What is Behaviour Change?

Why is falling for fake news so easy despite all the warnings? Why do we carry high-interest debt even when we have the means to pay it off? Why are there so many browser tabs open on your screen right now even though digital clutter is so stressful?

The answers to these questions – and so many other perplexities of human behaviour – are the domain of behavioural science.

Once upon a time, we believed human beings were logical creatures, capable of making good decisions and acting in our own best interests.
Today, we know better.
Thanks to breakthroughs in behavioural research, we’ve been able to peer at the inner workings of our decision-making processes – and instead of logic and reason, we’ve found a tangle of biases and cognitive pitfalls that lead to irrational and even harmful behaviours.
The good news? We have effective tools at our disposal to steer those behaviours in a more desirable direction.
At BCA, we mine insights from behavioural research to illuminate what really motivates human actions.
Then, we add rigorous data analysis and a range of creative strategies to develop behavioural and communication solutions that improve decision-making and create better outcomes for customers, employees and citizens.
"To understand why we do what we do, neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky looks at extreme context, examining actions on timescales from seconds to millions of years before they occurred. In this fascinating talk, he shares his cutting-edge research into the biology that drives our worst and best behaviours."
The biology of behaviour
Understanding something as wildly complex as human behaviour is impossible without considering our biology. The work of Stanford neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky has done a lot to illuminate the neurological and biological factors that influence how we act and make decisions. As we learn more about these interconnections, our insights can be used for positive behaviour change. In Sapolsky's words, “We’re learning more and more about the biological underpinnings of our behaviour, and that can help us produce better outcomes.”
Present bias
Prioritising the present can prevent us from making the sacrifices needed to reach future goals

“We all think that in the future, we are wonderful people. We will be patient, we will not procrastinate, we will exercise, we will eat well... The problem is we never get to live in that future.”

– Dan Ariely

‍

Download the 2019 BCA Calendar

Facing racial discrimination damages microstructures of the brain, scientists discover

A groundbreaking new study, made known by Medical News Today, has put forth research-led evidence that shows those who suffer racial discrimination face neurological changes in the brain that could negatively impact their overall health. Knowing that racism can have serious physical, emotional and psychological repercussions, researchers from Emory University in Atlanta wanted to study how such discrimination has affected the biological microstructures of black women’s brains. Though this research aims to prove something new, the deep and wide impact of racism has been well-documented.
More...

Behaviour Change in the age of Covid-19

September 15, 2020

This Mail & Guardian webinar was sponsored by The Behaviour Change Agency.  Speakers included Antoine Ferrere, Global Head of Behavioural Science at Novartis, Switzerland; Matthew Battersby, Chief Behavioural Scientist at Reinsurance Group of America, United Kingdom; Aimee Wesso, Advanced Strategic Specialist at Afrocentric Group; Pat Govender, Founder and Managing Director of The Behaviour Change Agency and Dr Anam Nyembezi, Behavioural Medicine Specialist and a Senior Lecturer in the School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape.

Not all inequalities are alike

July 22, 2022

Better data and new statistical techniques could enable researchers to measure the form of inequality that seems most harmful to society — inequality of opportunity. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with job losses affecting 17% of all UK workers by early April 2020, women in the United Kingdom were 4.8 percentage points more likely than men to have lost their jobs. In South Africa in 2017, the average income for a household of white people (adjusted for size and composition of households) was 5.6 times that for a household of African people (‘African’ is a recognized racial classification in South Africa).

Fast driver, fast life: genetics and everyday behaviour reflected in risky driving

May 16, 2022

A new long-term psychological study of drivers has found an association between driving convictions, accidents and everyday behaviour such as eating junk food or alcohol consumption. The researchers have also uncovered evidence that this relationship is associated with genetic variation in serotonin metabolism – the same neurotransmitter targeted by many antidepressants. This suggests that risky behaviour in driving and in life may have a common psychological basis.

Behavioural Science or Bullshit?

April 1, 2022

There is a problem with behavioural science. It’s not about a particular campaign, or about whether ‘behavioural scientists’ have been given too big or small a role over recent years. Spotting claims & probing the methods behind them is key to a better bullshit detector. It’s a skill we can learn & even teach our kids. Perhaps surprisingly, our common intuitions about behaviour - our thinking about thinking - are often wrong.

Behavioural insights and human rights

March 18, 2022

“A nation that respects freedom of speech and freedom of religion, or that is committed to human dignity, will nudge people by virtue of that very fact”. Cass Sunstein, author of Nudge: Improving Decisions about health, wealth and happiness.

Previous Posts

MORE

Contact Us

+27 21 035 1735
info@bcagency.co.za

First Floor, Block B,
Boulevard Office Park,
Searle Street, Woodstock,
7925, Cape Town,
South Africa.

Get Directions
CLIENT ZONE

Changing Behaviours • Changing Lives

Copyright 2019. All Right Reserved

This website uses cookies
You owe us a cup of coffee
All because of cognitive overload.

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. Does anyone actually read this text before clicking? We didn’t think so. If you click on the green ‘OK’ then you owe us a cup of coffee. No fingers crossed. Pinky promise. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners, who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website.

No Thanks
OK
Don’t worry - you’re not alone. So far 90% of BCA site visitors have also clicked ‘OK’.
If you want to meet up for that coffee (our treat) and chat about how behavioural science can help you or your business just drop us a mail below.
Coffee ChatContinue

Contact Us

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Close
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.