Blog by Professor Stephen Sutton, Behavioural Science Group Large-scale problems require large-scale solutions. Tackling the ‘Big 4’ behaviours (physical inactivity, tobacco use, excessive consumption of food and alcohol) requires scalable interventions that can reach large numbers of people to achieve a significant public health impact. One promising approach is to use brief interventions delivered by […]
Richard Thaler: Contender for a Nobel Prize in Psychology?
Blog by Professor Dame Theresa Marteau Richard Thaler is an economist that is fluent in Psychology and has just won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics. His contribution, as recognised by the awarding committee, has been to apply the psychology of judgement and decision-making to economics. This has not only increased understanding sub-optimal financial decisions […]
Patients who need to take medicine every day find tailored telephone messages helpful
Tailored voice messages in automated phone calls to patients could successfully prompt patients to take medicines as prescribed, according to a study of patients and nurses working in GP surgeries, published as ‘Reasons for non-adherence to cardiometabolic medications, and acceptability of an interactive voice response intervention in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes in […]
Three things you might not know about our research in the Behavioural Science Group
Posted by Vikki Houghton with Kate Ellis and Miranda Van Emmenis In June, the Primary Care Unit arrived at Murray Edwards College for the bi-annual Unit away day. The ten research groups each presented three things the Unit as a whole might not know about them – using creative techniques and strictly no powerpoint. From […]
Could redesigning supermarkets, bars and restaurants ‘nudge’ us away from harmful consumption of food, alcohol and tobacco?
Behavioural and cognitive scientists at the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol have just been awarded a prestigious Wellcome Collaborative Award in Science to investigate ways to ‘nudge’ people towards healthier behaviour – to reduce their food and alcohol consumption and to stop smoking – in order to improve health across the population. If people ate […]
PCU congratulates Professor Theresa Marteau on her appointment as Dame Commander
Professor Theresa Marteau, Director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit (BHRU), has been appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to public health in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours. Her research focuses on behaviour change to prevent inactivity, smoking, and the excessive consumption of food and alcohol. By developing and […]