The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a pressing need for behaviour change to reduce the risk of spreading this highly infectious disease. To be effective, the vast majority of people must be compliant with public health direction, but what they are being asked to do is very different from what is natural to them.
Behavioural science, which is an area of study that combines knowledge from fields such as psychology, economics, sociology, and neuroscience, can help us understand how to influence behaviour change effectively.
The general premise of behavioural science is that humans do not always make seemingly rational decisions, but our irrational behaviour can be predictable. Our decision making and subsequent behaviour is much more influenced by instinct and automatic reaction than rational analysis. We are influenced by numerous, scientifically proven cognitive biases.
Understanding these biases provides an opportunity to better design policy and interventions to address the current public health crisis.
Learn more about how to effectively influence behaviour change:
