PB100      One Unit
Foundations of Behavioural Science

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

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The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of, and the ability to critically appraise, the fundamental ideas which drive the multidisciplinary field of behavioural science in relation to policymaking.

The course gradually moves from the foundational principles of behavioural science to the practical applications based on those principles. The course is organised into three interlinked blocks. The first block introduces dual-processing models of human behaviour to highlight the role of the environment in shaping decisions; this block considers the Dual System approach, heuristics and biases, and the influence of time, risk, and social preferences. The second block delves into the science of happiness by introducing the main accounts of subjective wellbeing, how it is conceptualised and measured and its implications for policy and other contexts. Finally, in the third block, we introduce various techniques from Behavioural Economics (incentives, commitments, defaults), Social Psychology (ego, messenger and social norms), and Cognitive Psychology (priming, affect) can be used to shape behaviour by means of the MINDSPACE checklist. We close by addressing the role of behavioural spillover effects and a discussion on the ethics of nudging.

Throughout the course, evidence from observational studies, laboratory experiments and field experiments will be discussed, with a special emphasis on policy-level interventions.

By the end of the course you should:

• Have a broad understanding of the fundamental principles of behavioural science, and its relations with foundational principles in Psychology and Economic Theory and policy;
• Be able to critically appraise the evidence base, tools and impact of behavioural science and its relation to policy interventions;
• Be able to explain the approaches that have been developed to change behaviour, based on the MINDSPACE framework;
• Be able to apply the core theories of Behavioural Science in policy and practice-based contexts.

10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the Winter Term.
10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn and Winter Term.

This course is delivered through a combination of lectures and classes totalling a minimum of 40 hours across Autumn Term and Winter Term.

Students will complete a number of pieces of formative work to cement learning and prepare for summative assessments:

• Essay plan
• Practice pitch with peer feedback.

• Sunstein, C. R., & Thaler, R. (2009). Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness. London: Penguin.
• Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Macmillan.
• Dolan, P. (2015). Happiness by Design: Finding Pleasure and Purpose in Everyday Life. London: Penguin.
• Halpern, D. (2015). Inside the Nudge Unit: How small changes can make a big difference. London: W H Allen.
• Dolan, P. (2019). Happy Every After: Escaping the myth of a perfect life. London: Penguin.
• Kahneman, D., Sibony, O., & Sunstein, C. R. (2021). Noise: a flaw in human judgment. Hachette UK.

Presentation (40%)

Essay (60%, 3000 words)