Plot Synopsis

Behavior change expert Daniel Pink uses a series of experiments that show how to apply the power of persuasion so people act in a way that reduces stress, minimizes annoyances, improves health and increases happiness. Using hidden cameras to record his results, Pink tackles the seemingly impossible task of righting everyday wrongs -- from convincing partygoers to clean up their streets to introducing targets in men's restrooms to reduce cleaning bills -- by performing his tests in various American cities, including Brooklyn, Austin, New Orleans, Orlando, Washington D.C., Dallas, Providence, the Jersey Shore, and more. With 20 years of experience studying why people do the things they do, Pink draws on academic theories and enlists an elite team of designers, builders and technologists to change bad behavior into good. Using the power of guilt, fear, shame and outright lying, CROWD CONTROL curates social behavior in ways that have real-life applications. Each half-hour episode focuses on a different theme, including: lawbreakers, as Pink uses a musical road in New Mexico to reward people for going the speed limit instead of penalizing speeding motorists; lazy nation, as Pink transforms Bourbon Street revelers into unpaid street cleaners by using a trivia quiz trash can; travel tricks, as Pink attempts to reduce the anxiety of retrieving luggage by using a mechanical friend to enforce a boundary near the baggage-claim conveyer belt; anger management, as Pink tries to make people happier at the DMV in Orlando by using a laughter expert with an infectious giggle and sophisticated face recognition software; and other topics like dirty deeds, selfishness, money, food for thought, and more.