<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Brain Primer</title><description>Brain Primer explains the psychology behind money, scams, business collapses and everyday decisions, through short illustrated stories and films.</description><link>https://thebrainprimer.com/</link><language>en</language><item><title>The Cobra Effect: why smart people pay for the wrong thing</title><link>https://thebrainprimer.com/cobra-effect/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://thebrainprimer.com/cobra-effect/</guid><description>Why paying for results so often backfires: Delhi&apos;s cobras, Hanoi&apos;s rat catchers, a bank&apos;s fake accounts, and the question that catches it in ten seconds.</description><pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2026 06:30:00 GMT</pubDate><category>Incentives &amp; Game Theory</category></item><item><title>Why fines backfire: the daycare that made parents later</title><link>https://thebrainprimer.com/why-fines-backfire/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://thebrainprimer.com/why-fines-backfire/</guid><description>A daycare fined parents who came late and got more late parents. What a fine, a fee or a payment can quietly switch off, and how to keep it on.</description><pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2026 06:29:00 GMT</pubDate><category>Incentives &amp; Game Theory</category></item><item><title>Why a bigger bonus can make you worse at your job</title><link>https://thebrainprimer.com/bigger-bonus-worse-performance/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://thebrainprimer.com/bigger-bonus-worse-performance/</guid><description>Researchers in India offered villagers up to a month&apos;s spending to win simple games. What the biggest prize did, and when big rewards help or hurt.</description><pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2026 06:28:00 GMT</pubDate><category>Incentives &amp; Game Theory</category></item><item><title>When pay for performance works: the windshield test</title><link>https://thebrainprimer.com/when-paying-for-results-works/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://thebrainprimer.com/when-paying-for-results-works/</guid><description>One company paid installers per windshield and output rose about 44 percent. Why it worked when bounties, fines and big bonuses backfired.</description><pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2026 06:27:00 GMT</pubDate><category>Incentives &amp; Game Theory</category></item></channel></rss>