Psychology of Behavior Change Lecture Notes

People tend to litter less in a clean environment when they see others also refraining from littering, as it reinforces the social norm against it.

Nudging refers to modifying aspects of choice architecture to influence people's behavior in predictable ways without restricting options or significantly altering economic incentives.

An example is changing organ donation registration to an opt-out system, where individuals are automatically registered unless they choose not to be.

<p>Prompts serve as reminders or cues that encourage individuals to make better choices, guiding their behavior without coercion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The ethical considerations include whether individuals genuinely have the freedom to make choices and whether nudging manipulates behavior for societal goals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Agreeing easily to lend things to neighbors shows benevolence.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Short-term considerations can override values, leading to behavior that contradicts one's beliefs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Construal level theory suggests values predict behavior better when individuals consider long-term consequences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Public commitment encourages individuals to act in line with their expressed values, effectively changing behaviors.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Successful chronic dieters tend to effectively manage food cues and conflict around unhealthy foods, while unsuccessful dieters struggle with these aspects.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Eating different foods in a restaurant than at home illustrates acting against personal values due to social norms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Enjoyment during consumption can enhance memory and mindfulness, reducing cognitive conflict that hinders goal completion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Environmental prompts can help reduce the intake of high energy snacks by altering cues and decision-making contexts.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Self-transcendent motives are more effective in motivating environmental behaviors than self-interest motives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social norms are especially persuasive during times of uncertainty, providing objective information about adaptive responses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Economic arguments may fail because they activate self-interest motives, which can undermine self-transcendent motivations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The need to belong motivates individuals to adopt behaviors that align with group norms, impacting decision-making.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Studying late into the night before exams and taking on many commitments signify high levels of achievement.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social proof can correct misperceptions and update beliefs, particularly when individuals feel uncertain about their choices.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Fear heightens the need to belong, making people more responsive to social proof as a survival mechanism.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Creating an environment that emphasizes group identity or shared goals can effectively manipulate the need to belong for behavior change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Nudging gives small pushes towards desired behavior, while boosting focuses on enhancing individuals' competencies and skills to facilitate behavior change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Choice architecture uses the arrangement of options to influence people's decisions, aimed at reducing harmful behaviors by making better choices easier.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Boosting interventions are designed to be clear and obvious, as opposed to nudges which may be subtle and less noticeable.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Competencies are essential in boosting as they equip individuals with skills that help them make informed decisions aligned with their own goals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Yes, nudging aims to improve behavior by subtly guiding individuals towards choices that benefit their well-being without restricting their freedom.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Informed decisions refer to choices made based on relevant information and evidence that enhance understanding and outcomes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Heuristics provide simple rules or shortcuts that help individuals make decisions more quickly and effectively in various contexts.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Nudging typically aims to influence behaviors that individuals might not choose due to consistent mistakes or lack of motivation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Adopting a low-level behavioral approach makes individuals more open to persuasion as their focus shifts away from their overall goals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Compliance tends to increase when cognitive scripts are disrupted, making the person more receptive to new ideas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The 'Fear-then-relief' technique involves inducing fear followed by relief, which lowers an individual's cognitive defenses, making them more susceptible to persuasion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The 'Disrupt-then-reframe' technique is used to disrupt an individual's normal script, positively shifting their perspective and making them open to different proposals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ethical considerations include the potential manipulation of individuals' emotions and decisions, leading to questions about the appropriateness of influencing their behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Reactance and ego-threat can cause defensiveness, leading to resistance to behavioral change as individuals feel their self-worth is threatened.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Self-affirmation helps individuals feel good about themselves, reducing their defensiveness and enabling them to be more receptive to persuasive messages.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The 'habit discontinuity hypothesis' suggests that disrupting normal habits can create opportunities for individuals to change their behaviors more effectively.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Habitual explanation refers to an automatic response developed from doing something over a long time, even if the individual no longer enjoys it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sustainable changes are linked to activities that individuals find attractive or enjoyable, making healthy options more appealing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Feedback allows individuals to learn from trying different things, helping them understand their preferences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Value representations are shaped by past experiences and are not fixed; they result from a distribution of all previous interactions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Less variance in experiences leads to higher confidence in evaluations, while greater variance can create uncertainty.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It takes time to update one's entire distribution of experiences to build confidence in positive associations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Constant positive advertisement can create preferences rather than simply pushing individuals towards specific behaviors.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Psychological interventions can enhance confidence by reinforcing positive associations and reducing uncertainty in evaluations.</p> Signup and view all the answers