Behavioral Insights Research Articles

Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid-based Ni-MOF for efficient battery-supercapacitor hybrids: Electrochemical behavior and mechanistic insights

Hybrid supercapacitors, integrating both Faradaic and non-Faradaic mechanisms, have emerged as promising energy storage devices due to their high energy density and excellent cycling stability. In the pursuit of sustainable energy storage solutions, the development of advanced materials has garnered significant attention. Herein, we report the Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid-based nickel metal-organic framework (Ni MOF) for application in battery supercapacitor hybrid configuration. The Ni MOF was synthesized via a simple and scalable hydrothermal method, resulting in a mixed nanorods structure. The electrochemical setup of bare electrode uncovers its marvelous electrochemical profits with specific capacity of 678.23C/g (3 mV/s) and 565.32C/g (1.2 A/g). A predominant diffusive nature of Ni-MOF (92.76 % at 3 mV/s) was revealed via simulation approach that back these profits. Furthermore, the asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with the Ni MOF along activated carbon exhibited high specific capacity (197.20C/g), along with outstanding specific energy and power (46.56 Wh/kg 850 W/kg respectively). Besides, persuasive rate capability (43.19 % conservation of specific energy while boosting the specific power to 10 times) along with splined cyclic life was observed. The findings unveil Ni-MOF as an excellently tailored and eco-conscious choice for electrode materials in advanced energy storage devices, driving advancements in sustainable energy technologies.

Determinants of undervaccination of routine childhood immunization in Argentina: A cross-sectional study

Routine childhood immunization is one of the most effective methods of preventing infectious diseases in children. In Argentina, there has been a decline in routine immunization coverage since 2015, with very little evidence to date on underlying drivers of this steady decline. We administered an online nationwide behavioral insights survey in Argentina between July 1–25, 2022, targeting parents with at least one child under the age of 12 years. Our survey included 1504 parents, 7% (n = 111) of whom did not or only partially vaccinated their children. We found that, compared to the youngest parents (aged 18–24), older parents were less likely to under-vaccinate their children (e.g., 30–34 year-old parents: adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 0.31, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.16–0.57). Parents who undervaccinated their children were more likely to take vaccination advice from parent and wellness social media influencers (parent influencers: aOR 2.51, 95% CI 1.46–4.31), and were less likely to trust the social media accounts of official health organizations (aOR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70–0.96). Furthermore, these parents had heightened concerns about routine immunizations, including the number of vaccines given to children and potential for adverse side effects. When asked whether they knew enough to make a vaccine decision for their children, parents who undervaccinated their children were more likely to report that they did not know enough about vaccines or the vaccination schedule to make a decision. These results offer important insights into parental concerns surrounding routine childhood immunization and suggest potential drivers of - and solutions to - the decline in routine immunization seen in Argentina since 2015.

Effectuating international law against corruption: Behavioral insights

Abstract International law against corruption is mainly based on individualized criminalization and deterrence, including legal persons. Implicitly, since corruption is a white-collar crime, the conventions assume self-interested rational actors. That was the state-of-the-art thinking when the international conventions against corruption were developed around the turn of the millennium. This is the correct starting point but has failed to deliver the expected results. The United Nations (UN) has turned to behavioral science but the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is lagging behind and behavioral approaches have played a minor role. I submit that they can enrich the set of instruments by using (social)psychological insights. This article discusses additional tools based on behavioral insights and new social science methods used to gain a more holistic understanding of corruption. It makes concrete substantive and institutional suggestions for fighting corruption which could be taken up by UNODC and in international (soft) law. It also discusses the limitations.

Behavioral insights on individual and social adaptation to automated mobility using a serious game

IntroductionSerious games generate a virtual environment where players are immersed in simulated conflicts, guided by distinct rules. They replicate intricate systems, like transportation, encouraging social engagement via reinforced learning. Unlike preference-based studies, these games offer enhanced real-time feedback on players' actions. Thus, they reveal how user experience and social interaction influence decision-making over time. We use a serious game to study the willingness of travelers to adopt automated mobility, specifically shared modes of transport, an important step toward alleviating congestion, enhancing the quality of urban living, and improving people's health and well-being. MethodsFor each scenario, 100 participants were randomly divided into ten groups of ten interacting players. They chose independently out of three automated transportation modes - shared ride, shared car, and automated transit-over 50 simulated days how to commute to work. They aimed to maximize their overall score by arriving punctually, which was influenced by their mode and departure time and the choices of fellow players. Cross-nested logit kernel choice models were estimated based on the game data. ResultsIn the recurring congestion scenario players learned to adopt the shared ride at the expense of transit; in the nonrecurring congestion scenario, random incidents increased the use of transit and shared car (ride alone). ConclusionsCongested traffic motivated a shift to ridesharing at the expense of private rides and public transport; however, the latter was highly demanded when traffic became unsmooth and travel times more uncertain. The implications can be translated to health promoting polices to encourage sustainable travel behaviors while also improving transportation efficiency.

The HIV prevention decision-making cascade: Integrating behavioural insights into HIV prevention efforts

The syndemic of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and early pregnancy remain a key challenge to global public health. Decision-making around sexual and reproductive health (SRH) behaviours is critical to ensuring the uptake of biomedical technologies. Drawing from behavioural science theories, we propose a novel conceptual framework—the Decision Cascade—to describe the decision-making process that a user will go through as they navigate these decisions. Analogous to the HIV prevention and treatment cascade, this model describes key steps individuals go through when deciding to use HIV prevention technologies. Each step (being cued/triggered to act, reacting to the behaviour, evaluating the behaviour, assessing the feasibility of acting and the timing and final execution of the action), is influenced by a myriad of individual and socio-cultural factors, shaping the ultimate decision and behaviour outcome in a continual cycle. This framework has applications beyond HIV prevention, extending to other SRH technologies and treatments. By prioritizing human-centered design and understanding user decision-making intricacies, interventions can enhance effectiveness and address the complexities of SRH service uptake across diverse populations. The Decision Cascade framework offers a comprehensive lens to inform intervention design, emphasizing the need for nuanced approaches that resonate with the realities of decision-makers. Adopting such approaches is essential to achieving meaningful impact in HIV prevention and broader SRH initiatives.

Flow Behavior and Mechanism Insights into Nanoparticle-Surfactant-Stabilized Nitrogen Foam for Enhanced Oil Recovery in the Mature Waterflooding Reservoir.

To solve the problem of poor stability and low enhanced oil recovery efficiency of conventional foam, nanoparticle-surfactant-stabilized nitrogen foam was prepared, and the influence of temperature, salinity, oil content, and pressure on foam performance was systematically investigated. Then, the flow behavior of conventional foam and nanoparticle-surfactant-stabilized foam in porous media was studied. Parallel sand pack flooding and visualization microflooding experiments were performed to investigate the enhanced oil recovery ability of nanoparticle-surfactant-stabilized foam from core-scale to pore-scale. Results showed that the nanoparticles can improve foam performance. When the temperature increases from 60 to 100 °C, the foam volume and foam half-life of nanoparticle-surfactant-stabilized foam decrease by 20 and 36%, respectively. The nanoparticle-surfactant-stabilized foam has a good salt resistance. The oil content limit value of the foam performance is 15%. With the increase of pressure, the foaming performance and foam stability are enhanced obviously. Compared with conventional surfactant-stabilized foam, the nanoparticle-surfactant-stabilized foam can have better plugging and expansion of the swept volume capacity. The micromodel flooding results are consistent with the parallel sand pack flooding results. Compared with conventional surfactant stabilized foam, nanoparticle-surfactant-stabilized foam has better enhanced oil recovery ability than conventional surfactant-stabilized foam due to its higher foaming ability, foam stability, and sweep efficiency improvement ability.

Mitigating Climate Change Via the Demand Side and Behavioral Insights: Policy Recommendation and Current Challenges

Mitigating Climate Change Via the Demand Side and Behavioral Insights: Policy Recommendation and Current Challenges

A multi-nudge-based behavioural insight into ward nurses' respiratory rate measurement: An observational study.

This study observed changes in respiratory rate measurement (RRM) and identified barriers and challenges in clinical practice that influence healthcare worker behaviour, aiming to improve RRM in a hospital setting. An observational study was conducted. We observed and analysed changes in the behaviour of healthcare workers at a hospital where multi-nudges were introduced to improve RRM. We checked respiration rate using electronic data and discovered that the original measurement rates were low. Measurement rates rapidly increased after posters were added. Barriers such as time constraints and measurement equipment were also noted. RRM was found to be effective in promoting behavioural economics in medical settings. The results show that incorporating behavioural science principles into medical interventions has the potential to positively change behaviour. By increasing nurses' awareness of respiratory rate measurement and addressing barriers to it, the measurement rate of respiratory rate can also increase, leading to more accurate patient evaluations and triage. WHAT PROBLEM DID THE STUDY ADDRESS?: The proportion of respiratory rate measurements leading to rapid response system (RRS) calls was low. WHAT WERE THE MAIN FINDINGS?: The study observed that a multi-nudge approach effectively changes the behaviour of ward nurses, resulting in enhanced quality of medical care. WHERE AND ON WHOM WILL THE RESEARCH HAVE AN IMPACT?: This research can serve as a valuable reference for leaders promoting healthcare quality projects, by offering a method to encourage behavioural change. This study complied with the EQUATOR guidelines and its reporting adheres to the STROBE checklist. No patient or public contribution.

Evaluation of four interventions using behavioural economics insights to increase demand for voluntary medical male circumcision in South Africa through the MoyaApp: A quasi-experimental study.

While voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) reduces the risk of HIV transmission by 60%, circumcision coverage falls short of the UNAIDS 90% VMMC target. We investigated whether behaviourally informed message framing increased demand for VMMC. Adult users of the MoyaApp, a data free application in South Africa, who viewed a form designed to generate interest in VMMC during August-November 2022. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to evaluate four MoyaApp VMMC intervention forms against the Standard of Care (SOC) form. All forms enabled users to provide contact details for follow-up engagement by a call centre. The primary outcome was the proportion of forms submitted. Secondary outcomes included successful contact with the user, VMMC bookings/referrals and confirmed circumcision. Multivariable ordinary least-squares regression was used for the analysis. Of 118,337 MoyaApp VMMC form viewers, 6% submitted a form. Foot-in-the-Door form viewers were more likely (+1.3 percentage points, p<0.01) to submit a form compared to the SOC group (6.3%). Active Choice (-1.1 percentage points, p<0.01) and Reserved for You (-0.05 percentage points, p<0.05) form viewers were less likely to submit a form compared to SOC. Users submitting on Foot-in-the-Door were less likely to be booked/referred compared to SOC (-5 percentage points, p<0.05). There were no differences between the intervention and SOC forms for successful contact and circumcisions. Message framing using behavioural insights was able to nudge men to engage with VMMC services. However, more work is needed to understand how to convert initial interest into bookings and circumcisions.

Quantifying consumers’ cost-value trade-offs on on-demand food delivery services: Value-of-time framework and partitioned pricing

PurposeThis study aims to quantitatively characterize consumers' value-cost trade-offs in on-demand food delivery (ODFD) services. On the value side, the study endeavors to monetize the convenience value of ODFD with a Value-of-Time (VOT) framework, while on the cost side, this study investigates the implication of ODFD's partitioned pricing structure with the theoretical tenet of Attribution Theory. Design/methodology/approachA stated choice experiment is developed and distributed to an online panel in Singapore with 580 valid responses collected. The data is then analyzed with a mixed logit model. FindingsThe results show that cost, time, and health-related factors significantly influence consumers' dining channel choices. In terms of time, consumers' differentiated time sensitivities are revealed. Specifically, consumers are most sensitive to walking time, followed by waiting time at food establishments and at their own places. Also, the food type and dining locations affect consumers’ time perceptions. Regarding cost, consumers exhibit an inflated price sensitivity toward food premiums compared to delivery fees. Originality/valueThis study addresses the lack of quantitative investigations into the value-cost tradeoffs in ODFD services. ODFD's convenience values are quantified and monetized with a novel VOT-based framework. Besides, the study sheds light on the underexplored partitioner pricing scheme with the theoretical tenet of the Attribution Theory. Overall, the research provides behavioral insights to support practitioners' operational decision-making.

Applying behavioural economics principles to increase demand for free HIV testing services at private doctor-led clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa: A randomised controlled trial.

Expanding free HIV testing service (HTS) access to include private clinics could increase testing rates. A donor funded programme, GP Care Cell, offered free HIV testing at selected private doctor-led clinics but uptake was low. We investigated whether HTS demand creation materials that used behavioural economics principles could increase demand for HIV testing at these clinics. We conducted a randomised controlled trial in Johannesburg, South Africa (January-April 2022) distributing brochures promoting HTS to adults in five private doctor-led clinic catchment areas. Individuals were randomised to receive three brochure types: (1) "Standard of care" (SOC) advertising a free HIV test and ART; (2) "Healthy lifestyle screening" promoted free low-cost health screenings in addition to HTS; and (3) "Recipient of care voucher" leveraged loss aversion and the endowment effect by highlighting the monetary value of free HTS. The primary outcome was presenting at the clinic following exposure to the brochures. Logistic regression compared outcomes between arms. We found that of the 12,129 brochures distributed, 658 were excluded because of errors or duplicates and 11,471 were analysed. About 59% of brochure recipients were male and 50,3% were aged 25-34 years. In total, 448 (3.9%) brochure recipients presented at the private doctor-led clinics of which 50.7% were males. There were no significant differences in clinic presentation between the healthy lifestyle screening and SOC arm (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 1.02; 95% CI 0.79-1.32), and similarly between the recipient of care voucher and SOC arm (AOR 1.08; 95% CI 0.84-1.39). Individuals were more likely to attend centrally-located clinics that had visible HTS branding (AOR = 5.30; 95% CI: 4.14-6.79). Brochures that used behavioural insights did not increase demand for HTS at private doctor-led clinics. However, consistent distribution of the brochures may have potential to increase HIV testing uptake at highly visible private doctor-led clinics.

Behavioral insights in education: Intellectual data analysis for management

This research utilizes intellectual data analysis to deepen insights into educational dynamics by examining university professors' behavioral responses to education management amidst socioeconomic uncertainty. The study applied sophisticated regression and cluster analysis tools to sociological survey data, focusing on professors' attitudes toward distance education. The survey assessed perceptions of its advantages and disadvantages, aiming to uncover factors influencing professors' inclinations toward this mode of teaching. Results revealed six distinct behavioral "profiles" or clusters of professors, each with unique responses to distance education. These insights guide recommendations for educational policy priorities aimed at addressing weaknesses in education management. Key strategies proposed include forming databases of behavioral responses and employing algorithms for deep intellectual analysis. Such measures intend to align educational practices with the values, welfare needs, and communication preferences of the scholarly community, thereby enhancing their propensity for distance education. The study concludes that a higher level of academic engagement in distance education can be achieved by tailoring educational strategies to the specific needs and values of different professor groups. This approach promises to improve the effectiveness of education management and the overall quality of education, benefiting both professors and students by creating a more supportive and effective teaching environment.

E-cigarettes Use among People Living with HIV: Prevalence, Health Impacts, and Behavioral Insights

E-cigarettes Use among People Living with HIV: Prevalence, Health Impacts, and Behavioral Insights

Using Behavioral Insights to Strengthen Strategies for Change. Practical Applications for Quality Improvement in Healthcare.

For over 30 years, quality improvement (QI) methods have been used as a means of increasing the quality and safety of healthcare services, but with mixed success. One explanation highlighted in the literature for this outcome is the overemphasis on technical elements of change, and a failure to fully appreciate the human side of change. Behavioral insights (BI) is an approach that utilizes knowledge and tools from a broad range of scientific disciplines, such as neuroscience and behavioral psychology, to support behavior change. The aim of this paper is to explore the possibility of supplementing QI methods with tools and understanding from BI. We outline a practical case that involved applying aspects BI methods into a QI program aimed at reducing the use of intravenous antibiotics in patients accessing services at a busy university hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark. We exemplify how to use BI tools to guide the analysis of staff behaviors during standard clinical processes and develop targeted interventions aimed at increasing actions and behaviors more aligned to best clinical practice. Outcomes suggest that it is possible to combine the models and methods from BI and QI in a way that is helpful in focusing attention on the human side of change when developing strategies for change. Potential psychological barriers identified from the analysis included the following: 'default inertia,' 'decision complexity,' 'risk aversion,' and biases related to confidence, confirmation, and omission. Future quality improvement projects could benefit from integrating models and tools from BI to guide and support behavior change.

The NUDGE Framework: Application to Address Behavioral Barriers to Antiretroviral Therapy in Adolescents Living With HIV in Eswatini.

Behavioral economics offers a unique opportunity to understand the social, cognitive, and psychological nuances that may influence health behavior. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the application of NUDGE, a novel behavioral economics and design thinking framework, to address barriers to antiretroviral therapy adherence among adolescents living with HIV in eSwatini. NUDGE comprises five steps: (1) Narrow the focus to a specific target behavior, (2) Understand the context of the behavior through inquiry, (3) Discover behavioral insights related to the target behavior, (4) Generate intervention design features to address behavioral barriers to the target behavior, and (5) Evaluate the design features through iterative pilot testing. This article demonstrates the application of the Discover and Generate steps using qualitative data. In showing the utility of the NUDGE framework, we provide a practical tool for creating interventions informed by behavioral insights.

Sleep deprivation and recovery: Endurance racing as a novel model.

The aim of this study was to investigate sleep-wake behavior and gain insights into perceived impairment (sleep, fatigue, and cognitive function) of athletes competing in two international multi-day adventure races. Twenty-four athletes took part across two independent adventure races: Queensland, Australia and Alaska, USA. Individual sleep periods were determined via actigraphy, and racers self-reported their perceived sleep disturbances, sleep impairment, fatigue and cognitive function. Each of these indices was calculated for pre-, during- and post-race periods. Sleep was severely restricted during the race period compared to pre-race (Queensland, 7:46 [0:29] vs. 2:50 [1:01]; Alaska, 7:39 [0:58] vs. 2:45 [2:05]; mean [SD], hh:mm). As a result, there was a large cumulative sleep debt at race completion, which was not 'reversed' in the post-race period (up to 1week). The deterioration in all four self-reported scales of perceived impairment during the race period was largely restored in the post-race period. This is the first study to document objective sleep-wake behaviors and subjective impairment of adventure racers, in the context of two geographically diverse, multi-day, international adventure races. Measures of sleep deprivation indicate that sleep debt was extreme and did not recover to pre-race levels within 1week following each race. Despite this objective debt continuing, perceived impairment returned to pre-race levels quickly post-race. Therefore, further examination of actual and perceived sleep recovery is warranted. Adventure racing presents a unique scenario to examine sleep, performance and recovery.

"Demand for Pharmaceuticals in Italy: Behavioral Insights and Policy Interventions to Address Antimicrobial Resistance and its Economic Costs"

"Demand for Pharmaceuticals in Italy: Behavioral Insights and Policy Interventions to Address Antimicrobial Resistance and its Economic Costs"

Malaysian youth’s propensity towards ambidextrous learning: an in-depth analysis of behavioural insights dimensions

The aim of this experimental study was to compare the results before and after an intervention that included ambidextrous training to accelerate the enrolment of adolescents in technical, vocational, and educational training (TVET). In particular, the effects of an ambidextrous learning-based training programme on increasing the intention to enter TVET were examined. The independent variables constructed in this study include self-efficacy and TVET knowledge, while the dependent variable is TVET intention. The sample consisted of 480 16-year-old students from government schools in four Malaysian regions selected by cluster sampling. The study used a randomised experimental design with a no-treatment control group. The intervention included training developed as part of Behavioural Insights. Methods of analysis included descriptive and bivariate analysis of mean differences and structural equation modelling to describe the predictive model. The results showed significant differences between the actual and the control groups in terms of post-test results across all factors, including TVET intention, TVET knowledge, and self-efficacy. The structural equation modelling test found that TVET knowledge emerged as the strongest predictor of TVET intention, surpassing self-efficacy. As knowledge about TVET is the most important factor influencing a person’s intention to choose TVET, these initiatives should provide clear and comprehensive explanations of the concepts of TVET, the different TVET clusters available, and the potential career opportunities within these sectors.

Behavioral Finance: Investor Psychology and Market Outcomes

Purpose: The general objective of the study was to explore how psychological factors and cognitive biases influence investor decisions and market dynamics. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to investor psychology and market outcomes. Preliminary empirical review revealed that psychological factors such as cognitive biases and investor sentiment significantly impacted financial decision-making and market dynamics, leading to anomalies like market bubbles and volatility. It highlighted the need for integrating behavioral insights into financial models to better predict and understand market behavior, emphasizing the importance of financial literacy in mitigating adverse effects of these biases. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Prospect Theory, Herding Theory and Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) may be used to anchor future studies on behavioural finance. The study recommended further development of behavioral finance models to incorporate psychological factors, and for financial institutions to integrate behavioral insights into their services to guide better investment decisions. It also advised policymakers to design regulations enhancing market transparency and protecting investors from biases, while promoting financial literacy and implementing measures to monitor and mitigate systemic risks from irrational behavior.

NAVIGATING FINANCIAL DECISIONS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THEORIES, BEHAVIOURS, AND INNOVATIONS

This literature review synthesizes seminal and contemporary research on financial decision-making, emphasizing theoretical frameworks and empirical findings. Fama's (1970) Efficient Market Hypothesis sets the foundation for understanding market behavior, while Kahneman and Tversky's (1979) Prospect Theory introduces psychological influences, highlighting biases such as loss aversion (Tversky &amp; Kahneman, 1991). Jensen and Meckling (1976) provide insights into agency theory, exploring the implications of managerial behavior on firm performance. The influence of gender on investment strategies is examined by Barber and Odean (2001), illustrating the role of overconfidence. Additionally, the impact of social interactions on financial choices is explored by Bursztyn et al. (2014). Financial literacy, addressed by Lusardi and Mitchell (2014), underscores the importance of informed decision-making in personal finance. The review also highlights the integration of behavioral insights in corporate finance, particularly in capital structure decisions (Myers, 1984) and risk management practices (Hull, 2012). Overall, the collected works illustrate a rich tapestry of factors influencing financial decisions, blending economic theory with behavioral insights, and emphasizing the necessity for ongoing research in this dynamic field. KEYWORDS: Financial Decision-Making, Behavioral Finance, Prospect Theory, Market Efficiency, Agency Theory, Overconfidence, Financial Literacy, Risk Management, Capital Structure and Social Interactions.