We have launched Beyond Nudge Labs!!
Beyond Nudge Labs provide an excellent infrastructure for researchers from across the globe to conduct surveys and experimental research with our Indian participants. We take pride in ensuring global ethical standards and fair compensation for the participants. Do you wish to take part in our studies and get paid for your time?
Want to conduct an experiment or survey? Write to us at info@iben.co.in
India started its first phase of the vaccination drive on January 16, 2021. Since then there has been plenty of rumours and conspiracy theories surrounding the vaccine and its fast track approval. On January 18, 2021, The Economic Times reported “Conspiracy theories slow down Covid-19 vaccination drive in India”. Some of these rumours are on the ultimate level of being bizarre, but what causes people to believe them so much so that they do not get vaccinated during a global pandemic?
In the article “Tracing the Origins of the Anti-Vaccine Movement” from The Decision Lab, Bryon Hughson explains the causes and pathways of misinformation and disinformation which impede vaccination efforts. The author also discusses the role of public trust and social media. As Bryon mentioned, “It all comes down to the public’s perception of a source’s credibility“. This statement holds true for genuine news as much as it does for fake news. When India’s public health system collapsed, people turned to social media platforms to seek help and support to save their loved ones. In “India’s Digital Samaritans: Can Social Media Be a Force for Good?”, the authors - Sakshi Ghai and Amy Orben state, “Social media platforms, often derided for dividing us, are allowing an army of volunteers to deliver timely information and life-saving resources to those who need it most.“ They explain the role of social media as a lifeline to the Indians during one of the worst health crises India has faced to date. However, social media had its own limitations and can be no substitute for an inclusive public health system, which are also mentioned.
Which incentives are best at boosting vaccination and why? - Incorporating defaults in messages to increase the vaccine uptake might just work! To know more about this experiment (in the context of the US), listen to this episode of No Stupid Questions where Angle Duckworth takes us through the experiment conducted to increase vaccination (originally - flu vaccine) uptake. (Listen here)
Covid vaccines and tech repairability - With countries hit hardest by the virus, how can evidence-based messages be used to get people to uptake vaccines. This is in the UK context, to find out more about how effective messaging can help, listen to this episode of Inside the Nudge Unit. (Listen here)
Not sure which book to pick next? Don’t worry! We present to you the Behavioral Scientist’s Summer Book List 2021. The authors Antonia Violante and Heather Graci present a list of 25+ books that can deepen your “understanding and appreciation of human behaviour”, and help you “think differently about questions that matter—both in the public sphere and more personally.”
A Brain-Changer: How Stress Redesigns our Decision-Making
In this article from The Decision Lab, Hannah Potts explains the concept of stress along with its causes, effects and impacts on decision-making. The author discusses the findings of a 2012 study which concluded that “chronic stress biases human decision-making towards habits rather than goals“, and a 2017 study which suggested that along with the methodology of our decision-making, chronic stress also affects “our ability to make a reliable cost-benefit evaluation”.
What magic teaches us about misinformation
Undoubtedly, magic is fascinating but it is also informational about misinformation. In this article, Tim Harford with references to great resources and examples explains why people accept and spread misinformation, our intuitive overconfidence and how the art of stage magic can help us study this concept from a different perspective. He states that we pay less attention than we think do.
The fascinating science of pleasure goes way beyond dopamine
In this article, Dean Burnett explains that contrary to popular belief boosting your dopamine does not automatically result in happiness. He explains the science of happiness using the reward pathway and other crucial but non-mainstream brain chemicals. Experiencing happiness is crucial to mental wellbeing and reducing it “to a matter of basic chemicals – especially just one – is inaccurate and overly reductionist”.
Blindsight and Neuroscience of Marketing: What is blindsight and how does it affect our decision making? Is ‘no marketing’ the answer to ‘bad marketing’, or is there another approach that could be adopted? How can we deal with tech addictions as individuals? To know more about these questions and how they fit into a bigger picture, listen to this episode of The Behavioral Design Podcast featuring Prince Ghuman and Matt Johnson. (Listen here)
Social Norms - From the philosophy of science to norms, learn more about Social Norms, their nature and dynamics, how norms emerge, why are some norms abandoned and others embraced, motivations behind following a social norm and much more on this episode of Questioning Behavior podcast featuring Cristina Bicchieri. (Listen here)
Rethinking your position - Why should we rethink? How does it help? How can we change our views, how can we change other peoples’ views, what effect does feigned knowledge, binary bias have on us? To know more listen to this episode of The Knowledge Project Podcast featuring Adam Grant. (Listen here)
Explore. Inform. Nudge. Benefit.
Brought to you by India Behavioural Economics Network
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Editors: Divya Purohit, Simran Odrani, Junofy Anto Rozarina