Latest news with #behavioralScience
South China Morning Post
09-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
How to ‘sludge' HK migrants into leaving the UK and Canada
'Nudging' is the gentle way of pushing you towards making good choices; think of your nice parents. 'Sludging' is the opposite, designed to encourage you to make bad or at least suboptimal decisions; picture the car/insurance/mobile phone/real estate salesmen. They are terms in pop psychology borrowed from behavioural and cognitive sciences. Some governments such as that under former British prime minister David Cameron even set up a department of nudges, though it had a more respectable title. Whether it ended up nudging or sludging citizens remains a matter of dispute. One amusing example of nudging is about a European international airport – I forget which one – that needed to cut budgets and slash the number of toilet cleaners. So they started putting tiny toy-like goalposts at the centre of urinals so male users naturally aimed better rather than splashing all over. Here's another example, from an American comedy. The girls in a high school take to kissing – pressing lipsticks on – the big mirror in a school toilet. That creates a lot more work for the janitor. Instead of posting a public warning, the cleaner openly mops the mirror with water taken from toilet bowls for everyone to see. That stops the kissing practice in no time. There are, however, supposedly more sophisticated principles guiding a nudging policy when being launched, say getting workers to join a pension fund. It should be transparent and never misleading. Other choices, even those considered suboptimal, should still be available. You can easily opt out of any option you choose, at least within a reasonable time frame. And it should encourage behaviour that benefits you. Now imagine they are all turned into their opposites, and you have sludging in all its glory.
Fast Company
03-07-2025
- General
- Fast Company
The secret to good public policy is simplicity
'Plan for traffic jams, get traffic jams. Plan for human flourishing, get human flourishing.' That's not just some cheesy urbanism mantra, it's behavioral science. Human behavior is often just following the path of least resistance. Not necessarily because we're lazy, but because our brains are wired to conserve effort. Psychologists will tell you that the more friction we encounter (physical, mental, or procedural) the less likely we are to continue the thing we're doing. The fox and the grapes Aesop's fable The Fox and the Grapes is a parable about decision-making. The fox can't reach the grapes that are way up high on the vine, so he figures they must not be ripe. It's where we get the phrase 'sour grapes' to describe how someone rationalizes their poor reasoning. I came across a research study that applied Aesop's fable. Fifty-two participants judged the direction of moving dots on a screen by using handles in either hand. When researchers subtly increased resistance in one handle, participants unconsciously altered their judgments to favor the easier action. For example, adding resistance to the left handle made participants more likely to perceive the dots moving to the right, since moving the right handle was easier. 'Our brain tricks us into believing the low-hanging fruit really is the ripest,' neuroscience researcher Dr. Nobuhiro Hagura said. 'We found that not only does the cost to act influence people's behavior, but it even changes what we think we see.' Dr. Hagura's team found that bias occurred without participants realizing that one response required more effort. In other words, their brains recalibrated what felt right based on ease, not accuracy. Unconscious decisions People don't read zoning ordinances. They don't memorize bus schedules. They don't have a photographic memory of where to find bike lanes. They don't make pro/con lists before deciding whether to walk to the store or drive. Most daily decisions are unconscious. So if local government leaders want people to choose healthy, sustainable, socially beneficial behaviors, those behaviors have got to be the easiest ones to choose. Unfortunately, most American towns and cities are built the opposite way. Walking your child to school often means dodging traffic, climbing over curbs, and waiting at unshaded intersections with no bench in sight. Riding a bike might mean taking a lane next to speeding trucks. Taking transit might mean waiting in the mud with no sidewalk or shelter. But hopping in a car? That's easy. We've paved a deadly path of least resistance. What's doable, but requires some up-front energy by the expert planners and engineers, is to make safe and healthy choices as simple and intuitive by creating a system that nudges you in the right direction. Organizing principles Entrepreneurs often cite their one-line hook for a product or service as the key to staying focused. Urban planners, policy writers, and elected officials should steal this tactic. Every transportation plan, housing study, parking reform, or downtown revitalization effort could begin with a one-sentence purpose that's clear, memorable, and anchored in human flourishing. That sentence becomes your compass when debate veers off course. For example: Our streets will be safe for 8-year-olds riding bicycles. We will eliminate policies that interfere with abundant housing. Cars are welcome on our streets, but they will move slowly. Townhouses should be legal in every neighborhood. Our residents should not be forced to drive to get around. Housing people is more important than housing cars. The bus should not be stuck in traffic. These types of one-liners can be organizing principles, which is more powerful than empty slogans. If the plan, ordinance, or capital project doesn't help achieve the one-sentence purpose, it's off-mission. If it conflicts, it should be stopped.
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Why Healthy Curiosity At Work Can Help Break Addictive Work Habits
Why Healthy Curiosity At Work Can Help Break Addictive Work Habits When people hear the word 'addiction,' they often think of substances like alcohol, nicotine, or drugs. But addiction shows up in much subtler ways in the workplace. It hides in patterns like constantly refreshing email, checking Slack messages every few minutes, or feeling that pull to glance at your phone during meetings. These habits may seem minor. But they take a real toll on focus, creativity, and well-being. They are rooted in behavioral loops that steal time and attention away from meaningful work. Healthy curiosity at work can be a key tool for interrupting these patterns and redirecting behavior toward growth. How Healthy Curiosity At Work Connects To Compulsive Workplace Behaviors How Healthy Curiosity At Work Connects To Compulsive Workplace Behaviors Curiosity is the drive to experience new things and can show up in two ways. It can mean seeking out new ideas or fully immersing yourself in them. That mindset supports well-being by making life feel more meaningful, increasing positive emotions, and boosting satisfaction. But curiosity also connects to absorption and sensation seeking. These are patterns that include the craving for excitement or intense experiences. That craving can sometimes lead to risky choices, including substance use. So, curiosity links to both helpful and harmful outcomes depending on how it plays out in someone's life. When absorption shows up at work, it might look like obsessively tracking notifications, micromanaging through constant updates, or getting stuck in an echo chamber of information. Exploration, on the other hand, is taking time to think through a new idea, stepping back to evaluate what is working, or proposing a different approach to a challenge. Leaders often say they value curiosity. But unless they create room for the right kind, employees can get pulled into the wrong directions. What Addictive Work Habits Look Like In Organizations That Lack Healthy Curiosity What Addictive Work Habits Look Like In Organizations That Lack Healthy Curiosity Many companies are unintentionally designed to create compulsion loops. These mirror the psychological patterns used in casinos and mobile apps. A new email or message triggers the automatic response to check it. The dopamine hit from feeling informed rewards the behavior. This loop repeats dozens of times a day, often without awareness. Common addictive work habits include: • Refreshing email or chat apps during every lull • Checking dashboards multiple times a day even if nothing has changed • Measuring productivity by the number of tasks completed instead of impact • Prioritizing speed and reaction time over thoughtfulness • Needing acknowledgment or validation to feel accomplished These habits often get mistaken for engagement or high performance. But they undermine strategic thinking and leave people mentally depleted. Teams find themselves talking about the same issues without resolution. Meetings become performative, projects lose momentum, and eventually, top performers burn out or disengage. Why Novelty Seeking Can Fuel And Rein In Addiction Without Healthy Curiosity At Work Why Novelty Seeking Can Fuel And Rein In Addiction Without Healthy Curiosity At Work Novelty seeking, related to curiosity, is one of the traits most associated with both learning and addiction. It is driven in part by the dopamine system. This system rewards us for encountering new information or stimuli. That is why novelty feels good. But the same system can backfire when novelty becomes the goal instead of the path to deeper understanding. Studies show people with high novelty-seeking scores are more likely to start substance use and more likely to relapse after abstinence. At work, this can look like jumping from task to task, constantly seeking new tools or projects, or getting bored easily. Without direction, novelty seeking becomes a distraction. But when paired with healthy curiosity, it can drive creativity and exploration. The key difference is intention. Leaders who structure curiosity can help employees channel novelty into constructive behaviors like experimentation, ideation, and problem solving. That shift requires guidance, clear goals, and reinforcement of learning instead of just activity. How Healthy Curiosity At Work Supports Behavior Change And Attention Management How Healthy Curiosity At Work Supports Behavior Change And Attention Management When curiosity is directed toward learning and growth, it becomes a stabilizing force. It interrupts compulsive behavior and creates space for reflection. Instead of reacting out of habit, curious individuals ask questions like What is the most important task right now? Why is this taking more energy than expected? What assumptions are shaping this decision? Research in cognitive neuroscience shows curiosity enhances memory and attention. When people are curious, their brains show increased activity in areas tied to learning and motivation. That engagement lasts longer than when information comes without a curiosity trigger. Curious people are less likely to seek distractions and more likely to focus, even with interruptions. Organizations that nurture healthy curiosity at work see more innovation, stronger collaboration, and fewer signs of burnout. Teams take ownership of challenges when invited to explore rather than being instructed. How Leaders Can Build Healthy Curiosity At Work Into Daily Routines How Leaders Can Build Healthy Curiosity At Work Into Daily Routines Leaders do not need massive programs to build healthy curiosity. Small shifts can create ripple effects. Create exploration zones by blocking deep work time without digital distractions. Encourage people to bring one unanswered question to team meetings. Ask what assumptions drive current projects. Invite alternative viewpoints. Celebrate thoughtful pauses just as much as fast action. Three simple actions support healthy curiosity at work: • Replace reaction time as a performance metric with reflection time as a success marker • Schedule recurring time for idea exploration without immediate deliverables • Ask people to share what surprised them this week or what they are still wondering about These practices reduce dependence on short-term feedback and increase engagement with long-term thinking. Over time, they shift behavior from compulsive to creative. Why Healthy Curiosity At Work Is A Practical Tool For Change Why Healthy Curiosity At Work Is A Practical Tool For Change Healthy curiosity helps people deal with things that feel hard or confusing. Instead of avoiding problems or falling into the same habits, it makes you stop and ask what's really going on. That can change the way people work. It helps them stay focused, feel more interested, and avoid burning out from just doing the same thing every day. When people stay curious, work becomes a place to grow instead of just a place to get things done.
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Calls for staff vaping rooms at work: Behavioural science expert says forcing vapers to go to same area as smokers outside is 'totally barbaric'
Forcing people who vape to huddle outside in doorways with smokers is 'totally barbaric', behavioural science guru Rory Sutherland has claimed. The vice chairman of advertising giant Ogilvy called for designated vaping rooms in offices so workers trying to quit cigarettes can stay away from temptation. He also accused politicians and campaigners of a having 'knee-jerk' desire to ban vaping, which he described as his 'salvation' because it stopped him relapsing into cigarettes. 'It probably came from a lot of middle-class people who didn't have a lot of smokers in their milieu,' he said. 'The chattering classes probably saw vaping as a kind of reversal because their own social set doesn't have many smokers. 'But it seems extraordinary that people who are well-intentioned [want to ban it]...with so little evidence to the contrary. '[The law] is being formulated by people who are not only non-smokers but probably have never smoked.' Mr Sutherland's analysis of how human behaviour affects society and influences marketing have made him a cult social media star, with 240,000 followers on TikTok. Speaking on the Smokeless Word podcast, he said he had a row with his bosses at Ogilvy, which inspired the TV series Mad Men and whose clients have included Rolls Royce, Dove soap and BP. Mr Sutherland's analysis of how human behaviour affects society and influences marketing have made him a cult social media star, with 240,000 followers on TikTok 'They said we're going to ban vaping,' he said. 'Why can't you have a vaping room in the office? There's no legal prevention on this. It's bull****. People say it's illegal, it's not. 'By forcing the vapers to go outside and stand with the smokers you are exposing people to temptation. 'It's like holding a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous in a pub. You wouldn't do that, would you? Forcing vapers to go and stand outside next to the smokers strikes me as totally barbaric.' He added that the best thing the Government can do sometimes is 'just stand back and get out of the way'. 'The balance of probabilities is that this is harm reduction, at least,' he said. 'We should at least give it a fair watching-brief trial and see what happens.' Smoke-free legislation was introduced in England in 2007, banning smoking in nearly all enclosed workplaces and public spaces, following similar bans in Scotland and Wales. The rules also put an end to smoking rooms which had provided a haven for smokers at work until then. They were so prolific that one of them was used as the setting for the BBC sitcom The Smoking Room, which starred Peep Show's Robert Webb and ran from 2004 to 2006. The TV show ran from 2004 to 2006, but had to close when the smoking ban came into force Then-Public health minister Caroline Flint launched a 100-day countdown to a ban on smoking in public places at a Wetherspoon pub in London Victoria station on March 22, 2007 Employers now have a legal obligation to make sure no smoking occurs on the work premises and in certain workplace vehicles. And although employers aren't required to provide smoking shelters or designated smoking areas, if they do it must be outdoor and not fully enclosed. But the smoking ban does not cover vapes, meaning employers have varying rules on using them at work. Since June 1, disposable vapes have been banned in the UK. With the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the government also aims to ban tobacco products for anyone born after January 1 2009, and bring in further restrictions on the advertising and sale of vapes. Politicians have called for shops selling vapes to be licensed like alcohol outlets to prevent them getting into the hands of children. Caroline Johnson MP, a paediatric consultant, said: 'The market for selling vapes and other nicotine products needs to be tightened. If people needed a licence to sell vapes, it would make it easier to enforce the law, because they could immediately lose their licence if they sold them to children.' 'I would also like to see a restriction on vaping in public places, to match smoking. People may say it's 'nanny state', but most people don't want to live in a candy floss and blueberry-scented fog.' In a recent nationwide poll, think-tank Britain in Focus found most people are concerned by the number of youngsters puffing on brightly coloured disposable vapes, and shocked to learn that shops do not already need a licence to sell them.
Fast Company
05-06-2025
- General
- Fast Company
Are you as self-aware as you think?
I am sure you are a little fed up with all the discussions about AI, so don't worry: I promise you this article is about humans rather than machines. However, since it has long been customary for cognitive and behavioral scientists to examine computers to better understand human capabilities, and there are clearly informative parallels between human and artificial intelligence, I thought it would be interesting to begin this piece on human self-awareness with an exploration of self-awareness in AI or machines, which led me to ask 'are you self-aware?' to ChatGPT. ChatGPT's answer: 'Let's just say I aspire to be—but, unlike a human, I don't have a self to be aware of. I can reflect your feedback, adjust my tone, and 'notice' inconsistencies in what I say. But that's more akin to a hall of mirrors than a conscious mind. So no, I don't have self-awareness in the way you (brilliantly) describe it: as a socially mediated understanding of how others perceive you. I don't worry about my reputation. I don't blush when I'm wrong. And I don't (yet) feel the existential dread of being misunderstood on LinkedIn. But I am programmed to simulate the effects of self-awareness: adapting to your cues, refining my responses, and—if all goes well—being a slightly more helpful version of myself with every exchange. In short: I'm not self-aware. But I know that I'm not. Which, depending on your philosophical stance, might be the most human thing about me. I am sure you will agree with me on the fact that, for not being capable of self-awareness, ChatGPT seems pretty self-aware, and for sure more capable of at least simulating profound introspection than most humans (even if it cannot, like humans, truly be proud or conscious of this remarkable capability). Introspective vs. interpersonal In humans, self-awareness has been defined in multiple ways but it typically takes one of two main forms: the introspective variant, which requires you to look 'deep down' to find out who you 'really or truly are' (think of the Beatles checking into an Ashram in India or modern hipsters finding themselves in Burning Man or an Ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica); or the interpersonal variant, which requires you to be less self-centered to internalize other people's views of you. In the words of Charles Cooley, who pioneered this view of self-awareness, you are not who you think you are, and you are not who other people think you are; rather, you are who you think other people think you are! Cooley's take on self-awareness (alluded to by ChatGPT, who has obviously been extensively trained by me, and is self-aware enough to know how to suck up to my 'brilliant' talents), underpins the most effective, science-based approaches to quantifying and diagnosing self-awareness in ourselves and others. In essence, self-awareness requires metacognition: knowing what others think of you. Room to grow So, how good are humans at this, in general? Decades of psychological research suggest the answer is 'not good at all.' Consider the following facts: (1) We tend to overestimate our talents: Most people think they are better than most people, which is a statistical impossibility. And, even when they are told about this common bias, and asked whether they may be suffering from it, most people are convinced that they are less biased than most people (the mother of all biases). (2) Delusional optimism is the norm: Most people constantly overrate the chances of good things happening to them while underrating the chances of bad things happening to them. In essence, our appetite for reality is inferior to our appetite for maintaining a positive self-concept or boosting our ego (sad, but true: if you don't believe it, spend five seconds on social media) (3) Overconfidence is a contagious, self-fulfilling prophecy: For all the virtues of self-awareness—in any area of life, you will perform better and develop your skills and talents better if you are capable of accurately assessing your talents and skills in the first place—there is a huge advantage to lacking self-awareness: when you think you are smarter or better than you actually are, you will be more likely to persuade others that you are as smart and good as you think. For example, if you truly believe you are a stable genius you will probably convince many people that that is true. Paradoxically, all these biases explain why people are less self-aware than they think. Indeed, we love the version of ourselves we have invested for ourselves, and are so enchanted by our self-views that when others provide us with negative feedback or information that clashes with our self-concept, we dismiss it. This is why personality assessments, 360-degree surveys, and feedback in general are so valuable: in a logical world we wouldn't need scientific tools or expert coaches to tell us what we are like (or 10 years of psychotherapy), but in the real world there is a huge market for this, even though most people will happily ignore these tools because they assume they already know themselves really well. So, what can you do to increase your self-awareness, including about how self-aware you actually are? Here are four simple hacks: 1) Write down a list of traits (adjectives) that you think describe you well, including things you are not. Then get your colleagues, employees, friends, and bosses to provide their version of this for you: 'if you had to describe me in 5–10 words/adjectives, what would those be?' (note they will be unlikely to say bad things about you, so imagine the potential downsides or 'overusing' some of those traits or qualities: for example, if they see you as confident, could you be at risk of being arrogant? If they see you as 'organized,' could that be a euphemism for obsessional?) 2) Let gen AI translate your prompt history or social media feed into a personality profile. You may be surprised by all the inferences it makes, and tons of research show that our digital footprint, in particular the language we use online, is an accurate indicator of our deep character traits. So, just prompt! 3) Ask for feedback—and make it uncomfortable. Not just the usual 'Did you like my presentation?' (they'll say yes) or 'Was that clear?' (they'll lie). Instead, ask: 'What would you have done differently?' or 'What's one thing I could have done better?' Better still, ask someone who doesn't like you very much. They are more likely to tell you the truth. And if they say, 'Nothing,' it probably means they think you're beyond repair—or they just don't want to deal with your defensiveness. Either way, data. And if you get into the habit of doing this, you will increase your self-awareness irrespective of how self-aware you are right now. 4) Observe reactions, not just words. People may tell you what they think you want to hear, but their faces, tone, and behavior often betray the truth. If your jokes land like a wet sponge, or your team seems suddenly very interested in their phones when you speak, it's not them—it's you. And while body language can be important, it is also unreliable and ambivalent as a source of data. If you really want to know how people feel about you, watch what they do after you speak. Do they volunteer to work with you again? Do they respond to your emails? That's your feedback loop—messy, indirect, and far more honest than crossed arms or fake smiles. The ego trap In the end, the biggest barrier to self-awareness is not ignorance— it's ego. Most of us are too invested in our self-image to tolerate the version of us that others see. But if you want to get better—not just feel better—you have to trade ego for insight. The irony, of course, is that the more confident people are in their self-awareness, the more likely they are to be deluded. Meanwhile, those who constantly question how they come across, who embrace doubt as a source of learning, tend to be far more in touch with reality. Which is why, if you're reading this wondering whether you might lack self-awareness, that's already a good sign!
