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
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We conducted a SMS program trial to inform our efforts to strengthen the home learning environment and support parents of 2 year-old children. Specifically, the trial aimed to: assess parent engagement with an SMS program, assess the impact of the program on positive parenting behaviours such as reading, playing and two way enriched conversation; and inform future efforts to improve positive parenting behaviours.
SIMPLESMENTE is an acronym formed by the initials of 12 mechanisms studied by the behavioral sciences. SIMPLESMENTE is an application to simplify and support the use of behavioral sciences in public policy designs. Based on a guided script, users define a problem of interest in public policies and are encouraged to assume the user's perspective. They are invited to apply a series of references, based on evidence and international practice, to improve their understanding of the situation and…
SEAI is conducting a monthly behavioural tracking survey to track everyday energy-related behaviours (home energy use and travel) in Ireland. The survey is being run to support ongoing government communications around the current energy crisis. We will run the survey over a given week (7-10 days) each month on a nationally representative adult sample. It is expected that the survey will run for 13 iterations initially.
In order to capture an accurate snapshot of current energy-related…
Behavioural science interventions advancing energy efficiency have mostly focused on consumer behaviour, with comparatively little work examining the important role that industrial consumers play in advancing the energy transition. Using the D.R.I.V.E.® framework, the project identified, analysed and consolidated the relevant literature and potential of behavioural science informed approaches to help SMEs become more energy efficient. Starting from a comprehensive review of the academic and…
In partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU) has launched a multi-year program of research on climate change. The Program of Applied Research on Climate Action in Canada (PARCA Canada) combines behavioural science (BeSci) insights and methods with robust policy analysis to promote climate action. One of the main areas of focus involves the launch of a longitudinal survey that will, over time, collect…
We conducted a systematic search for an overview of reviews of scholarly evidence on scale up, and 11 practice interviews with behaviour science researchers and practitioners to identify the factors and activities that influence the scale up of behaviour change interventions, learn about scale up, its challenges, and useful frameworks, identify which behaviour to target with an intervention, assess the feasibility of different intervention ideas, and select a scalable behaviour change…
BI Project
Filing tax returns correctly and on time: Is there value in expressing thanks to citizens and…
Are people more likely to file their tax returns correctly if they receive a thank-you in advance or afterwards? Analyses show that thank-you messages have no effect on compliance behaviour.
Why this experiment was conducted: positive alternative sought
To encourage citizens' tax compliance (i.e., paying their taxes on time and correctly), it is occasional practice to emphasise the risk of checks and fines in case of non-compliance. One drawback of this deterrent method is that it can damage…
BI Project
Using protection motivation theory in the design of nudges to improve online security behavior
Online experiment to explore the effect of notifications on security behaviour. Both increased secure behavior – but the coping message significantly more so. The coping message was also as effective as both messages combined, but not so the threat appeal. Risk attitudes, age and country had a significant effect on behavior.
BI Project
Applying behavioural science to decrease air contamination from woodheating in Ile de France
More than 480 000 people in Ile de France use an inefficient woodheating device releasing high quantities of particulate matters in the environment but do not always link air pollution and woodheating.
This project aimed to inform the inhabitants about this link and encourage them to renew their ancient devices and adopt good practices around woodheating.
281 households were equiped with particulate matter sensors and the DITP compared the evolution of contamination between groups, divided in…
The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Latvia collaborated with the World Bank on a holistic review of the country's tax system, an input to the design of a new, improved tax strategy. The State Revenue Service (SRS), Latvia's tax authority, worked with the Mind, Behavior, and Development (eMBeD) Unit at the World Bank to pilot a field experiment to increase tax compliance. The experiment involved sending preemptive, behaviorally-informed email messages to taxpayers with a share of income…