We all know that if a 13-year-old has his mind set on
something, it is quite difficult to try to change it. This
is exactly the type of challenge that the Ministry of
Education in Peru is approaching with students in
public schools and high schools, targeting those from
low-income households in particular.
Teenagers often have pre-conceived ideas about their
own intelligence, which influences how they react to
academic challenges. If a student thinks he is not smart
enough, he believes there is…
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.
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Legend: Projects status
- Pre-registered project
- Completed project
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BI Project
Safer road behaviour on N36 provincial road: how can a campaign targeting road users prevent…
Rijkswaterstaat conducted a behavioural campaign aimed at urging drivers on the N36 provincial road in Overijssel to keep a safe distance, to be calm and relaxed while driving and to pay attention to the road. The campaign achieved a reduction in distractions, less irritation and an overall improved driving experience.
Why this experiment was conducted: many serious accidents on N36
The spotlight has been on the N36 between Hardenberg/Ommen and Almelo/ Wierden for some time due to the frequent,…
BI Project
More Than Public Service: A Field Experiment on Job Advertisements and Diversity in the Police
There is a human capital crisis looming in the public sector as fewer and fewer people show interest in government jobs. At the same time, many public sector organizations struggle with increasing the diversity of their workforce. Although many institutional forces contribute to the challenge, part of the solution is in how government recruits. This study presents the results of a field experiment aimed at attracting more and different people to apply to a police force by varying job…
Countries across the globe suffer from high rates
of youth unemployment and inactivity. The Maldives
are not immune. Despite efforts by the government
to increase employment opportunities among
young Maldivians, including the establishment
of employment quotas for nationals, results have
been underwhelming. Young people face barriers
such as social and gender norms around women’s
role in society, absence of role models to look up
to, and few jobs perceived as “suitable” for…
The problem
Missed appointments are a significant cost to the health care system, and patients who do not attend appointments miss out on valuable care.
What we did
We partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services and several health services to improve patient communications as part of a new Communications Toolkit for health services.
To understand what works, we designed a range of behaviourally-informed SMS reminders and letters to reduce the number of patients who do not attend…
BI Project
Measuring the effect of community based social marketing on the rate of application for home energy…
In Ireland, grants for retrofitting homes with energy upgrade measures are available from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Improved energy efficiency of households is an important aspect of Ireland’s climate emergency related targets.
Barriers to retrofitting include a lack of understanding about retrofitting and the process, and a lack of awareness of grant availability. Community based social marketing (CBSM) might be an effective way of increasing uptake because it addresses…
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…
Using sustainable transportation alternatives can often be hindered by car dependence (Haustein, 2021). Within the context of Santa Monica, for example, approximately 75% of Santa Monica residents choose single occupancy vehicle (SOV) commutes to work, and over 50% of households own more than one vehicle (Data USA, n.d.). More generally, vehicle transportation accounts for 62% of greenhouse gas emissions in the city, making it the largest emissions contributor (Johnstone, 2021).
However,…
BI Project
Designing Behaviorally Informed Health Interventions: Adherence to Micronutrient Treatment in El…
This study tested a behavioral intervention aiming to help reduce the prevalence of anemia in children in El Salvador. It first describes a traditional micronutrient distribution program for rural households. The analysis shows that although implementation was relatively successful, and take-up high, adherence to the full treatment of micronutrients was much lower. To explain this gap, the analysis employs a design methodology based on the “caregiver journey.” This methodology is a…
The Ontario Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) is responsible for paying Ontario Public Service (OPS) employees on a bi-weekly basis. The Pay and Benefits Service Centre inboxes receive a large volume of documents. Pay and Benefits transactions are processed according to Pay Processing Deadlines and Pay and Benefits Service Priorities. Each month, OPS employees are required to confirm their attendance in the OPS Human Resources system (WIN System) for the previous month, and managers are…