Behavioural Science Brief

Behavioural science refers to the scientific and evidence-based study of human behaviour, examining how people actually behave, make decisions and respond to programmes, policies and incentives. By using rigorous methods, behavioural science can provide a better understanding of what interventions work and what impact these interventions have or will have in the real-world. It is a broad and multidisciplinary field that combines, among others, aspects of cognitive psychology, social psychology and behavioural economics. Behavioural science can help explain why some approaches do not work as well as hoped, and why other approaches are more likely to succeed. It can also inform decision makers about unintended consequences of policies and provide them with an assortment of tools and options for improving policy outcomes.