Behaviour Science for Social Policy
Course Overview
Policymakers are increasingly adopting behaviour science to tackle profound policy challenges. While traditional policy tools
focus on financial resources, laws and incentives, a behavioural approach focuses on human biases, heuristics, social norms,
and choice architecture. Borrowing from various long-standing disciplines, including psychology, economics, sociology, and
neuroscience, behaviour science has helped tackle complex development challenges, such as improving education outcomes
by enhancing student learning, raising savings rates, promoting energy and water conservation, improving sanitation
practices, improving health and nutrition outcomes for women and children and strengthening institutions, among others.
The course teaches the participants to solve complex social problems with a keen understanding of human behaviour. In
this course, participants will learn the fundamental principles of applied behaviour science and explore how these principles
can be used for policy and programme implementation, and drive change in the broader social ecosystem through lectures,
behavioural games and case studies in the Indian context.
Course Outline
The course comprises of the following modules.
Module 1. Foundations of Behaviour Science
• Introduction to Behaviour Science
• Heuristics and biases
Module 2. Experiments in Behaviour Science
• Experimental Methodology in Behaviour Science
Lab experiments
Lab-in-the-field experiments
• Randomized Control Trials
Natural experiments
Module. Social Preference and Time Preference
• Self-regarding and other-regarding preference
• Altruism, trust and reciprocity
• Gender difference in trust and trustworthiness
• Time preference and dynamic inconsistency
• Present bias and self-control
Module 4. Risk Preference and Prospect Theory
• Introduction to decisions under risk, uncertainty and ambiguity
• Theories of risk preference
• Prospect Theory
Module 5. Nudge and Choice Architecture
• Earliest nudges in human history
• Nudge Theory
• Choice Architecture
• Nudges in Action
Module 6. Application of Behaviour Science From Around The World
• Application of Behaviour Science in different domains and different countries
Module 7. Application of Behaviour Science for Social Policy in India
• The Behavioural Insights Unit of India, NITI Aayog (NITI –BIU)
• Objectives and functions of NITI BIU
• Four-Step Process of NITI-BIU: Diagnose, Design, Evaluate and Scale Up.
• Behavioural analysis of central government schemes- Behaviour Change in Public Policy Report
Module 8. Application of Behaviour Science in India’s Flagship Programmes – Case Studies from Swachh Bharat Mission
and Jal Jeevan Mission
• Case study of behaviour change in Jal Jeevan Mission
• Behaviour change in Swachh Bharat Mission
Module 9. Nudging for Better Health - Application of Behaviour Science in Health and Nutrition
• Use of Behaviour Science in health and nutrition
• Case study on uptake of Iron and Folic Acid tablets in reducing anaemia among pregnant women in India
Module 10. Nudging to Save the Planet - Application of Behaviour Science in Climate Change and Sustainability
• Use of Behaviour Science and narratives in understanding climate change and sustainability
• Mission LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment
• Case study on waste segregation among school children in rural India
Module 11. Nudging for Women Empowerment - Application of Behaviour Science in Gender Difference and Women
Empowerment
• Use of Behaviour Science in understanding gender equality
• Case studies on financial inclusion and gender difference and women empowerment in rural India
Resource Faculty
Dr. Shagata Mukherjee
Academic Lead, Behavioural Insights Unit of India, NITI Aayog
Deputy Director, Centre for Social and Behaviour Change, Ashoka University
