Behavioural Insights Projects
Discover projects applying behavioural science to policy from around the world. Add your own projects, whether completed or still ongoing, to contribute knowledge on BI applications across different countries, policy areas, and topics of interest.

Number of BI projects:
0
Legend: Projects status
- Pre-registered project
- Completed project
This website, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
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…
Switzerland's Energy Strategy 2050 aims to reduce energy-related environmental pollution, for example by increasing the energy efficiency of individuals, households, and companies.
To help achieve this goal and raise public awareness of the issue, the Swiss energy provider Primeo Energie ran an energy-saving campaign (hereinafter referred to as the campaign) in winter 2023/24. Customers who consume significantly less energy in the winter of 2023/24 than in the winter of the previous year can…
Among the education and psychology literature
that looks at the role of beliefs and school outcomes,
Growth Mindset theory (GM) posits that by helping
students shift their theory of learning to one where
intelligence isn’t a fixed state – but rather, that it’s
malleable, and something you can improve and grow
over time – students can become self-motivated to
improve both academic effort and outcomes. Teaching
youth how to foster a GM doesn’t just offer a potential
solution at low cost…
Home Energy Label
Telephone surveys were prefaced by a brief message reminding businesses that they had previously committed to participate.
The project aims to increase the number of beneficiaries who “assign a Ticket” with an
Employment Network (EN) or VR agency. The assignment of a Ticket constitutes an agreement between the beneficiary and a service provider of their choice for employment support services.
An intermediate goal of the project is an increase in initial calls to the TTW Help Line.
Land tax is payable in Queensland on properties valued over a certain threshold. The Queensland Office of State Revenue can approve land tax exemptions for a range of reasons that include landowners’ principal place of residence and business of primary production. Once claimed, the exemption continues to apply indefinitely, which is appropriate as long as landowners are entitled to continue to claim the exemption. However, landowners who claim the exemption are obligated to inform the…
Why this experiment was conducted: scepticism about second-hand clothes
The clothing industry is a major polluter, and the second-hand market is an important alternative to new clothes. While more and more Dutch consumers are turning to pre-owned clothing, a large group remains sceptical. According to a target group study conducted in 2020, they wonder whether they will be able to find a suitable second-hand item, and whether it is hygienic. The best way to overcome this scepticism is to create…
This research shows that teacher and administration absences can negatively affect students’ reading and math abilities.Working with the Peruvian Ministry of Education (MINEDU) and the UK’s Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), we tested whether attendance could be influenced by sending different behaviorally informed messages by email. One email message conveyed the current level of attendance of one’s school district the “social norm” while the other built on teachers’ pro-social…
Challenge
Research suggests that some students—including low-income, underrepresented minority, and first generation students—avoid applying for financial aid due to a combination of psychological reasons. Some are overwhelmed by the complexity of the process, while others worry they’ll feel out of place in college or be stigmatized for their socio-economic background. These psychological factors can cause students to avoid applying for aid, or fail to complete their financial aid…