Behavioural science can be used by governments to guide decision-making, build good habits and tackle societal ills, some of the world's leading experts have said at an event in Abu Dhabi.
At the inaugural Behavioural Exchange conference at NYU Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Empowerment, called for strategies that strengthen people’s ability to adapt and lead.
“It’s about building people who can function and thrive and lead when none of these paths exist,” she said in her opening speech.
Speaking to The National, Cass Sunstein, Robert Walmsley Professor at Harvard Law School and co-author of the influential book Nudge, said governments and institutions can dramatically improve people’s health and well-being through simple design choices that guide but never force better decisions.
Nudge theory
The concept behind nudge theory is to preserve freedom of choice while gently steering people towards beneficial outcomes.
Examples include everything from placing fruit at eye level in supermarkets to challenging consumers about tobacco use and food waste. Messages in hotels that encourage people to reuse towels to help the environment are often cited as one of the most effective.
“The idea is that it’s possible to improve outcomes for people by nudging them without mandating anything,” he said. “If you get information about allergens in food, you’re being nudged to avoid those foods. If an airport offers clear directions to the gate or a prayer room, that’s a nudge. If your printer defaults to double-sided, you’re being nudged to use less paper.”
Nudges, he explained, are built into everyday environments. They do not take away a person's autonomy and freedom of choice. Shops, for example, can encourage healthier diets simply by putting nutritious items at eye-level.
“All over the world, nations are using behavioural science to try to improve outcomes,” he said. “In the UAE, there’s extraordinary work being done to help people live longer, eat better, and stay safe.”
Behavioural science in action
Rasha Attar, director of the Behavioural Science Group, pointed to successes that demonstrated measurable change in the UAE.
“Some of our early wins that showed tangible and competent changes were in our collaboration with Nema, the national food loss initiative,” she said. “We were able to decrease food loss across multiple different touch points and to show different stakeholders and new partners that, with simple low-cost nudges, we are able to change behaviours sustainably.”
Ms Attar said the team is targeting a range of habits. “Whether it’s encouraging people to become more physically active, to be more aware of what kind of food they eat, to be healthier, these are all behaviours we love to see.”
On whether simple nudges could shape long-term behaviour, she said: “Absolutely, with the right choice, the right environment, but also the correct nudges that have been tailored to suit our particular audience? Absolutely.”
She described a study implemented during Ramadan in the Emirates that focused on cutting food waste as people broke their fast, noting that it was cut by 15 per cent per diner after “simple posters or cards with important messages about waste” were strategically located to raise awareness and trigger different behaviours.
Setting new trends
Professor David Halpern, president emeritus of the Behavioural Insights Team, said Abu Dhabi is becoming a global hub for this sort of research.
“The whole thing is bringing together leading thinkers, who try to understand human behaviour, with policymakers,” he said.
Prof Halpern, often regarded as one of the pioneers of the nudge movement, said that understanding and influencing human behaviour is essential to solving today’s most pressing public policy challenges, from obesity to savings habits to climate action.
But nudges are only the beginning, with Prof Halpern emphasising that long-term change depends on creating new habits.
“A lot of our behaviour is driven from an almost automatic level of habit. So one of the challenges is for us to become more aware of our habits and what drives them, and that can be empowering for families or communities or countries,” he said. “Ideally, what we’re often trying to do is turn it into a new habit which sometimes even becomes part of our identity.”
The conference is hosted by the Behavioural Insights Team and the Behavioural Science Group, in partnership with the Centre for Behavioural Institutional Design at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Areas of discussion focus on applied behavioural sciences and how these insights can be used to aid international development, global education and change societal norms. It concludes on Thursday.
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HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Third Test
Day 3, stumps
India 443-7 (d) & 54-5 (27 ov)
Australia 151
India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
The five pillars of Islam
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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