Behavioural Insights Projects

In Indonesia, as in other countries, a large proportion of tax returns are filed at the last minute. In a population-wide randomised controlled trial (n = 11,157,069), we evaluated the impact of behavioural email prompts on the proportion of annual tax returns filed at least two weeks before the deadline; and overall filing rate. In two control conditions, taxpayers either received no email or an email used in prior years, emphasising regulatory information. The five treatments informed by…

Institution: Other

In 2023 the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) partnered with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to expand on a 2020 survey undertaken by CSIRO that explored Australian attitudes to specific elements of the energy transition (with an emphasis on solar farms). For example, the perceptions of risks and benefits. This project has now expanded to further examine Australians’ acceptance (commonly referred to as ‘social…

Institution: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Team: Behavioural Science Unit

PROJECT SUMMARY Text messages were delivered to parents of children from 3 to 5 years old enrolled in public preschools in Uruguay using a government mobile app. These messages targeted malleable factors producing students’ absences and sought to influence parent’s attitudes and beliefs about preschool attendance to increase children’s presence in the classroom. IMPACT Children in remote areas increased attendance by 1.5 days, suggesting an increase in cognitive development of 0.20 SD.…

Institution: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

Team: IDB Behavioral Economics Group

A circular business model promotes reuse of products and materials. A case in point is a model where consumers return their jeans to the manufacturer after use. Which circular business model characteristics are consumers willing to accept right now, and what do they refuse? Acceptance of these models seems to increase if companies offer effective or appealing option combinations, such as monthly payment schedules and discounted returns. Why this experiment was conducted: to promote the circular…

Institution: Rijkswaterstaat (Netherlands Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management)

The study was conducted in collaboration with eight supermarkets from two of the largest Swedish supermarket chains. The stores provided the natural environment in which to conduct an experiment using real shoppers and real purchases, without shoppers being aware of the study. Four different interventions (different price displays) were designed, based on insights from behavioural science. These signs were tested in a randomised controlled study for two common and perishable vegetables –…

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…

Institution: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)

Team: SEAI Behavioural Economics Unit

The overall purpose of the study is to facilitate and execute graphic design work and consumer testing regarding the pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP) Key Information Document (KID) and Benefit Statement (BS) in three Member States. We will use mix behavioural methods to understand relevant behavioural biases, and why consumers find certain aspects of information related to pension products difficult to understand, and how to overcome those difficulties.

Institution: Open Evidence

Team: Open Evidence

Testing Labelling Dimensions for Chemicals in Products

Institution: Privy Council Office

Team: Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU)

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…

Institution: Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE)

Team: Affective Advisory

BETA is working with the Department of Social Services to evaluate the effectiveness of various behaviourally informed approaches on increasing workplace giving.

Institution: Prime Minister and Cabinet (PMC)

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