Behavioural science is the study of how humans really behave, as opposed to how we expect them to behave. It is an evidence-based approach to understanding what people really do, and why, to improve our ability to predict how they might behave under particular circumstances and so design programmes and strategies to enhance and improve people’s behaviour.
Some examples of when these kinds of behavioural programmes can be helpful include:
- Change management in the workplace
- Driving important behaviour changes in society, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic when governments had to encourage people to isolate themselves almost overnight to prevent deaths.
- Encouraging people to make better life choices, such as saving for their retirement or eating more healthily.
Behavioural Scientists recognise that human beings often make decisions based on hard-coded biases rather than rational thought. These biases have evolved to be focused on self-preservation and self-protection. For example, all human beings have a bias towards being extremely focused on the present (‘present biased’). Because of this, saving money for the future is much more difficult for most people, than spending what they have on something nice now. This happens even though most people know, rationally, that they should be saving money for their future.
Some of the things we have biases about may still be useful, but others no longer serve us well either as individuals or in society. The Cognitive Bias Codex is one tool that demonstrates some of these biases. Behavioural Scientists work with governments and organisations to find ways to help people make better decisions.