Richard Shotton

Richard Shotton

Behavioural science writer whose The Choice Factory (2018) applies 25 cognitive biases to marketing, including the pratfall effect.

Who they are

Shotton writes for marketers and pairs published research with his own small experiments. His chapter on the pratfall effect advises brands to admit small flaws and to stop hiding negative reviews, and explains the rarity of such advertising by the incentives of those who approve it.

Key papers

Shotton, R. (2018). The Choice Factory: 25 Behavioural Biases That Influence What We Buy. Harriman House.

Key ideas

See The Pratfall Effect and The Blemishing Effect.

Sources

  1. Shotton, R. (2018). The Choice Factory. Read in full by this publication, with a reliability audit.