Behaviour Change: What role do we want governments to play? An international comparison

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Behaviour Change: What role do we want governments to play? An international comparisonIpsos MORI Social Research Institute

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A very brief introduction to behaviour change

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A move away from classical models…

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Very much flavour of the month in the UK

with so many models available, even experienced researchers find it hard to know which one to choose (GSR, 2008)

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UK government very keen on these ideas…

• intended as a checklist for policymakers of the most important influences on behaviour

the list is a mixture of... • modes of delivery (e.g., messenger)• stimulus attributes (e.g., salience)• characteristics of the recipient (e.g. ego)• policy strategies (e.g., defaults)• mechanisms of action (e.g. priming)• and related psychological constructs (e.g., affect).

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“If a man sees a fly, he aims at it”

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It’s about what we can do to influence behaviour

Any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people’s behaviour in a predictable way

Thaler & Sunstein, Nudge

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A couple of current examples…

‘Required choice’ for organ donationDESIGN FEATURES – DEFAULTS

London borough’s Direct Debit prize drawINCENTIVES

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Combining interventions

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But we know that nudges alone are not enough…

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How do attitudes towards behaviour change policies vary around the globe?

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What people say and how they act is different but…

A measure which does not have public support is, in general, less

likely to succeedHouse of Lords reporton Behaviour Change

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What we did

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We asked people in 24 countries…

Britain

Spain

France

Italy

Germany

Poland

Hungary

Belgium

Argentina

Brazil

IndiaIndonesia

Japan

Mexico

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

South Korea

Sweden

Turkey

Key:1,000 interviews

500 interviews

Australia

Canada

China

Russia

USA

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…about their support for different degrees of government intervention in these areas:

FOOD RETIREMENT

ENVIRONMENT SMOKING

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We looked at four degrees of Government intervention – and also asked about interventions against business

Provide information about changing behaviourINFORMATION

FOR

CE

OF

INTE

RVEN

TIO

N

Provide incentives to change behaviourINCENTIVES

Make behaviour more expensive or difficultRESTRICTIONS

Ban behaviourBAN OUTRIGHT

Make companies act to change behaviourCOMPANIES

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Limitations of the data

• As such, for developing nations the results are not representative of the country as a whole

• Internet penetration by no means uniform

• Results must be seen in this context

• There may be bias in some countries where Internet is not felt to be private

• Ecological data

• Definitions will be different

Global @dvisor is conducted through an internet surveyin 24 countries

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Our findings

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What, if anything, do you think government should do? (Average over all four policy areas)

…perhaps surprisingly, there is majority support for intervention across the board…

Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, November 2010 Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor

92%

87%

69%

62%

0%

88%

% Strongly support/tend to support

Provide information

Provide incentives

Make companies act against behaviour

Make behaviour more expensive/ difficult

Ban behaviour

FOR

CE

OF

INTE

RVEN

TIO

N

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But people support different degrees of intervention in different policy areas…

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Next, thinking about how people plan for retirement. What, if anything, do you think government should do?

People want financial incentives to save for their pension, and 7 in 10 support being forced to save


92%

90%

79%

69%

87%


Provide information

Provide incentives

Make employers contribute to pension schemes

Make pension scheme enrolment automatic

Make pension scheme enrolment mandatory

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Now thinking about smoking: What, if anything, do you think government should do?

Smoking: still low support for an outright ban, but banning in public places is largely accepted


92%

82%

80%

52%

84%


Provide information

Incentivise people to stop smoking

Make tobacco companies invest against smoking

Ban smoking in public places

Ban smoking altogether

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Firstly, thinking about what people choose to eat. What, if anything, do you think government should do?

There are exceptions to the hierarchy of public support


90%

82%

53%

60%

88%

% Strongly support/tend to supportProvide information about

healthy eating

Provide incentives, such as health food vouchers

Make companies promote healthy choices

Make unhealthy foods more expensive

Ban unhealthy foods

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Now thinking about using the planet's resources in a sustainable way (i.e. in a way that protects the quality of life of future generations). What, if anything, do you think government should do?

Similar story around environmental interventions


92%

92%

63%

68%

91%


Provide information

Make sustainable options less expensive

Make companies be more sustainable

Make unsustainable products more expensive

Ban unsustainable products

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But we also gave people the opportunity to say whether the government should not get involved in their behaviour…

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Half still have a negative gut reaction to the“nanny state”


53%

53%

46%

46%

50%

% Strongly support/tend to supportNot get involved in what people

choose to eat

Not get involved in what people choose to save for retirement

Not get involved (average)

Not get involved in whether or not people choose to live sustainably

Not get involved in how people make decisions about smoking

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Inconsistent views or a question of framing?

69% agreed that “government

should change the law so that

everyone has to enrol in a pension

scheme”

53% agreed that “government

should not get involved in what people choose to

save for retirement”

36%

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Support for the five degrees of intervention varies in different ways between countries

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Government should provide information… (Average over all four policy areas)

Support for information is uniformly high(range = 16pp)


IndonesiaSouth Africa

ChinaTurkey

Saudi ArabiaIndia

South KoreaMexico

AustraliaBrazil

RussiaHungary

ArgentinaCanadaBelgium

ItalyGreat Britain

PolandSpain

GermanyFranceJapan

SwedenUSA

98%98%97%97%

95%94%94%93%

93%93%92%92%92%91%91%91%90%

90%90%

88%85%85%

84%82%

Tend to support/strongly support

INFO

RM

ATIO

N

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Government should provide incentives… (Average over all four policy areas)

Incentive schemes reveal slightly wider differences (range = 22pp)


ChinaRussia

Saudi ArabiaSouth Africa

MexicoTurkey

IndiaIndonesia

PolandBrazil

HungaryArgentinaAustralia

ItalySouth Korea

CanadaSpain

BelgiumGreat Britain

GermanyFranceJapan

United StatesSweden

95%94%93%

92%92%

91%91%

90%90%

89%88%88%88%

87%87%86%

84%83%

82%80%80%

78%74%

73%


INC

ENTI

VES

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Government should make it more expensive/more difficult… (Average over all four policy areas)

Partially-restrictive legislation is much more divisive (range = 42pp)


ChinaIndia

IndonesiaS Arabia

TurkeyRussia

South KoreaBrazil

MexicoPoland

ArgentinaItaly

South AfricaHungary

JapanCanadaBelgium

SpainAustralia

Great BritainSweden

FranceGermany

USA

88%87%

86%82%

79%78%

72%71%

70%70%70%

68%68%

67%67%

64%63%62%

62%61%

60%59%

55%46%


RES

TRIC

TIO

NS

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Government should ban… (Average over all four policy areas)

Support for outright prohibition shows the full extent of political diversity (range = 54pp)


Saudi ArabiaIndia

IndonesiaChina

RussiaTurkeyMexico

ItalySouth Korea

PolandArgentina

BrazilJapan

South AfricaHungaryCanada

SpainAustralia

FranceBelgium

GermanyGreat Britain

SwedenUSA

87%87%

86%84%

75%72%

69%68%

66%64%63%

63%62%

60%56%

53%53%

52%52%

51%49%49%

43%33%


BA

N O

UTR

IGH

T

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Government should make companies… (Average over all four policy areas)

Broad support for government intervention in business but price trade off not explored


IndonesiaChina

TurkeySaudi Arabia

IndiaRussiaMexico

South AfricaHungary

BrazilFrance

ItalyArgentina

South KoreaBelgiumAustraliaCanadaPoland

Great BritainGermany

SpainJapan

SwedenUSA

97%97%97%

94%94%

93%92%

92%91%

90%90%90%89%

86%85%85%85%85%

84%83%82%

81%80%

66%


CO

MPA

NIE

S

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Specific questions really emphasise the difference between countries

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Government should introduce laws to ban unhealthy foods

Cultural divide? The right to eat what I want(range = 68pp)


ChinaSouth KoreaSaudi Arabia

IndiaIndonesia

TurkeyRussiaMexicoJapan

ArgentinaItaly

SpainPoland

HungaryBrazil

GermanySouth Africa

CanadaBelgium

FranceSwedenAustralia

Great BritainUSA

89%89%

88%87%87%87%

86%71%

70%68%

65%64%

63%55%

53%43%

42%41%

39%35%35%

33%33%

21%


OU

TRIG

HT

BA

N

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Now let’s investigate the patterns between countries…

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Countries do not differentiate in a nuanced way between shoves: if you like one type of legislation then you’ll like another

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Strong correlation between support for banning and restricting


45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90%30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

ARGENTINAAUSTRALIA

BELGIUM

BRAZILCANADA

CHINA

FRANCE

GERMANY

UK

HUNGARY

INDIA

INDONESIA

ITALY

JAPAN

MEXICO

POLAND RUSSIA

SAUDI ARABIA

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH KOREA

SPAIN

SWEDEN

TURKEY

UNITED STATES

RESTRICTIONS

BA

N O

UTR

IGH

T

R² = 0.9357

LIBERALISM

PATERNALISM

Strongly support/tend to support policy

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But by comparing other interventions we can observe more subtle characteristics…

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Subtle differences between nations emerge: authoritarians and incentivisers


55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100%20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

ARGENTINA

AUSTRALIABELGIUM

BRAZIL

CANADA

CHINA

FRANCEGERMANY

UK

HUNGARY

INDIAINDONESIA

ITALY

JAPANMEXICO

POLAND

RUSSIA

SAUDI ARABIA

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH KOREA

SPAIN

SWEDEN

TURKEY

UNITED STATES

INCENTIVES

BA

N O

UTR

IGH

T

R2 = 0.50

Tend to support/strongly support for food and smoking (average)

BANNING OVER INCENTIVES

INCENTIVES OVER BANNING

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And comparing support for strong legislation against business and strong legislation against society as a whole…

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France & Turkey relatively hard on business, Far East Asian democracies relatively liberal


20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

ARGENTINA

AUSTRALIABELGIUM

BRAZIL

CANADA

CHINA

FRANCE

GERMANY

UK

HUNGARY

INDIA

INDONESIA

ITALY

JAPAN

MEXICO

POLAND

RUSSIA

SAUDI ARABIA

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH KOREASPAIN

SWEDEN

TURKEY

UNITED STATES

BAN OUTRIGHT

CO

MPA

NIE

S

R2 = 0.60

Tend to support/strongly support strong intervention in food and smoking (average)

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But along with cultural differences, could prevalence of behaviour contribute to this variation?

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Prevalence of obesity does not appear a factor in the case of food

Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, November 2010 Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor; International Obesity Taskforce

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 3620%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

ARGENTINA

AUSTRALIA

BELGIUM

BRAZIL

CANADA

CHINA

FRANCE

GERMANY

UK

HUNGARY

INDIA

INDONESIA

ITALY

JAPAN

MEXICO

POLAND

RUSSIASAUDI ARABIA

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH KOREA

SPAIN

SWEDEN

TURKEY

UNITED STATES

% ADULTS WITH BMI ≥ 30

STR

ON

GLY

SU

PPO

RT/

TEN

D T

O S

UPP

OR

T

R2 = 0.60

OUTRIGHT BAN

Government should introduce laws to ban unhealthy foods

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Government should introduce laws to ban…?

Prevalence of smoking appears to strengthen opinion – the power of nicotine

Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, November 2010 Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor; WHO World Health Statistics 2010

10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

ARGENTINAAUSTRALIA

BELGIUM

BRAZIL

CANADA

CHINA

FRANCE

GERMANY

UK

HUNGARY

INDIA

INDONESIAITALY

JAPAN

MEXICO

POLANDRUSSIA

SAUDI ARABIA

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH KOREA

SPAIN

SWEDEN

TURKEY

UNITED STATES

Smoking Food

% ADULT POPULATION SMOKING

OUTRIGHT BAN

STR

ON

GLY

SU

PPO

RT/

TEN

D T

O S

UPP

OR

T

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Is wealth a factor?

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The government should make companies... (Average over all four policy areas)

The wealthier the country the more likely they are to want to leave companies alone

Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, November 2010 Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor; International Monetary Fund 2010

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,00065%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100%

ARGENTINAAUSTRALIABELGIUM

BRAZIL CANADA

CHINA

FRANCE

GERMANYUK

HUNGARYINDIA

INDONESIA

ITALY

JAPAN

MEXICO

POLAND

RUSSIA

SAUDI ARABIASOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH KOREA

SPAIN

SWEDEN

TURKEY

UNITED STATES

GDP PER CAPITA (PPP) (CURRENT INT'L $)

COMPANIES

STR

ON

GLY

SU

PPO

RT/

TEN

D T

O S

UPP

OR

T R2 = 0.66

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The government should make the behaviour more difficult/more expensive. (Average over all four policy areas)

The wealthier the nation the less likely they are to favour government intervention

Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, November 2010 Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor; International Monetary Fund 2010

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,00040%

45%

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

ARGENTINA

AUSTRALIA

BELGIUM

BRAZIL

CANADA

CHINA

FRANCE

GERMANY

UK

HUNGARY

INDIA

INDONESIA

ITALYJAPAN

MEXICO

POLAND

RUSSIA SAUDI ARABIA

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH KOREA

SPAIN

SWEDEN

TURKEY

UNITED STATES

GDP PER CAPITA (PPP) (CURRENT INT'L $)

RESTRICTIONS

STR

ON

GLY

SU

PPO

RT/

TEN

D T

O S

UPP

OR

T R2 = 0.70

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A wealth paradox

High earners are more supportive of legislation than low earners

% Support by Household Income

Low Medium High

Food 50 53 56

Retirement 79 80 78

Environment 61 63 67

Smoking 76 80 83

Overall 66 69 71

RESTRICTIONS

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Might other factors explain these patterns?

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What, if anything, do you think government should do? Strongly support/tend to support.How confident do you feel in the way the Government of ... tackles the main problems facing the country?

Apart from those with extreme confidence in government, there is little correlation

Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, September 2010 (confidence), November 2010 (intervention) Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

ARGENTINA

AUSTRALIABELGIUM

BRAZIL

CANADACHINA

FRANCE GERMANY

UK

HUNGARYINDIA

INDONESIA

ITALYJAPAN

MEXICO

POLAND

RUSSIA

SAUDI ARABIA

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH KOREA

SPAIN

SWEDEN

TURKEY

CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT

BA

N O

UTR

IGH

T

R² = 0.2544

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Countries with a higher inequality of power more supportive of prohibitive legislation

Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, November 2010. Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor; Hofstede Cultural Dimensions

30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10030%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%INDIA

INDONESIACHINA

RUSSIA

TURKEY

MEXICOITALY

SOUTH KOREA

POLANDARGENTINA BRAZIL

JAPANSOUTH AFRICAHUNGARY

CANADA SPAINAUSTRALIA FRANCE

BELGIUMUK

GERMANY

SWEDENUNITED STATES

POWER DISTANCE INDEX

STR

ON

GLY

SU

PPO

RT/

TEN

D T

O S

UPP

OR

T

R2 = 0.5832

OUTRIGHT BAN

The government should ban the behaviour. (Average across all policy areas)Nb. PDIs for China, Hungary, Poland and Russia are estimate values; there is currently no individual PDI for Saudi Arabia.

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So what does this tell us?

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What have we learnt?

• What was striking was the extent to which people supported government intervention

• Public acceptability tends to fall as more freedoms are lost with some exceptions

• Clear and striking country differences

• It is issue dependent to a point

• Still a reaction to “nanny state”

• Influence of wealth is not straightforward

• Governmental system (power distance) may explain it

• We haven’t analysed fully is the extent to which these policies already exist in countries

• Definitions of government?

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Can measuring acceptability help determine where we are in a cycle?

TIME

PUB

LIC

SU

PPO

RT

Goodwin P. (2006) Cycle of Public Acceptability

Build-up of supportas benefits appear

Fall-off as detail emerges

Sufficient support to go ahead

Increasing support for general idea

New idea, no justification

Panic just before implementation

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What does level of support tell us?

• There have been interventions that have been successful without public support and vice versa

• Acceptability is just one factor that needs to be considered• Consider public space smoking ban in China which is widely ignored

• A better concept might be how “prepared” the public are which includes acceptability but also:

• Recognition of an issue

• Understanding benefits/scale of the problem

• Belief in the effectiveness of the measure proposed

• Level of opposition

• Measuring acceptability should be seen as part of a cycle of change

• All of the above and more need to be considered to increase the effectiveness of an intervention without forgetting role of political leadership!

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Thank [email protected]

Documents

Behaviour Change: What role do we want governments to play? An international comparison