Unlocking Behaviour Change

Decision fail number 4 of 5: 'I didn't imagine'

In the mini-series on decision fails - common things that we fail to do that result in mistakes when making decisions - this episode covers our failures of imagination. Robert thinks this plays a large part in the well-known phenomenon of 'temporal discounting' - failing adequately to concern ourselves about things the further in the future they may occur. But failing to imagine goes far beyond this, which is why we often go to great lengths to make the possible outcomes of decisions vividly real for people to help ensure they take them seriously. Want to contact us, for example to suggest topics to cover? Go to the contact page on the UBC website. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange

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Decision fail number 3 of 5: 'I didn't think'

2w ago00:27:00Tap to summarize

Continuing on the ‘Top 5 Decision Fails’, Robert and Jamie discuss: ‘I didn’t think’. Why don’t leaders appear to think through the consequences of starting wars? When will the AI bubble burst? Thinking things through comes in three main flavours: depth of analysis, breadth of analysis, and choice of 'decision rule'. Depth in the sense of tracing the possible consequences and their consequences far enough ahead, and breadth in terms of thinking about the whole 'system' that is affected by the decision. The 'decision rule' is about what criteria you are going to use to make the choice. Feel free to suggest future topics via the contact page in the Unlocking Behaviour Change Website. All this and more in today’s episode . . . Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange

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Decision fail number 2 of 5: 'I didn't check'

3w ago00:25:48Tap to summarize

In this mini-series on the top five decision fails, Robert and Jamie discuss five important things we fail to do, or do properly, that lead to mistakes in decision-making. We don't claim that this is the be-all and end-all, but we put them forward as ones that are probably really worth paying attention to in order to improve the way we make decisions. This episode covers 'I didn't check'. We have information that is relevant to the decision, or think we have, but we don't take the time or make the effort to check that the information is correct. Of course, we can take checking too far, but mostly we should probably dial checking up rather than down ... If something doesn't look right - check! Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange

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Decisions fails number 1 of 5: 'I didn't look'

Jul 700:26:35Tap to summarize

In this new mini-series, Robert and Jamie go through candidates for the five biggest decision-making mistakes and how to avoid them - maybe. The first one is ‘I didn’t look’ . . . Sounds obvious - but there are important nuances. Robert and Jamie also discuss psychologists trying to make people look stupid ... And in the podcast, Robert refers to a questionnaire he developed in the 1990s called 'The Decision-Making Questionnaire (DMQ)' which he developed with colleagues to help discover what makes one person more likely to have a car crash than someone else. Here is a link to the main article on this. And here is a link to a website where you can get the questionnaire. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange

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Changing the behaviour of family and friends

Jun 3000:28:24Tap to summarize

The Behaviour Change Wheel is geared towards behaviour change interventions that might be delivered by governments, comms agencies, service providers, companies or teams whose role is to influence the behaviour of whole populations, subpopulations, groups or individuals. But what about the everyday behaviour change among families and friends? What can we say about how to influence behaviour in these cases? At the request of a colleague at a recent conference, Robert and Jamie focus on the informal behaviour change in families and peer groups. Robert has also been updating the www.unlockingbehaviourchange.com website and foolishly, or bravely, agrees in this podcast to consider requests for topics which you can post using the email address on the website. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange

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Some slightly weird behaviour change techniques, and how to get the most out of practice

Jun 2300:27:27Tap to summarize

Robert and Jamie delve into a class of Behaviour Change Techniques called 'Advise specific behaviour BCTs' in the BCT Ontology. Some are a bit weird, but among them is advising on practice. They discuss what’s the best way to practice a new skill, like a musical instrument. Should you have a beer in the middle of a run? What’s it like driving with your dad before a driving test? Find out all this and more in today’s episode! Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange

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A deeper dive into behaviour change techniques and the 'Behaviour Change Technique Ontology'

Jun 1600:26:03Tap to summarize

What if you had a list of everything you could possibly do to change behaviour? Well, today Robert talks about such a list: The Behaviour Change Technique Ontology and also how you can see it and use it yourself! Robert and Jamie then take a deeper dive into one of the categories of behaviour change technique: 'Advise how to change emotions BCT' and its sub-categories. Here is a link to the Behaviour Change Technique Ontology (BCTO) as part of the Behaviour Change Intervention Ontology (BCIO). For the academics among you, here is a link to the scientific paper introducing the BCTO. And while we are at it, here is a link to the Theory and Techniques Tool that links behaviour change techniques to 'mechanisms of action' for behaviour change. And finally, here is a link to the CACTIS tool that links COM-B targets to behaviour change techniques. Listen out for the sound check at the end ... Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange

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What are Behaviour Change Techniques?

Jun 900:28:33Tap to summarize

What is a ‘behaviour change technique’ (BCT)? How does the way you deliver a technique affect the outcome? What is the difference between a thought and a behaviour? Join Robert and Jamie as they introduce this highly useful and widely applicable concept. Robert makes reference to the Behaviour Change Technique Ontology (BCTO) which is part of the Behaviour Change Intervention Ontology (BCIO). Here is a link to the BCIO home page. But if you want to go straight to the full list of BCTs here is a link. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange

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We have to talk about AI

Jun 200:30:58Tap to summarize

AI - curse or cure, or both or neither? Most behavioural researchers are using AI in some aspects of their work. But are the benefits outweighing the costs? How can we do it most productively, and what are the pitfalls to look out for? Robert uses it a lot but also recognises the limitations and the need for new skills to interact effectively with this new technology. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange

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Where do values come from and where do they go?

May 2600:27:42Tap to summarize

Robert and Jamie ask the deepest questions imaginable . . . At least according to AI chatbots. Where do our values and moral intuitions come from and what do we do with them? Why are ideas that seem ‘obvious’ to us not universally accepted? Are today’s morals better than those of the past? Want more? Check out this lot: Book: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y Book: React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Substack: Unlocking Behaviour Change https://robertwest100.substack.com/ YouTube channel: Unlocking Behaviour Change https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange

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All episodes

Decision fail number 4 of 5: 'I didn't imagine'

Decision fail number 3 of 5: 'I didn't think'

Decision fail number 2 of 5: 'I didn't check'

Decisions fails number 1 of 5: 'I didn't look'

Changing the behaviour of family and friends

Some slightly weird behaviour change techniques, and how to get the most out of practice

A deeper dive into behaviour change techniques and the 'Behaviour Change Technique Ontology'

What are Behaviour Change Techniques?

We have to talk about AI

Where do values come from and where do they go?

Unlocking Behaviour Change

All episodes

Decision fail number 4 of 5: 'I didn't imagine'

Decision fail number 3 of 5: 'I didn't think'

Decision fail number 2 of 5: 'I didn't check'

Decisions fails number 1 of 5: 'I didn't look'

Changing the behaviour of family and friends

Some slightly weird behaviour change techniques, and how to get the most out of practice

A deeper dive into behaviour change techniques and the 'Behaviour Change Technique Ontology'

What are Behaviour Change Techniques?

We have to talk about AI

Where do values come from and where do they go?