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
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
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 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
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
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
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
Much of public life is built on the assumption we act honestly with one another and with the state. But self-interest and wider perceptions of corruption and trust might lead to dishonest behaviour. Can we encourage more honesty through a simple nudge? … More Promoting Our Better Angels in Public Life: Can we Nudge People Honest?
From 10–12 September 2025, behavioural public policy scholars, practitioners, and policymakers from around the world gathered at King’s College London for the fourth International Behavioural Public Policy Conference (IBPPC) … More What did we learn at the 2025 International Behavioural Public Policy Conference?
What if the secret to boosting productivity isn’t stricter rules or higher pay, but something as simple as giving workers a voice? Sherry Jueyu Wu shares a field experiment from the production floors of a Chinese factory, which asked whether participatory meetings – in which workers spoke and supervisors listened – could increase productivity. The … More Giving Workers a Voice Boosts Productivity