Description
How can individuals best be encouraged to take more responsibility for their well-being and their environment or to behave more ethically in their business transactions? Across the world, governments are showing a growing interest in using behavioural economic research to inform the design of nudges which, some suggest, might encourage citizens to adopt beneficial patterns of behaviour. In this fascinating collection, leading academic economists, psychologists and philosophers reflect on how behavioural economic findings can be used to help inform the design of policy initiatives in the areas of health, education, the environment, personal finances and worker remuneration. Each chapter is accompanied by a shorter 'response' that provides critical commentary and an alternative perspective. This accessible book will interest academic researchers, graduate students and policy-makers across a range of disciplinary perspectives.
Chapter
1 Ambiguity aversion and the UK government´s response to swine flu
The precautionary principle
2 Models of governance of public services: empirical and behavioural analysis of 'econs' and 'humans'
Effectiveness of the four models of governance: three case studies
2. The four NHSs of the UK
3. Secondary schools in the UK
Discussion: behavioural analysis of the mechanisms behind the four models of governance
1. Altruism: the problem of inadequate feedback
2. Hierarchy and targets: the power of reference points and looming losses
3. Reputation: the power of spotlight and moral emotions
4. Choice and competition: the problem of inadequate choice architecture
Conclusion: policy, practice and theory
2.1 A response to Bevan and Fasolo
On the theoretical explanation
On the empirical evidence
On the policy implications
3 From irresponsible knaves to responsible knights for just 5p: behavioural public policy and the environment
Self-determination theory
Charging and plastic bags
Charging: a natural experiment
Did the charge crowd in or crowd out motivation?
Did the M&S strategy win the hearts and minds of the shoppers?
Why was the M&S policy a success?
3.1 A response to Disney, Le Grand and Atkinson
A different interpretation
Surprise, surprise - more research is needed
4 The more who die, the less we care: psychic numbing and genocide
Background and theory: the importance of affect
Facing catastrophic loss of life
Affect, analysis and the value of human lives
The collapse of compassion
The failure of moral intuition
4.1 A response to Slovic and Västfjäll
5 Healthy habits: some thoughts on the role of public policy in healthful eating and exercise under limited rationality
Implications of these errors for habit formation
Policy implications of these errors
Empirical evidence on habit formation
6 Confessing one's sins but still committing them: transparency and the failure of disclosure
Perverse effects of disclosure (on advisees)
Perverse effect of disclosure (on advisers)
Overcoming the limitations of disclosure
Making disclosure work: advisees
Making disclosure work: advisers
6.1 A response to Sah, Cain and Loewenstein
7 How should people be rewarded for their work?
Various motivations to work
Relevance for economic theory
How can people be induced to work?
Careful selection and job matching
Conserving intrinsic motivation
Fixed wage and ex post overall evaluation
Building up intrinsic motivation
Differences between awards and pay
8 Influencing the financial behaviour of individuals: the mindspace way
Changing contexts: mindspace
Getting the distinctions right
Moving beyond false dichotomies
9 Decision analysis from a neo-Calvinist point of view
The Calvinist solution to the problem of self-control
Self-signalling by unified collectives
Analysis for a self-signalling decision-maker
Outcome and diagnostic utility
Observing and intervening in causal networks
Behavioural Public Policy
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