Using behavioural science to improve learning and performance
In Learning & Development, we often work with organisations to help change workplace behaviours. Sometimes the behaviours are more task-based; other times, they may be part of large-scale behaviour change interventions intended to transform organisational cultures.
Last year, I did a micro-credential, ‘Applying behavioural science to create change’, to learn more about how behavioural science can help generate more effective learning experiences and improved performance.
Here are some of my takeaways.
Human behaviour
Complex | Sensitive to context and circumstances | Fluid and fuzzy | Difficult to change.
How we act or conduct ourselves, especially towards other people. Lexico
What we do to make something happen, make something change, or keep things the same.’NSW Department of Health.
Behavior includes what the person does that is observable and measurable. PsychCentral
“Behavioural science is a comprehensive, if not complete, toolset allowing us to understand why we behave the way we behave and make decisions we make. It is also a facilitator for making better decisions which is equally valuable.”
Eight key drivers of behaviour
Conscious drivers of behaviour
Attitudes
emotions, beliefs, and behaviours toward a particular object, person, thing, or event.
Social norms
the informal rules that govern behaviour in groups and societies.
Perceived behavioural control
our Capability, the physical, financial, psychological resources and abilities that you have to carry out a particular behaviour.
the Opportunities to exercise that behaviour.
Unconscious drivers of behaviour
Habits
strong unconscious drivers of behaviour, habits keep us doing what we do.
Emotions
emotions can be both conscious and unconscious drivers of behaviour, but are usually unconscious drivers.
Biases
unconscious tendencies to think and behave in certain ways.
Context
the structures and architecture in the environment that influence behaviour, including shared social and cultural expectations that exist beyond any individual or single behaviour.
Theory of Planned Behaviour
The Theory of Planned Behaviour is concerned with conscious behaviour drivers: attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. It’s the outcome of all three drivers that come together to indicate whether we intend to perform the particular behaviour. Behavioural intention is the most proximal determinant of human social behaviour.
Systems maps
Creating a systems map to show the relevant actors, people, groups, organisations and other influences will help you to understand the potential behavioural influences.
Intention-Action Gap
Also known as the value-action gap, knowledge-attitudes-practice gap, or espoused theory vs theory-in-use gap; the intention-action gap is when a persons’ actions don't match their values, attitudes, or intentions. While we intend to choose the 'right' behaviour, something about our environment or the behaviour itself stops us from carrying it out. For example, we know that getting into a fitness routine will have long-term benefits but watching the next episode of Squid Games on Netflix is so much more gratifying at that moment. It's important to have a stable context or environment in which to embed the new behaviour. Integrating a new behaviour into an existing habitual routine can be very effective.
Using a myth-versus-fact approach often fails
The easier it is to process information, and the more familiar the information feels, the more likely it will stick in people's heads. Using a myth-versus-fact approach often fails because it is focused on the false information which then reinforces it. It’s usually better to ignore false information than to repeat it Repeat the correct information and make it as accessible as possible.
Biases don’t explain or produce behaviour – they describe it
Cognitive biases can lead to errors and assumptions and interfere with behaviour change. There are approximately 200 cognitive biases, Including loss aversion, the homogeneity effect, sunk-cost fallacy, and the bandwagon effect. It's important to think about what may be driving the behaviour, so you can develop effective strategies to guide people towards the desired behaviour
“By understanding how our minds make decisions, we can be mindful of the inherent inaccuracies and fallacies and hopefully act with more fairness and grace.”
Knowledge alone doesn’t change behaviour
Once people know what to do, the most effective way to increase the likelihood of action is by making the desirable behaviours easy/fun/rewarding/socially acceptable and making the undesirable behaviours more difficult/less acceptable.