Here are 5 Myths about Behavioral Science/ Behavior Change

These are just some of my observations based on work and conversations with others.

Do feel free to add any others that you think might be applicable, or if you want to, challenge them 😀

1) Behavioral Science is about manipulation

❌ No, we are not in the business of manipulation, we are in the business of helping people make the decisions they already wanted to make.

We do this by understanding the context of the person and then working on eliminating barriers or enhancing enablers so they can make those decisions.

2) You can just learn nudges and apply them to anything

❌ No, this is just not going to work for you, because there are many things at play. Using nudges in a lab vs in the wild is not the same.

It does not mean you can't use nudges, but they are part of the last area of your tactics, and you need to test them to see if they will even work.

3) We are all irrational

❌ No, we are all contextual and that may cause us to act as if we were irrational, but that has more to do with the environment and situations than us actually being by default "irrational".

4) Everything can be turned into a habit

❌ No, habits are only going to build if your brain thinks they will be rewarding enough and if they aren't competing in your hierarchy of behaviors.

What most people think are habits are most likely routines, because if you are thinking about it, then it's not automatic and hence it's probably a routine instead - routines are good, but need work to get done.

5) Behavioral Science is like using magic - a panacea if you will

❌ No, mixed methods are the key to creating real change and great experiences.

Behavioral Science is used to derive Behavioral Insights that can be applied together with other disciplines of innovation and design to de-risk your hypothesis and to be more precise in your innovation.

Bonus for work:

6) Behavior Change is hard to implement

❌ No, what is hard is to take the time upfront to do the initial work of framing the problem.

This is done so you are able to understand the context and specify the target behavior and influences, but it is no different from doing other design and innovation work. (meaning you need to spend time in the problem space)

You don't have to learn every single theory, but you do have to learn the basics, which include using a solid framework and taking a more evidence-based and systematic approach.

These are other ways I can help you:

1 ) Get my Behavior Basics Course: Learn to add that missing Behavioral Science layer to your products and services in an easy and practical way

2) Explore my services: I work on small projects or as part of your team

3) Frameworks: Get access to my frameworks and tools

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