtonian magazine. For the record, Cooper also earned national attention during the CIA leak case when he was held in contempt of court and threatened with imprisonment for his refusal to name his sources and to testify before the Grand Jury regarding the Valerie Plame CIA leak investigation, a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court. He has appeared on 60 Minutes,Meet the Press, Hardball, The O'Reilly Factor and This Week with George Stephanopoulos. He has covered Donald Trump extensively, his hard-hitting and insightful profiles of “The Donald” always well-worth the read.In her provocative new book, RULE MAKERS, RULE BREAKERS: HOW TIGHT AND LOOSE CULTURES WIRE OUR WORLD, celebrated cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand shows that much of the diversity in the way we as a people think and act derives from a simple difference—“tight” (rigid social norms) versus “loose” (weak social norms). Sensing threats, tight cultures (whether large nations or small, close-knit groups) insist on social order. Feeling safe, loose cultures promote individual expression—sometimes to excess. Is this the source of America's great divide and how, for instance, do we apply this theory to opinions on Kavanaugh accuser Dr. Christine Blasey Ford?A Distinguished Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, Gelfand used field, experimental, computational, and neuroscience methods to understand the evolution of culture--as well as its multilevel consequences for human groups. Her work has been cited over 20,000 times and has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Voice of America, Fox News, NBC News, ABC News, The Economist, among other outlets. In an era that is more divided than ever, RULE MAKERS, RULE BREAKERS offers a startling new lens through which we can see exactly why others stake out the positions they do, and with that new perspective, reap—for the first time—the benefits other cultures have to offer.Kavanaugh Accuser Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Brett Kavanaugh, The Senate , mediation, the Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade, a fascinating show this week on The Halli Casser-Jayne Show, the podcast posted at Halli Casser-Jayne dot com.

When we try to explain cultural differences, we often turn to descriptions of east versus west, rich versus poor or, in U.S. politics, red versus blue. But Michele Gelfand, author of the book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World, argues that we’re overlooking the most comprehensive explanation of all – how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms. Michele is Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park, and her pioneering research into cultural norms has been cited in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, Science, and on NPR. Drawing on decades of research conducted in over 50 countries, Michele shares how these cultural characteristics play out around the world. In this interview we discuss: How our unwritten rules of behavior are the glue that holds societies together How tight cultures typically have stronger social norms than their loose culture counterparts Just how early we begin to learn social norms – typically by the age of 3 How our social norms affect our behavior from morning to night How social norms can cause us to follow along even when we don’t agree Why they play an important role in what we can accomplish as a society The tradeoffs of tight versus loose cultures when it comes to creativity, safety, openness, and cooperation How disasters, diseases, and diversity serve as indicators of tight versus loose cultures The dynamic nature of tight and loose cultures in response to temporary vs long-term environmental threats The role of social status and power in relation to tight vs loose cultures The impact of organizational tightness versus looseness on the success of mergers and acquisitions Why we should seek tight-loose ambidexterity to accommodate change How culturally ambidextrous leaders are more successful than their rigid counterparts Times we might compromise or negotiate with others when it comes to tight vs loose How our social norms will influence robot behavior Links to Topics Mentioned in the Podcast @MicheleJGelfand https://www.michelegelfand.com/ Culture Lab Solomon Asch The Secret to Our Success by Joseph Heinrich Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me! Robert Levine The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle Fractal Betty Dukes Tom Curley The Muppets If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and review it on iTunes - your ratings make all the difference. For automatic delivery of new episodes, be sure to subscribe. And thank you for listening and sharing! Thank you, as well, to my producer and editor, Rob Mancabelli. www.gayleallen.net LinkedIn @GAllenTC

On The Gist, National Review has one good take on the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation story … and a lot of bad ones. In the interview, we’re used to thinking of societies along the “liberal/conservative” spectrum, but cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand has her own axis to consider: tight versus loose. They aren’t quite the same: Abu Dhabi, for instance, may be conservative, but its role as the crossroads of the Middle East lends it looser norms. In Scandinavia, we’ve got the opposite. Gelfand’s book is Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. In the Spiel, you wrote in, and Mike read up: It’s time for the Lobstar of the Antentwig. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On The Gist, National Review has one good take on the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation story … and a lot of bad ones. In the interview, we’re used to thinking of societies along the “liberal/conservative” spectrum, but cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand has her own axis to consider: tight versus loose. They aren’t quite the same: Abu Dhabi, for instance, may be conservative, but its role as the crossroads of the Middle East lends it looser norms. In Scandinavia, we’ve got the opposite. Gelfand’s book is Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. In the Spiel, you wrote in, and Mike read up: It’s time for the Lobstar of the Antentwig. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We spend hours and hours talking about the divides in America and the world today. Red and Blue divisions, class divisions, social sorting, urban vs. rural, left vs. right, progress vs. conservative and the ways we look for the world to make sense. But what if there were an overlay to all of this? One that, while not exactly putting us in neat little boxes, does help explain a core reason for so much of contemporary division. Michele Gelfand, a Professor of Psychology at the Univ. of Maryland,Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World takes us inside this idea in My conversation with Michele Gelfand:

Hurricane Florence is expected to wreak havoc on the Carolinas, Congress is racing to fund the government, and one of our favorite TV writers and producers has revealed that Les Moonves harassed her. We talk about how Designing Women impacted us and how rare strong female characters have been in the history of television. Then, we talk to Professor Michele Gelfand about her research regarding tight and loose cultures and how they affect our politics and our world. Recommended Resources: Linda Bloodworth Thomason articleMichele Gelfand website Tightness–looseness across the 50 united statesTo support the show and get access to regular bonus content, visit our Patreon page. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michele Gelfand is professor of psychology at the University of Maryland and author of the just-released Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. In her conversation with Tyler, Michele unpacks the concept of tight and loose cultures and more, including which variable best explains tightness, the problem with norms, whether Silicon Valley has an honor culture, the importance of theory and history in guiding research, what Donald Trump gets wrong about negotiation, why MBAs underrate management, the need to develop cultural IQ, and why mentorship should last a lifetime. Order Michele's book here. Transcript and links Follow Michele on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Instagram Email

Why, wonders University of Maryland psychology professor Michele Gelfand, are the clocks in Brazil so often wrong, while in Germany the clocks can be counted on? What explains the difference between New Zealand, where prostitution is legal, and Singapore, where chewing gum brings severe sanctions? In “Rule Makers, Rule Breakers,” Gelfand traces all of this, and so much more, to a single variable: the “tightness” of a culture. She explains the origins of tight (or loose) cultures in countries, in states, in companies, even in families—and then takes readers through the myriad implications, from politics to parenting. Join Leonard as he asks Michele about the research that went into this unique work.

Mike talks to University of Maryland cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand about her new book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire the World ( https://amzn.to/2NR0idG ). Topics Mike and Michele discuss include: * the importance of culture in understanding politics * why some cultures are 'tight' and others are 'loose' * the advantages and disadvantages of tightness and looseness * tight culture support for 'loose' Donald Trump * the geography of tightness and looseness in the United States * threat perception, political ideology, and tightness * if the United States should be tighter or looser than it is * how tight and loose cultures can better communicate * and lots more Follow Michele Gelfand on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/michelejgelfand ) *Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible*. If you're interested in supporting the show, go to politicsguys.com/support ( http://www.politicsguys.com/support ). Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy