Behavior change and policy

1. Behavior change and policy

2. Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model Macrosystem Exosystem Mesosystem Microsystem person

3. Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model • Microsystem: direct interaction with the person (family, classroom, work setting) • Mesosystem: interactions between two or more settings containing the person (home and work) • Exosystem: social settings influencing the person significantly (public school system; health care institutions; public welfare system) • Macrosystem: laws, policies, values in the culture.

4. What impacts change? • Habit: • automatic • cued by the environment • Habits are mentally efficient so can be difficult to control • We are less likely to seek and assimilate new information

5. Downstream or Upstream Approaches • Downstream – focuses on a change in the individual • Upstream – focuses on changing the environment

6. Downstream Approaches • Consider individual attitudes, motivations, skills, and environmental situation. • Consider cognitive dissonance – ambivalence toward change, and dissonance between intentions and behavior

7. Planned behavior theory • Behavior guided by salient or perceived beliefs: • Behavioral beliefs: beliefs about the likely consequences of behavior and how important those consequences are • Normative beliefs: beliefs about what others expect and importance of those expectations • Control beliefs: beliefs about what will help or hurt performance of the behavior and the importance of these factors

8. Consider two dimensions for outcomes… Positive vs. Negative – which is more salient for the person? Reducing the negative consequences of a behavior or increasing the positive consequences? How might you determine this?

9. Another dimension… • Instrumental outcomes vs. emotional outcomes : what are the material costs and benefits (instrumental) and what are the emotional costs and benefits? • If conflicting – emotional may be stronger

10. From intention to action • Failure to get started – forget, miss opportune moments, initial reluctance/discomfort • Getting derailed – distractions, cravings, stress

11. If-then plans • Specifies where, when and how the behavior change will happen • Helps because it prepares the person for the change (perceptually ready) • Rehearses the change (new habit!)

12. Upstream Approaches • Change the environment to support the desired change in behavior!

13. Strategies • Operant Conditioning: reinforce desired behavior; aversive consequences for negative behavior • Infrastructure changes • Education – public information • Legislation

14. Translating research into policy • Evidence based behavioral change • Need both downstream and upstream strategies • Don’t over-rely on survey and focus group data • Take an interdisciplinary approach

15. Change is possible… Specify target for change Identify behavioral, normative, control beliefs Identify positive/negative and instrumental/emotional components Recognize change can occur Have specific strategies for change Consider change in the person and in the environment (downstream + upstream)