Simply put, behavior change is when a person changes their actions, either temporarily or permanently, relative to their past actions. While this can happen in a positive or negative direction, behavior change as a field typically refers to organized and focused efforts that might help people change their behavior in a “good” way. How you actually define good is a very sticky ethical topic that can lead one down a deluge of philosophical questions: is it good to change someone else’s behavior? What if they asked you to? What is free will? Who even am I?
Leaving all of these aside for now, behavior change as a field is highly interdisciplinary, often coming up with interventions that combine insights from a variety of academic and applied fields like psychology, anthropology, UX, marketing, neuroscience, and economics, among others. You might hear behavior change referred to as choice architecture, nudging, and, erroneously, behavioral economics. Most of the time, people are talking about the same thing: the concerted effort to use the social science toolkit to help people be healthier, weather, and happier.
In this introduction, we’ll walk you through the most comprehensive behavior change resource on the internet: our website! You’ll find curated links throughout, collating useful information that we’ve gathered from over a decade of working in the field (which, weirdly, makes us veterans). Whether you’re new to behavior change, want a refresher, or are looking for what the bleeding edge looks like, we’ve got you covered.
Getting started
A common mistake that people make in tackling behavior change is focusing on the enormous amount of literature describing how irrational people are. While it’s true that behavioral economics has shown that many assumptions of classical economics don’t quite work out when they collide with psychology, this kind of thinking can be limiting. It has led many people in the field to develop an unhealthy obsession with biases and the narrative that people are stupid and are therefore in dire need of some paternalistic nudge. The more likely truth is that people are doing the best they can given the very limited resources they have—limited time, attention, mental power, information, you get the idea. This means that taking shortcuts makes sense and it by no means makes us irrational.
While concepts such as biases and heuristics are a fun and approachable way to dive into behavior change, they don’t tell the full story. And while we do have the most widely accessed library of biases, we encourage you to venture way beyond them.
With that in mind, here is where we recommend you start:
Behavior Change 101
In this guide, we dive a bit deeper into behavior change, discussing the process that one might go through if they’re doing a project in this area. We’ll walk you through a few very basic behavior change frameworks and give you an overview of what pitfalls you might encounter as you try to do this yourself.
People
Daniel Kahneman has had an immeasurable influence in the field of behavioral science—he’s actually considered the ‘father’ of the discipline. This profile will give you a glimpse into his legacy, from the dual-process model to loss aversion. Kahneman was one of the first people to question the idea that humans always behave rationally, paving the way for a deeper understanding of human decision-making.
Together, Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman are responsible for some of the most groundbreaking research that’s redefined what we know about our cognitive processes. This entry provides an introduction to prospect theory, which highlights that our choices are often influenced by ‘mental shortcuts’ and the way options are presented.
This bio feature covers Katy Milkman, who is known best for her research on recognizing and overcoming behavior change barriers. When it comes to driving change, Milkman works interdisciplinarily, taking inspiration from her training as an engineer to recognize the forces that work against us.
Podcast Episodes
Machine Learning And Personalized Interventions: David Halpern
Behavior change isn’t just something discussed in academic literature—it’s everywhere. In this podcast episode featuring David Halpern, CEO of the Behavioural Insights Team, we take a look at how behavioral science is being used in interventions to reduce domestic violence, address financial behaviors, and design public policies like the UK's sugar tax.
How Fun Might Move the World: Cass Sunstein
In this episode, Harvard professor Cass Sunstein talks about how “fun” can be used as a tool for improving outcomes in different contexts. You'll discover how fun can be strategically applied in public policy, making necessary actions more engaging and enjoyable. For example, humor was effectively used in public health campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic to connect with the public and promote positive behavior.
Biases
To no surprise, we don’t always make the most optimal choice. Instead, we attempt to satisfy, settling on a decision that is “good enough.” In this article, learn about why we fall into this cognitive trap called bounded rationality and how we can work toward limiting its effects.
Throughout this guide, you’ll come to see that presenting information and reasons to change behavior alone often falls short of making a lasting impact. That is, in part, thanks to confirmation bias—our tendency to focus on and give more credit to information that fits with our existing beliefs.
We may also be resistant to change because, well, we’re comfortable with the way things are! In this piece, explore how the status quo bias impedes innovation—both personally and as a collective. By gaining a deeper understanding, we can uncover strategies to overcome it and foster a more adaptable mindset.
