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In May 2024, a landmark review entitled "Behavioral Determinants and the Effectiveness of Behavioral Interventions" was published in the journal Nature Reviews Psychology. This review was prepared by a team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania (USA). Information about this research quickly spread not only among social psychologists but also in the professional community of corporate training specialists, as one of the key goals of training is to change employee behavior.
This review analyzes human behavior in a broad context, but its findings can also be applied to corporate practice. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding human psychology and social interactions for creating an effective work environment. Applying these findings to a corporate environment can help improve teamwork, increase productivity, and create harmonious relationships between employees. To achieve business success, it is important to consider how employee behavior affects the overall atmosphere in the team and, consequently, the company's results.
Some of the findings may seem obvious to you, as you may have encountered them in your own experience. However, even in this case, they can be useful. This will allow you to argue to management why a mini-course is ineffective for solving a specific problem and why it is necessary to develop a full-fledged training program with an appropriate budget. It is important to understand that high-quality training requires time and resources to achieve the desired results.
What is this study?
A group of scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, led by Professor Dolores Albarracin, is researching effective strategies for changing people's behavior in critical situations, such as pandemics or environmental problems. The main question they ask themselves is what factors need to be taken into account to achieve the desired behavior and prevent undesirable actions. This study aims to identify key influences that can change public habits and increase people's willingness to act in a crisis. The results of this work may have significant implications for shaping public opinion and developing effective communication strategies in difficult situations.
The researchers analyzed various meta-analyses that examined strategies influencing people's behavior. The main focus was on the contexts of medicine, ecology, and politics. These studies help us understand how different approaches can influence decision-making and public behavior in key areas.
Factors influencing behavior People's behavior can be divided into two main groups: individual and socio-structural. Individual factors include knowledge about the significance of certain actions, general skills such as self-control, as well as attitudes, beliefs, emotions, behavioral skills, and habits. Socio-structural factors include legal and administrative sanctions, levels of trust in government institutions, social norms, monitoring and reminder systems, prescriptive norms, material incentives, social support, and access to necessary resources. Understanding these factors allows for a more thorough analysis of human behavior and the development of effective strategies for changing it.
What the researchers found
Knowledge turned out to be the least significant individual factor, since even with the necessary knowledge, people do not always act according to it. For example, many know about the importance of regular preventive dental examinations, but only go to the dentist when a toothache occurs. Thus, awareness-raising activities, such as educational lectures and information campaigns, do not lead to behavior changes. A deeper understanding of motivation and factors influencing decision-making is needed to effectively encourage people to take care of their health and follow recommendations.
General skills, such as self-control, as well as internal attitudes toward various objects, phenomena, and events, have a significant impact on our lives. These aspects shape our ability to make decisions and cope with difficulties. Correct perception and assessment of the world around us allow us not only to better understand ourselves but also to adapt to changes in life. Developing self-control and a mindful attitude toward events will help achieve personal and professional goals, creating the foundation for successful interaction with the environment.
Scientists have identified several individual factors that can contribute to the formation of desired behavior. These factors play a key role in motivation and behavioral change, which can be beneficial in both personal and professional life. Understanding these factors allows us to develop strategies aimed at positive change and goal achievement.
- Behavioral skills. Researchers cite this example (it is, of course, not the only one): mothers who have the skills to talk with their daughters about sensitive topics are more likely to vaccinate their children against the human papillomavirus. Behavioral skills can be influenced by information on how to best apply them, observing a role model, and ongoing practice with feedback.
- Behavioral attitude, that is, the attitude toward some behavior as bad or good. The link between perceived behavior and actual behavior is significant: for example, if you believe it's good to apply sunscreen when exposed to the sun, you're more likely to actually use it. It seems possible to influence behavioral attitudes—for example, through persuasion, creating certain conditions, or control. However, researchers caution that it's difficult to assess the real impact of such strategies in the artificial conditions of scientific experiments.
- Habits are constantly, automatically repeated actions. Habits, the study authors note, can influence future behavior and are amenable to correction. Therefore, strategies aimed at forming a desired habit or stopping a bad one are needed.
Within the socio-structural group of factors, administrative measures turned out to be the least effective. This is explained by the fact that people dislike restrictions on freedom, and under pressure, they may act contrary to the expectations of those who set the rules and sanctions for violating them. A striking example is the introduction of QR codes during the pandemic: a tool designed to motivate the population to get vaccinated, in some cases had the opposite effect. This demonstrates that coercive approaches can lead to negative consequences and social resistance.
Trust in institutions, including government and scientific organizations, does not always have a significant influence on the formation of desired behavior. Social norms, as well as strategies for influencing these norms, are more effective. Monitoring and reminder systems, such as notifications about the need for medical examinations, also play an important role.
The most effective methods turned out to be:
- Prescriptive norms - that is, norms that indicate how society should act in a given situation. Such informal rules influence how people behave and are amenable to change. Researchers cite strategies such as using role models or even providing feedback, in which group members are compared with each other. Of course, people do not really like it if the comparison is unfavorable for them, but it has a positive effect on results.
- Social support. People find it easier to change their behavior when they are supported by those around them - for example, family or friends. Such support can be social, and not just within a small circle.
- Availability. The effectiveness of behavior change strategies depends in part on how accessible the desired behavior is to the individual. For example, people are more likely to participate in vaccination programs if the shot is available at work.
What does this all mean for corporate learning?
The research has attracted the attention of education experts. Particularly noteworthy is the column "How People Learn and Don't Learn" by Dr. Philippa Hardman, a former Cambridge research fellow, creator of the DOMS™️ learning design system, and TEDx speaker. In her column, she drew important conclusions based on the research findings, highlighting key aspects of the learning process and the factors that influence its effectiveness.
The interventions we use to stimulate knowledge acquisition and behavior change, such as a combination of videos and quizzes, lectures, and general skills training, have little impact on measurable changes in people's knowledge and behavior. Traditional teaching methods, including lectures and standard approaches, are often overused and ineffective. New strategies are needed that better meet modern requirements and promote deeper learning.
Dr. Hardman emphasizes two key aspects that require changes in curriculum design. The first aspect concerns practical exercises. Teaching only theory produces minimal benefits, as the information does not significantly influence human behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to include more carefully selected resources and opportunities for practical application of acquired knowledge, which will significantly increase the effectiveness of learning and prepare students for real-world work conditions.
So-called "nudges" are effective; they serve as reminders to apply the material learned and create conditions for its practical application. Dr. Hardaman identifies three main nudge strategies, which are examined in his research. These strategies help people not only remember information but also actively implement it in their daily lives.
- Material incentives are rewards for desired behavior.
- Social incentives are rewards for desired behavior in a person's environment.
- Behavioral incentives are when the desired behavior is achieved relatively easily because the right conditions have been created for it, and there are resources and tools to ensure it.
Philippa Hardman emphasizes that educational program developers should focus not only on imparting knowledge, but also on creating a context for learning. It is important to regularly ask what habits need to be developed in employees and how to create a suitable environment in which these habits become the norm, are encouraged, and turn into automatic actions. Creating such an environment contributes to more effective learning and improved employee performance.
The second aspect of training is related to its duration: "one-off" webinars, meetings, and reviews have shown limited effectiveness. Long-term programs that include ongoing feedback are much more effective. Hardman argues that the most effective in terms of behavior change are programs lasting approximately three months with weekly sessions. However, this is a minimum period; achieving truly productive results will require twice as long, which may disappoint proponents of microlearning.
Philippa Hardman has created a table that systematizes effective and ineffective formats for different types of programs. This table can be accessed here (in English). Let's look at a few examples from this table.
- Leadership development programs. Dr. Hardman calls webinars or live meetings, without repetitive and interactive components, based on theoretical knowledge, a standard but ineffective approach. In her opinion, an effective option is a personalized learning track based on student goals, with coaching and ongoing progress monitoring. The program should be practice-oriented: project work, leadership rotation programs, and mentoring. All this will allow knowledge and skills to be applied immediately, and feedback on not just knowledge but their application in solving real-world problems can be expected.
- Onboarding. The standard, but ineffective, option consists of one or more theoretical training modules with tests. Philippa Hardman considers regular meetings between new hires, the HR manager, and the line manager during the first three months of employment to be an intermediate, "average" option—this ensures the necessary level of support and engagement. The optimal option, she believes, is full immersion of the new hire in internal processes: rotation between departments, project work based on training results, and inclusion in the company's ongoing projects. This will allow them to understand how everything is organized in the company, will give them a sense of inclusion, belonging to the team, and, of course, will develop responsibility.
- Compliance. A traditional but ineffective solution is mandatory webinars and workshops where employees are informed of the company's adopted rules. Hardman cites detailed feedback on performance, with analysis of specific examples and proposals for concrete steps, as a better solution. And she believes the most effective is the development of a compliance culture in the company with gamified tracks and rewards for following the rules.
Philippa Hardman emphasizes the key problem: the main difficulty lies not only in understanding the necessary measures to optimize the impact on employees and achieve business goals, but also in their large-scale implementation. She believes that artificial intelligence-based tools can play an important role in this process, but only if they are developed with a clear focus on this task.
Reading is an integral part of our lives. It develops thinking, broadens horizons, and enriches our inner world. A good book can be a source of inspiration and new ideas, as well as help in solving various life situations. It is important to choose literature that matches your interests and goals. This will not only make the reading process enjoyable, but also allow you to get the most out of every page you read. Don't forget the importance of reading for personal growth and development.
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