The demand for logical rigor in decision making is offset by the impact of emotions on our decisions. Often, crucial choices are made in a state of overwhelm, sometimes aided with a time-crunch. It is in such scenarios where the heuristic which is the focus of this month’s issue takes centre stage. Read this month’s featured blog by Reethika Ravi, as she breaks down the affect heuristic and gives a “all you need to know” summary of this behaviour science principle.
Here are some examples of Affect Heuristic at play-
How We Vote: Voters often choose candidates based on emotional connections, such as shared community or appealing speaking style, rather than informed policy analysis.
Emotional Appeal of Anti-Smoking Ads: Anti-tobacco ads in Indian cinemas use emotional storytelling and graphic imagery to evoke fear and concern, making the anti-smoking message more impactful than factual presentations alone.
Nukespeak: Governments and corporations use euphemistic language like “smart bombs” or “peacekeeping missiles” to create a positive perception of dangerous weapons, exploiting emotional responses to downplay real risk
Product Marketing: Marketers evoke emotions by tying products to nostalgic stories or using labels like “New,” “Organic,” and “Natural” to increase perceived value, leveraging positive emotional responses over logical assessment.
Read Affect Heuristic for more insights on this topic!
The winner of last month’s Behavioural Buzz Contest on ‘Gamification in Ed-Tech’ was Divya Thakur! Congratulations!! Here is the submission:
NPTEL is a initiative taken by the Ministry of Education, India to offer high quality courses, free of cost in a wide variety of subjects; NPTEL STARS recognises learners excelling in various categories like completing courses, topping exams, and consistent learning. It motivates others to achieve similar feats by offering recognition and platform features.
🌟 Exciting News! 🌟
We're thrilled to continue our Behavioural Buzz Contest into August with another inspiring theme designed to explore the depths of behavioural science through creativity!
Theme for August: Emotions at play!
📸 Submit a photo or artwork that illustrates the concept of emotions at play online/offline by the 20th of August. The most compelling entry will win our monthly prize and be featured across our platforms!
Submission Guidelines:
Deadline: Submissions are due by the 20th of August.
Format: Ensure your photo is in a shareable format (e.g., JPEG, PNG).
NEW RULE applicable only for this month: Screenshots are not permitted!
How to Submit: Upload your submission on the Google Form given below along with your basic details
Rewards: The best submission will be featured in the next month's issue of our newsletter and will receive a special prize.
We can't wait to see how you bring behavioural science to life through your images!
📝 For our own good: how the psychology of ‘nudging’ pushes us to make healthier choices – and raises ethical dilemmasThis article takes a look at the ethical dilemmas that arise from the practice of nudging and explains libertarian paternalism as a justification. It expands on healthcare nudges and shines light on conditions that make nudges, not impositions.
📝 Psychometric Data is Being WastedPsychometric tests are increasingly becoming part of recruitment processes of companies all around the world. These tests offer insights into a candidate’s frame of mind, style of work and the qualities that shape them. This article calls for the expansion of psychometric test data use to beyond just recruitment. It highlights various use-cases where this data can be crucial to ensuring successful outcomes
🎧 Changing Our Mental MapsThis month’s podcast invites Norman Farb, a psychologist and neuroscientist to explain how our brains form mental maps to help us navigate everyday life. These maps acts as autopilot systems that help the brain save energy and work efficiently. Listen in to learn more.
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Brought to you with 💛 from India Behavioural Economics Network (Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter) and Beyond Nudge Consulting (Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter)
Editors: Junofy Anto Rozarina and Abhishek Chauhan