Behavioural Insights Projects

An online experiment with EU consumers was run to assess the relative effectiveness of three sustainability labelling approaches: (1) positive labels - only identifying products with the best sustainability performance, (2) negative labels - only identifying products with the worst sustainability performance, and (3) graded labels - conveying the relative sustainability of all products. Results suggest that graded labels are the most effective to steer consumer toward more sustainable purchase…

Institution: European Commission

Team: JRC Competence Centre on Behavioural Insights

Using sustainable transportation alternatives can often be hindered by car dependence (Haustein, 2021). Within the context of Santa Monica, for example, approximately 75% of Santa Monica residents choose single occupancy vehicle (SOV) commutes to work, and over 50% of households own more than one vehicle (Data USA, n.d.). More generally, vehicle transportation accounts for 62% of greenhouse gas emissions in the city, making it the largest emissions contributor (Johnstone, 2021). However,…

Institution: Duke University

Team: The Center for Advanced Hindsight

In the study, the effectiveness of four reminder messages was evaluated through an online laboratory experiment involving 2,963 participants. The content of these messages was designed based on evidence from behavioural sciences, and their effect was contrasted with that of a simple, brief, and direct message (control message). The impact of the reminders was measured through four outcome variables: the action participants declared they would take after receiving the message, understanding and…

Institution: Servicio Nacional del Consumidor (SERNAC)

BETA and the Department of Health ran a trial to test the impact of personalised letters from Australia's Chief Medical Officer to high-prescribing GPs prompting them to consider reducing antibiotic prescribing where appropriate and safe.

Institution: Prime Minister and Cabinet (PMC)

Team: Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA)

PROJECT SUMMARY Arizona State University freshmen students eligible for the Student Engagement and Employment Development Plan (SEED), a work-study program, received emails designed to emphasize the benefits of joining the program and eliminate hassles in the application process. IMPACT The redesigned emails increased the number of students applying for SEED jobs by 3 percentage points, from 9% to 12% of students. Source: B-Hub

Institution: Ideas42

Team: Ideas42

Challenge At San Francisco State University, 18% of students drop out by the end of their first year, mostly for reasons unrelated to their academic achievements. The goal was to increase the number of first-year college students returning for their second year. Design To help first-year students understand that the challenges they faced were neither unique to them nor evidence of personal failure, all incoming first-year students at SF State were asked to watch a three-minute video in which…

Institution: Ideas42

Team: Ideas42

The Ontario Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) is responsible for paying Ontario Public Service (OPS) employees on a bi-weekly basis. The Pay and Benefits Service Centre inboxes receive a large volume of documents. Pay and Benefits transactions are processed according to Pay Processing Deadlines and Pay and Benefits Service Priorities. Each month, OPS employees are required to confirm their attendance in the OPS Human Resources system (WIN System) for the previous month, and managers are…

Institution: Ontario Public Service (OPS)

Team: Ontario Behavioural Insights Unit

The project’s goal is to bridge the gap between individuals’ green intentions and behaviors by simplifying self-regulating behavioral tools such as information processing, implementation intentions, and prioritizing. Through structured workshops, online courses and social media content Ecofriendly Choices creates a link between environmental ideas and actual everyday choices, helping individuals overcome information overload, action paralysis and procrastination in ecofriendly consumption…

Institution: Other

Determining residents' current preferences for covid-19 vaccination and developing strategies based on the use of behavioural interventions.

Institution: Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic

Team: Behavioral and Experimental Economics Team (BEET)

Voting is a public good in that it benefits society and is an important part of a functioning democracy. Yet, many people fail to cast their ballot on election day because the individual benefits from voting are limited. Generally, people contribute more to public goods when their behavior is made more observable to others. However, voting is inherently private: very few people observe whether you actually show up on election day. In addition, existing channels used to encourage people to vote,…

Institution: Harvard Kennedy School

Team: Behavioural Insights Group