ARU's Behavioural Insights Lab (BIL) conducts interdisciplinary lab-based experimental research in behavioural economics. It aims to further our understanding of how people make decisions, and improve decision-making for individuals, organisations, and society by generating behavioural research findings and applying behavioural insights to real-life issues.
Behavioural economics combines economics with insights from psychology and other social sciences to understand how people make decisions.
From decades of experimental and field evidence, we know that people rarely make choices based on objectively logical thinking, but rather tend to use rules of thumb, or even gut feelings, guided by their perception, cognition, emotions, and context, as well as social, environmental, and other factors.
Insights into such behavioural effects can improve decision-making in various settings, including what and how much we buy as consumers; how to increase sales as entrepreneurs; how to motivate employees as managers; and how policymakers can encourage people to make better choices for the betterment of society, the environment, and more.
BIL brings together academics, students, external partners such as businesses, third and public sector organisations, policymakers, and the local community to engage in and co-produce research.
In doing so, BIL aims to bridge academic research and real-life practice by examining real-world challenges faced by our partners through research-backed behavioural insights and bespoke lab-based experiments.
We're keen on collaborating with external partners. If you are a local business, charity, or public sector organisation, you're invited to get in touch with us to discuss project ideas.
We're also always looking for individuals who would like to participate in our studies. As a participant, typically, you will be asked to make decisions in different scenarios and complete questionnaires. No special skills or prior knowledge are required, and you may receive a reward.
If you're interested in finding out more about our research, becoming a partner or a collaborator, or participating in our studies, email us at [email protected]