Behavioural Insights Projects

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 objective of the practice is to apply the behavioural lens (behavioural governance) on the Good Relations pilot-project. During the spring 2023 Finnish Centre for Economic Development, Transport and Environment will be hosting about 20 decision maker events as a part of their Good Relations –project. These events are organized to bring together local decision makers (city councils and public officials) and different population and language groups to discuss good relations among local…

Institution: Prime Minister's Office - Finland

Team: Finnish Behavioural Policy Unit

The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and other social and global political crises and incidents have increased the need to understand the mental resilience, preparedness, agency and sense of community of Finns in various crises and disruptions. This memorandum presents information related to these topics collected via the Citizens’ Pulse survey and citizen interviews commissioned by the Prime Minister’s Office in March and April 2022.

Institution: Prime Minister's Office - Finland

Team: Finnish Behavioural Policy Unit

The general objective of this project was to test the effectiveness of presented information to retail investors. The overall aim is that the information provided should be well understood by retail investors and allow them to compare and select among different investment products.

Institution: European Commission

Team: JRC Competence Centre on Behavioural Insights

In a vignette survey, teachers in primary, secondary and post-secondary vocational education were asked whether they would like to work more hours − with and without incentives. The survey shows that their willingness to do so can be increased to varying degrees by offering them bonuses, additional employee benefits and a combination of both. Why this experiment was conducted: teacher shortages The government has identified significant staff shortages in primary and secondary education. It is…

Institution: Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

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

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…

Institution: Instintivo

Team: Instintivo

Finding ways to encourage collective action in contexts where only a minority adopts the desired behaviour is central to solving many of today's global environmental problems. We study how correcting people's beliefs about social norms and behavioural trends encourages collective action in a setting where the desired behaviour is not yet prevalent. In a field experiment, we test whether low sign-up rates for a municipal recycling program in urban Peru can be increased by providing information…

Institution: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)

Team: Research team: Hanna Fuhrmann-Riebel, Ben D'Exelle, Kristian López Vargas, Sebastian Tonke & Arjan Verschoor

To promote college access and affordability, education tax credits help with the cost of college by reducing the amount of tax owed. The most generous Federal higher education tax credit, the American opportunity tax credit (AOTC), is a maximum annual credit of $2,500 per eligible student. Yet, many eligible students (or their families) do not claim the credit. Among eligible students, national estimates indicate that 46 percent of independent students and 56 percent of dependent students take…

Institution: General Services Administration (GSA)

Team: Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES)

Challenge Kosovo is the youngest country in Europe and faces the challenges of creating a government and setting up systems to generate funds needed to invest and develop. In 2018, only 47% of taxpayers made even a partial payment towards their due taxes. The consequences of low tax compliance and late repayment are two-fold. Individuals accumulate debt, interest, and fines from nonpayment which also prevents them from purchasing homes or registering vehicles until these debts are paid. On the…

Institution: Ideas42

Team: Ideas42