Despite a series of high-profile replicability challenges and the alleged falsification of data that has called a number of studies into question, the last decade has seen widespread recognition that behavioral science can support improved policymaking, governance, management, and operations across a broad domain. “Behavioural science refers to an evidence-based understanding of how people actually behave, make decisions and respond to programmes, policies, and incentives,” reads the UN Secretary General’s Guidance Note on the topic. “It enables us to diagnose barriers preventing people from adopting a certain behaviour, understand enablers that help people achieve their aims, and design more impactful interventions.”1
A 2021 “Behavioural Science Report,”2 produced by the UN Innovation Network, expands: “Behavioural science places a focus on how people interact with their environment and is grounded in empirical work from a variety of disciplines, including psychology and economics. It applies rigorous scientific methods to derive insights, some of them surprising, on the common patterns and drivers of human behaviour.” The report argues that behavioral science can help to improve outcomes by facilitating a better understanding of:
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