Which is a pity since despite his demonstrated genius in economics, his appreciation of how psychological forces shape human behavior seems nonexistent.

FORBES: Paul Krugman Is Kryptonite To Entrepreneurs

In his book Thinking Fast and Slow, Nobel Prize winning economist Daniel Kahneman cites compelling research done in the lab of Dr. Kathleen Vohs at the University of Minnesota on the psychological effects of money on human behavior.

FORBES: What Drives The Best Entrepreneurs? Hint: It's Not Money

Ariely, 43, a professor of psychology and behavioral economics, is among the most creative of a new breed of social scientists charting the numerous ways our psychological quirks cause us to deviate from rational behavior.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Here's an alternative hypothesis, one for the behavioral economists to look into: Maybe diet soda creates a psychological illusion of self-denial and thereby encourages gluttonous behavior.

WSJ: Best of the Web Today: The Other Obesity Problem

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, founder of the Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic, said many animal dysfunctions mimic human psychological issues.

CNN: Why I feed my cat happy pills

Everywhere we turn, psychological tests are available to help us better understand ourselves and our own behavior.

FORBES: By Stephen Horan, PhD, CFA, CIPM