News & insights

Construal Level Theory describes the relationship between psychological distance and the extent to which people's thinking is concrete or abstract. The more psychologically near (distant), the more concrete (abstract) our thinking.

What insights can behavioural science offer the humanitarian sector as it looks to transform how it operates in this challenging field?

OzHarvest has ramped up their fight against food waste to encourage Melbourians to get on board with their innovative Use-It-Up tape.

In behavioural science there are negative and positive spillovers; and by understanding them, we may be able to better understand how to promote the adoption of more pro-environmental behaviours in people.

What is The Spillover Effect in behavioural science? Find out in this latest episode of Pocket Change.

Environmental communicators may be unintentionally deterring plastic avoidance by emphasising undesirable social norms. In an online experiment we ran back in 2019, we found some interesting insights on the role of social norms in promoting better waste behaviours.

What is 'shared decision-making' in healthcare? It's process between clinicians and patients where both stakeholders play a key role in making decisions for the patient's treatment and wellbeing.

How do we improve bad behaviour at the local council? Geoff Paine provides some ideas from his experiences as a local councillor.

How can we use behavioural science research to improve bushfire management?

This World Health Day, we discuss how we can use behavioural science as a tool to ensure policies and programs to promote human health are effective for those who need it most.

How does behaviour change happen? One answer is by using EAST: East, Attractive, Social and Timely.

The 'Monash Net Zero Initiative' will mean significant change on two fronts to succeed - technology and behaviour.

Botanic gardens are vital vehicles for public engagement around sustainable development. The 2022 conference focused on the need to support change and the community showcased their efforts to influence visitors to adopt pro-environmental behaviours, from energy efficiency and food waste reduction to peat-free planting to control invasive species. Professor Liam Smith and Dr Sarah Kneebone joined in the learning.

We look through our nature and wildlife conservation research projects and discuss four key areas where behavioural science can help mitigate environmentally harmful behaviours.

Working with Big Sound Festival, we hosted workshops and facilitated conversations to better understand how we can remove discriminatory behaviours towards women and non-binary people in the music industry.

From July 2023, MDMA and psilocybin will move from ‘prohibited substances’ to ‘controlled drugs’ for treating PTSD and treatment-resistant depression.

Unfortunately, right now, many young people are experiencing abuse, discrimination, and harassment in sports settings. Here is what the research says about that we can do about it.

What is gamification? Can gamification be used in behaviour change interventions? It is the use of gaming elements in a non-game environment. And, according to Dr Peter Slattery, it can.

What is the Circular Economy? It's an alternative model of consumption and production that aims to tackle global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and the waste problem.

Traumatic Brain Injury is a leading cause of disability in all regions of the globe. In Australia alone more than 20,000 patients are hospitalised each year with brain injury. The INCOG guideline summarises the gold standard recommendations for health professionals involved in the rehabilitation of patients. The latest update to these groundbreaking guidelines includes a range of interventions during the early recovery phase, as well as telehealth-assisted rehabilitation to assist people in rural and remote locations. Evidence is also mounting to support the use of technology, such as smartphones. The development of these guidelines were supported by the evidence review services at BehaviourWorks Australia.

Sometimes, to get better behaviour from others, we need to change our own behaviour; and (most importantly) we need to experience what that feels like.

BehaviourWorks Australia is thrilled to launch its first ever MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on behaviour change.

What’s next for human behaviour research? Read opinions from academics, BWA staff and key figures in the field of behavioural science.

A blog for World Environment Day 2022, highlighting the importance of better understanding human behaviour to achieve sustainable outcomes.

BWA Research Fellow, Kim Borg, wins Monash University's prestigious award for her doctoral thesis.

After six waves of the Index, we are seeing clear trends of a declining sense of national identity, wellbeing and belonging amongst Australians.

In this blog, we explore the infamous intention-behaviour gap, what causes the gap, and draw on some of our own experiences to understand ways of reducing it.

When large numbers of people need to be contacted, we're often asked: should we send emails or letters? Well ... it depends on the factors at play. This article explains how understanding these factors can help you to make better decisions.

We collaborated with AustralianSuper to develop the Retirement Confidence dashboard that visualises relevant, real-time data on the most up-to-date findings on retirement confidence.

Prior to embarking on any behaviour change journey, we must ask ourselves “What is the problem here?”. Knowing what problem you are trying to solve is important to identifying the best way to solve it. Makes sense, right?

Christmas has a habit of creeping up on you, doesn’t it? Before you know it, it’s a few days before Christmas and you’ve yet to get your family their presents, let alone think about what you’re going to get them.

The challenge of leading your best life after something as traumatic as spinal cord injury (SCI) is especially difficult. The Traffic Accident Commission (TAC) are funding a major research study into how to engage with these men living with SCI so that they can lead their best life.

Take for example: the problem of climate change. There are a myriad of climate mitigation and adaptation behaviours that could be addressed, but which of these behaviours should decision-makers prioritise to most effectively combat climate change?

The application of behavioural science in real-world settings has become somewhat of a hot topic in the last decade... So, how do you convince your colleagues to hop onto the idea?

Can behavioural science help solve big problems? That’s the challenge BehaviourWorks has set itself.

Australia’s strategies to tackle the growing amount of waste have previously focussed on recycling – relying on our own infrastructure as well as exporting recyclable goods overseas.

Australia’s first evidence map to fast-track peatland restoration

We've teamed up with OzHarvest to fight food waste

Part 2 of our two-part blog on avoiding audience research mistakes

Small changes to building temperatures can create big energy savings.

Listening to those who have lived through trauma can bring about change

Part 1 of our two-part blog on avoiding audience research mistakes

If behaviour has so many influences, which ones are easiest to change?

Not all behaviours are equal - some are low hanging fruit, others require much more effort to change.

Intuitions and assumptions are not always reliable guides for designing behavioural interventions. In this post, we share some learnings from times where our data told a different story.

Intuitions and assumptions are not always reliable guides for designing behavioural interventions. In this post, we share some learnings from times where our data told a different story.

2020 vividly illustrated how behaviour change can be used to address wicked problems. BehaviourWorks has responded by developing a new range of training programs for program and policy makers.

Systems, actor, process and stakeholder mapping can be a vital step in helping us identify who/what is part of the problem - and who may be part of the solution.

With the Monash Migration and Inclusion Centre and the Wyndham City Council, our PhD candidates conducted a Hackathon on how to design solutions to industry problems related to diversity and inclusion.

In the 10th round of data collection, our Survey of COVID-19 Responses to Understand Behaviour (SCRUB) project probed the financial experiences of Australians, how well people are complying with the rules, how they’re coping, mentally and emotionally and if they have access to appropriate services.

Practice Reviews seek to capture and collate insights from those who have direct experience in or of the problem under investigation. Their insights can help us identify optimum behaviours and/or audiences to target.

Almost 90% of Australians believe that they can follow COVID-19 related rules and regulations for as long, or longer, than is currently requested by authorities and most are willing to be vaccinated, according to round 9 of our SCRUB study.

A third of the worlds’ food is wasted each year. BWA researcher Mark Boulet recently published a paper tackling food waste in households.

The latest results from the Survey of COVID-19 Responses to Understand Behaviour (SCRUB) project reveal that more than a third of Australians with cold- or flu-like symptoms spent time in public and almost one in five attended work in person.

A third of the world's food is wasted each year. BWA researcher Mark Boulet recently published a paper tackling food waste in households.

Coronavirus outbreaks in Australia’s eastern states and in New Zealand are leading to a greater compliance in COVID-safe behaviours by Australians, the latest results of the Survey of COVID-19 Responses to Understand Behaviour (SCRUB) study has found.

BehaviourWorks Australia conducted six behaviour change trials as part of a VMIA Patient Safety Research and Innovation Program. The results show that some simple, low-cost interventions can help.

Since the pandemic hit in March, our behavioural experts have been sought out by the media to provide expert opinion on the vital role of behaviour change in reducing risk.

Human relationships with nature – how we perceive, relate to and interact with the natural environment – have gained increasing prominence in the academic literature in recent years. Here's a new way of measuring it.

A practical guide on how to use Rapid Reviews to gather evidence for better decision-making.

A survey with 1,084 adults in April this year on physical activity and sedentary behaviour during the pandemic found that the majority of Australians didn’t meet suggested physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines. Can we learn from this?

Our behaviour change micro-credential is up and running and attracting professionals around the world.

As we continue to be inundated with reports of COVID-19 cases, recommendations and the latest updates on restrictions, SCRUB has been collecting data on the personal protective behaviours Australians are maintaining. Here are some findings from Wave 4.

Just because plastic avoidance is a bit different now doesn't mean it can't be part of the new normal. In The Conversation, Kim Borg offers suggestions on how to keep momentum.

Monash Lens focuses on the remarkable work that two of our Research Fellows have done to help policymakers find the right messages to communicate through the pandemic.

Data from wave 3 of our COVID-19 Responses to Understand Behaviour (SCRUB) study show how protective behaviours, such as hand-washing, are dynamically changing over time and what policymakers should do prevent or address more risky behaviour.

What can US prisoners teach us about coming out of lockdown in a way that also breaks down our mental and emotional constraints?

Waves 1 and 2 of the Survey of COVID-19 Responses to Understand Behaviour (SCRUB) project are giving policymakers actionable insights into public attitudes and behaviours relating to the pandemic.

Originally published on Apolitical, this compelling 'how to' provides four key insights on how to make your behaviour change programs succeed.

It is now well accepted that behaviour change is essential in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic; that changes in behaviour are critical for slowing and managing its spread.

The Australian Council of Graduate Research (ACGR) has awarded BehaviourWorks the Award for Excellence in Promoting Industry Engagement in Graduate Research.

To address the emotional, cognitive and behavioural manifestations of the unexpected context that is COVID-19, we need to recognise, accept and work with certain emotional cues, writes Filia Garivaldis.

What makes some people behave sensibly in a time of crisis and others go off in strange directions? It all comes down to personality traits, says PhD candidate Conor Wynn. By recognising certain cues, we can learn to modify our behaviour.

In times of crisis, such as COVID-19, researchers argue that using labels such as 'social distancing' can make people feel even more isolated and anxious. Language is important and so is social connectedness.

With supermarket shelves being stripped bare due to panic buying, two of our leading behavioural scientists talk about the psychology of this behaviour.

Victoria's new waste policy came into effect in Feb/March 2020. Will it be effective? BehaviourWorks waste experts, Jenni Downes, explores the pros and cons in The Conversation.

At BehaviourWorks Australia, we're committed to improving behaviour change literacy. In this new series, we provide specific tips on how to achieve desired outcomes.

In wake of yet another major family violence incident, our researchers pen another important article in The Conversation on the need to shift attitudes and beliefs that are well-established drivers of men’s violence against women.

Stuff Ups and Epic Fails

In the first part of a new series ‘Little known gems of behaviour science’, we review Spark Wave's ‘Ten Conditions for Change' - a new framework for creating positive behaviours.

The Australian bushfire crisis represents a 'critical moment' to use behavioural science to encourage individuals to act for nature.

Provincial Environmental Agency and Citarum Harum Taskforce, sought to build regional research relationships and foster a program of research to accelerate river restoration.

As a new year begins, it is worth reflecting on our collective achievements as part of a broader behaviour change community.

An important new initiative of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute and McMaster University, SSE will give decision-makers clearer evidence of 'what works' in addressing the SDGs.

PhD candidates enrolled in the world-first Behaviour Change Graduate Research Industry Partnership program present their initial ideas and research topics at a mini showcase.

We’re thrilled to be featured in the first episode of the new Monash University podcast series – What Happens Next?

A series where we talk to some of Australia's leading or emerging behaviour change practitioners. This edition with The Shannon Company's Lily Tidy.

A series of interviews with Australian fashion and textile sector industry experts has revealed that while many are employing sustainable business practices, a number of persistent challenges are preventing them from transitioning to a circular economy.

The first part of a new series exploring what researchers and practitioners can learn from entrepreneurs.

A selection of behaviour change approaches that go beyond simply providing information to engaging audiences through creativity and humour.

Culture and behaviour change

Australia's waste crisis point by point

A 'Nudgeathon' on restorative justice

Behaviour change platforms, such as apps and websites, are being eveloped to elicit a plethora of different behaviour change activities, from promoting health, charity and happiness to driving sales and service uptake. But what works? Here are eight tips.

How do we stop overprescribing opioids?

Scammers and manipulation

The Dark Arts of manipulation for gain

One of the achievements of behavioural economics was to overhaul the view of humans as selfish and rational creatures. But another assumption has gone somewhat unchallenged—that humans behave more or less alike. Behavioural scientists and practitioners typically focus on the hypothetical “average” person: we apply global interventions and track changes in mean-level behaviour.

An intervention to reduce Islamophobia

Behavioural research digital health