Core Insights: Behavioural Science

In the final episode of our first Behavioural Science series, Core Insights host Trevor Barnes talks to Ivo Vlaev, Professor of Behavioural Science, about his work in the health sector. Professor Vlaev has put together a series of randomised controlled trials testing various nudges on patients. The nudges have helped people adopt healthier diets, cut down on drinking alcohol, lowered the number of patients missing hospital appointments and much more. Professor Vlaev explains how the nudges work and how they could save the NHS valuable time and resources, often by simply changing the wording of a letter or text. Read more about it here.
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Core Insights host Trevor Barnes talks to Graham Loomes, Professor of Behavioural Science, about his research on the trade-offs involved in implementing costly health polices like those used during the pandemic. How does a Government decide how far to go with restrictions that will have a severe impact on the economy but stop many people from being infected and dying from COVID-19? Professor Loomes details the trade-offs involved and how such calculations are formulated. Read more on it here.

Chanuki Seresinhe has been training AI to recognise beautiful scenery and now believes it can be used to help design towns and cities that can improve our mental wellbeing. Dr Seresinhe tells Core Insights host Trevor Barnes how she has used AI to quantify beauty and make the link between beautiful scenery and our mental wellbeing. And she found beautiful scenery does not always mean greenery, but found evidence for bridges and buildings boosting our happiness, which through her research AI can now recognise. Read more on it here and here.

Core Insights host Trevor Barnes talks to Nick Lee, Professor of Marketing, whose research using neuroscience and chaos theory has found a way of predicting our decisions before we have even made them. Professor Lee reveals how brain scans can determine the state of our mind and so work out what we will decide. He reveals the implications and future possibilities in the field of neuroscience.

Nick Powdthavee reveals the results of his nationwide research into the effect of Brexit on the population's mental wellbeing. The vote split the nation and for those who voted remain Professor Powdthavee has found evidence that the distress and anguish was still affecting them a year later. Core Insights host Trevor Barnes goes through the research with Professor Powdthavee to reveal even more on the type of people who voted leave and those who went for remain. Read more on it here.