Behavioural Science

The Behavioural Science group was founded in 2010, with the goal of linking theoretical and policy challenges in the social sciences with experimental methods and results drawn from the natural sciences. The interests of the group include behavioural and experimental economics, cognitive science, judgement and decision making at the individual as well as the organisational level, happiness and well-being, behaviour change, and the application of economic methods to social phenomena not generally included within economics. We examine these topics using quantitative methods such as laboratory and field experiments, modelling, and simulations. We also have a well-established focus on the interface between behavioural science and data science, where we seek to determine how vast datasets combined with machine learning can offer new insights into human behaviour. 

Our dedicated state-of-the-art research laboratory is ideal for testing individual, interactive and group behaviour, and we have a standalone eye-tracking laboratory. We produce and disseminate world-class research and strive to transform the world by advising managers and policy makers, across public and private sectors, on how to design organisations that work better for their members and for society as a whole.

Current areas of research

Research in our group addresses fundamental questions including: 

• Are people rational? 

• What principles govern human behaviour? 

• What interventions lead to behaviour change? 

• To what extent can human behaviour be predicted? 

• What matters to people’s mental health and overall well-being?  

• How and why do people cooperate and coordinate with others? 

• When do people consider the thinking of others when making decisions? 

• How do culture and institutional factors interact with individual behaviour? 

• How do biases in individual behaviour impact firm and market level outcomes? 

• How can we rapidly measure human behaviour at societal scale? 

• What are the psychological and economic foundations of value? 

Since human behaviour is at the heart of many social problems, obtaining the answers to these questions can help social planners and individual decision makers achieve better financial outcomes, a cleaner and more sustainable environment, and a healthy population. Our research informs our impact work in the financial, health, criminal, where we work with partners in industry, regulation and government, and charities to obtain and influence change in the world to improve well-being, health, and the environment.   

The group teaches a portfolio of courses, from undergraduate to masters, MBA and Executive Education courses. We welcome outstanding potential PhD students and research fellows from a wide range of disciplines, including but not restricted to economics, psychology, and data sciences. 

Head of group: Professor Neil Stewart.