Ten Conditions for Behavior Change

So this is my favorite piece of content this year. It’s a great new framework for creating positive behaviors from SparkWave. Combining some of the most useful frameworks like EAST, BJ Fogg Behavior Model, and many more, this is a tremendous resource for anyone working with behavioral design. I recommend you not only checking it out but really studying this. If you take some time to learn this framework and the resources it’s based on; then you’ll likely know more than most people in this space.

The Three Laws of Human Behavior
Like the physical properties of the universe, human behavior is complicated. And just as Newton’s Laws describe the motion of physical objects, these three Laws of Human Behavior aim to provide a general model for how humans behave.

5 More Methods to Influence Users’ Behavior
Have you gone through all the basic methods to influence user behavior? Things like conducting A/B testing, adding a sense of scarcity in your messaging, and tactically placing triggers on your landing pages? Well, there is much more you can do.

We Overestimate and Underestimate Our Abilities in Weird Ways
Why, among other things, are you not as good at kissing as you think, but better at dancing? Learn the four factors which tend to make us overconfident.

How Uber Leverages Applied Behavioral Science at Scale
Earlier this year, Uber spilled the beans on the inner workings of their Behavioral Science Unit. It was an interesting read, especially when coupled with this response from Irrational Labs.

Are Cognitive Biases Universal Across Cultures?
“We ran the same studies as designed by Kahneman & Tversky in the early 1970s with Kenyan nationals, to understand how biases differ across cultures. What was immediately apparent was that comprehension was low. Frankly, it doesn’t take a (Behavioral) Scientist to understand why!”

Michael Hallsworth: From MINDSPACE to EAST
It’s hard to choose one episode from the fantastic Behavioral Grooves Podcast, but this was one of my favorites. Michael shares valuable thoughts and advice based on his experience working with BIT in America and the UK.

Combining Technology and Behavioral Interventions
Wonderful podcast interview with Spencer Greenberg by Action Design Radio, where he discusses how technology can be combined with applied social science to build platforms that implement complex behavioral interventions.

How Goes the Behavior-Change Revolution?
An all-star team of behavioral scientists discovers that humans are stubborn (and lazy, and sometimes dumber than dogs). This Freakonomics episode also covers binge drinking, humblebragging, and regrets with guests, including Richard Thaler, Angela Duckworth, Katy Milkman, and Tom Gilovich.

In the Habit: Introduction to Changing our Behavior
If you have access to Audible, I greatly recommend this 6-part podcast series on the art of building habits and changing behavior.

Nudge City — Using Tech to Amplify Hidden Social Cues in Cities
Learn how technology is making “nudges” more prevalent in cities, from tackling sign-ups for food stamps to reducing congestion downtown.

Don’t Listen To Your Customers — Do This Instead
Excellent TEDx talk from Kristen Berman, co-founder of Irrational Labs. It offers a great introduction to the field of applied behavioral science and will help you get started with changing behavior for good.

Designing For Trust — Dan Ariely
In this talk, behavioral economics professor Dan Ariely aims to help us understand the importance of trust, how much it affects society, and how much it moves us.

How the Day of the Week Affects Your Decisions
Does the day of the week affect your daily decisions? Jet Sanders’s research says it does. In this TEDx talk, she shares how decision-making fluctuates within the working week — and how that affects voting, health, and other types of decisions people make.

Behavioral Experiments on Online Platforms
The tech industry is running experiments to better understand our preferences online. While these experiments can benefit us, they also pose a risk to society if platforms are optimized in a way that doesn’t align with our best interests. Learn what Uber and Facebook had to say at Behavioural Exchange 2019.

100 Books to Become a Behavioral Designer
This collection is based on some of my favorite behavioral design books combined with personal recommendations from the likes of Richard Thaler, Dan Ariely, Susan Weinschenk, Robert Cialdini, Tali Sharot + so many more.

List of Behavioral Science Companies
An extensive list of all organizations around the world working with applied behavioral science. Big credit to Ingrid Melvær Paulin.

The BASIC Toolkit & Framework
This toolkit aims to provide practitioners and policymakers with a step-by-step process for analyzing a policy problem, building strategies, and developing behaviorally informed interventions.

The Behavioral Economics Guide 2019
The BE Guide is always a must-read for anyone interested in behavioral economics and applied behavioral science. This year’s edition is no different.