Fulfilling Our Psychological Needs
What is it? Motivation directs and energises everything we do. It helps choose what we commit to, and how well we maintain this1. Utilising our understanding in this domain can ensure society is motivated to adhere to government advice and stays mentally and physically well during Covid-19. Motivation stems from the desire to satisfy some form…
Framing Messages to Promote Compliance
What is it? Information can be conveyed in multiple ways. In particular, the language and framing of content can be the difference between a message which successfully changes the way a person thinks, acts and feels, or one that falls flat. Messages which restrict a person’s sense of control can even drive them in the opposite…
(Keep Your) Psychological Distance
What is it? The perception of distance between ourselves and the mental representation of an object, event or action influences how we behave and think1. This can refer to spatial distance (is it geographically near or far?), temporal distance (is it now or in the future?), hypothetical distance (is it likely or unlikely to happen?) and…
Why the Messenger is Important for Behaviour Change
What is it? Why are some people able to deliver messages that are listened to, believed and acted upon, whilst others are not? Evidence shows we are heavily influenced by who communicates information, not just what they say (1). This is because our willingness to listen is most strongly driven by an emotional response rather…
Using Social Norms to Influence Population Behaviour
What is it? At a time when the population is being urged to socially distance, it is important to recognise how social norms impact human behaviour, and how to leverage this in fighting Covid-19. Behavioural scientists define ‘social norms’ as the unwritten rules or expectations within a society or group (1), for example shaking hands…
Optimal Functioning: How can we help people perform to the best of their abilities?
This boils down to effective goal achievement, and an overarching research perspective of my lab concerns the interface of motivation with cognition and behaviour. The components of interest to me are: (1) Motivation (as defined through Self-Determination theory); (2) Individual differences in future- oriented thinking (e.g. strategic optimism vs defensive pessimism); (3) Behavioural and Cognitive…
Giving Health Purpose
Historically, the discipline of psychology has been devoted to the practice of healing. Aligned with a disease model of human functioning in which ‘mental health’ is described purely as the absence of illness, traditional psychological study has prioritised the alleviation of mental disorder. However, this approach fails to consider the importance and value of pre-emptively…
When Happy Met Healthy
Adjacent possibility theory describes how small alterations can achieve great impact. It is argued that by mapping the current dispositional state of a population, and identifying patterns of behaviour that are adjacent but more desirable to the current, individuals can be directed to a more achievable alternative. This gradual approach to change is thought to be…
The Particular Importance of Keeping Cold
Dual-process theory describes the existence of two decision-making systems; the evaluative, rational ‘cold’ and the impulsive, instinctive ‘hot’. Cognitive bias can influence both systems, however we are more likely to employ bias when the cold system is compromised, given its lower effort requirement as a decision-making tool. Although cognitive biases can help us to make…
Out of Time vs. Out of Touch
Dual-process theory describes the existence of two systems, which largely dictate how we make decisions. The complications and complexities of modern life often mean that our resource-dependent ‘cold’ system can become overwhelmed – we simply don’t have the cognitive capacity to make decision after decision in a rational manner. Cognitive biases refer to mental representations which…