Alex Chesterfield on Behavioural Regulation & Depolarization

On this episode, I'm tackling two seemingly unrelated topics: how regulators use Behavioural Science & Depolarization. What combines the two is my guest Alex Chesterfield. She's a Behavioural Scientist that has worked inside a regulator, looking at the effectiveness of regulation on consumer behaviour and is the co-founder of something called The Depolarization Project.

In the first half of our discussion, Alex talks to me about her time at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), one of the UK's financial services regulators. While she was there, she deployed Behavioural Science in the service of regulation, asking the simple question as to whether rules that were designed to deliver a particular outcome — most obviously, in protecting consumers — was actually having the desired impact. We discuss the challenges faced in doing this and what lessons Alex learned from her time there.

In the second part of the discussion, we explore The Depolarization Project, which explores the idea of disagreement and promotes thought about the things that divide us. Alex explains how the project came about and talks about the book and podcast that has come from their work.

To find out more about Behavioural Science at the FCA, visit https://www.fca.org.uk/insight/future-behavioural-science-ambition-dose-humility

To learn more about The Depolarization Project and the associated podcast Changed My Mind, visit: https://www.depolarizationproject.com/