Featured Insights
Nudging motorists to respect bike commuters on the road by Vince Nieva, research advisor on cities and BE
27 September 2020 | The sheer number of bike commuters under the ‘new normal’ presents an opportunity to promote it as a norm.
Applying the latest science and evidence from behavioral economics in crafting COVID-19 posters
2 August 2020 | Our COVID-19 poster prototype draws from the latest scientific research & evidence in behavioral economics.
How behavioral economics’ nudges can help inform our country's COVID-19 post-lockdown strategy
25 July 2020 | Public behavior change is one of the domains that will be key to our success in fighting COVID-19 and mitigating its effects.
Infusing behavioral insights in COVID-19 communication strategies to improve public health compliance
22 July 2020 | What can we learn from behavioral science about putting humans at the core of the communication response to the pandemic?
Ways to redesign food delivery apps to nudge the public into consuming less unsustainable packaging
20 July 2020 | Our team outlines ways to redesign food delivery apps to address the packaging waste boom and achieve better outcomes.
How nudging-as-creative-destruction can steer openness and creativity in addressing complex challenges
16 July 2020 | Take a look at how we hope to leverage behavioral economics to steer openness and creativity in solving complex challenges in the public and private sector.
COVID-19: Using the time out to clock in by Eckie Gonzales, Chairman of The Medical City
23 August 2020 | "Now is the time to put changes into place — using principles of behavioral economics (nudge) instead of heavy-handed police enforcement (punch) ... using research and data to guide decisions and innovate instead of relying on impulse and intuition."
Contact tracing apps: A behavioral economists' guide to improving uptake
23 August 2020 | "Different nudges informed by behavourial research have been used to encourage recycling and increase cancer-screening rates. So what can behavioural economics tell us about encouraging take-up of the contact-tracing app?"
Applying principles of behaviour change to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission
In this recently published article, West, Michi and Rubin (2020) examine behavioral science models and methods that can be used to evaluate key personal protective behavioral interventions in light of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. They also underscore the value of "establishing an online hub for helping with the design of pragmatic evaluations, piloting of interventions, and rapid reporting of experiences and outcomes".
Nudging hospital visitors’ hand hygiene compliance in Denmark
In this blogpost, researchers from Denmark-based iNudgeYou Aarestrup, Moesgaard and Schuldt-Jensen share the results from their recent field experiment employing nudges to improve use of hand sanitizers among hospital visitors. Their analysis shows that changing the default placement and providing a salient sign using a positively framed message resulted in significant increase in hand hygiene compliance among hospital visitors.
Behavioral sciences to protect human capital investments during and after COVID-19
In this new report released by the Mind, Behavior, and Development Unit of the World Bank Group, the WB team outlines key behavioral insights to health and nutrition, education, and social protection efforts for three key actors involved in human capital-related programs. They put a behavioral lens on health and nutrition, education, and social protection efforts to reduce negative impacts on human capital accumulation
Fighting fake news with truth pledges and role of BE in strengthening democracies
In this exchange hosted by The Decision Lab, Dr. Gleb Tsipursky talks about his work with Fabio Votta on a study involving the Pro-Truth Pledge, an intervention which combines behavioral science research with crowd-sourcing to help address fake news. In their study, the pledge "asks signers – private citizens and public figures – to commit to 12 behaviors that research in behavioral science shows correlate with an orientation toward truthfulness".
Don’t say it makes you “immune” – framing COVID-19 antibody results matters
The UK's Behavioral Insights Team demonstrate using an online survey experiment that the reframing of antibody test results as providing “antibodies” rather than “immunity” improved people’s perceived risk and behavior. Their analysis shows that people’s perception that antibody tests gave ‘zero’ risk of reinfection jumped from 2 percent (for “antibody” framing) to 6 to 10 percent (for the “immunity” framing).
The concept of ‘nudge’ can lead to social and economic change in India
9 May 2020 | "If correctly utilised and well-executed, [nudges have] the potential to drastically alter the level of trust among citizens, thereby changing the nature of the ‘government–citizen’ relationship forever", according to specialists from the NITI Ayog, a policy think tank of the Government of India.
'Change thinking, save lives': can Rio's nudge unit halt coronavirus?
24 April 2020 | In Brazil, NudgeRio, a department in Rio’s city hall, uses behavioural science to influence people’s decisions. The team has helped produce messages to encourage people to stay at home, including a photo of Sugar Loaf mountain with text that reads: "Rio’s landscape gives the hint. Let’s flatten the curve.""
The nudge factor: Parts of e-commerce industry will be likely winners of Covid-19
4 April 2020 | In India, "these testing times are bringing to fore the accelerated adoption of online services and possibly creating a long term behavioural change in the way people shop, consume media, health, get educated, or generally get things done." Pahwa outlines how e-commerce segments have responded.