Applying Behaviour Change Principles

There are lots of schools of thought within the discipline of behaviour change, which explain human behaviour. One of the insights that we find most valuable is that humans are not rational, most of the time. Our decisions are governed by a lot of other motivations other than the rational part of our brain. We think understanding these are essential for designing communications, campaigns and engagement activities.

Cognitive Biases

Here are some examples of cognitive biases that inform our behaviour:

• Social norming - as social creatures we do what other people do. This can reinforce negative and positive behaviours such as littering and recycling. 
• Framing - How issues are framed e.g. positively or negatively will affect how humans understand an issue and react to it. e.g. Sorry that you are delayed' vs 'Thanks for your patience' frame a delay in a completely different way.

In regards to environmental issues we should be aware that people also have their own frames of reference to understand issues such as their political leanings and social associations e.g. climate deniers.  

• Information deficit - Just by giving people facts it doesn't not mean that they will act upon them. Scientists have been talking about the affects of climate change for years but these haven't mobilised everyone to act.
• Loss aversion - We don't like losing things and will go to great lengths to avoid loss especially if we have already invested time or money.  Hence why people take risks or keep gambling even when they are losing. This is also why carrier bag taxes and latte levies can work better than discounts because we are adverse to paying for something that was once free. 
• Cognitive dissonance - If our behaviours or understanding of our behaviours are seen to be inconsistent with our values and attitudes we will work to realign them to avoid being in a state of cognitive dissonance, this can mean rejecting information if it calls into question our behaviours and actions.
• Scarcity - We place a higher value on things that are finite and limited.​

There are many more that can be considered, head to the Behavioral Economics website for more. 

MINDSPACE

The MINDSPACE theory is another way of understanding what influences individual human behaviours 

Messenger - the person who shares information will influence our understanding
Incentives - we like to feel good and avoid loss
Norms -  as above, we are influenced by others
Defaults - we often go with pre-set settings 
Salience - we are drawn to new, novel, and things that resonate with us
Priming - we respond better if we have had previously had previous cues
Affect - our actions are affected by emotional associations
Commitments - if we have made a pulic commitment, we will aim to act in consistence with this.  
Ego - we want to feel good about ourselves and act accordingly 

Find our more about MINDSPACE and the work of the Behavioural Insights Team 

Social Practice Theory 

The principle of Social Practice Theory is that the actions or practices that we carry out are influenced by the materials available to use which then creates the meanings that are associated with them. An example of this is the practice of drinking coffee. In the 1980's in the UK, the practice involved jars of instant granulated coffee made at home and drunk in a mug. The introduction of takeaway cups (a new material) has meant the practice has become an on-the-go behaviour and the meanings associated with that practice and cup include;

• being too busy to stop
• being a coffee aficienado 
• a particular social status

This has also led to the proliferation of coffee shops, takeout places and the negative environmental impacts of coffee cups.  
Understanding an environmental issue in this way means looking at the materials that reinforce a behaviour and considering what opportunities there are to change these whilst understanding all the meanings and values that are embedded within these practices. 

Case Study 

The Refill campaign (that Livvy supports) is an example of a campaign that is activating a number of behaviour change principles. Refill is a free tap water initiative designed to reduce plastic pollution and promote healthy hydration by making refilling a water bottle easy, social and rewarding. These are the principles it is activating:

• Positive framing - Rather than telling people not to drink bottle water and vilifying them (which could lead to cognitive dissonance) this campaign positively reinforces another action that can solve an environmental issue.
• Social norming- making it socially acceptable to carry a reusable bottle and to ask for free water in a cafe or bar.
• Messengers - cafes and venues displaying stickers reinforces that they are happy to give away water, dispelling reservations about this being unacceptable.
• Social practice theory - The focus is on changing the materials associated with the practice of drinking water 'on-the-go' from disposable plastic bottles to a reusable one. In turn the practice changes from grabbing a plastic bottle, to refilling before you leave the house and carrying a reusable bottle. The greater prevalence of people carrying reusable bottles will go some way to change the meanings that are invested with bottled water which include being healthy, sporty and affluent.  

Photo credit: Michelle Cassar

Working together

If you want further information about applying behaviour change principles to your campaigns, we can provide:

• Consultancy support 
• Training workshops

​Contact us