The Behavioural Science Consortium brings together academics from Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Manchester to provide behavioural science expertise

The Behavioural Science Consortium comprises academics from two UK Universities with world-leading research in behavioural science and public policy across a range of topic areas, from obesity to housing.
Our approach is informed by cutting edge, evidence-based approaches and rigorous evaluations.

We can draw upon expertise across a range of academic disciplines including: behavioural scientists, social scientists, social and public policy experts, psychologists, educationalists, sports scientists and statisticians; and across a wide range of research methods expertise including trials, experiments, survey design, evaluation and qualitative research.

The Behavioural Science Consortium provides a range of services, including:

• Identifying where behavioural science should be applied within your organisation or service
• Explaining why people behave in the way they do and how we can design services to best meet their needs
• Identifying what behaviours need to change and using evidence-based approaches to change them
• Providing practical solutions that meet your needs and constraints
• Evaluating existing or new interventions to change behaviours using a wide range of research methods including trials, observation, and qualitative approaches
• Enabling your employees to understand and apply behavioural science in their day to day work.

Our approach is informed by the COM-B model (Michie et al. 2011) and ensures that behaviour change happens because people: want to do it (be motivated), have the skills and knowledge to be able to do it (be capable), and have the resources and social support to do it (have the opportunity).

COM-B Model

(Michie, Atkins & West (2014) The Behaviour Change Wheel: A Guide to designing interventions. Silverback Publishing. p 62)

The COM-B model has provided insights into behaviours such as: self-management of long-term conditions, transport choice, recycling behaviour, relationship and sex education, healthy ageing, and prevention of female genital mutilation, and our approach is sufficiently flexible to allow us to understand the behavioural challenges of the future in a systematic science-driven fashion. The Behavioural Science Consortium has a thorough understanding of the evidence so that we can make sure that the approaches we recommend have the best chance of being effective.