Elina Halonen on how context influences behaviour

How do differences in context, impact behaviour? That’s what my guest on this episode, Behavioural Scientist Elina Halonen, has been exploring as part of her work on behavioural change projects. As she explains, much of the study of behavioural science has been driven by research and the experience of people in so-called WEIRD - that’s Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic - countries. Yet, a large percentage of the world’s population doesn’t live in that type of environment. The culture we live in, the language we speak, and other contextual elements, can all impact how we make decisions. That matters if we're trying to understand and influence others. What might it, for example, mean for companies who try to impose global standards or cultures?

Elina is also a keen dog lover and discovered, as she was training her dogs, that it had a lot in common with the ways we try to influence human decision-making. We also explore that, and what it has in common with cross-cultural psychology.

On the show, Elina mentions:

The Behaviour Change Society - https://behaviorchangesociety.com/home

Mind In Context, her resource on cross-cultural psychological research - https://www.mindincontext.com/

Her company Square Peg Insight - https://www.squarepeginsight.com/

Keith Payne’s book The Broken Ladder: How Inequality Affects The Way We Think, Live & Die - https://www.weidenfeldandnicolson.co.uk/titles/keith-payne/the-broken-ladder/9781474601139/?v2=true

Joseph Henrich’s book The Weirdest People In The World - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/193/193790/the-weirdest-people-in-the-world/9781846147968.html