Ipsos Views: Is the Behavioural Lens Out of Focus?
Before psychologists and neuroscientists came onto the stage, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark was the best reference to understand our deep dislike of uncertainty and how it shapes our behaviour. Experimental psychology and more recently neuroscience have not replaced Hamlet but they have enriched our view of behaviour, especially behaviour within the context of uncertainty. They have also changed how we look at ourselves as consumers, shoppers, customers or citizens.
In this Ipsos Views paper, Pascal Bourgeat takes the helicopter view of behaviour to show that the lens we use is often out of focus and why. He then sets out to show a simpler and clearer view of how (economic) behaviour works from the overlap of various areas of behavioural science, and presents examples from different industry sectors.
There is much to gain from having the right picture resolution when we set out to influence behaviour. For it is when we fit most closely around the way consumers, shoppers and customers ‘construct decisions’ that the creativity in our interventions, actions and campaigns is most effective.
