In many countries, the approach to tackling violent crime has been dominated by two ideas for generations. On the one hand, use bigger sticks, like longer prison sentences; on the other, use bigger carrots, like more economic opportunities, to make crime a less attractive choice.

Both of these pillars of policy - enforcement and opportunity - rest on a fundamental assumption - that people are making rational decisions before they act. What if, for the vast majority of violent incidents, that assumption is wrong?

What if the story of violence is less about good vs. evil, or poverty vs. wealth, and more about the way the human mind reacts to pressure?

In this episode of the BIT Podcast, recorded at the Safer Streets Conference in London, Michael Hallsworth, BIT's Chief Behavioural Scientist explores a different way of thinking about violence - one rooted in behavioural science.

We hear from:

🎙️ Jens Ludwig, University of Chicago Professor and co-author of the book Unforgiving Places - on the stubborn problem of violence and challenging the status quo

🎙️ Dr Chico Tillmon, Executive Director of the Community Violence Intervention Academy at the University of Chicago - on programmes designed to reduce serious violence

🎙️ Oeindrila Dube, Professor of Global Conflict Studies at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy - on working with the Chicago Police Department to train officers in de-escalation skills

🎙️Jennifer Doleac, Executive Vice President at Arnold Ventures - on which interventions will have the greatest impact

The BIT podcast

Discover the fascinating and surprising world of behavioural insights by listening to the BIT podcast, brought to you by the Behavioural Insights Team. Find out how understanding the ways people really think and behave through behavioural science can help deliver a fairer society for us all.

Links

To learn more about BIT's work visit our website: www.bi.team

Social norms can change rapidly — sometimes sparked by viral moments, other times by subtle cultural shifts. Can behavioural science not only explain these changes — but help shape them?

Recorded at the Behavioural Exchange conference #BX2025 in Abu Dhabi, Michael Hallsworth, BIT's Chief Behavioural Scientist, dives deep into the science behind these shifts - asking the question 'What can behavioural science tell us about changing social norms?'

We hear from:

🎙️ Nikos Nikiforakis, Professor of Economics at NYU Abu Dhabi and Director of the Center for Behavioral Institutional Design - on what triggers norm shifts, what holds them back, and why "social pioneers" matter.

🎙️ Elke Weber, Eindlinger Professor for Energy and Environment at Princeton University - how individual choices ripple into collective change

🎙️ Rasha Attar, Director of the UAE's Behavioural Science Group - on how leadership and policy can act as catalysts for societal shifts

🎙️ Barbara Fasolo, Director of the Behavioral Lab of Research and Teaching at the London School of Economics - takes us inside organisations to explore how internal norms evolve and how to overcome the biases that slow them down.

What drives change, and how can we harness it? Tune in for a fascinating look at the evolving rules of society, and the science that might just shape its future.

The BIT podcast

Discover the fascinating and surprising world of behavioural insights by listening to the BIT podcast. Find out how understanding the ways people really think and behave through behavioural science can help deliver a fairer society for us all.

Links

To learn more about BIT's work visit our website: www.bi.team

Global inequalities are widening and the Covid-19 pandemic, polarisation, geopolitical conflicts and technological disruptions have exposed institutional fragilities worldwide. Understanding what drives successful governance and innovation is critical to addressing these challenges.

Join Mónica Wills Silva, BIT's Director of International Programmes, as she sits down with Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor James Robinson, to hear his insights on how inclusive political institutions and innovation drive sustainable economic growth.

Professor Robinson's expertise provided a rare opportunity to connect theoretical insights with practical policymaking, and offered actionable strategies for tackling global challenges, including inequality, climate change, and digital transformation.

The BIT podcast

Discover the fascinating and surprising world of behavioural insights by listening to the BIT podcast, brought to you by the Behavioural Insights Team. Find out how understanding the ways people really think and behave through behavioural science can help deliver a fairer society for us all.

Links

To learn more about BIT's work visit our website: www.bi.team