WHO WE ARE I WHAT WE DO I OUR RESULTS The Mind, Behavior, and Development Unit APPLYING BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE TO END POVERTY AND ENHANCE EQUITY WHO WE ARE I WHAT WE DO I OUR RESULTS Policymakers are increasingly turning to the behavioral sciences to tackle intractable policy challenges, including increasing student learning, raising savings rates, promoting energy and resource conservation, Zeina Afif Jorge L. Castaneda Mohamad Chatila Samantha De Martino Michelle Dugas increasing productivity, improving sanitation practices, SENIOR SOCIAL SCIENTIST ECONOMIST BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST ECONOMIST BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST strengthening institutions, and reducing corruption. Behaviorally informed policy emphasizes the importance of context for decision making and behavior. It examines a wide set of influences, paying attention to the social, psychological, and economic factors that affect what people think and do. It addresses details in bureaucracies, Rhys Lim DIGITAL MEDIA BEHAVIORAL Gabriela Farfan ECONOMIST Jonathan Karver RESEARCH ANALYST Sayan Kundu BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST Ellen Moscoe BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST technologies, and service delivery that are often overlooked in standard SCIENCE CONSULTANT policy design but that dramatically influence the effectiveness of development programs and projects, especially in low-income contexts. Behaviorally informed policy can provide creative solutions to difficult challenges, often at low cost. Finally, it helps policy makers themselves avoid some of the decision traps and biases that affect all individuals. Ana Maria Nour Nasr Daniel Pinzón Dana Qarout Tasmia Rahman The Mind, Behavior, and Development Unit (eMBeD), the World Muñoz Boudet SENIOR SOCIAL SCIENTIST BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST Hernández BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST RESEARCH ANALYST BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST Bank’s behavioral sciences team, works closely with project teams, governments, and other partners to diagnose, design, and evaluate behaviorally informed interventions. By collaborating with a worldwide network of scientists and practitioners, the eMBeD team provides answers to important economic and social questions, and contributes to the global effort to eliminate poverty and increase equity. Ailin Tomio Renos Vakis Ana Maria Rojas BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST LEAD ECONOMIST ECONOMIST WHO WE ARE I WHAT WE DO I OUR RESULTS AREAS OF WORK OUR SERVICES OUR PARTNERS In the five years since eMBeD’s inception, the team has been involved in more than 100 projects in 70 countries. eMBeD works closely with policy makers in their ongoing projects by conducting fieldwork, identifying bottlenecks, and designing and evaluating behaviorally informed interventions. We provide advice and workshops to help policy makers define and diagnose policy problems from a behavioral perspective. And crucially, we collaborate with partners internal and external to the World Bank to expand the use of behavioral insights in policy, leveraging resources to scale their work (and ours). CLICK ON ANY OF OUR THEMATIC AREAS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR RECENT RESULTS AND IMPACTS • Climate & Energy • Gender Equality • Mindstats & Measurement • Effective Organizations • Health & Wellbeing • Social Cohesion • Financial Inclusion • Learning & Beliefs • Jobs & Taxation WHO WE ARE I WHAT WE DO I OUR RESULTS AREAS OF WORK OUR SERVICES OUR PARTNERS eMBeD works in a variety of modalities depending on the needs of the team and client: 1. 2. 3. 4. LEARNING ADVISORY AND DATA COLLECTION AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTREACH: ANALYTICAL SERVICES: METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH: AND EVALUATION: Aimed at creating awareness Aimed at providing guidance Aimed at advising, designing, Aimed at supporting teams of behavioral interventions for project design and range and/or implementing data with the design, implementation, and building capacity to apply from behavioral diagnostic collection efforts to capture and evaluation of behavioral behavioral science in practice. mappings, intervention design, behaviors and design interventions. They can take the form of to guidance notes. methodological approaches workshops, brief presentations, to measure psychological or embedded participation in constructs in development events such as retreats or settings. learning days. WHO WE ARE I WHAT WE DO I OUR RESULTS AREAS OF WORK OUR SERVICES We have over 80 partners with OUR PARTNERS projects in more than 70 countries • ABDUL LATIF JAMEEL POVERTY • FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH & • UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT ACTION LAB DEVELOPMENT OFFICE PROGRAMME We are grateful to a • BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA • GOVERNMENT OF CATALONIA • UNITED NATIONS INNOVATION wide range of partners NETWORK • BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS NETWORK • IDEAS42 from academia, (BRAIN) • UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND • INNOVATIONS FOR POVERTY ACTION behavioral research • BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION • KOÇ UNIVERSITY • UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT centers, international • CONSULTATIVE GROUP TO ASSIST • MERCK THE POOR • UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA organizations and the • OECD AT BERKELEY • DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL donor community at large • OXFORD UNIVERSITY • UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO • DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR for enabling us expand INTERNATIONALE ZUSAMMENARBEIT • PARIS SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS • UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (GIZ) the frontiers and scale • PRINCETON UNIVERSITY • UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO • DUKE UNIVERSITY behavioral science in • PSYCHOLOGY OF INTERGROUP • VIRTUAL BODYWORKS • EUROPEAN COMMISSION CONFLICT & RECONCILIATION LAB development policy. • ROMA EDUCATION FUND • FACEBOOK WHO WE ARE I WHAT WE DO I OUR RESULTS Everything eMBeD does is with an eye towards sharing results and lessons learned to provide quick, iterative learning to our partners and a global audience. By sharing easy-to-read results briefs, infographics, and policy notes, the team aims to provide public goods that make it simple for others to learn what works in behavioral science for development, and how to apply it Climate Effective Financial Inclusion & Energy Organizations & Taxation to their own work. At right, you can click any of our main thematic areas to learn more about completed projects and diagnostics in each. Gender Health Jobs Equality & Wellbeing Learning Mindstats Social & Beliefs & Measurement Cohesion Climate & Energy USING BEHAVIORAL A LITTLE REMINDER CAN ETHIOPIA OFF-GRID INSIGHTS TO INCREASE GO A LONG WAY FOR WATER RENEWABLE ENERGY WATER REVENUE IN REVENUE IN BRAZIL PROGRAM THE RECIFE METROPOLITAN 2021/04/30 2021/02/02 REGION 2021/04/30 Complementing traditional interventions like financial incentives and improved technologies with behavioral science can help policy makers increase uptake of renewable energy products, improve disaster risk management, and address beneficiary-level behavior around energy and water savings. GHANA ENERGY SECTOR MG ETHANOL CLEAN RWANDA ENERGY ACCESS TRANSFORMATION COOKING CLIMATE AND QUALITY INITIATIVE PROJECT FINANCE PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 2021/02/01 2021/02/01 2021/02/01 BACK TO RESULTS Climate & Energy SENEGAL RURAL UGANDA ENERGY NUDGING TO SAFE ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAM ACCESS SCALE-UP PROJECT EVACUATION IN HAITI 2021/02/01 2021/02/01 2020/01/22 Complementing traditional interventions 1 like financial incentives and improved Marcia: Defaulter technologies with behavioral science R e c eiv i ng w a t e r IRREGULAR WATER SUPPLY 2 3 can help policy makers increase uptake MA RK ET SCARCITY OF RESOURCES TIMING MISMATCH of renewable energy products, improve P ri Find o riti nt ing the m o ney z i ng bill p a y m e IT’S NOT EASY UNPERCEIVED PUNISHMENT LIMITED SELF THREAT OF CONTROL TO BE LEGAL Understanding behavioral barriers to disaster risk management, and address water connections in Recife, Brazil. 5 4 LONG WAIT TIMES LIMITED PAYMENT beneficiary-level behavior around energy OPTIONS De e P ay i n g t h e b i l l cidin SCHOOL g to p a y o n t i m WHY SHOULD I CONNECT LEGALLY? H R E A T O F PU D E S C R I P T I VE IV E D T NI E IV E D and water savings. E RC NO RC S HM UNPE PE RM ENT NOBODY PAYS NO PUNISHMENT Bruno: CI TY S T AT RO US Illegally connected RECIP QU SERVICE IS BAD O BIAS G EM E NT I HAVE NEVER PAID S CA RC GA ITY L DISEN CONNECTION I CAN’T PAY OF RE TAKES FOREVER RA S OU MO RC E S USING BEHAVIORAL NUDGING TO IT’S NOT EASY TO BE LEGAL: INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE SAVE LIVES BEHAVIORAL BARRIERS DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, 2020/01/01 TO WATER CONNECTIONS EARLY WARNING AND IN BRAZIL RESPONSE MECHANISMS 2020/01/01 IN HAITI 2020/01/01 BACK TO RESULTS Black Gold. Blessing or Burden? Understanding Behavioral Barriers IT’S EASY! IT’S SUBSIDIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT to Switch to New Heating Technologies Behaviorally designed Walk a mile in her shoes letters providing Qu ias o-B on Ga ti s- o-Ac aps p 2 information on recycling -t on G LEARNING ABOUT and waste collection were Inf tio u t ati Int Sta or n THE PROGRAM m en delivered to 4,800 households The Project Climate and small businesses from ns tutio Insti ad Using a behavioral lens to improve rlo Trus Ove the city of Trelew, in the In a randomized controlled trial, we sent letters program uptake in rural Mexico has t in Low oice 4 Ch Argentinean Patagonia. This re ctu ite load and magnetic calendars with different messages ce ch Ar Ov er FINANCING to approximately 4,800 recipients in Trelew, provided interesting insights into cost-effective and scalable e oi itiv APPLICANT’S SHARE the complex world women live in, n Ch 6 90% corresponding to households and 10% to g Co communication intervention small businesses. The waste management system o STARTING governed by customary rights and ra s Ch gn Illi rce cy Co THE PROJECT doubled waste separation in Trelew relies on source separation into two ou te 1 traditional role models, stereotypes, Fina f Res categories: recyclables and residual. Only middle nce ko CONSIDERING hift rate to over 30%. Lac sS REPLACING THE BOILER Pri oriti e and high-income neighborhoods participated in and identity. this intervention as they produce comparatively sio s er st Av Co n ret in more waste. In these areas daily collection of Reg ases re waste is destined for the local landfill. Recyclables Inc 3 are collected only once a week and sent to the separation plant. In principle, if only recyclables SETTING-UP THE APPLICATION The Argentinean Municipality of Trelew is an arrive at the plant on the designated day, then excellent example of the dual potential and classification is quick and efficient and recovery MANUAL challenges in moving towards a more circular high. In practice, recyclables are mixed with residual waste, and hardly anything can be recovered. & Energy economy in the developing world. With a system 5 of differentiated curbside collection and a waste The project started in November 2018 with a WAITING separation plant to process the recyclables, the survey to a small sample of households on attitudes FOR APPROVAL city has all the necessary infrastructure in place. 7 and behaviors towards waste management. Based However, only a mere 3% of waste is recovered on this information, as well as on insights from The replacement of coal-fired boilers can ADAPTING TO THE through recycling, with the remainder rapidly help protect the health and save the lives NEW TECHNOLOGY the behavioral sciences, and an active debate and filling up the local landfill. validation with local authorities, we designed of thousands of people. letters and materials with the goals of i) improving The role of consumers is central to the waste source separation into the two waste categories, management system. By separating their waste at recyclables and residuals, and ii) increasing the source, they avoid contamination of recyclable recyclables disposal only on the day they are due. material by food waste and other non-recyclables. We then randomly allocated 400 street blocks This simple action preserves the material value and to control and treatment groups and distributed substantially improves the working conditions in information materials (letters and calendars) in the waste separation plant. There, workers March 2019 to almost 5,000 households and currently have to sift through mixed and at times, businesses from the selected blocks. Two weeks hazardous waste to extract recyclables, which in after the distribution, we collected the waste of 899 turn further hampers the plant’s ability to increase randomly selected participants. For each bag from a recovery rates. total of 3.5 tons of garbage collected, we measured To address these issues, the Municipality of its weight, volume, and waste classification. Trelew, the German Development Institute, and Additionally, we conducted short surveys with the World Bank joined forces to apply behavioral 2,700 households focusing on waste separation insights to improve consumer waste separation. practices over the weeks following the intervention. BLACK GOLD - BLESSING OR USING BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE WALK A MILE BURDEN?: UNDERSTANDING TO INCREASE RECYCLING IN HER SHOES BEHAVIORAL BARRIERS TO IN ARGENTINA 2018/04/25 SWITCH TO NEW HEATING 2019/08/14 TECHNOLOGIES IN POLAND 2020/01/01 Complementing traditional interventions like financial incentives and improved Journey for forest landscape programs in Mexico Identifying women’s behavioral bottlenecks technologies with behavioral science KS OR TW ITY NE IO E can help policy makers increase uptake NS L SIB RC IAL INS CES CA & UT OC ES TIT C FS Y Inaccessible INA AC TIM KO Communication FFIC Channels LAC MS F-E Information OR ES And Cognitive SEL LN CIA & OL Overload IAS RR OF OB of renewable energy products, improve DE CK SO QU EN LA S & ST US RT & O BIA LG CO AT NA ITY U ST SQ ITIO UN TU AD STA PO TR OP disaster risk management, and address Hearing Aspiring Inquiring Applying Obtaining about the program to apply about the program the benefits from the program beneficiary-level behavior around energy and water savings. JOURNEY FOR FOREST CLOSING THE GENDER GAP LANDSCAPE PROGRAMS IN NATURAL RESOURCE IN MEXICO: IDENTIFYING MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS WOMEN’S BEHAVIORAL IN MEXICO BOTTLENECKS 2018/01/01 2018/08/22 BACK TO RESULTS 1 Marcia: Defaulter An experiment in Peru shows that when prompted by subtle R e c eiv i ng w a t e r socio-economic cues, teachers exhibit The Project Effective IRREGULAR WATER SUPPLY unconscious biases 2 that significantly affect 3 In an experiment involving 600 public school teachers their evaluation of in Lima, Peru, the World Bank tested whether teachers MA RK ET low-income students. who were asked to evaluate the scholastic aptitude, behavior, and education potential of a student named SCARCITY OF RESOURCES “Diego” were unconsciously biased towards him when prompted by socio-economic markers. To do so, we TIMING MISMATCH asked teachers to evaluate Diego’s performance after watching a video where he takes an exam. In addition, to prime teachers to recognize Diego’s P ri Find o riti nt socio-economic background, teachers first watched a ing the m o n e y z i ng bill p a y m e video that simply introduced Diego and showed what IT’S NOT EASY he did outside of school. This introductory video had UNPERCEIVED PUNISHMENT LIMITED SELF two versions showing Diego in two different social- THREAT OF CONTROL TO BE LEGAL economic settings: middle- and low- income. To assess the extent to which teachers use social Organizations Understanding behavioral barriers to background as a short cut to assess aptitude and water connections in Recife, Brazil. behavior, teachers were presented with one of two 5 4 Even Teachers are Bested variants of the video in which Diego takes an exam. In the first version, Diego’s performance is ambiguous. by Their Biases He correctly answers some difficult questions but also incorrectly answers easy questions. Sometimes he is paying attention; sometimes he is distracted. In the LONG WAIT TIMES Deep-rooted biases can inhibit our best intentions. second version, Diego’s performance is less ambiguous. Research has found that we all have unconscious He correctly answers most questions and behaves like a LIMITED PAYMENT biases and preferences related to gender, race, model student. OPTIONS sexual orientation, socio-economic background, or other aspects of identity. Unconscious bias is just In the experiment, each teacher received a tablet and were randomly assigned a combination of the two De e that – “unconscious,” and often unrelated to our goals P ay i n g t h e b i l l cidin g to p a y o n t i m and intentions. introductory and two exam videos. After seeing these SCHOOL videos, they were asked to evaluate the student’s The science behind this is that our brains have evolved scholastic and behavioral performance. If Diego’s social WHY SHOULD to categorize the world to help us simplify it. We all background does not matter for teachers, then their I CONNECT LEGALLY? use mental shortcuts to process information and make assessment of Diego’s aptitude, behavior, and potential H R E A T O F PU D E S C R I P T I VE IV E D T NI decisions quickly. These shortcuts can be useful when should be the same no matter which introductory video E IV E D NO RC E S RC making decisions with limited information, bandwidth, or they saw. If, however, teachers do use social background HM UNPE PE RM ENT NOBODY PAYS NO PUNISHMENT time, but can sometimes lead to harmful stereotypes. So, to assess students, then we might expect them to Bruno: CI TY how much can unconscious bias influence a school teacher’s S T AT US RO interpret the same exam video differently, depending on Illegally connected RECIP assessment of students’ achievement and their potential? which introductory video they saw. QU SERVICE IS BAD O BIAS G EM E NT I HAVE NEVER PAID S CA RC GA ITY L DISEN CONNECTION I CAN’T PAY OF RE TAKES FOREVER RA S OU MO RCE S THE BEHAVIORAL IT’S NOT EASY TO BE LEGAL: EVEN TEACHERS ARE BESTED PROFESSIONAL: IMPROVING BEHAVIORAL BARRIERS BY THEIR BIASES DECISION-MAKING TO WATER CONNECTIONS 2018/04/26 AND PERFORMANCE IN IN BRAZIL THE PUBLIC SECTOR 2020/01/01 2022/02/01 Addressing the behavioral biases behind program and policy design can dramatically Sending e-mail A study shows policy professionals, increase their effectiveness, and improve messages emphasizing like everyone else, social norms reduced are subject to school directors’ cognitive biases. absenteeism by 4% on average, equivalent to The Project long-term outcomes at every level. Some seven full days of school. Working together with the Department for International Development (DFID), we conducted The Project a study designed to identify decision-making biases Policy professionals can’t within a sample of our own colleagues- 4,724 World Bank and 1,148 DFID staff. We used a series of Working with the Peruvian Ministry of Education (MINEDU) and the UK’s Behavioural Insights defeat their own biases experiments adapted to the development context to test for several decision-making areas and biases Team (BIT), we tested whether attendance could be that loom in development policy making. of eMBeD’s projects have addressed influenced by sending different behaviorally informed messages by email. One email message conveyed the Most individuals like to think that they are objective, First, we studied confirmation bias, our tendency to current level of attendance of one’s school district - logical, and capable of evaluating all relevant, opt for information that confirms our existing beliefs the “social norm” - while the other built on teachers’ available information in order to make good or ideas. To do so, we showed respondents identical pro-social motivations by highlighting the positive decisions. But despite our best intentions, we’re all sets of data using two frames: one asking whether a effect of teacher attendance on student performance. susceptible to cognitive biases and heuristics – those skin cream was effective at treating a rash, and the mental shortcuts that enable us to make quick, often other asking whether or not minimum wage laws Using a randomized experiment, we tested the effect necessary, decisions in our daily lives, but which can reduce poverty. of each email on teacher and director attendance, as also inhibit thoughtful, equitable decision-making the biases of policy professionals, the measured in administrative surveys and payroll data. and policy design. Second, we tested sunk cost bias, our natural impulse Close to 100,000 teachers and principals in 27,000 to continue an ineffective endeavor once an investment schools around Peru were divided into three groups Even those well-informed of the research on cognitive in money, effort, or time has been made. A major How to encourage and received either no email (control) or one of two biases aren’t immune to its effects. Policy professionals play an essential role in the design and implementation challenge in government agencies involves inertia; in particular, bureaucracies sometimes continue behaviorally informed messages. school principals not In order to measure effects on attendance, we planned of policies, programs, and projects across the world. Cognitive biases of policy professionals – which may initiatives even when they have been shown not to work. For our experiment, we asked respondents how to play hooky our trial to be implemented in schools that we knew be influenced by social environment, mental models, or likely they were to continue investing in a US$500 behavioral bottlenecks to program design would be visited by the Ministry of Education for spot limited cognitive bandwidth – can thus have significant million project, which, due to changes in policy, was checks, controlling for the fact that not all schools impact on key policies and decisions. Biases can unlikely to achieve any results. Research shows that teacher and administration would be visited at the same time. During these spot compromise work effectiveness, and subsequently, checks, survey staff check directly to see if teachers efforts towards poverty reduction. Last, we analyzed the effects of framing on risk absences can negatively affect students’ reading are present in classrooms, which offers a more aversion. How information is framed affects risk and math abilities. objective measure than the one reported by school It would be unfair to say that organizations are perception, as well as decisions to take risky decisions In Peru, data from random spot checks conducted by principals (who our qualitative research revealed are altogether unaware of these challenges. To promote on behalf of others. We examined whether loss or gain the Peruvian Government found that, on average, 7% likely to under-report their teachers’, and their own, impartial and proper use of evidence and decision- framing affects willingness to take on risk in a health of teachers and 17% of principals are absent on any absences). This strategy provided us with comparable making, they recruit and rely on judgments of well- context relevant for policy professionals during the in utility companies, and ways to improve given day. This corresponds to teachers missing 12.5 outcome data, at no additional cost for the Ministry. qualified content experts, and implement procedural Ebola virus pandemic. We made respondents decide days and principals missing 30.5 days of school a year, This “embedding” method is a great example of how safeguards like peer review and deliberation, cost- between two alternative medical treatments, but and can affect outcomes for students. So, how do we we aim to design trials that are both rigorous and benefit analysis, and other kinds of evaluations that randomly assigned them to a frame either emphasizing get teachers and principals to turn up to school? cost-effective for governments. in theory should counteract cognitive biases. gains (“will be saved”) or losses (“will die”). public sector performance. HOW TO ENCOURAGE POLICY PROFESSIONALS MOTIVATING PUBLIC SECTOR SCHOOL PRINCIPALS NOT CAN’T DEFEAT THEIR WORKERS IN NIGERIA TO PLAY HOOK OWN BIASES 2018/02/05 2018/04/25 2018/03/01 BACK TO RESULTS Financial Inclusion & Taxation NUDGING IN THE TIME OF THE CORONAVIRUS: EVIDENCE INCREASING TAX COMPLIANCE FOR SMES BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS FOR TAX COMPLIANCE FROM AN EXPERIMENTAL IN INDONESIA 2019/12/01 TAX TRIAL IN ALBANIA AT THE 2021/07/27 ONSET OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC 2022/03/07 Behavioral science has had demonstrated impact globally in increasing tax compliance; in development settings, it can provide solutions to intractable tax and financial challenges and target context- specific needs. INCREASING TAX COMPLIANCE COLLABORATION FOR TAX PROMOTING TAX IN THE SHADOW ECONOMY COMPLIANCE IN KOSOVO COMPLIANCE IN KOSOVO IN LATVIA 2019/03/04 WITH BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS 2019/09/25 2019/03/01 BACK TO RESULTS Financial Inclusion & Taxation WHEN CONTEXT MATTERS: INCREASING TAX PAYMENTS HOW TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SAVE MONEY IN POLAND 2018/02/05 2018/02/05 Behavioral science has had demonstrated impact globally in increasing tax compliance; in development settings, it can provide solutions to intractable tax and financial challenges and target context- specific needs. BACK TO RESULTS Gender Equality SOCIAL NORMS AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES TO GENDER EQUALITY: A APPROACH TO ADDRESS GENDER INEQUALITY DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS EMPOWERING WOMEN IN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR SOUTH ASIA IN FOREST LANDSCAPE: 2022/04/04 2022/08/01 DIAGNOSTICS TOOLKIT 2022/07/26 An equality lens underlies everything we do; by addressing the norms and beliefs HIDDEN VOICES 1 60% of non-working SPEAK LOUDER women aspire to work but only THAN YOU THINK 12% 2 Though people think A behavioral science lens for of them actively look for work. 63% understanding female labor of society are okay that inhibit women’s progress in domains with women working force participation in Jordan. 96% actually are. 4 53% of women Think that their husbands are okay with women working in mixed gender enviroments. 3 the reality is that only 23% 1 out of 4 from the labor market to their own health, of the husbands women who stop find it okay. working do so because they got married. 5 we seek to break down the behavioral 3 out of 4 6 At 14%, Jordan’s female people think that a woman labor force participation works because her family is People expect that it’s socially 7 is among the lowest in financially unsuccessful. acceptable for a mother to the world. go back to work only after her Only 17% AR EN’ child is at least of men are okay with working boost Jordan could 4 years old GO OD T YO PR OV U A IDE R? mothers returning from work after 5pm. its GDP by 10% if 25% of women joined barriers to equality for women and girls. I MAKE ENOUGH MONEY, YOU DON’T NEED TO WORK! the labor force. WOMEN’S LABOR FORCE RESHAPING NORMS: HIDDEN VOICES SPEAK PARTICIPATION IN THE A NEW WAY FORWARD LOUDER THAN YOU THINK: A KURDISTAN REGION OF IRAQ: 2022/04/04 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE LENS A STUDY OF SOCIAL AND FOR UNDERSTANDING FEMALE PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION 2022/04/04 IN JORDAN 2020/01/01 BACK TO RESULTS Gender Equality HOW BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS CHANGING ASPIRATIONS CAN NUDGE PREGNANT TO INCREASE SAFER BIRTH AND STEREOTYPES IN WOMEN TO ATTEND PRENATAL DELIVERIES IN HAITI THE MALDIVES CARE IN HAITI 2019/05/01 2019/05/01 2019/06/18 An equality lens underlies everything we do; by addressing the norms and beliefs SAVING MOTHERS’ ARE YOU MARRIED? I DELIVERED YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS WITH Walk a mile DO YOU LIVE WITH OUR MATRON AND BABIES’ LIVES YOUR HUSBAND? Identifying behavioral bottlenecks Seeking in her shoes delivery options to institutional care in Haiti Receiving that inhibit women’s progress in domains antenatal care STEREOTYPE THREAT STATUS QUO BIAS HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE HOSPITAL? WHY? I DON'T IT IS SAFER TO GO FEEL ANY PAIN. SEE THE DOCTOR, LET’S GO TO THE HOSPITAL BABY IS COMING! Healthy Using a behavioral lens to improve THE HOSPITAL IS FAR LET’S GO HOME! mother and child AND I NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH IT WILL COST program uptake in rural Mexico has provided interesting insights into from the labor market to their own health, Seeking antenatal care the complex world women live in, OPTIMISM BIAS - UNCERTAINTY AVERSION Reaching governed by customary rights and health institutions TRANSPORT, SAFETY, AND TIME CONSTRAINTS traditional role models, stereotypes, and identity. AAHHHH!!! we seek to break down the behavioral Over 33% of Haitian women do not complete the four recommended ANC visits while over HOSPITAL IS TOO FAR, I COULD FALL OFF THE BIKE, AND THEY CAN'T BE ALONE DISCOMFORT WITH MODEL OF CARE Receiving institutional care barriers to equality for women and girls. 60% deliver at home Reaching with assistance of a antenatal care matron, a traditional TRANSPORT, SAFETY, AND TIME CONSTRAINTS MANY BARRIERS CAN BE OVERCOME birth attendant, USING A BEHAVIORAL APPROACH contributing to high levels of preventable maternal and neo-natal deaths. LOOKING AT GENDER AND SAVING MOTHERS’ AND WALK A MILE SOCIO-EMOTIONAL SKILLS BABIES’ LIVES WITH IN HER SHOES SIGNALING IN TURKEY BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE 2018/04/25 2019/05/01 IN HAITI 2019/01/01 BACK TO RESULTS Journey for forest landscape programs in Mexico Identifying women’s behavioral bottlenecks KS Gender OR ETW ITY TIO LE LN NS ST ESSIB RC CIA CA & ITU SO C ES AC Y Inaccessible OF AC TIM IN Communication IN FFIC CK Channels MS LA LF-E Information OR ES And Cognitive LN CIA & SE OL Overload IAS RR OF OB DE CK SO QU EN LA S & ST US RT & O BIA LG CO AT NA ITY U ST SQ ITIO UN TU AD STA PO TR OP Hearing Aspiring Inquiring Applying Obtaining about the program to apply about the program the benefits Equality from the program JOURNEY FOR FOREST CLOSING THE GENDER GAP LANDSCAPE PROGRAMS IN NATURAL RESOURCE IN MEXICO: IDENTIFYING MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS WOMEN’S BEHAVIORAL IN MEXICO BOTTLENECKS 2018/01/01 2018/08/22 An equality lens underlies everything we do; by addressing the norms and beliefs that inhibit women’s progress in domains from the labor market to their own health, we seek to break down the behavioral barriers to equality for women and girls. BACK TO RESULTS Health & Wellbeing A BEHAVIORAL APPROACH BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES USING CBT TRAINING TO TO UNCOVER BARRIERS TO TO PROTECT HUMAN IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH MATERNAL CARE IN HAITI CAPITAL INVESTMENTS OF SME ENTREPRENEURS IN 2021/08/23 DURING AND AFTER THE PAKISTAN COVID-19 PANDEMIC 2020/01/29 2020/05/05 Both mental and physical health are important determinants of societal well- SAVING MOTHERS’ ARE YOU MARRIED? DO YOU LIVE WITH I DELIVERED YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS WITH OUR MATRON AND BABIES’ LIVES YOUR HUSBAND? Identifying behavioral bottlenecks Seeking delivery options to institutional care in Haiti Receiving antenatal care being. Behavioral science can address the STEREOTYPE THREAT STATUS QUO BIAS HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE HOSPITAL? WHY? I DON'T IT IS SAFER TO GO FEEL ANY PAIN. SEE THE DOCTOR, LET’S GO TO THE HOSPITAL BABY IS COMING! Healthy THE HOSPITAL IS FAR LET’S GO HOME! mother and child AND I NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH IT WILL COST Seeking behavioral barriers to both, by examining antenatal care OPTIMISM BIAS - UNCERTAINTY AVERSION Reaching health institutions TRANSPORT, SAFETY, AND TIME CONSTRAINTS AAHHHH!!! both the structural and psychological HOSPITAL IS TOO FAR, I COULD FALL OFF THE BIKE, Over 33% of Haitian AND THEY CAN'T BE ALONE Receiving women do not institutional care complete the four DISCOMFORT WITH MODEL OF CARE recommended ANC visits while over 60% deliver at home Reaching with assistance of a antenatal care barriers to better health across a variety matron, a traditional TRANSPORT, SAFETY, AND TIME CONSTRAINTS MANY BARRIERS CAN BE OVERCOME birth attendant, USING A BEHAVIORAL APPROACH contributing to high levels of preventable maternal and neo-natal deaths. of target beneficiary groups. HOW BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS SAVING MOTHERS’ AND CAN NUDGE PREGNANT TO INCREASE SAFER BIRTH BABIES’ LIVES WITH WOMEN TO ATTEND PRENATAL DELIVERIES IN HAITI BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE CARE IN HAITI 2019/05/01 IN HAITI 2019/06/18 2019/01/01 BACK TO RESULTS Jobs INCREASING SERVICE FOSTERING SKILLS INCREASING JOB SEARCH UPTAKE FOR UNEMPLOYED FOR YOUNG WOMEN EFFORT AND SKILLS YOUTH IN ARGENTINA IN ARGENTINA IN TURKEY 2020/04/06 2020/03/06 2021/02/01 Addressing both the structural and psychological barriers to individuals persisting in a challenging job search, entering the labor market, and remaining there, is a large part of eMBeD’s work with World Bank teams across the world. Here, we examine a wide range of components to the labor market, including job training programs, beneficiary SUPPORTING JOB SEARCH A FIELD EXPERIMENT USING CBT TRAINING TO aspirations and persistence, policy maker FOR MAURITIAN YOUTH ON THE ROLE OF IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH OF WITH LITTLE EDUCATION SOCIOEMOTIONAL SKILLS SME ENTREPRENEURS and beneficiary biases, and more. 2020/08/03A AND GENDER FOR HIRING IN PAKISTAN IN TURKEY 2020/01/29 2020/02/01 BACK TO RESULTS HIDDEN VOICES 1 60% of non-working SPEAK LOUDER women aspire to work but only THAN YOU THINK 12% 2 Though people think A behavioral science lens for of them actively look for work. 63% understanding female labor of society are okay with women working force participation in Jordan. 96% actually are. 4 53% of women Think that their husbands are okay with women working in mixed gender enviroments. 3 the reality is that only 23% 1 out of 4 of the husbands women who stop find it okay. working do so because they got married. 5 3 out of 4 6 At 14%, Jordan’s female people think that a woman labor force participation works because her family is People expect that it’s socially 7 is among the lowest in financially unsuccessful. acceptable for a mother to the world. go back to work only after her Only 17% child is at least Jordan could boost Jobs AR EN’ of men are okay with working 4 years old GO OD T YO PRO U A VID ER? mothers returning from work after 5pm. its GDP by 10% if I MAKE ENOUGH 25% of women joined MONEY, YOU DON’T NEED TO WORK! the labor force. HIDDEN VOICES SPEAK LOOKING AT GENDER AND CHANGING ASPIRATIONS LOUDER THAN YOU THINK: A SOCIO-EMOTIONAL SKILLS AND STEREOTYPES IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE LENS SIGNALING IN TURKEY THE MALDIVES FOR UNDERSTANDING FEMALE 2019/05/01 2019/05/01 LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION IN JORDAN 2020/01/01 Addressing both the structural and psychological barriers to individuals persisting in a challenging job search, entering the labor market, and remaining there, is a large part of eMBeD’s work with World Bank teams across the world. Here, we examine a wide range of components to the labor market, including job training programs, beneficiary MOTIVATING PUBLIC SECTOR BEHAVIORAL SOLUTIONS aspirations and persistence, policy maker WORKERS IN NIGERIA FOR YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT 2018/02/05 2018/01/01 and beneficiary biases, and more. BACK TO RESULTS Learning & Beliefs CAN GRIT BE TAUGHT? POOR EXPECTATIONS: IMPROVING STUDENT LESSONS FROM A NATIONWIDE EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE OUTCOMES FOR ONLY FIELD EXPERIMENT WITH ON TEACHERS’ STEREOTYPES TWENTY CENTS MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENTS AND STUDENT ASSESSMENT 2018/02/05 2021/11/01 2021/03/22 Addressing the biases and beliefs of teachers, students, and parents can have dramatic impacts on outcomes for children – and an outsized effect on the most vulnerable. eMBeD has looked at how tools such as Growth Mindset, grit, and more can impact student achievement at scale – and at low-cost – across multiple country contexts. INSTILLING A GROWTH INSTILLING A GROWTH EVEN TEACHERS ARE MINDSET IN INDONESIA MINDSET IN SOUTH AFRICA BESTED BY THEIR BIASES 2019/12/13 2018/11/01 2018/04/26 BACK TO RESULTS Sending e-mail messages emphasizing social norms reduced school directors’ Learning absenteeism by 4% on average, equivalent to seven full days of school. The Project Working with the Peruvian Ministry of Education (MINEDU) and the UK’s Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), we tested whether attendance could be influenced by sending different behaviorally informed messages by email. One email message conveyed the current level of attendance of one’s school district - the “social norm” - while the other built on teachers’ pro-social motivations by highlighting the positive effect of teacher attendance on student performance. Using a randomized experiment, we tested the effect & Beliefs of each email on teacher and director attendance, as measured in administrative surveys and payroll data. Close to 100,000 teachers and principals in 27,000 schools around Peru were divided into three groups How to encourage and received either no email (control) or one of two behaviorally informed messages. school principals not In order to measure effects on attendance, we planned to play hooky our trial to be implemented in schools that we knew would be visited by the Ministry of Education for spot checks, controlling for the fact that not all schools Research shows that teacher and administration would be visited at the same time. During these spot absences can negatively affect students’ reading checks, survey staff check directly to see if teachers and math abilities. are present in classrooms, which offers a more objective measure than the one reported by school In Peru, data from random spot checks conducted by principals (who our qualitative research revealed are the Peruvian Government found that, on average, 7% likely to under-report their teachers’, and their own, of teachers and 17% of principals are absent on any absences). This strategy provided us with comparable given day. This corresponds to teachers missing 12.5 outcome data, at no additional cost for the Ministry. days and principals missing 30.5 days of school a year, This “embedding” method is a great example of how and can affect outcomes for students. So, how do we we aim to design trials that are both rigorous and get teachers and principals to turn up to school? cost-effective for governments. HOW TO ENCOURAGE IMPROVING STUDENT INSTILLING A GROWTH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS NOT OUTCOMES FOR ONLY MINDSET IN INDONESIA TO PLAY HOOKY TWENTY CENTS 2019/12/13 2018/04/25 2018/02/05 Addressing the biases and beliefs of teachers, students, and parents can Sending e-mail have dramatic impacts on outcomes for messages emphasizing social norms reduced school directors’ absenteeism by 4% on average, equivalent to children – and an outsized effect on the seven full days of school. The Project Working with the Peruvian Ministry of Education (MINEDU) and the UK’s Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), we tested whether attendance could be most vulnerable. eMBeD has looked at influenced by sending different behaviorally informed messages by email. One email message conveyed the current level of attendance of one’s school district - the “social norm” - while the other built on teachers’ pro-social motivations by highlighting the positive effect of teacher attendance on student performance. Using a randomized experiment, we tested the effect of each email on teacher and director attendance, as how tools such as Growth Mindset, grit, measured in administrative surveys and payroll data. Close to 100,000 teachers and principals in 27,000 schools around Peru were divided into three groups How to encourage and received either no email (control) or one of two behaviorally informed messages. school principals not In order to measure effects on attendance, we planned to play hooky our trial to be implemented in schools that we knew and more can impact student achievement would be visited by the Ministry of Education for spot checks, controlling for the fact that not all schools Research shows that teacher and administration would be visited at the same time. During these spot absences can negatively affect students’ reading checks, survey staff check directly to see if teachers and math abilities. are present in classrooms, which offers a more objective measure than the one reported by school In Peru, data from random spot checks conducted by principals (who our qualitative research revealed are the Peruvian Government found that, on average, 7% likely to under-report their teachers’, and their own, of teachers and 17% of principals are absent on any absences). This strategy provided us with comparable at scale – and at low-cost – across given day. This corresponds to teachers missing 12.5 outcome data, at no additional cost for the Ministry. days and principals missing 30.5 days of school a year, This “embedding” method is a great example of how and can affect outcomes for students. So, how do we we aim to design trials that are both rigorous and get teachers and principals to turn up to school? cost-effective for governments. multiple country contexts. INSTILLING A GROWTH EVEN TEACHERS ARE HOW TO ENCOURAGE MINDSET IN SOUTH AFRICA BESTED BY THEIR BIASES SCHOOL PRINCIPALS NOT 2018/11/01 2018/04/26 TO PLAY HOOKY 2018/04/25 BACK TO RESULTS Mindstats & Measurement BEIRUT RESIDENTS’ BEIRUT RESIDENTS’ MEASURING FOOD PERSPECTIVES ON AUGUST PERSPECTIVES ON CONSUMED AWAY FROM 4 BLAST : FINDINGS FROM AUGUST 4 BLAST: FINDINGS HOME IN VIETNAM A NEEDS AND PERCEPTION FROM A NEEDS AND 2018/11/01 SURVEY (VOL. 2) PERCEPTION SURVEY 2020/09/25 2020/09/20 Understanding and addressing the barriers presented by the psychology of poverty is a core element of improving policy and program design for populations across the globe. eMBeD works closely with World Bank teams and academics to examine the psycho-social elements that impact behavior and well-being. NIGERIA - PRIMING BRIEF SOCIAL MULTIPLIERS AT 2018/01/24 WORK: IMPROVING CHILDREN’S OUTCOMES THROUGH ASPIRATIONS AND ROLE MODELS 2018/01/01 BACK TO RESULTS Social Cohesion BEIRUT RESIDENTS’ BEIRUT RESIDENTS’ CAN PERSPECTIVES ON AUGUST PERSPECTIVES ON PUBLIC SPACES 4 BLAST : FINDINGS FROM AUGUST 4 BLAST: FINDINGS BRING SOCIETIES A NEEDS AND PERCEPTION FROM A NEEDS AND SURVEY (VOL. 2) PERCEPTION SURVEY TOGETHER? 2020/09/25 2020/09/20 2020/09/20 An emerging area for eMBeD’s work is addressing inter- and intra-community conflict in a variety of regions, including the Middle East. While much of this work is in progress, results from some of our interventions and early diagnostic work demonstrate the profound impact of taking a behavioral science approach to these long-standing conflicts. BACK TO RESULTS