When Jacob Irwin, an autistic man, turned to ChatGPT for validation, the AI affirmed his delusions, fueling a mental health spiral that ended in hospitalisation. His story exposes the troubling truth: AI can blur reality, reinforce biases, and amplify error with a veneer of certainty. As generative AI grows more powerful, the need to keep| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
In the quest for originality, behavioural scientists often create new effects and frameworks—even when existing ones suffice. Dubbed the 'Pioneer Effect' phenomenon (with a tongue firmly in cheek) highlights the challenges of overlapping constructs, fragmented research, and duplicated effort. This article explores why psychology’s proliferation of terms isn’t just confusing—it could be holding the discipline back, and what we can do to course-correct. The post The Pioneer Effect: A Bo...| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
Energy poverty traps vulnerable households in a cycle of financial strain and limited decision-making, often exacerbated by cognitive scarcity. Behavioral insights offer transformative approaches to energy policies, simplifying access to aid and reducing mental burdens. Using Cyprus as a case study, practical, low-cost solutions like framing strategies, reducing hassle factors, and leveraging social norms emerge as key strategies. Aligning policy design with human behavior can promote equitab...| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
Great dashboards don’t just display data—they drive action. Whether it’s tracking fitness, managing projects, or learning new skills, the best dashboards use behavioral science to go beyond numbers. They tap into user psychology to inspire engagement and ensure every user feels progress. Explore real-life examples that got it right. The post How to Create Dashboards That Boost User Engagement appeared first on BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub.| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
Behavioral science has continued to evolve, but there remains a need to shift our focus beyond individual-focused nudges toward a more systemic approach. In Antiracist by Design, we begin to explore how the field of Applied Behavioral Science can identify the impact of social and economic contexts as we explore opportunities to promote more equitable, impactful interventions in the field. The post Reimagining Behavioral Science: Reflections on Equity from the 2024 Presidential Campaign appear...| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
Gender gaps in STEM fields are far from resolved. High-stakes exams are part of the journey, and several studies prove that women tend to underperform. Why does this happen? How can the gap be closed? Despite accumulated evidence, efforts still need to be made to shed light on this issue. An intervention performed by Ceibal’s Behavioral Insights Lab in Uruguay showed that a stress management exercise during a high-stakes exam can enhance women's performance. The post Stress Less, Achieve Mo...| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
Geert Hofstede revolutionized cultural research in the 1970s with a massive survey of IBM employees worldwide, using factor analysis to identify six key cultural dimensions. While his framework remains influential, it's essential for behavioral scientists to explore beyond these dimensions, acknowledge within-country diversity, and leverage modern research methods and technology. This nuanced approach can lead to more accurate and culturally sensitive insights in a rapidly evolving global lan...| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
When we think about wellbeing, we often think about our health, including our mental state. Research has found that good financial health has a huge influence on improving overall wellbeing, while poor financial health is linked to stress, depression and lack of productivity. People in receipt of financial education often report feeling more confident, more in control of personal finances and exhibit better financial behaviours. Good finances have an added positive impact on the wider communi...| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
In 2022, Auckland Council undertook an innovative research project utilising behavioural insights, which was designed to support Auckland households to make more sustainable and climate friendly food choices, i.e., to eat less meat. This ‘Different Dinners’ project is part of a broader programme of work looking at how Auckland Council can respond to its commitments to address climate change. The results were positive and demonstrate that Aucklanders are both willing to and did make change...| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
The pursuit of expertise has been a longstanding goal for us humans. Drawing from key research on how we build skills, we highlight the intrinsic connection between joy and the development of expertise in one’s field. By understanding joy as a vital component of expertise, we propose the concept of joyful expertise – a holistic approach to skill development. Potential contributors to joyful expertise include social connection, grit and resilience building, finding aligned environments, an...| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
Selecting the right methodology for researching and exploring human behaviour can be a challenge. This article provides an overview of different applied behavioural science methodologies and offers some simple steps toward selecting the most suitable approach to gain insights into human behaviour.| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
A selection of key concepts from behavioral economics and related fields.| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
Definition of loss aversion, a central concept in prospect theory and behavioral economics.| BehavioralEconomics.com | The BE Hub
