Author: Manu Savani

Young man thinking surrounded by mechanical gears and idea bubbles

Can behavioural policy build sustainable competencies? New evidence says yes

June 4, 2026

Boosts are behavioural interventions that improve decisions by teaching people simple skills. In sustainability, the main barrier is often not willingness, but know-how. Drawing on new evidence, Yavor Paunov argues that boosts can build lasting competences, helping people make sustainable choices even after the policy intervention itself is removed. … More Can behavioural policy build sustainable competencies? New evidence says yes

From i-frame slogans to s-frame solutions: How counter-industry gambling messages can replace individual responsibility with systemic accountability

May 27, 2026

Messages like “gamble responsibly” frame gambling harms as a matter of individual responsibility. Counter-industry warnings such as “gambling products are designed to be addictive” instead highlight systemic drivers of harmful gambling. In this blogpost, Maira Andrade and Philip Newall show how policymakers could best use such counter-industry warnings. … More From i-frame slogans to s-frame solutions: How counter-industry gambling messages can replace individual responsibility with systemic accountability

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(Dis)embodied behavioural design? On embodiment’s effect on autonomy and agency

May 5, 2026

Decision-making is not just above-the-neck cognitive processing. It occurs within a specific, embodied human form who experiences the world in a physical way. This needs to be given due attention when designing and implementing behavioural interventions. … More (Dis)embodied behavioural design? On embodiment’s effect on autonomy and agency

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Ought ≠ Is: No Evidence for an ‘Honesty Premium’ in Public Sector Culture

April 30, 2026

Does a public sector culture promotes honesty among workers?Through randomised trials in five countries, this research finds no evidence that activating a public sector identity reduces cheating. Policymakers should implement concrete measures for integrity instead of relying on assumed virtues … More Ought ≠ Is: No Evidence for an ‘Honesty Premium’ in Public Sector Culture

Doing Behavioural Science More Collaboratively: Lessons from a Field Experiment

March 23, 2026

What happens when policy interventions are rolled out without engaging with those affected the most? Solutions that look good on paper but fail in practice. Collaboration is not just an ethical ideal, but a practical necessity for creating interventions that work in the real world. … More Doing Behavioural Science More Collaboratively: Lessons from a Field Experiment

Sludge and the Behavioural Science of Friction

March 9, 2026

Sludge hinders people in achieving their objectives by making things harder. Sludge audits are increasingly popular, but where can and should sludge research go next? … More Sludge and the Behavioural Science of Friction

The Persuasive Effects of Narrative Entertainment

March 5, 2026

Edutainment can shape audiences’ attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. A meta-analysis of 77 experimental studies shows that the effects are real, nudging people in the intended direction. … More The Persuasive Effects of Narrative Entertainment

Why Policy Design Must Account for the Psychology of Compliance

February 23, 2026

Policies designed to encourage people to speak up – from whistleblower protections to conflict-of-interest disclosures – often fail because they address informational barriers, not social ones. Effective policy must reduce the social cost of dissent, not just permit it. … More Why Policy Design Must Account for the Psychology of Compliance

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The ‘rationality wars’ in BPP: Why they persist and how to move beyond them

January 21, 2026

Is Behavioural Public Policy (BPP) about correcting biased decisions or working with people’s adaptive heuristics? This blog argues the ‘rationality wars’ are not new, and the plurality of rationality can be an asset. … More The ‘rationality wars’ in BPP: Why they persist and how to move beyond them

Can a digital nudge clean up the streets? How Behavioural Science helped reduce littering in the UK

November 14, 2025

Littering is one of those persistent public problems that often feels unsolvable. Campaigns urging people to “do the right thing” rarely lead to lasting behaviour change, and enforcement is costly. A behaviourally-informed digital intervention is tested and shown to shift public habits more effectively. … More Can a digital nudge clean up the streets? How Behavioural Science helped reduce littering in the UK