Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights
info_mark_grey Live Online
$995
Course Start Date
Mandatory Live Online Sessions
- Thu, Nov 19, 5 pm – 7 pm (PT)
- Thu, Nov 26, 5 pm – 7 pm (PT)
- Thu, Dec 3, 5 pm – 7 pm (PT)
Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights
Understanding human behaviour is fundamental to creating programs, policies, products, and communications that work.
Behavioural Insights (BI) combines an understanding of human behaviour with rigorous evaluation to create behaviourally-informed, evidence-based strategies programs, policies, products, and communications that encourage positive changes in consumers, citizens, and employees. Rather than relying on faulty assumptions about how people behave and what will work to change their behaviour, BI draws on concepts and methods from psychology, economics, and the decision sciences to create meaningful, lasting change.
This foundational course introduces you to the innovative discipline of Behavioural Insights, which applies concepts and methods from the Behavioural and Decision Sciences (including Psychology and Economics) to real-world challenges faced by individuals and organizations. You will learn:
- How to break a problem into its key components,
- Identify behavioural barriers (e.g., procrastination, loss aversion, diffusion of responsibility, etc.),
- Select appropriate behaviourally-informed solutions (e.g., defaults, social norms, personalization, etc.),
- Determine an appropriate measurement and evaluation strategy, and
- Use an ethical framework to guide your work.
This course equips you to apply a Behavioural Insights lens to your next challenge. Upon successfully completing this course, you will earn a digital badge that highlights the competencies you acquired. This is the first course required to pursue UBC Sauder’s Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights.
- Multiple skills in one course. The course introduces both how to incorporate an understanding of behaviour into your work and how to measure and evaluate behaviour change, which are distinct, yet complementary skillsets.
- Supercharge your existing skillset. Behavioural Insights is very complementary to a range of disciplines, including change management, data science and analytics, design and U/X, marketing, market research, communications, lean, and project management. BI will boost the power of the other tools in your repertoire.
- Applied, case-based learning. Work alone and in small groups to apply new concepts and practice key skills using a combination of provided real organizational scenarios and your own challenges.
- Flexible for working professionals. The course is delivered part-time, with supplementary on-demand content, to fit around your busy schedule.
- Live-interactive cohort. Weekly live online sessions bring together professionals from across industries and sectors, making peer discussions and connections as valuable as the content.
- Certificate pathway. Work towards completing UBC Sauder’s Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights.
When your employees complete Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights, your organization gains professionals who are equipped to:
- Increase success rates: Taking into account how customers, employees, and others actually think, decide, and behave leads to more effective programs, policies, products and processes.
- Problem-solve: Recognizing key behavioural barriers to program uptake, organizational change, compliance, and performance is a prerequisite for choosing and applying successful solutions.
- Reduce risks and costs: Evaluating program success before scaling tells us what works and what doesn’t and enables decisions to be made based on return on investment.
Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights is structured across three weeks, each week building on the last. You will spend approximately 8-12 hours per week engaging with course materials (readings, podcast episodes, videos), live-online sessions, and applied activities.
Week 1
Introduction to Behavioural Insights
- What is Behavioural Insights (BI) and why is it valuable?
- How do we approach a problem from a BI (lens)?
- What are common behavioural barriers?
- What are effective behaviourally-informed solutions?
- How do we choose appropriate behaviourally-informed solutions?
Week 2
Introduction to Measurement & Evaluation
- Why are measurement and evaluation important?
- How do we design effective measurement?
- How do we design rigorous evaluation?
- What are the steps for conducting a successful BI project from start to finish?
Week 3
Introduction to a Behavioural Insights Ethics Framework
- What are the ways BI can be used, misused, and abused?
- How do we safeguard ethics when changing behaviour?
- How do we safeguard ethics when evaluating program change?
- How does BI complement other behaviour change tools?
Curriculum subject to change.
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Kirstin Appelt
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Gazal Dhillon
The Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights course has been an incredibly insightful experience. It provided me with the tools to elevate consumer and citizen research to a more rigorous and robust level. The course opened my eyes to the profound impact of human behaviour on the decisions we make daily, often without even realizing it. It also offered a unique opportunity to rethink how we can better ‘nudge’ individuals in making and following through on decisions that promote their health and wellbeing.
Trish Kelly (she/her)
Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights was a great introduction to a new lens I’ll take into my work as a consultant and change practitioner. Anyone whose work centres on encouraging people to make better decisions for themselves, their communities, or the planet, needs to add the Behavioural Insights lens to their toolbox. Kirstin Appelt was a generous and knowledgeable instructor. I appreciated the sample readings and group discussions. I left each class inspired and wanting to learn more. I look forward to continuing to deepen my knowledge of behavioural science and hope I can take the certificate program in the near future.