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…
What is Motivation?
Whilst willpower is considered as an essential tool with which to maintain effortful, goal-directed behaviour, it is equally important to address how such behaviour can be initially motivated. When an individual is first faced with the task of changing their behaviour, motivation may appear a slippery commodity. Moreover, encouraging populations to become motivated in the…
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…
Why Do We Do One Thing and Say Another?
Throughout history, our behaviour has been dominated by an innate drive for survival. Often our strongest desires are also the ones that are the oldest evolutionarily; the congenital impulses that will aid our ability to reproduce and pass on our genes to the next generation. Over time, the brain has developed and evolved to enable…
Wales Centre for Behaviour Change: Approach, Theory and Application
Voyage into Chaos One challenge for positive psychology is in providing solutions that generalize or have universal effects (particularly given its scope across the population). However, there is some evidence that not everyone benefits from the same intervention (Lyubomirsky et al., 2011). Indeed, our own work in primary schools using interventions such as Three Good…