Introduction / Overview

This one-day workshop will equip social researchers with tools and techniques from behavioural science in order to provide insights into the causes of human behaviours and understand how those behaviours can be changed.

Behavioural science is an essential part of the social researcher’s toolkit. It offers insights into the mechanisms driving human actions, which are crucial for understanding and addressing social issues, an understanding of which improves policy outcomes.

Behavioural science integrates concepts from psychology, sociology, economics, and neuroscience to explore why people make certain decisions and how they can change their behaviour. This interdisciplinary approach helps researchers work with policymakers to design, develop and evaluate interventions, in areas including public health, education and tax policy, and to understand the barriers to and facilitator of their success. It provides tools to measure and analyse behaviour in real-world settings, offering a more accurate picture than traditional self-reported data.

In the workshop, participants will be introduced to basic concepts, theories, policy applications, frameworks and methodologies employed in behavioural science through practical exercises, and discussions. Training will draw on the trainer’s practical experience of using behavioural science in the formative evaluation of the Covid-19 app, health and safety and in transport.

Topics

1.  Introduction to Behavioural Science

• Definition and scope
• Importance and relevance to social research
• Historical background and key figures

1. 2. Core Concepts and Theories o Dual-process theory (System 1 and System 2 thinking)

• Heuristics and biases (e.g., availability heuristic, anchoring, confirmation bias)
• Prospect theory and loss aversion
• Social norms and influences (e.g., conformity, obedience, social proof

1. 3. Behavioural Economics/behavioural science in policy making

• Nudges and choice architecture: MINDSPACE, EAST
• Applications in policy and everyday life, including examples from the trainer’s work during the Covid pandemic

1. 4. An introduction to COM-B and the behaviour change wheel

• Background
• Participants conduct practical exercise to explore the barriers to and facilitators of behavioural change

1. 5. Other theoretical frameworks

• Transtheoretical Model (TTM) or Stages of Change Model
• Self-Determination Theory (SDT)
• Ecological Models

1. 6. How behavioural scientists work and social research methodologies employed

• Target - What is the need?
• Assess - What is the problem?
• Create – Design behavioural interventions
• Test – How to evaluate the impact of a BI.

1. 7. The appliance of (behavioural) science

• Participants work in groups to design a simple behavioural intervention
• Applying the concepts and methods learned during the course
• Presentations and feedback

1. 8. Conclusion

• Summary of key takeaways
• Open floor for questions and discussion
• Recommendations for books, articles, and online courses

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course participants will:

• Be familiar with key concepts of behavioural science
• Understand how basic principles of behavioural science can enrich social research
• Have learned techniques for improve the development of evidence-informed interventions
• Be able to use behavioural science in evaluation and understand the importance of evaluation in behavioural interventions.
• Know where to access further resources.

Who will benefit?

This foundation-level course in behavioural science will benefit social researchers working in public policy, health and education, as well as market researchers, environmental researchers, economists, psychologists, and evaluation specialists.

Course tutor

Dr Bev Bishop, Head of Behavioural Science at the Department for Transport, has extensive experience in behavioural science and evaluation training. Previously, she served as Chief Social Researcher at the Health and Safety Executive, and two years leading multi-disciplinary analytical teams at the UK Health Security Agency, to deliver behavioural science and evaluation evidence at pace informing crucial policy decisions, including the go/no go decision about the NHS Covid-19 app, and Covid-19 borders policy.

Bev pioneered the use of behavioural insights in HSE by developing the INSPECT model - a structured was of exploring how incentives, norms, salience, priming, emotion, choice structure and trusted messengers could be could be applied to occupational health and safety. She now leads DfT Behavioural Science team, who produce and disseminate research and provide training to increase understanding of human behaviour around transport to help DfT create people-centred projects, policies and communications.

  This course contributes 6 hours to the MRS CPD programme

Looking to book for six or more people from your organisation? Contact [email protected] to ask about our in-house courses.