5 Universal Behavioural Truths

Before designing any form of communication intervention, it is helpful to remind ourselves of fundamental principles of human behaviour:

1.    We are creatures of habit - as creatures of habit, we  rely on mental shortcuts/heuristics and automaticity to cope and manage situations and avoid overload

2.    We like to achieve maximum gain for minimum effort - this tendency is generally a default in many contexts.

3.    Many behaviours are coping adaptations - being self-interested and short-term focused for our survival – this is coping, and a lot of what we do or don’t do is about coping with the demands of life

4.    We are social beings - as social beings who continuously react, interact and adapt our Behaviour according to the context/circumstances and feedback from our environment and others

5.    We do not respond well to being told what to do! - Being told what to do can feel like a direct threat our freedoms to the point where we immediately feel motivated to reject the advocacy despite how beneficial or aligned to our values.