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Learn how to change behavior.

The world's largest collection of resources and data on behavioral science.

Tactics that change behavior

Change Effort

TACTICS

Change Effort

Changing effort refers to modifying the difficulty, or sometimes perceived difficulty, of a behavior in order to change its likelihood of occurrence. This often entails making a behavior easier by reducing its intensity or frequency. This is a tactic advocated by BJ Fogg’s model of behavior change.

Behavior Substitution

TACTICS

Behavior Substitution

Behavior substitution refers to attempting to eliminate a problematic behavior by replacing it with another one. Often, the substituted behaviors are intended to have similar sensory qualities (e.g. drink flavored sparkling water instead of soda). The goal is typically to disassociate the original behavior from its cue, enabling the more positive behavior to be triggered automatically.‍

Active Choice

TACTICS

Active Choice

Active choice, sometimes referred to as enhanced active choice or forced choice, refers to removing default options and often increasing the salience of potential decisions through emphasizing the consequences of one or more of the options. Coined by Punam Anand Keller and colleagues in 2011, it was originally intended to address concerns around paternalistic nudging for use in situations where forcing the default option may be considered unethical. In one of the original studies, CVS customers were given the choice to enroll in automatic refills of medications via delivery. The choices they were presented were ""Enroll in refills at home"" vs “I Prefer to Order my Own Refills.”‍

Behavioral Activation (BA)

TACTICS

Behavioral Activation (BA)

Behavioral activation is a therapeutic approach that typically pairs activity scheduling with either monitoring tools or goal-setting. For example, someone might aim to balance activities they "should" do but underperform, like self-care behaviors, with activities they enjoy. Users of this technique may also track which activities cause certain cognitions or affective states, like those associated with depression.‍

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

TACTICS

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is a therapeutic approach originalled developed by Steven Hayes. It borrows from previous concepts like cognitive behavioral therapy and Morita therapy. The principles of ACT are fairly systematic and lend themselves well to program design, finding empirical support in adaptations like 2morrow's smoking cessation and pain management interventions.‍

Depression rating

TACTICS

Depression rating

Depression rating simply refers to having someone rate their mood. Often, this may be an informal method like a smiley-face based Lickert scale or choosing a word from a list, rather than using a standardized instrument like the Beck Depression Inventory.‍

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

TACTICS

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a therapuetic approach to improving mental and behavioral health. The core philosophy is that behavior can be modified by noticing and correcting patterns in thought that influence the behavior. Modern CBT is typically associated with Albert Ellis and Alan Beck.The structured and rules-based nature of CBT have made it a popular candidate for digital interventions and application by lightly-trained or even untrained practitioners.

Covert Learning

TACTICS

Covert Learning

Covert learning refers to imparting educational information into non-traditional methods of delivery. For example, a film where someone learns cognitive behavioral therapy techniques or receives training on body-weight fitness exercises may teach someone how to do these (or at least generally what they are). People may also learn the consequences of a behavior through watching someone else experience them, and this concept (viarious experience) is a key component of Bandura's social cognitive theory.

Products that change behavior

Aaptiv

PRODUCTS

Aaptiv

PRODUCTS

2Morrow Weight Management Program

Behaviors

Diet & Nutrition, Physical Activity

Tactics

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Behavioral Activation (BA)

Models

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

2Morrow Stress (and Anxiety) Program

PRODUCTS

2Morrow Stress (and Anxiety) Program

Behaviors

Mental Health & Self-Care

Tactics

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Behavioral Activation (BA)

Models

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

10% Happier

PRODUCTS

10% Happier

Behaviors

Mental Health & Self-Care

Tactics

Reminders, Cues, & Triggers +5 more

AbleTo

PRODUCTS

AbleTo

Behaviors

Mental Health & Self-Care

Tactics

Personalization, Skill Coaching, Coaching or Counselling

PRODUCTS

2Morrow Smoking Cessation Program

Behaviors

Smoking Cessation

Tactics

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Behavioral Activation (BA)

Models

ACT

Acorns

PRODUCTS

Acorns

Behaviors

Savings

Tactics

Framing Effects, Reduce Friction or Barriers, Automation +2 more

PRODUCTS

2Morrow Chronic Pain Program

Behaviors

Mental Health & Self-Care, Other, Disease Management

Tactics

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Behavioral Activation (BA)

Models

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy