What the World’s ‘Best Chat-Up Line’ Reveals About Human Psychology

Professor Richard Wiseman wanted to discover the world’s #1 chat-up line.

But in doing so, he discovered several secrets behind human psychology.

On today’s Nudge he covers:

1) Why councils shouldn’t pay people to sweep litter

2) How a saleswoman doubled her likeability

3) The picture Richard uses to never lose his wallet

4) And the #1 chat-up line

---

Richard’s book Quirkology: https://amzn.to/4shYOJ6

Richard’s book 59 Seconds: https://amzn.to/3Pf9pWI

Richard’s SubStack: https://richardwiseman.substack.com/

Join 11,934 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list

Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/

---

Aronson, E., Willerman, B., & Floyd, J. (1966). The effect of a pratfall on increasing interpersonal attractiveness. Psychonomic Science, 4, 227–228.

Hornstein, H. A., Fisch, E., & Holmes, M. (1968). Influence of a model’s feeling about his behavior and his relevance as a comparison on other observers’ helping behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10(3), 222–226.

Kohn, A. (1993). Punished by rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A’s, praise, and other bribes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Lepper, M. R., Greene, D., & Nisbett, R. E. (1973). Undermining children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the “overjustification” hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 28, 129–137.