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BeSci

Here you can find useful resources to learn more about behavioral sciences.

Britannica defines

Behavioral Science as any of various disciplines dealing with the subject of human actions, usually including the fields of sociology, social and cultural anthropology, psychology, and behavioral aspects of biology, economics, geography, law, psychiatry, and political science.

Basics

Cognitive Biases

Systematic errors in thinking that affect decisions and judgments.
Examples:
- Confirmation bias: The tendency to favor information that confirms pre-existing beliefs.
- Availability bias: Decisions influenced by immediate examples or recent events, rather than all available information.

Social Norms

Unwritten rules that govern acceptable behavior within a group or society.
Importance: People are influenced by the behaviors and expectations of others, often conforming to fit in.
Example: Following dress codes or being polite in social situations because it’s expected.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that simplify decision-making.
Examples:
- Representativeness heuristic: Making judgments based on how similar something is to a prototype.
- Anchoring: Relying heavily on the first piece of information encountered when making decisions.

Change Models

Theories that explain how and why people change their behaviors.
Examples:
- The Transtheoretical Model: Describes stages of behavior change, from pre-contemplation to maintenance.
- Social Learning Theory: Suggests that people learn behaviors through observation and imitation of others.

Behavioral Econ

Blends psychology with economics to explain why people often make irrational decisions.

Unlike traditional economics, which assumes people are always rational, this field recognizes that biases, emotions, and social influences shape our choices.