Inside the Nudge Unit ─ How Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference

Every day we make countless decisions, from the small, mundane things to tackling life’s big questions, but we don’t always make the right choices. Behavioral scientist Dr. David Halpern heads up the UK government's "Nudge Unit," the world’s first government institution that uses behavioral economics to examine and influence human behavior, to "nudge" us into making better decisions. Seemingly small and subtle solutions have led to huge improvements across tax, healthcare, pensions, employment, crime reduction, energy conservation, and economic growth. Adding a crucial line to a tax reminder brought forward millions in extra revenue; refocusing the questions asked at the job center helped an extra 10% of people come off their benefits and back into work; prompting people to become organ donors while paying for their car tax added an extra 100,000 donors to the register in a single year. After two years and dozens of experiments in behavioral science, the results are undeniable. And now David Halpern and the Nudge Unit will help you to make better choices and improve your life. The work of the Nudge Unit has attracted widespread media and public interest. Large pieces on the BIT have run in the New York Times and Economist; as well as been subject to a number of case studies and reviews, including by the Harvard Business School and Goldman Sachs.

David Halpern is currently Chief Executive of the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) and the UK's National Adviser on What Works. Prior to this, David was Chief Analyst in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit (2001–2007), and has held academic positions at the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard.