Behaviour Change Theory and Evidence
Below is a selection of resources that includes general reviews of behaviour change models as well as material on theories and evidence within specific domains and disciplines.
Behaviour Change Reviews
GSR behaviour change review - a review of a wide range of behaviour change models undertaken by Andrew Darnton for the Government Social Research Profession.
Behaviour change for achieving climate and environment goals - a report on behaviour change approaches undertaken for the UK Environment and Climate Change Committee
International Review of Behaviour Change Initiatives - a review by the University of Manchester
Theories of behaviour review - a review of theories of behaviour and behaviour change by UCL and University of Bristol
ABC of Behaviour Change Theories - a review of a wide range of behaviour change models, which led to the development of the COM-B model and behaviour change wheel
Evolution and neurobiology
Behave - a synthesis of evolutionary and biological research into behaviour by the biologist Robert Sapolsky
Human Behavioral Biology - series of lectures by Robert Sapolsky available through Stanford University
The Human Brain - series of lectures by Nancy Kanwisher on the brain and how it processes information and influences behaviour available through MIT
The Adaptive Brain - journal article providing a more complex, modern description of the brain than the triune characterisation
Psychology, TPB and COM-B
An Introduction to Developmental Psychology - standard textbook setting out the key psychological structures acquired in childhood
Overview of attachment theory - a summary of the contributions of attachment theory and framework for future research in the area
Overview of operant conditioning - an introduction to operant conditioning, the central concept with behaviorism
The cognitive revolution - a history of the new perspective in psychology that challenged the hegemony of behaviorism
Social Psychology - the classic textbook covering key concepts in the psychology of how people interact in groups
The theory of planned behaviour - one of the most popular theories of behaviour within psychology
COM-B & the behaviour change wheel - a widely used behaviour change model that is based on a synthesis of a range of models within psychology
HBM, TRA, TPB and TTM review - a review of the use of four of the most well-known behavioural models in psychology
Self-determination theory - a cross-cutting theory of motivation that emphasises the importance of the intrinsic vs extrinsic nature of motivation
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - a paper aiming to update the influential categorisation of human needs
Traditional economics
Microeconomic Theory - well-known advanced textbook on microeconomic theory, which includes detailed exploration of rational choice theory and constrained optimisation
Intermediate Microeconomics - accessible intermediate textbook on microeconomic theory, explaining rational choice theory and constrained optimisation
Principles of Microeconomics - MIT undergraduate introductory lectures on microeconomics by the economist Jonathan Gruber, which covers theory and examples of constrained optimisation
Behavioural economics and nudging
Nudge - the book by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein that brought behavioural economics to widespread awareness
MINDSPACE - report from the Institute of Government setting out key principles of applying nudges within the public sector
EAST - a framework using four simple principles to help policy-makers design behavioural interventions.
The effectiveness of nudging - A meta-analysis of choice architecture interventions across behavioral domains
Inside the Nudge Unit - Book by David Halpern, who founded the Behavioural Insights Team, about behavioural science and its application to policy
Psychology and Economics - MIT lecture series by the economist Frank Schilbach on behavioural economics
Outcomes and Feedback
Biofeedback - a review of biological feedback interventions as a health behaviour change technique in adults
What Works Behaviour Change