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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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
BI Project
Can Visual Cues to Portion Size Reduce the Number of Portions of Consumed? Two Randomized Controlled…
Methods
Two preregistered randomized controlled trials (N = 253 and N = 674) measured consumption in a lab and the home environment. Cues were salient, labeled stripes that demarcated single portions. Participants were randomized to cue condition or control. Consumption was measured without awareness.
Results
The main preregistered effect of the visual cue was not statistically significant. There was some variation by subgroup. In Study 1, men were more likely to eat the whole can of potato…
Contact-tracing mobile phone apps have the potential to play a role in controlling
the spread of COVID-19, but their success hinges on widespread uptake by the public. We
report a study that behaviourally pre-tested COVID Tracker, Ireland’s contact-tracing app,
prior to its launch with a large sample of smartphone users. The study was funded by the
Department of Health and run in co-operation with the app’s developers, NearForm.
Participants were randomised to receive different versions of a…
BI Project
Micro-SMEs ‘green’ their business: how to increase the likelihood of micro-SMEs applying…
An online experiment investigated how behavioural techniques could be used to increase the likelihood of companies with 2 to 10 employees applying for assistance under the Subsidy Scheme Improving Sustainability of SMEs (SVM ). The results show that an updated version of the website helps to clarify the subsidy. This effect is not reflected in the likelihood of these micro-SMEs actually applying for the subsidy.
Why this experiment was conducted: SVM scheme not being fully utilised
It is…
Design of the Behavioral Theory of Change and Impact Measurement Framework for an Edutainment Miniseries to Combat Xenophobia and Discrimination against Venezuelan Migrants with a Gender Lens.
This project involves developing a comprehensive behavioral science strategy for an edutainment miniseries supported by the World Bank. The initiative aims to reduce xenophobia and discrimination toward Venezuelan migrants in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia while integrating a gender perspective throughout…
BETA partnered with the Australian Energy Regulator to apply behavioural insights to the design of energy bills. We conducted a literature review to identify key research questions. We used 2 online samples involving over 6,300 and 7,800 Australians, respectively to a survey and 6 randomised controlled trials (survey experiments). They investigated the possibility of cognitive overload, and the impact of various bill components on comprehension and intentions.
PROJECT SUMMARY
To increase uptake of flu vaccines and maintain a healthy workforce during the 2016-17 flu season, New York City’s Behavioral Design Team (NYC BDT) partnered with WorkWell NYC to design behaviorally informed emails to encourage New York City employees to visit a worksite flu clinic. One version of the redesigned email used the strategy of “enhanced active choice,” whereby employees were prompted to make a choice that had a clear right answer.
IMPACT
Behavioral emails more…
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.
The purpose of this study is to better understand Canadian's perceptions, knowledge, and decision-making related to home energy labels. It will build on the findings of an initial survey that explored home energy label design elements and information content, as well as perceptions of the current EnerGuide label for homes. Extending this work, the present study will examine how different rating presentations may affect comprehension of home energy performance and which home energy label design…
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…