As we saw in the previous section, behavior change is a very broad concept—you can apply it to education, mental health, sneaker design, or space exploration. If you’re just starting to learn about it, you may find it useful to learn about how it’s being applied in very different contexts, so you can figure out the common thread for yourself.
This is where our work here at The Decision Lab comes into play. If you’ve never heard of us before, we’re one of the leading behavior change companies in the world (hi!). We’ve been working with large organizations across the world for about a decade to try to make the world a better place through behavior change. Rather than focusing on a single industry, our footprint has allowed us to work in wildly different contexts across industries, geographies, populations, and types of organizations.
What's particularly exciting about this cross-industry approach is how it allows for unexpected insights and innovative solutions. You'd be surprised how often a strategy that works wonders in, say, finance, can be adapted to create breakthroughs in healthcare or education. This cross-pollination of ideas is where the magic happens. It's not just about applying a one-size-fits-all approach to different problems; it's about understanding the core principles of behavior change and creatively adapting them to each unique context. This approach keeps us on our toes, constantly learning and evolving our methods. Hopefully, it’s also helpful to you!
To give you a taste of this diversity, let's dive into a few case studies that showcase how behavior change principles can be applied across vastly different domains:
How to use AI-enabled nudging to mutually benefit managers and employees
Using your resources, AI-enabled nudges can provide personalized feedback tailored to an employee’s improvement areas and learning style. For managers, this means using AI to analyze key performance indicators, generate daily performance reports, and optimize workplace efficiency. Read this article to learn how, by leveraging AI-enabled nudges, businesses can enhance employee engagement and performance while ensuring ethical and beneficial interventions.
Amplifying User Abilities: The Behavior-Changing Magic of Digital Accessibility
We can't change people's behavior if they can't use the tools we equip them with. Behavioral science is all about humans, so those in the field often make sure to consider things, like accessibility, that others might miss. This insight piece explains why making your product usable for everyone is the first step in changing behavior.
Explore how using targeted behavioral messaging helped the City of Rome to reduce the use of smog-causing diesel vehicles. Through our research, TDL found that citizens care about the environment, but abstract pollution messages aren’t always effective. We framed the diesel ban to resonate with Romans by appealing to family values, highlighting the protection of Rome's ancient monuments, and tapping into national pride for Italy's leadership in climate action.
As we mentioned, nudges are the cornerstone of behavioral science, and their power transcends industries. This case study highlights TDL’s work with a major North American insurance company to create a nudge unit for more successful sales calls. By addressing behavioral barriers and designing an effective intervention, we were successful in increasing revenue by millions.
Why Every Affordable Housing Project Needs a Behavioral Science Lens
Many of us know that we’re facing a global housing crisis—so why do we still see pushback when developers create affordable housing? Dive into this insight piece on NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard) to learn how behavioral science can help reframe the consequences of construction, fostering collaboration, and how leveraging a trusted messenger can change people’s ideas and behavior towards housing projects.
Nudges Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All. Here’s How Personalizing Them Could Change Health Care
In the digital age, innovation lives in our back pockets and is activated by the tap of a finger. But as technology evolves, so too must our approach to behavior change. This article explores how personalized nudges—customized to an individual's unique behavior profile—can be powerful tools to help patients stay on track with their care plans, leading to better health outcomes.
Conducting an On-the-Ground Behavioral Diagnostic to Increase Clean Cookstove Adoption
Explore how TDL, in collaboration with the World Bank, worked to increase the adoption of Improved Cookstoves (ICSs) in Uganda. By using the COM-B model to identify behavioral adoption barriers, the team uncovered 26 distinct challenges. This analysis led to the development of 21 evidence-based recommendations, tailored to overcome these barriers and drive adoption.
How to Use Behavior Change Strategies to Unlock a Data-Driven Culture
At the organizational level, behavior change principles are powerful tools for achieving both small targets and driving larger, company-wide culture shifts. In this article, we go over the widespread challenge of building a culture that embraces data-driven approaches, as well as share some insights on how to use behavioral science to your advantage when navigating this transformation.
The Stages of Change: How to Motivate, Facilitate, and Reinforce Desired Behaviors
We don’t just wake up one day, decide to change, and live our new life—change is an ongoing process. That being said, here are some (behavioral) tips to help you on your quest. Dive into this article on the stages of change, and see how you can apply behavioral science insights in a practical way.
Sometimes we need to take a step back and consider why we do the things we do. Often, this reflection isn't done systematically, but if you're interested in a more structured approach, this article introduces the ABCD technique. ABCD stands for Attention, Belief, Choice, and Determination, and it provides a clear framework for thoughtful experimentation and decision-making.
