MINDSPACE: Influencing behaviour through public policy

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New insights from science and behaviour change could lead to significantly improved outcomes, and at a lower cost, than the way many conventional policy tools are used.

MINDSPACE: Influencing behaviour through public policy (PDF, 1.6MB) was published by the Institute for Government and the Cabinet Office on 2 March. The report explores how behaviour change theory can help meet current policy challenges, such as how to:

  • reduce crime
  • tackle obesity
  • ensure environmental sustainability.

Today's policy makers are in the business of influencing behaviour - they need to understand the effects their policies may be having. The aim of MINDSPACE is to help them do this, and in doing so get better outcomes for the public and society.

Comments

"brilliant" - Sir Gus O'Donnell

"this is the best report of its kind - it is reflective and practical at the same time. It introduces us in a critical and sophisticated way to the ideas behind behavioural change and offers realistic ways forward about how to do it and make it work" - Professor Gerry Stoker, Professor of Politics and Governance, University of Southampton

"An excellent report, and a great summary of behaviour change policy." - Daniel Ratchford, Strategic Director of Environment and Leisure, London Borough of Sutton

Further resources

Co-author Michael Hallsworth talks about his report (video, 1m:41s) and why it is important the Government looks at behaviour change.

In a Civil Service World article that appeared on 19 May (PDF, 335KB) Michael explains how the concepts behind MINDSPACE could also be valuable in reducing public spending.

Evening Standard: Everyone is giving a nudge to advertisers - why David Cameron, George Osborne and their adviser Rohan Silva have recognised the benefits of behavioural economics.

Authors

  • Paul Dolan - Professor of Economics in the Department of Social Policy at LSE
  • Michael Hallsworth - Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
  • Dr David Halpern - Director of Research at the Institute for Government
  • Dominic King - Specialty Registrar in General Surgery and a Clinical Research Fellow at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London
  • Ivo Vlaev - Senior Lecturer in Psychology in the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London.