by In the face of pressing issues such as pandemics, climate change, and gun violence, the ability to influence large groups of people to modify their behavior swiftly is of paramount importance. However, the lack of a definitive scientific understanding of what interventions are most effective has led to the repetition of strategies, some of which have proven ineffective in the past.
To address this knowledge gap, a team of researchers from the Social Action Lab at the University of Pennsylvania, led by Professor Dolores Albarracín, conducted a comprehensive review of all available meta-analyses to identify the most effective interventions for changing human behavior. The findings of their research have led to a new classification of predictors of behavior and an empirical model for understanding the various ways to bring about change by targeting individual or social/structural factors.
Contrary to popular belief, strategies such as providing accurate information or attempting to alter beliefs do not yield significant results. Instead, interventions that focus on social support, individuals’ behavioral skills and habits, and the removal of practical barriers to behavior have been shown to have a more substantial impact.
Interventions targeting factors such as knowledge, general attitudes, beliefs, administrative and legal sanctions, and trustworthiness, which are often prioritized by researchers and policymakers, have negligible effects. Albarracín emphasizes the importance of policymakers examining the evidence to determine which factors will yield the greatest return on investment.
Co-author Javier Granados Samayoa, the Vartan Gregorian Postdoctoral Fellow at the Annenberg Public Policy Center, has observed a tendency among researchers to focus on knowledge and beliefs when designing behavior change interventions. However, the literature suggests that there are numerous intervening processes that must align for individuals to act on their beliefs, making the process more complex than initially assumed.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
