The other day I forgot my cellphone at home. On our way to her school my three-year old daughter asked me why I had forgotten it. I dont know, I was distracted I guess, I answered back, only to be faced with another why question from her. Of course, it didnt stop there. After the third why I really couldnt come up with anything sensible to say and, I confess, I wasnt finding the line of questioning amusing anymore. Yet, that very short exchange pretty much summed up the case for applying behavioral insights into public policy. How?
Chances are you have sometimes forgotten something unintentionally. We humans forget things from time to time and miss deadlines without meaning to do so. We really try to exercise, eat healthy, and lose weight but find it hard to do so. And if that salt shaker is at your restaurant table you are much more likely to add salt to your plate than if it is not. We tend to go with the flow and we often dont think hard enough about why we do the things we do. This is the reason we find the relentless why questions from a toddler so charming; were simply not used to questioning ourselves why we do certain things.
Even more telling, when asked we often dont even have a good intuition as to whats really behind many of our actions. This doesnt just apply to mundane tasks like carrying your cellphone around or adding salt to your plate. Ask yourself how did you get to support or disagree with the latest policy reform proposed by your government. Did you read the draft legislation from beginning to end to come up with your position or did you just rely on what someone else said about it, perhaps drawing on what the newspaper or politician you typically like said? Drawing on such shortcuts is not always wrong. In fact, they make perfect sense as a way of coping with the enormous complexity that surrounds us. Applying behavioral insights into public policy is nothing more than taking seriously these simple truths.
Nudging in Latin America The very good news is that the application of behavioral insights into public policy is happening already, in Latin America too. And one of the most encouraging lessons from the applications thus far is that small changes in public policy can have big impacts. In Peru, a simple but clever intervention by the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the World Bank and others, aims to change childrens and teachers attitudes towards learning by emphasizing how being smart is something every student can work on. This draws on the growth mindset literature, which highlights that when students believe they can get smarter, they understand that effort makes them stronger. The intervention, which cost only 20 cents per student, resulted in an increase of student test scores of a sizeable magnitude.
This finding is particularly important for less privileged socioeconomic groups, which may have a greater tendency to view smartness as an unchangeable trait, as shown in a most comprehensive survey done in Chile. And many other interventions are being explored by MineduLab, the innovation lab of the Ministry of Education in Peru, to address education related challenges such as teacher absenteeism, teacher motivation, improving student performance, increasing parents engagement, and reducing drop-out rates.
The World Bank has partnered with authorities at all levels to implement projects on a variety of fields. In Guatemala and Costa Rica, jointly with the United Kingdoms Behavioral Insights Teamthe pioneer among government units to apply behavioral insights into public policythe effort achieved an increase in tax compliance through reaching out to taxpayers by letters and text messages. In Costa Rica we partnered with the municipality of Belen, as well as with the organization ideas42, and improved water conservation by informing households of how their water consumption compared to the average in their neighborhood.
Behavioral method: learn, test and adapt
An important contribution of behavioral insights into public policy is the method itself. It starts with a clear definition of what is the problem at hand, stated without any assumptions as to the drivers of the behavior in question. This is easier said than done as often we have entrenched preconceived ideas about what those drivers may be. It follows with a systematic series of why question, not unlike my three-year olds, that should guide some analysis and diagnosis of the behavior of the individuals involved. Finally, and key to the method, is the emphasis on an iterative process in which we set things up in a way to have fast and frequent feedback loops so that we can continually learn, test, and adapt.
Rigorous testing requires the type of administrative data that tax authorities or mandated scholastic achievement tests provide. This is needed to unequivocally establish the causal impact of interventions which are often deceptively simple and that often run counter the myth that big problems always require big solutions. At the same time, looking ahead, we may need to start considering how these behavioral insights can also inform public policy in areas that may be important but where we may not have as much data or opportunities for randomized interventions.
Despite those challenges the range of topics where behavioral insights are being applied keeps expanding. Ideas42, mentioned above, is exploring the application of behavioral science to improve case management for women affected by intimate partner violence in Bolivia. Technology can be a significant factor in expanding the scope of behaviorally-informed interventions. In Mexico, the Presidents Office is working with the UKs Behavioral Insights Team and Unicef, in a new two-way SMS system where both parties can send messages called Prospera Digitalone of the first of its kind in the worldto give expecting mothers a way to interact and influence the advice they receive, create personalize appointments, and plan for emergencies as well as the delivery.
Why not? Imagine if we could make this type of intervention more like the norm rather than the exception. Imagine if public policy recognized our very human weaknesses and that deliberately paused to ask why with the relentless of a toddler and the rigor of the scientific method. Imagine if doing so we could make public policy more effective.
As the World Bank, governments, and partners continue experimenting and applying behavioral science in government programs and policies, we will share with you through this series Small changes, big impacts: applying #behavioralscience into development every two weeks, the latest development and thinking in the region. Join us and share your thoughts, your work and thinking.
Original post:
Public policy with a true human face - World Bank Group (blog)
- Dan Ariely: It’s OK to cheat and steal (sometimes) - April 7th, 2010 [April 7th, 2010]
- Full Sail Behavioral Science Leadership Podcast - August 27th, 2011 [August 27th, 2011]
- Full Sail Behavioral Science Passion - August 27th, 2011 [August 27th, 2011]
- 13H Refutes CCHR: Industry of Death (Behavioral Science) - August 28th, 2011 [August 28th, 2011]
- College of Social and Behavioral Science - August 28th, 2011 [August 28th, 2011]
- GB: Behavioral Science Bill For Propaganda - August 29th, 2011 [August 29th, 2011]
- Criminal Minds - The Behavioral Science Part 2 - August 31st, 2011 [August 31st, 2011]
- Santhula Hospital - A clinical and research center for Nuero-behavioral Science - August 31st, 2011 [August 31st, 2011]
- Behavioral Science Self-Assesment Project - September 2nd, 2011 [September 2nd, 2011]
- Behavioral Science: OPTIMAN - September 3rd, 2011 [September 3rd, 2011]
- Forget the Cinderella effect: stepparents are just as likely to kill their biological children as their stepchildren - September 4th, 2011 [September 4th, 2011]
- The Behavioural Science Blog in 2010 - September 4th, 2011 [September 4th, 2011]
- introduction to behavioral science - September 4th, 2011 [September 4th, 2011]
- CSU's Behavioral Sciences Building - September 5th, 2011 [September 5th, 2011]
- Criminal Minds Season 2 - Backstage - Behavioral Science Real-life Criminal Minds (1 of 2) - September 6th, 2011 [September 6th, 2011]
- Behavioral Science: Goldielocks - September 6th, 2011 [September 6th, 2011]
- Dean Welcome Message - CalSouthern School of Behavioral Sciences - September 7th, 2011 [September 7th, 2011]
- Criminal Minds - The Behavioral Science Part 1 - September 9th, 2011 [September 9th, 2011]
- TEDx Bandung-Roby Muhamad-Socio Behavioural Science - September 14th, 2011 [September 14th, 2011]
- How Behavioral Science Applies to Marketing - Jason Anello - September 14th, 2011 [September 14th, 2011]
- Public Health Behavioral Science - September 15th, 2011 [September 15th, 2011]
- Full Sail Behavioral Science Video - September 15th, 2011 [September 15th, 2011]
- Introduction to Behavioural Science - September 15th, 2011 [September 15th, 2011]
- University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Commencement Speech - September 17th, 2011 [September 17th, 2011]
- Introduction to Behavioral Sciences OSPE - September 17th, 2011 [September 17th, 2011]
- Get to know NAU's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences - September 20th, 2011 [September 20th, 2011]
- 3 Minute Thesis 2010 runner-up - Will Harrison, Faculty of Social - September 24th, 2011 [September 24th, 2011]
- New Behavioral Sciences Building at Colorado State University - September 27th, 2011 [September 27th, 2011]
- Intro to Psych Statistics - September 28th, 2011 [September 28th, 2011]
- Why Do Voles Fall in Love? - September 29th, 2011 [September 29th, 2011]
- Behavioral Science: What problems do you have in your life? - September 30th, 2011 [September 30th, 2011]
- Behavioral Solutions for Climate - October 3rd, 2011 [October 3rd, 2011]
- College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) 2010 Senior Celebration - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Enhance Student Teaching Podcast - Full Sail University Behavioral Science Class - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Music and the Brain: Depression and Creativity Symposium - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Experiment Test - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Helen Palmer and The Enneagram - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Rapid Learning: Behavioral Science And Patient Treatment - Behavioral Physiolgy - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Meet Nicole in the Colorado State University Behavioral Sciences Building - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Life As A Full Sail Student Ep. 5 (Behavioral Science) - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- Happy holidays from your friends in the College of Business and Behavioral Science - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- Behavioral Science Jumping Hurdles Full Sail University - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- Dr. Meera Narasimhan on Mental Illnesses - Part 1 - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- Science needs you: Test your word power on iPhone / iPad with Science XL free app - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- Definition of Culture - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- OSP Presentation: Bou's Clues (University of Santo Tomas, Behavioral Science) - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Behavioral Sciences OSPE Part 7: Informational Care - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Criminal Minds Season 2: Behavioral Science - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- Behavioral Science - York College CUNY - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- Miswakology Behavioral Sciences - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- Criminal Minds Season 2 - Backstage - Behavioral Science Real-life Criminal Minds (2 of 2) - October 11th, 2011 [October 11th, 2011]
- Behavioral Science (A Lesson In Self Control) - October 12th, 2011 [October 12th, 2011]
- BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE LECTURE 1 - Video - October 13th, 2011 [October 13th, 2011]
- TEDxGoodenoughCollege - Jan-Emmanuel De Neve - The Genetics of Happiness - Video - October 13th, 2011 [October 13th, 2011]
- Using Denial to Cope with Grief and Depression - Winifred Gallagher - Video - October 13th, 2011 [October 13th, 2011]
- How To Survive Full Sail University - Video - October 14th, 2011 [October 14th, 2011]
- Life Positive Expo 2008 Appreciate Inquiry with Dr. Wasundhara Joshi and R Sankarasubramanyan - Video - October 14th, 2011 [October 14th, 2011]
- Dr. Meera Narasimhan on Mental Illnesses - Part 3 - Video - October 14th, 2011 [October 14th, 2011]
- Learning and Memory - Video - October 16th, 2011 [October 16th, 2011]
- Behavioral Science Proposal - Video - October 17th, 2011 [October 17th, 2011]
- 13H Refutes CCHR: IOD (Chapter 7) Psychosurgery (1/2) - Video - October 23rd, 2011 [October 23rd, 2011]
- 13H Refutes CCHR: IOD (Chapter 8) Psychiatric Drugs (1/2) - Video - October 23rd, 2011 [October 23rd, 2011]
- OUTDATED : Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection - Video - October 24th, 2011 [October 24th, 2011]
- CSUDH College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences - October 24th, 2011 [October 24th, 2011]
- Behavioral Science - October 24th, 2011 [October 24th, 2011]
- Behavioral science project. ( just one part of it) - Video - October 24th, 2011 [October 24th, 2011]
- Ramp Modeling for Dickies (UST- Behavioral Science Presentation) - Video - October 24th, 2011 [October 24th, 2011]
- Search in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences - PSCY 2301 - Video - October 25th, 2011 [October 25th, 2011]
- Forgiveness: Jesus vs Behavioral Science - Video - October 25th, 2011 [October 25th, 2011]
- PsyD Graduate Discusses her Learning Experience at CalSouthern School of Behavioral Sciences - Video - October 25th, 2011 [October 25th, 2011]
- Behavioral Science Statistics: One Sample and Dependent t-te - Video - October 26th, 2011 [October 26th, 2011]
- Full Sail University Behavioral Science Self-Awareness Exercise - Video - October 26th, 2011 [October 26th, 2011]
- FBI Behavioral Science Unit Interview - Part 2 - Video - October 26th, 2011 [October 26th, 2011]
- Full Sail BS Lab 2 Proposal - Video - October 27th, 2011 [October 27th, 2011]
- Full Sail University-Behavioral Science- Jumping Hurdles Project - Video - October 27th, 2011 [October 27th, 2011]
- Being Human - Behavioral Science Project - Video - October 27th, 2011 [October 27th, 2011]
- Behavioral Sciences OSPE Part 3: Compliance - Video - October 27th, 2011 [October 27th, 2011]
- Behavioral Science Film Fest feat. BSA1D '09 - Video - October 28th, 2011 [October 28th, 2011]
- Dan Pink Plenary Speaker Landsdowne Residency, March 2010 - Video - November 7th, 2011 [November 7th, 2011]
- Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection - Video - November 8th, 2011 [November 8th, 2011]