A unique compendium of the latest behavioural insights, distilled, applied and combined to strengthen your ideas

When it comes to reducing obesity, evidence shows that changing food environments is more effective than measures that try to educate or change the behaviour of individuals. The interventions that participants consider to be most acceptable are the same as those that they perceived to be most effective at tackling obesity. However, the interventions that were reported to be least effective and least acceptable — such as reducing portion sizes and the taxation of unhealthy foods — may actually have the greatest potential for promoting healthy eating at the population level. While we must be cautious with how we interpret correlations like this, it suggests that addressing the disconnect between the evidence base and public understanding may be a viable way of influencing public acceptability

Wow - detailed and useful guide to creating a strategy

We present four strategies, informed by behavioural science, that government and researchers can deploy to improve the use of evidence in policy decisions.

Developed over several years, the BehaviourWorks Method is a tried and tested approach to changing behaviours. Consisting of three primary phases - Exploration, Deep Dive and Application - The Method can be used in full, or in parts, to gather evidence on the behaviour change approach that is most likely to work.

We’re delighted to invite you to download the latest version of the Behavioral Science Annual – a collection of case studies filled with social interventions and applied behavioral science. This year the Annual is truly global, meaning you’ll find a whole collection of international cases, from: Tackling childhood malnourishment in Andean communities Incentivizing COVID-19 vaccination among Chicago youth Reducing drink driving on Australian country roads Creating the habit of hand washing with soap in rural Indian schools Addressing the high drop-off rates of stem-cell donors Preventing hidden hunger in West African countries Reducing food waste by redesigning bread packaging Giving new life to the end slices of a loaf Making the health benefits of Yogurt+ attractive and understandable Fighting night crime in Melbourne’s darkest streets Tackling overcrowding in French train stations Reducing waste being dumped outside of bins in London’s borough of Westminster

Approximately 1 in 5 Australians experience a mental disorder every year, costing the Australian economy $56.7 billion per year; therefore, prevention and early intervention are urgently needed. This study reports the evaluation results of a social marketing pilot program that aimed to improve the well-being of young adults. The Elevate Self Growth program aimed to help participants perform various well-being behaviors, including screen time reduction, quality leisure activities, physical activity, physical relaxation, meditation and improved sleep habits. A multi-method evaluation was undertaken to assess Elevate Self Growth for the 19 program participants who paid to participate in the proof-of-concept program. Social Cognitive Theory was used in the program design and guided the evaluation. A descriptive assessment was performed to examine the proof-of-concept program. Considerations were given to participants’ levels of program progress, performance of well-being behaviors, improvements in well-being, and program user experience. Participants who had made progress in the proof-of-concept program indicated improved knowledge, skills, environmental support and well-being in line with intended program outcomes. Program participants recommended improvements to achieve additional progress in the program, which is strongly correlated with outcome changes observed. These improvements are recommended for the proof-of-concept well-being program prior to moving to a full randomized control trial. This paper presents the initial data arising from the first market offerings of a theoretically mapped proof-of-concept and reports insights that suggest promise for approaches that apply Social Cognitive Theory in well-being program design and implementation.

Food waste is a systemic problem, with waste occurring at all stages in the supply chain and consumption process. There is a need to unpack which strategies, approaches and tools can be applied to reduce the amount of food wasted. Understanding the extent of social marketing principles used offers insights into the additional means that can be applied to increase voluntary behavioral change.

It explores the toolbox of the behavioral manager as Samuel answers ten questions from Henrik related to organizational behavior change.

Social and behavioral science research proliferated during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the substantial increase in influence of behavioral science in public health and public policy more broadly. This review presents a comprehensive assessment of 742 scientific articles on human behavior during COVID-19. Two independent teams evaluated 19 substantive policy recommendations (“claims”) on potentially critical aspects of behaviors during the pandemic drawn from the most widely cited behavioral science papers on COVID-19. Teams were made up of original authors and an independent team, all of whom were blinded to other team member reviews throughout. Both teams found evidence in support of 16 of the claims; for two claims, teams found only null evidence; and for no claims did the teams find evidence of effects in the opposite direction. One claim had no evidence available to assess. Seemingly due to the risks of the pandemic, most studies were limited to surveys, highlighting a need for more investment in field research and behavioral validation studies. The strongest findings indicate interventions that combat misinformation and polarization, and to utilize effective forms of messaging that engage trusted leaders and emphasize positive social norms.

All in all, participants got to see the hidden perspectives of a reference group: their fellow students. The stories and assurances didn’t come from professors or administrators, people outside their reference group. By learning these new perspectives, students might look at their adversities on campus a little differently, as a normal part of adjusting to college. Like encouragement we might get from a close friend at a time when we feel adrift, the message in our study sought to make people feel less like a ship lost at sea and more like co-travelers taking the first steps on a journey full of possibility. The stories turned uncertainty about belonging into a basis of connection rather than shame.

Behavior Audit - user journey Miro board

1. Introduction 6 1.1. Definitions 6 1.2. What is behaviour, and why does it matter in a crisis? 6 2. What will people do in a crisis? 7 2.1. What common assumptions are made about crisis behaviour? 7 2.2. How can we anticipate actual crisis behaviour? 9 2.3. How does trust in government, or lack of it, influence crisis behaviour? 11 3. How can communications encourage the right behaviours in a crisis? 12 3.1. How should we communicate in a crisis? 12 3.2. How should we communicate about threats and risks? 14 3.3. How can communications change public risk perception? 17 3.4. How can we make the most of the public’s assistance? 19 3.5. How can communications encourage compliance with guidance and regulations? 21 4. How can communications discourage harmful behaviour in a crisis? 23 4.1. How can we avoid negative backlash effects? 23 4.2. How can communications help maintain social order? 24 4.3. How can communications maintain trust in a crisis? 26 5. Case study: COVID-19 pandemic

people are more likely to comply with health recommendations when diseases are anthropomorphized and given human-like traits, such as names, personalities, or jobs.

BC patterns are a collection of reoccurring solutions used in Behavioural Design to change people’s behaviour. They are patterns that designers, change makers and problem solvers can consider when solving people problems and designing behaviour change.

Iceland went from 42% of its 15 and 16 year olds having been drunk in the past month in 1998 to only 5% in 2018. This change is a great case study in offering alternative behaviors and shifting social norms on a national scale.

Behavioral research clearly shows that our preferences depend on the context in which we make decisions. It is, therefore, more important to understand how a situation affects (purchasing) decisions rather than how people with similar traits tend to behave.

Why people do or do not change their beliefs has been a long-standing puzzle. Sometimes people hold onto false beliefs despite ample contradictory evidence; sometimes they change their beliefs without sufficient reason. Here, we propose that the utility of a belief is derived from the potential outcomes associated with holding it. Outcomes can be internal (e.g., positive/negative feelings) or external (e.g., material gain/loss), and only some are dependent on belief accuracy. Belief change can then be understood as an economic transaction in which the multidimensional utility of the old belief is compared against that of the new belief. Change will occur when potential outcomes alter across attributes, for example because of changing environments or when certain outcomes are made more or less salient.

A recent meta-analysis looked like good news for the effectiveness of “nudge“ theory. Does a new set of rebuttal letters throw the whole idea into doubt?

Digital media are omnipresent in modern life, but the science on the impact of digital media on behavior is still in its infancy. There is an emerging evidence base of how to use digital media for behavior change. Strategies to change behavior implemented using digital technology have included a variety of platforms and program strategies, all of which are potentially more effective with increased frequency, intensity, interactivity, and feedback. It is critical to accelerate the pace of research on digital platforms, including social media, to understand and address its effects on human behavior. The purpose of the current paper is to provide an overview and describe methods in this emerging field, present use cases, describe a future agenda, and raise central questions to be addressed in future digital health research for behavior change. Digital media for behavior change employs three main methods: (1) digital media interventions, (2) formative research using digital media, and (3) digital media used to conduct evaluations. We examine use cases across several content areas including healthy weight management, tobacco control, and vaccination uptake, to describe and illustrate the methods and potential impact of this emerging field of study. In the discussion, we note that digital media interventions need to explore the full range of functionality of digital devices and their near-constant role in personal self-management and day-to-day living to maximize opportunities for behavior change. Future experimental research should rigorously examine the effects of variable levels of engagement with, and frequency and intensity of exposure to, multiple forms of digital media for behavior change.

TRA has added a layer of thinking to the well-established habit loop – can we think beyond push notifications for cues and think beyond a discount as a reward? We analysed five different habit models and over 60 case studies in order to understand the breadth and depth of cues and rewards. Our framework takes these learnings and provides a thorough checklist for the cue, the behaviour and reward for strengthening habits. When you’re working on strengthening a one-time behaviour into a routine habit, consider the various options for each stage.

An Inclusion Nudge is a design based on insights from behavioural and social sciences to steer the unconscious mind to change behaviour in direction of inclusiveness by targeting the behavioural drivers, judgment and choice processes, and perceptions.

for urban planning - improving the quality of public space, countering crime and anti-social behaviour, or improving traffic safety

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics is running an ad gently asking people to stop inviting census takers into their homes for coffee and meals.

nudges appear to have the greatest impact on choice when people have less developed preferences because they are ambivalent or in doubt about their choice.

The COM-B model of behaviour is widely used to identify what needs to change in order for a behaviour change intervention to be effective. It identifies three factors that need to be present for any behaviour to occur: capability, opportunity and motivation. These factors interact over time so that behaviour can be seen as part of a dynamic system with positive and negative feedback loops. Motivation is a core part of the model and the PRIME Theory of motivation provides a framework for understanding how reflective thought processes (Planning and Evaluation processes) and emotional and habitual processes (Motive and Impulse/inhibition processes) interact at every moment leading to behaviour (Responses) at that moment.

In our study, no evidence was found for a protective effect of the most common UK safer gambling message. Alternative interventions should be considered as part of an evidence-based public health approach to reducing gambling-related harm.