Behavior Change for Good Initiative

BCFG’s annual report is available now! Check out our latest efforts in advancing positive behavior change at scale: whr.tn/45chIIb

Learn more about Paschal Sheeran, a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience @UNC_Chapel_Hill and Team Scientist whose research explores how people translate intentions into action and what helps them achieve health behavior change. Visit his website: unc.live/4vfTbx7

A megastudy by Team Scientist @jgvoelkel and collaborators tested 12 brief digital mental health programs in 7,505 adults with depression. Nearly all improved how people felt immediately, and 2 significantly reduced depression a month later. go.nature.com/4bV10AJ

New research by Team Scientist @ayeletfishbach and collaborators finds that giving to fewer people, rather than more, signals stronger social connection to each recipient, and makes gifts more valued and more likely to be reciprocated. doi.org/10.1016/j.obhd…

Research in @ScienceMagazine by Team Scientist @DG_Rand and collaborators found that Large Language Models are more persuasive when they pack their replies with facts. However, LLMs optimized for persuasion were less accurate — generating more claims, but fewer reliable ones. bit.ly/48hgFrL

In a @Nature study, Team Scientists @szaszibarnabas, Gideon Nave, Michael Inzlicht and collaborators attempted replications of 274 findings from social and behavioral science journals. 55.1% were successfully replicated. doi.org/10.1038/s41586…

A megastudy in @NatureClimate by Team Scientists @jgvoelkel, @RobbWiller, and collaborators tested 10 different persuasive passages about climate change among 13,544 Americans. Emphasizing scientific consensus most strongly increased belief in climate change. bit.ly/4cbzwWw

Tomorrow and Friday, @theNASEM is hosting a virtual Workshop on Enhancing Scientific Integrity in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Don’t miss conversations including @NIH Director @DrJBhattacharya in conversation with Team Scientist @ProfEmilyOster. bit.ly/3OAVVVk

Learn more about @deborahasmall, Professor of Marketing @YaleSOM and Team Scientist whose research explores how individuals make decisions that affect their own and others' welfare. Learn more about her work: som.yale.edu/faculty-resear…

Could your environment be the key to success? Learn about Co-Director @angeladuckw's newly announced book Situated–and what it shows about how shaping your environment can help bring out your best–in our April newsletter: bit.ly/4trUdF5

Next Thursday and Friday, @theNASEM is hosting a virtual Workshop on Enhancing Scientific Integrity in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. It was co-organized by our co-director @katy_milkman. Free and open to the public. Register: bit.ly/3OAVVVk

We’re thrilled that our co-director @katy_milkman helped organize the event and hope to see you there for a conversation about ensuring behavioral science is trustworthy.

📅 April 23-24: @theNASEM is hosting a virtual 2-day Workshop on Enhancing Scientific Integrity in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Free & open to the public. Register: nationalacademies.org/projects/DBASS…

Team Scientist podcast roundup: @CassSunstein & @LaurieSantos on the Happiness Lab bit.ly/4sLhzVN @katy_milkman’s new season of @Choiceology bit.ly/4do0I6I @proflesliejohn on @HiddenBrain bit.ly/4sJwrno @StevenDLevitt on @Freakonomics bit.ly/47EUVpC

Team Scientist @CassSunstein's chapter in the 2026 World Happiness Report on social media discusses the puzzling fact that many would pay to eliminate the use of social media platforms—but won't leave as long as their community keeps using them. worldhappiness.report/ed/2026/social…

A new paper by Team Scientists @DG_Rand, @tomstello_ and collaborators argues that an underexplored possibility for AI is to generate personalized stimuli for each participant in real time. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09…

New research by Team Scientist @LyleUngar and collaborators asks: can a highly supportive AI chatbot reduce loneliness better than a human stranger? Over 2 weeks, chatting with a human peer reduced loneliness, while chatting with the AI did not. bit.ly/40ZtJOz

New research by Team Scientist @sandracmatz finds that female governors who emphasized action over caution in COVID health messaging were more effective at increasing social distancing compliance, but received lower approval ratings. Read to learn why: bit.ly/4dFxSP5

A small daily habit can go a long way, and the first day of spring is a great day to start. As @katy_milkman's work shows, if you're going to start something, start it on a day that feels like a beginning. Today is the day to start building your wellness IQ with our (free!) program: healthdailyquiz.org.