Psychology of Behavior Change Lecture Notes

Describes how human behavior can be analyzed at different levels of abstraction, ranging from specific actions (e.g., opening a door) to broader goals (e.g., going to work).

A technique that disrupts someone's normal script or thought patterns to make them more susceptible to persuasion.

A technique that uses fear to create a sense of vulnerability, making someone more open to suggestions.

The tendency for people to resist persuasion when they feel their autonomy is threatened.

A psychological state where people feel threatened or inadequate and become defensive. This can lead to resistance to persuasion.

A strategy to reduce resistance to persuasion by boosting someone's self-esteem and sense of worthiness.

The idea that changing behavior requires making the desired option more attractive and appealing to the individual.

A technique designed to make people feel good about themselves before presenting information that might threaten their ego.

Using design elements to nudge people towards desired behaviors without using force or changing financial incentives.

The default option is the easiest or automatically chosen one - people tend to stick with it. Changing the default can significantly change people's behavior.

Creating or influencing environments to make desired behavior more attractive or convenient.

Simple cues or reminders that encourage a desired behavior; prompts can be visual, auditory, or verbal.

This technique combines prompts and observation of desired & undesired behavior to guide individuals towards the desired behavior.

The tendency to be helpful and generous towards others, often shown by readily lending things to neighbors or keeping promises.

The desire to achieve and succeed, often manifested by studying late for exams or taking on many commitments.

When people conform to social norms, even when those norms contradict their own values, their behaviour is influenced by external factors.

Values predict behaviour more accurately when people consider long-term consequences and focus on the 'why' rather than the 'how' of their actions.

When a request aligns with a person's values, they are more likely to focus on the distant benefits (why) and act accordingly.

When a request conflicts with a person's values, they are more likely to focus on immediate inconveniences (how) and potentially decline.

The importance of being consistent, even when actions don't reflect internal values, is a strong human need.

A technique that uses public commitments and awareness to promote desired behavioural changes, often used in health interventions.

Individuals differ in their susceptibility to influence from food cues and their ability to control their eating habits; some individuals are more prone to automatic thoughts of weight loss when exposed to unhealthy food.

The experience of consuming food without internal conflict can enhance memory, mindfulness, and overall eating enjoyment; this can be beneficial for maintaining dietary goals by reducing stress and promoting a positive association with food.

Social norms provide information about what behavior is considered appropriate within a social group; these norms influence individuals' actions, especially during times of uncertainty.

People have a strong desire to belong to a group; social norms act as a motivator to align one's behavior with the group to avoid social exclusion.

Social norms can influence individuals' beliefs and perceptions of reality; however, this influence may be less potent when people have already formed strong opinions.

Fear increases the need to belong and makes individuals more receptive to influencing information from others, enhancing the effectiveness of social proof.

Social norms can motivate individuals to behave in ways that make them stand out from the crowd, especially in situations where social recognition or attention is desired.

The effectiveness of social norms in steering behavior can be influenced by individual differences such as personality, emotional state, and the specific context of the social cues.

Giving small pushes towards certain behavior, often by changing the environment or presenting options in a way that makes the desired choice easier.

Helping people become competent and skillful in a specific area, empowering them to independently choose and change their behavior in the direction they want.

People often struggle to act in line with what they say they want. Both nudging and boosting aim to address this gap, but from different perspectives.

Choice architecture and low motivation for the harmful behavior can be used to encourage desired behavior.

Nudging aims to help people, but it raises ethical questions about who decides what's good or bad, and whether nudging truly empowers individuals.

Focuses on building skills and competencies rather than directly manipulating behavior; it provides people with the tools and knowledge needed to make informed choices.

Boosting interventions are transparent and explicit; they don't rely on hidden influences or manipulation.

Boosting can be aimed at specific skills or general decision-making skills, but should generalize across various situations.

A type of behavior where someone automatically performs an action even though they don't enjoy it because they've been doing it for a long time.

The idea that sustainable change is more likely when people find the new option attractive and enjoyable, leading to a more positive and lasting experience.

The process of providing new experiences or options to someone, letting them discover what they like and dislike, and ultimately promoting lasting change.

The idea that providing people with information about how to change their behavior can be effective. Specifically, focusing on specific behaviors rather than broad changes leads to more lasting results.

Our values are not set in stone but are constantly evolving based on experiences. These values can be influenced by the presentation and framing of information.

Confidence in our evaluations of something is directly linked to the consistency of our experiences with it. Less variation in experiences leads to higher confidence.

The understanding that changing behavior takes time since it involves updating the entire distribution of experiences to form a confident positive association.

Consistent positive advertising can shape people's preferences without necessarily motivating them towards action. It's crucial to understand how confidence influences people's choices.