Hostname: page-component-77f85d65b8-pztms Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-03-27T14:57:01.146Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Behavioral public policy in practice: Misconceptions and opportunities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2023

Michael Hallsworth Open the ORCID record for Michael Hallsworth [Opens in a new window]
Michael Hallsworth*
Affiliation:
The Behavioural Insights Team, Brooklyn, NY, USA. michael.hallsworth@bi.team; www.michaelhallsworth.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

I greatly respect the authors of the target article. However, in contrast to the target article's assertion, practitioners of behavioral public policy are indeed involved in developing and promoting systemic solutions. Its “i-frame”/“s-frame” distinction is incoherent, unhelpful, and obscures promising future directions for behavioral public policy. Its content and presentation undermine its stated goals and encourage sweeping dismissals of the field.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 46 , 2023 , e158
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Ball, S., & Feitsma, J. (2020). The boundaries of behavioural insights: Observations from two ethnographic studies. Evidence & Policy, 16(4), 559–577.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boulton, J. G., Allen, P. M., & Bowman, C. (2015). Embracing complexity: Strategic perspectives for an age of turbulence. Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ello-Martin, J. A., Ledikwe, J. H., & Rolls, B. J. (2005). The influence of food portion size and energy density on energy intake: Implications for weight management. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 82(1), 236S–241S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Feitsma, J. (2019). Brokering behaviour change: The work of behavioural insights experts in government. Policy & Politics, 47(1), 37–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hallsworth, M. (2023). Misconceptions about the practice of behavioral public policy. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4328659CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hallsworth, M., & Kirkman, E. (2020). Behavioral insights. MIT Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harford, T. (2022). What nudge theory got wrong. Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/a23e808b-e293-4cc0-b077-9168cff135e4Google Scholar
Hollands, G. J., Shelmit, I., Marteau, T. M., Jebb, S., Lewis, H. B., Wei, Y., ... Ogilvie, D. (2015). Portion, package or tableware size for changing selection and consumption of food, alcohol and tobacco. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 9, CD011045.Google Scholar
Institute for Government and Cabinet Office. (2010). MINDSPACE: Influencing behaviour for public policy. Institute for Government.Google Scholar
Levitsky, D. A., & Pacanowski, C. R. (2012). Free will and the obesity epidemic. Public Health Nutrition, 15(1), 126–141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schill, C., Anderies, J. M., Lindahl, T., Folke, C., Polasky, S., Cardenas, J. C., … Schlüter, M. (2019). A more dynamic understanding of human behaviour for the Anthropocene. Nature Sustainability, 2(12), 1075–1082.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strassheim, H., & Beck, S. (Eds.). (2019). Handbook of behavioural change and public policy. Edward Elgar.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitehead, M., Jones, R., Lilley, R., Pykett, J., & Howell, R. (2017). Neuroliberalism: Behavioural government in the twenty-first century. Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar