The definitive introduction to the behavioral insights approach which applies evidence about
human behavior to practical problems. Our behavior is strongly influenced by factors that lie
outside our conscious awareness although we tend to underestimate the power of this automatic
side of our behavior. As a result governments make ineffective policies businesses create bad
products and individuals make unrealistic plans. In contrast the behavioral insights approach
applies evidence about actual human behavior rather than assumptions about it to practical
problems. This volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series written by two leading
experts in the field offers an accessible introduction to behavioral insights describing core
features origins and practical examples. These insights have opened up new ways of addressing
some of the biggest challenges faced by societies changing the way that governments
businesses and nonprofits work in the process. This book shows how the approach is grounded in
a concern with practical problems the use of evidence about human behavior to address those
problems and experimentation to evaluate the impact of the solutions. It gives an overview of
the approach's origins in psychology and behavioral economics its early adoption by the UK's
pioneering nudge unit and its recent expansion into new areas. The book also provides examples
from across different policy areas and guidance on how to run a behavioral insights project.
Finally the book outlines the limitations and ethical implications of the approach and what
the future holds for this fast-moving area.
