Nudge: Influencing Behavior

COURSE OBJECTIVE
Academic Skills: You will critically reflect on theoretical and practical value (/usability) of the concepts, theories and models offered in this course. Furthermore, the focus is on analyzing problems in organizations (/society) and applying knowledge (/searching for solutions) based on the theoretical models we discussed.

Research Skills: You develop the capacity to critically read and understand academic literature and to translate academic research to practically relevant outcomes.

Knowledge: You obtain knowledge on core subjects about influencing and nudging and gain deeper understanding of topics already discussed in “judgment and decision making”.

Bridging theory and practice: You are challenged to apply theoretical knowledge in real-life situations.

COURSE CONTENT
How can you improve the efficiency of towel and linen reuse programs in hotels? Which incentives help consumers to eat healthier? How can people be motivated to take public transport instead of the car?

These are some of the questions we deal with in the course Nudge: Influencing behaviour. Nudging is the art of subtly influencing people to change behaviour to serve societal and/or commercial goals such as e.g. reducing the number of phone calls to helpdesks, cutting down on energy use, reducing pollution, stimulating healthy behavior, etc.

In this course we build further on the basic principles of consumer choice which you learned in the Judgment and Decision Making course. In the first part, you will be offered tools to implement strategies that will guide consumers toward preferable, sustainable, and healthy choices. You will develop a behaviour change intervention that can benefit society, business, and/or the consumer. In the second part we focus on social influence strategies. You will get insights into the persuasion tactics used by sellers, advertisers, and online service providers, which will make you become better at recognising opportunities for influence and better at employing effective strategies to convince others.

TEACHING METHODS
Lectures and small-group tutorials

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT
Individual exam – individual assessment
(interim) assignment – group assessment

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Judgment & Decision Making (course from same minor)

RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Well-trained in academic method and thinking (i.e., with an academic bachelor).

REMARKS
Part of this course builds on the course Judgment & Decision Making.