Technology & Digital

Designing Theory-Informed Behavior Change Apps
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Designing Theory-Informed Behavior Change Apps

Behavioral Theory & Insights, Research Methods, Technology & Digital

Designing Theory-Informed Behavior Change Apps

Technology has become a relevant asset for scientists supporting people in modifying their behavior. For instance, we find various apps on the market trying to achieve this. Some inspire their designs in psychological theories, but most do not. Creating theory-based app designs provides a guide on which people's behavioral outcomes to expect in response to a particular stimulus, leading to more robust design and effective apps. How to begin designing theory-informed apps? Continue reading to find out!

By Gabriela Villalobos-Zúñiga|2022-06-30T01:18:38+00:00May 9th, 2022|Categories: Behavioral Theory & Insights, Research Methods, Technology & Digital|Tags: app design, behavior change, human-computer interaction, persuasion, self-determination theory, taxonomy|

Personalised Persuasion: How Predictable Are You?
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Personalised Persuasion: How Predictable Are You?

Behavioral Theory & Insights, Society & Everyday Life, Technology & Digital

Personalised Persuasion: How Predictable Are You?

When it comes to nudging, it’s very much a case of ‘different strokes for different folks'. A free donut might entice some people to take a vaccine; for others, it might make them even more skeptical. Fortunately, a combination of digital footprints and ‘thin slicing’ psychology means that nudges can now be targeted to the right people in the right way.

By Patrick Fagan|2022-04-25T06:05:52+00:00April 22nd, 2022|Categories: Behavioral Theory & Insights, Society & Everyday Life, Technology & Digital|Tags: consumer behavior, morality, nudge, personality, persuasion, social psychology|

How the Metaverse Is Designed to Hijack Your Circuits
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How the Metaverse Is Designed to Hijack Your Circuits

Society & Everyday Life, Technology & Digital

How the Metaverse Is Designed to Hijack Your Circuits

The most successful products of the digital revolution, principally those with social media components, have mirrored and exaggerated our ancient mental response mechanisms. With the coming metaverse and ‘web3’, psycho junk food supernormal stimuli may be about to take the exploitation of our Stone Age minds to a frightening next level.

By Eaon Pritchard|2022-03-31T01:36:33+00:00March 30th, 2022|Categories: Society & Everyday Life, Technology & Digital|Tags: behavioral science, evolutionary psychology, internet, technology|

The Behavioral Economics of Payment Methods
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The Behavioral Economics of Payment Methods

Finance & Investing, Marketing & Consumer Behavior, Technology & Digital

The Behavioral Economics of Payment Methods

There have never been more options to choose from when paying. Under conventional Economics assumptions, this should not make a difference in either decision-making or outcomes. According to behavioral economics, however, the payment method chosen does impact (financial) decision-making and its possible outcomes. In this article we dive into the impact a payment method can have on financial decision-making.

By Merle van den Akker|2022-05-26T06:57:36+00:00March 21st, 2022|Categories: Finance & Investing, Marketing & Consumer Behavior, Technology & Digital|Tags: behavioral finance, consumer behavior, financial decision making, present bias|

A Safe Space: Privacy Concerns and Financial Support Tools
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A Safe Space: Privacy Concerns and Financial Support Tools

Finance & Investing, Technology & Digital

A Safe Space: Privacy Concerns and Financial Support Tools

Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about data privacy in their interactions with tools that support financial decision-making. The authors of this TFI research project investigate the impact of privacy concerns on consumers’ use of financial support tools by conducting four experiments using a savings calculator tool, a mortgage calculator tool and an investment advice tool.

By Think Forward Initiative|2022-02-17T05:26:45+00:00May 25th, 2021|Categories: Finance & Investing, Technology & Digital|Tags: app design, behavioral design, behavioral finance, consumer behavior, emotions, financial planning, information privacy, personal finance, risk preferences, technology|

The Budgeting App Trap: When Spending Information Backfires
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The Budgeting App Trap: When Spending Information Backfires

Finance & Investing, Technology & Digital

The Budgeting App Trap: When Spending Information Backfires

Do budgeting apps always improve consumers' financial decisions? Contrary to common beliefs, the use of budget apps can increase spending, especially at the end of the budget period. The authors of this article propose five interventions to mitigate the acceleration of spending and help FinTech apps better serve consumers' financial needs.

By Think Forward Initiative|2022-02-17T05:29:58+00:00March 10th, 2021|Categories: Finance & Investing, Technology & Digital|Tags: behavioral finance, communication, financial planning, mental accounting, nudge, personal finance, RCT, salience, saving, spending|

Behavioural Data Science: Ushering in a New Age
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Behavioural Data Science: Ushering in a New Age

Behavioral Theory & Insights, Research Methods, Technology & Digital

Behavioural Data Science: Ushering in a New Age

Applied behavioural science is facing some tough challenges, in the form of an ongoing replication crisis and a public debate on limits to nudging (including COVID-related stumbles). At the same time, we believe there is reason to be optimistic: the fusing of behavioural knowledge with data science methods means that we can see some of these shared challenges in a completely new light. In this article, we show how a transformation of our interactions with consumers and employees can usher in a new age for the field.

By Jeroen Nieboer|2022-06-30T01:20:53+00:00July 7th, 2020|Categories: Behavioral Theory & Insights, Research Methods, Technology & Digital|Tags: behavioral science, consumer behavior, consumers, data science, decision making, development, digital, employment, international development, management, nudge, work|

Don’t Look at Me: Why We Dislike Being Observed in the Pre-Decisional Stage
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Don’t Look at Me: Why We Dislike Being Observed in the Pre-Decisional Stage

Marketing & Consumer Behavior, Technology & Digital

Don’t Look at Me: Why We Dislike Being Observed in the Pre-Decisional Stage

Our decision making is subject to more pervasive observation than ever due to technologies that companies use to understand our offline and online activities — even before we make a purchase. Our research finds that consumers are particularly averse to being observed while they construct their preferences. Consumers feel that their sense of autonomy is threatened and distort their behaviors significantly in order to evade being observed.

By Yonat Zwebner|2022-02-17T05:45:26+00:00June 9th, 2020|Categories: Marketing & Consumer Behavior, Technology & Digital|Tags: autonomy, consumer behavior, consumer psychology, decision making, information privacy, privacy|

Stop Chasing the Past: Improving Investment Decisions with Social Disclaimers
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Stop Chasing the Past: Improving Investment Decisions with Social Disclaimers

Finance & Investing, Technology & Digital

Stop Chasing the Past: Improving Investment Decisions with Social Disclaimers

Mutual funds cannot consistently return better-than-average performance. Yet investors often pick their mutual funds based on past performance. Researchers Leonardo Weiss-Cohen, Philip Newall and Peter Ayton conducted a long-term Think Forward Initiative research project that sought to answer how their investment decisions could be improved.

By Think Forward Initiative|2022-02-17T06:03:32+00:00May 8th, 2020|Categories: Finance & Investing, Technology & Digital|Tags: anchoring, behavioral finance, chasing returns, communication, disclaimers, fees, financial decision making, incentives, investing, investment biases, mutual funds, nudge, personal finance, saving|

Virtual Reality to the Rescue – or Not?
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Virtual Reality to the Rescue – or Not?

Finance & Investing, Technology & Digital

Virtual Reality to the Rescue – or Not?

Are VR technologies successful to increase savings? Or should we rely on more subtle simulation techniques? And does it matter whether people imagine positive or negative life events?

By Think Forward Initiative|2022-02-17T06:06:39+00:00February 28th, 2020|Categories: Finance & Investing, Technology & Digital|Tags: discounting, future orientation, future self, imagination, life events, pension, present bias, saving, simulation, technology, virtual reality, visualization|