Cristina Bicchieri, Director of the Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics at Penn was recently featured in this Knowable Magazine article, The secrets of cooperation .

In this article, Bob Holmes investigates the science of cooperation by citing some of the most prominent behavioral scientists in the field. Among them is our very own Cristina Bicchieri, who touches on the differences of telling someone what to do versus directing them via telling them what other people are doing. Learn more by reading the full article!                                                                                                                                        Online Article / March 29, 2023

In some regions of India, toilet usage is lower than expected, leading to open defecation. Professor Cristina Bicchieri and her research team at the University of Pennsylvania have established the Longitudinal Evaluation of Norms and Networks Study (LENNS), with the aim of improving sanitation and toilet usage across India and informing intervention strategies globally. The work of the LENNS team was recently covered in Research Features, a UK-based magazine. The outcome of LENNS research on social norms and networks is an evidence-based behavioural change intervention to promote toilet usage. Initial feedback has been positive, but further research and testing will be required to assess its longitudinal impact.

                                                                                            Online Article / October 26, 2021

Eugen Dimant, a Center member and an Associate Professor of Practice in Behavioral & Decision Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, co-authored this article in Psychology Today, Why People Share Conspiracy Theories Even When They Know They Are Untrue. The story discusses findings from Dimant’s recent research identifying social motives as an important driver of the decision to share conspiracy theories. Dimant and his co-authors have found that individuals may be choosing to share posts that they know to be untrue in anticipation of greater attention and engagement from viewers. Dimant writes, “As a result, policymakers may be able to curb the spread of misinformation by simply shifting incentives for social engagement by shutting down bots that “like” and retweet misinformation and encouraging official institutions to support true news.”

                                                                                            Online Article / September 24, 2021

Cristina Bicchieri, Director of the Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics at Penn was recently featured in this Time Magazine article, Why Everyone Is So Rude Right Now.

This article by Belinda Luscombe shares perspectives from psychologists and highlights how the long separation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has made social interactions more fraught. “Nobody expected what happened. We didn’t have time to prepare psychologically,” says Bicchieri. Just as it seemed like the danger had passed, other limitations arrived; staff shortages, product shortages, longer delivery times. “People think, ‘O.K, now we can go shopping and go out,’ and they find that life is not back to normal,” Bicchieri adds. “There is an enormous amount of frustration.”

                                                                                        Online Article / October 15, 2021

In this recent Science magazine interview, Eugen Dimant, Associate Professor of Practice and a Center member, weighs in on the recent concerns of academic fraud committed by renowned Duke researcher and professor, Dan Ariely. Dan Ariely, James B. Duke professor of psychology and behavioral economics, has had at least two of his works come under scrutiny in recent weeks due to ambiguous or potentially fraudulent data. His research on honesty, cheating, and irrationality is “extremely clever and extremely intuitive,” says behavioral scientist Eugen Dimant of the University of Pennsylvania—and it has had a huge impact on both the field and government policies.

                                                                                             Online Interview / August 24, 2021

NYU Abu Dhabi, on June 17, 2021, announced to the local community the establishment of their Center for Behavioral Institutional Design. The aim of the inaugural event was to provide information about the Center’s purpose and capabilities, as well as to continue a discussion about how the new center can best serve the local community. Cristina Bicchieri, our Center Director, was interviewed for this inaugural event, and focused on the importance of using insights from behavioral social science to inform public policy as well as, shared insights on what C-BID can do for the UAE community. We are happy to share a zoom recording of this web event. Please watch the full event here.

                                                                                           Online Lecture / June 17, 2021

In this seventh talk of the PERITIA Trust Lecture Series, “[Un]Truths: Trust in an Age of Disinformation”, Philosopher Cristina Bicchieri discusses how the intentionality of investors or trustees’ actions affects third party compensation and punishment interventions after a trust game.

                                                                                                 Online Lecture / June 15, 2021

Cristina Bicchieri, Penn Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics, joins Wharton Business Daily host Dan Loney to discuss the new norms of mask wearing on this episode of SiriusXM radio show.

                                                                                            Online Podcast / June 17, 2021

In this episode of the Questioning Behaviour Podcast, Sarah Bowen and Merle van dan Akker talk to behavioural science legend Cristina Bicchieri about her work in behavioural science, applying behavioural science to changing behaviors through the application of social norms, all over the world! In this lecture, the podcast hosts discuss social norms, behavioural change, interwoven societies, the power of storytelling and the massive impact social media can have.

                           Online Podcast / May 31, 2021

In this recent blog interview, Cristina Bicchieri, Director of the Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics shares insightful tips for anti-corruption practitioners that are aiming to change social norms. Dhaval Kothari, the Senior Associate at the Corruption, Justice and Legitimacy Program, spoke to Cristina Bicchieri to address the importance and possible negative consequences of not integrating social norms correctly into programming.

                           Online Blog / May 18, 2021

Cristina Bicchieri, Director of the Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics at Penn discusses her research on norms & COVID-19 in this New York Times Magazine article. “To create a new norm,” Bicchieri says, “you need to build this sense that other people are following the rules.” Bicchieri adds, whether respondents trusted science also had a major effect on their willingness to follow health guidance, regardless of what they believed about their peers.

                           Online Article / December 10, 2020

Our Longitudinal Evaluation of Norms and Networks (LENNS) study is seeking to shift norms to increase toilet usage in peri urban communities in India. Learn more about how our evidence based, theory-driven behavior change strategy is being implemented through this video.

Research from the Center for Social Norms & Behavioral Dynamics finds that people who feel independent think that most others are, too. They also underestimate the level of poverty in the United States. “There has been a lot of research done on freedom and economic inequality, but I thought it was important to analyze the perceptions that people have about their own freedom and autonomy,” says Cristina Bicchieri, the S. J. Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics, who studies judgement, decision-making, and social norms. In collaboration with Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Barbara Mellers, Abraham Aldama, a postdoctoral researcher in Penn’s Center for Social Norms & Behavioral Dynamics, and colleagues from the University of Fribourg and the University of Oregon, Bicchieri created a two-part survey. “When people think they are in control, they also tend to think that economic results depend on their own actions rather than luck or someone else’s actions,” Aldama adds. “This then tends to make people believe that whatever inequality exists is fair. In other words, if you’re poor it’s because you didn’t put in enough effort.” Read the full story by clicking the button below.

Online Article / January 15, 2020

The latest story from OMNIA, the Penn Arts and Sciences magazine, highlights Cristina Bicchieri and Enrique Fatas’ research on how new social norms have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly norms like social distancing and mask-wearing. “We decided to do a study in nine different countries, which included Mexico, Colombia, China, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S.,” says Bicchieri, Sascha Jane Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics. Bicchieri and Fatas found that for people to modify behavior, it’s first necessary to change their expectations about how others that matter to them act and think. “Public information and the media may change people’s expectations about what others do and what others believe is appropriate to do,” Bicchieri says. But new expectations alone aren’t enough; they need to cause people to want to change their behavior. Read the full story here.

Online Article / October 21, 2020

What do soap operas have to do with child feeding behaviors? The latest post in the #Inspire4SBC series, from AliveandThrive, takes an innovative look at improving nutrition by changing social norms, using creative strategies like identifying community trendsetters and weaving messages into the plot of soap operas! Since its inception more than a decade ago, Alive & Thrive has aimed to motivate changes in maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN) social norms and behaviors. Social norms are the implicit or explicit rules that govern behaviors within a group. Especially now, there is increased focus on new and interesting ideas to drive social and behavior change but many have been underutilized to address nutrition challenges. Inspire seeks to bridge that gap. A variety of factors influence what mothers and caregivers choose to feed their infant children – which partly explains why changing complementary feeding behaviors is so challenging. In this interview, Bicchieri discusses how understanding how social norms shape behaviors can help us figure out how to change those behaviors and how Trendsetters and soap operas can help change social norms that influence child feeding behaviors. Curious? Read the full interview here.

Interview / July 7, 2020

The Harvard Decision Science Laboratory studies how people make judgments and decisions (building on insights from economics, psychology, and neuroscience) and identifies strategies that help people, organizations, and society improve decision making approaches and structures. Their latest Behavioral Science talk series recently featured a virtual talk, Norms, Trust and Compliance with Public Health Measures, by Professor Cristina Bicchieri from the University of Pennsylvania. In this talk, she presented for the first time new evidence on behavior during COVID-19 from 9 countries: Italy, Spain, Germany, England, China, S. Korea, Mexico, Colombia, and the US.

Online Video / September 9, 2020

In this joint Busara and IBEN Webinar Series, speakers discuss psychological factors affecting the success of measures to decrease the spread of Covid-19. The use of descriptive social norms is probably one of the most overused as well as often misused psychological levers that people use without understanding implications on consequences. In this third episode of the Webinar Series, Cristina Bicchieri, Sascha Jane Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics discusses the importance of understanding social norms during the current COVID Pandemic and its significance, beyond.

Online Video / June 18, 2020

Every spring and fall, Penn Arts and Sciences faculty take a minute out by the Ben Franklin statue in front of College Hall to share their perspectives on topics ranging from human history and the knowable universe to fractions and fly-fishing. This semester, 60-Second Lectures go digital as we seek to understand this difficult and unique moment in time. A wide variety of scholars and experts will shed light on the pandemic, including the science; the complex social, cultural, historical, and economic issues; and the response here on campus. Cristina Bicchieri, Sascha Jane Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics discusses the concept of “Norm-Nudging” in this video.

Online Video / April 8, 2020