We value what we have more after we have it. In psychological terms, this is known as the endowment effect. We’re also extremely loss-averse. Framing a question within a fear of loss perspective...
Soothe-sayers and storytellers. Metaphor may play an enormous role in either the efficacy or failure of narrative in healing. To draw upon a common anthropological aphorism, metaphors are good to...
Creating Special Moments for Controlling and Preventing Obesity - On Social Marketing and Social Change
Social marketers should note the Coca-Cola company announcement of its new 'One Brand' global marketing strategy yesterday in Paris. It's something worth taking a careful look at, especially if your...
From Houston to Hanukkah: The Psychological Benefits of New Experiences — Sean D. Young, PhD, MS
Last week, after finishing a presentation at the National HIV Prevention Conference, I took a cross-country flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles (via Houston). After boarding the plane, I found my seat...
Black Friday Discussion with Sean Young, PhD — Sean D. Young, PhD, MS
1. We are in the middle of the 2015 holiday season. Are there findings in your research that help people stick to a New Year's Resolution? Yes, there’s a lot of recent psychology research, from our...
Be careful not to negatively prime your communications to members (forgive the irony). Negative priming occurs when we expose the audience to a negative stimuli prior to or during a communication. It...
Marketers and advertisers who understand the importance of customer behavior and psychology consider heuristics (mental shortcuts that people use to form judgments and make decisions) to target their...
Bias in the spotlight: status quo bias | Comment | Research
Status quo bias is a preference for the current state of affairs. We often avoid change; and if faced with a choice tend to go-with-the-flow of pre-set options or defaults.
EAST: A Method for Applying Insights in Social Marketing Programs - On Social Marketing and Social Change
Social marketers should always be on the lookout for new ideas about changing behaviors. This is the reason I spend time talking about different theories and models of behavior change. In workshops...
The continuing rise of super-selectivism | News | Research
UK — The combination of scepticism, marketing savvy and online filtering has fed the continuing rise of super-selectivism, says Ben Shimshon of Britain Thinks. Super-selectivism is a form of...
Bias in the spotlight: mental accounting | Comment | Research
Our natural inclination to compartmentalise our finances can lead to some surprising and sometimes contradictory behaviour, writes Crawford Hollingworth.
Blog: Behaviour change towards a circular economy - Part 1 - RSA
Our blog articles feature the latest ideas and thinking from our Action and Research Centre and Fellowship staff and guest bloggers. You are welcome to contribute and comment.
Which Of These Two Motivational Appeals Do You Think Was Most Effective? | FeverBee
Here are the results of a relatively simple experiment. A client was launching a new community. They disagreed with us on what would motivate people. So we ran an experiment with 147 prospective...
Helpful read on behavioural economics and nudging within a fundraising space
Want to be a better fundraiser? Read 6 behavioral lessons for nonprofit fundraisers. Learn the key psychological principles that affect fundraising strategy
Bias in the spotlight: social norms – part 1 | Comment | Research
We have a common tendency to adopt the opinions and follow the behaviours of the majority to feel safer, to avoid conflict or simply to be more cognitively efficient in our decision-making.
5 skills to be a well-rounded social marketer | Devex
Changing human behavior is a complex process, and social marketers working to influence people’s actions on health or social issues must possess a wide array of skills. What's the winning combination...
Blog: The psychology of financial capability and what it means for education - RSA
Our blog articles feature the latest ideas and thinking from our Action and Research Centre and Fellowship staff and guest bloggers. You are welcome to contribute and comment.
Targets and thresholds are designed to simplify guidelines and facilitate measurement. But are they based on solid thinking? Leigh Morris of Bonamy Finch discusses.
Our blog articles feature the latest ideas and thinking from our Action and Research Centre and Fellowship staff and guest bloggers. You are welcome to contribute and comment.