Growing as a Behavioral Scientist
I’ve learned that the challenges, opportunities, and interests of people in behavioral science roles are different than those who are generally interested in learning more about behavioral science and those who are trying to become behavioral scientists. I’ve pulled together some resources for those folks here.
Behavioral Science for development
Our newest book is a response to practitioners' calls for expert insights on how to apply behavioral science in the development sector. Each chapter is written by experts with decades of experience, and the book delves into specialized areas while offering a broad overview of tools, methodologies, and best practices.
Behavioral Science for Development includes both foundational knowledge and insights from real-world applications. It provides an overview of the landscape of organizations applying behavioral science in development and tackles the complexities and ethical considerations of influencing behavior. This book is not just a repository of information, but a launchpad for the next wave of innovation in the field.
Whether you are a seasoned expert or new to behavioral science, this book offers something for everyone. Explore specific chapters that resonate with your work or read it cover-to-cover to get a comprehensive understanding. With its rich case studies, practical advice, and ethical guidelines, Behavioral Science for Development is your essential guide to creating more effective, sustainable, and equitable interventions globally.
As part of the mission of Bescy (formerly Action Design Network), we are offering a free digital version of the book to make it as accessible as possible. For those who like the feel of a book in their hands or prefer an e-book, you can find those formats as well. All of these are available at the link below.
Authored by…
Allison Zelkowitz Aayush Agarwal Allison White Ana María Muñoz Boudet Toni Castro-Cosío, PhD. Britt Titus Carlos Scartascini Carter Timon Claire Hobden Cristina Parilli Lozada Deborah Martinez Deqa Aden Enrique Fatas Gautam Patel Hans Frech La Rosa Jacqueline Devine Jimena Llopis Abella Joshua Martin Juan Cruz Loureiro Kama Garrison Laura Van Berkel, Ph.D. Laurenz Scheunemann Luis Artavia-Mora Mallika Sobti Mareike Schomerus Mariel Beasley Mindy Hernandez Neela A. Saldanha Paulius Yamin, PhD Pavan Mamidi Sania Ashraf Saugato Datta Stanley Ngugi Stephen Wendel Tahirat Omolara Eniola Tom Wein Varun Gauri Zarak Khan
Building Behavioral Science in an Organization
One of the main challenges I talk with practitioners about is how to build a behavioral science function within their organization. To help answer some of these questions, we gathered input from some people working on the front lines in their respective domains and published a book on the subject. We’ve also hosted a series of conversations with practitioners to learn more from their expertise.
Behavioral science can be applied to a variety of practice areas within an organization via a range of design and measurement tactics. It can influence strategy and design throughout an organization, including product design, marketing, and communications, employee and customer engagement, and strategic decision-making. Applied behavioral science includes both designing for the moment (the domain of nudges and cognitive biases) as well as creating the broader context for shaping the thoughts, emotions, and behavioral patterns of employees and customers.
This book draws on the collective wisdom of applied behavioral scientists with deep experience within their respective practice areas to provide practical guidance on building a behavioral science function that has a meaningful impact on your organization.
Bescy (ex: Action Design Network), in conjunction with Penn Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences, is providing the digital version of this book for free and other versions at cost.
Authored by…
Matt Battersby, Chief Behavioral Scientist at the Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), Kristen Berman, Co-founder and CEO of Irrational Labs, Charlotte Blank, Chief Behavioral Officer of Maritz, Linnea Gandhi, Founder of BehavioralSight, Nicole Grabel, Principal of Behavioral Science at BehavioralSight, Erik Johnson, Founder of Behavioral Strategies LLC, Meghann Johnson, Principal of Behavioral Science at BehavioralSight and the Director of Behavioral Intervention Design and User Experience at the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute, Zarak Khan, Senior Behavioral Researcher at the Center for Advanced Hindsight, Behavioral Science Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, Rachelle Martino, Partner at BehavioralSight, Laurel Newman, Behavioral Scientist at Edward Jones, Namika Sagara, Co-Founder and Chief Behavioral Officer at Syntoniq, Greg Szwartz, Healthcare Data Science Practice Lead at Deloitte Consulting, Steve Wendel, Head of Behavioral Science at Morningstar, Scott Young, Senior Vice President of the BVA Group
Building Behavioral Science in an Organization — POdcast Series
To dig deeper on the individual chapters in the book, we conducted a series of interviews with the authors. You can hear their candid thoughts and observations here.
Introduction to the Topic
Behavioral Science in Innovation
Behavioral science in HR and Employee Engagement
Behavioral science in product management
Behavioral Science in Market Research
Connect with other behavioral scientists
Connecting with others in the field remains a fun challenge to solve. We all like meeting and learning from each other, so we’ve created a few tools and opportunities to facilitate that.
Besci practitioner Monthly conversation Group
Are you a Behavioral Science practitioner, interested in connecting with others in the field? If so, we’d love for you to join us, as we bring together a network of practitioners.
There’s no cost to participate: All that we (the non-profit Bescy, with help from the Busara Center) ask is that you bring your own experiences – and a willingness to share some of what you’ve learned. We’re going to see who’s interested, try out some discussions, and see where it goes.
Behavioral Teams Directory
A few years ago, Bescy partnered with Steve Wendel, Ingrid Melvaer Paulin, and the Behavioral Science & Policy Association (BSPA) to compile data on behavioral teams across the world.
To compile this directory, we created a comprehensive survey, which we augmented with Ingrid's research and public information about other teams online. The survey itself offers a detailed look at behavioral teams, from the techniques they use to the challenges they’ve faced. This directory includes the initial, shareable results of teams that were willing to have their names shared. A full report on the anonymous aggregated survey results will be available shortly.
To be included in the directory, please visit www.behavioralteams.com and complete the survey.
Tools of the trade
There are many different tools and tactics that can come in handy as a behavioral scientist. I’ll start adding some of my favorite resources to this section.
Behavior Mapping
Creating a behavior map is a technique we often use to better understand the context in which someone is making a decision and opportunities to improve outcomes. I’ve taught this in my class for a few years, and was really impressed with the guide and materials that Allison White created as part of a partnership between the Center for Advanced Hindsight and Habit Weekly. To provide some additional context and do a deeper dive, we spoke with Allison about how she uses this tool and tips she has for others.