Behavioural economics meets rock and roll: the power of framing

At the end of January 1981, the late John Lennon dominated the UK pop music charts with the sadly posthumous Imagine at no. 1 and Woman at no. 2. Adam Ant and Blondie were at no. 4 and no. 5 and we’ll draw a veil over Phil Collins at no. 3. Around the same date, Daniel Kahnemann and Amos Tversky published a paper in Science, The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice.  

The paper, now celebrated, demonstrated that people are sensitive to the framing of a decision problem, so that small differences in the presentation of data can have a substantial effect on their decisions. For example, consumers are influenced in their decisions by how choices and options are presented to them. In terms of behavioural economics, it’s clear that framing the same choice in terms of losses instead of gains can alter the decision. 

Recently, one of us Behaviour Workshoppers was approached with an interesting proposition, namely to record an interview about economics, behavioural economics, behaviour change, nudging and living carfree. So far so good. But rather than “would you like to record an interview on these subjects”, what really captured the attention was the framing – the invitation was to appear as a guest on the Economic Rockstar podcast. Same content, same issues, but what a frame!  Impossible to turn it down.

So hats off to Frank Conway, the man behind the Economic Rockstar podcast, for a brilliant piece of re-framing: how could anyone with a pulse refuse the invitation? Is it economics? Is it rock and roll? Listen up and decide for yourself – here’s the podcast. Or download the MP3. Meantime, Kahneman (still going) Tversky (sadly, no more), and rock and roll, (staggering on) we salute you! 

Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice. Science,New Series, Vol. 211, No. 4481. (Jan. 30, 1981), pp. 453-458. 

‘Go for a walk.’ Go on. Just. Go. For. A. Walk.

That’s what the House of Commons Select Committee on Health have told GPs that they should be telling their patients, according to this report in the Telegraph. Because we Brits are the some of the world’s most lazy people when it comes to physical activity - as the graphic below illustrates.

And because walking is good for health (who needs a gym?). And because practically anyone can do it. And because it’s free. And because you don’t need any special equipment. And because it’s good for the mind. And because you can start now, practically wherever you are. And because the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NIce) has said workers should be encouraged to stand up during meetings, and advised to walk or cycle to events outside their workplace. And because. And because. (Repeat ad infinitum).

Walk this way

With so much attention devoted to changing behaviour to get people to take more exercise, one of the most simple things, and one which is often overlooked, is walking. Walking is accessible, available, sustainable, and (for most people) easy. Apart from a decent pair of shoes and appropriate clothing, it doesn't cost much money or require any special equipment. You don't need to book an appointment, do any training, or get yourself to a particular place - you can start at your own front door. 

So it was good to see our local weekly paper, The Brighton and Hove Independent, kicking off the New Year with a campaign to make 2015 the year of the pedestrian. And it was great that the current edition of the paper includes the article 'Our goal is to make Brightonand Hove a walkable city', an article that I wrote wearing my hat as an activist from Brighton and Hove Group of Living Streets, the advocacy group for pedestrians.

It's a subject that I cover frequently in my blog about carfree life, with its emphasis on walking and other ways to get around without using a car - which for specialists in public-health, obesity, road safety and the environment, goes under the general label of 'active transport.'  Walking – you know it makes sense.

Hot off the press: Chapter by Behaviour Workshops in the just-published Handbook of Persuasion and Social Marketing

Brand spanking new for 2015, The Handbook of Persuasion and Social Marketing, a three volume magnum opus edited by Professor David W Stewart, and including a chapter by Behaviour Workshops (under our real names). Our chapter, which appears in Volume II, on “Conceptual, Theoretical and Strategic Dimensions,” takes a ‘compare and contrast’ look at social marketing and behavioural economics (or behavioral economics if you are reading this in the US).  

You’ll get the gist from the chapter title: Social Marketing and Behavioral Economics: Points of Contact? – but don't let that put you off: our workshops, based on our extensive programme of research, are highly practical and provide insights and examples of how the theories can be used in practical interventions to change behaviours. Or, if you prefer, behaviors.   

World Bank issues major report on behavioural factors and development

Last month the World Bank issued its World Development Report 2015: Mind, Society, and Behavior (their [US] spelling!). Interestingly, for an organisation which has often been associated with the standard economic orthodoxy, this report recognises that people do not always make deliberative, independent decisions based on careful self-interested calculations.

Instead, taking its cue from the behavioural sciences/behavioural economics the report notes that people often think quickly, use mental shortcuts and rely on shared mindsets. As the report states, by factoring this in, governments and other actors can design (development) programs that make it easier for individuals to cooperate in the pursuit of shared goals.

The report relates to areas such as early childhood development, productivity, household finance, health and health care and climate change, and includes case studies where development work has incorporated findings from behavioural science, using techniques such as framing, default setting, the importance of social norms, the use of commitment devices and recognising that timing matters, due to cognitive and mental depletion in decision making.

The report outlines three principles of human decision making: thinking automatically, thinking socially, and thinking with mental models. The consequences are that: much of human thinking is automatic and depends on whatever comes to mind most effortlessly; people are deeply social and will tend to cooperate as long as others do too, and we are highly influenced by social networks and norms; and most people do not invent new concepts, rather they use mental models drawn from their societies and shared histories to interpret their experiences.

As the report notes, focusing more closely on correctly defining and diagnosing problems can lead to better designed interventions. The report cautions that even experts’ initial assumptions about the causes of behaviour can be wrong, which means that it’s important to run pilots and trials to test a range of interventions. An important finding for politicians, policy makers and behaviour change specialists – and not just those involved in development work. Full report here. 

At Behaviour Workshops we run training workshops which draw on many of the tools and techniques featured in the World Bank report – providing insights and applications from behavioural economics and social marketing which can help organisations meet their objectives in a more cost-effective way. More information on a typical workshop here. There is an independent review of one of our workshops here on the Comms2pointO website by Carolyne Mitchell of South Lanarkshire Council, who commissioned it. 

You can contact us at behaviourworkshops@gmail.com or by calling 0845 094 5581.

Don’t re-invent the wheel - use the evidence

The Big Lottery Fund, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Nesta (National Endowment for Science and the Arts) have formed a partnership, The Alliance for Useful Evidence. The Alliance is an open access network of individuals from across government, universities, charities, business and local authorities in the UK and beyond. Membership is free, and is open to everyone, from interested individuals in charities, academics, local authorities, practitioners, think tanks, to government and commercial businesses.

Source: @ProfByron via Twitter

This alliance aims to become a hub for evidence initiatives in the UK, providing a forum for members to share good practice and avoid the duplication of work. All of which is long overdue - at Behaviour Workshops we have extensive experience of working with the public sector and have seen many times how research and interventions have been duplicated, often because of the difficulty in accessing and sharing information about the results from previous interventions. So we’re hoping that the alliance becomes a key resource for behaviour change practitioners. To sign up or find out more click here.

Behavioural Economics and Social Marketing: Best of Frenemies?

Here’s a link to a set of slides addressing that question, which we delivered at the European Social Marketing Conference in Rotterdam last month.