New Frontiers in Behavioral Interventions : Harnessing Digital Technology to Change Behavior

Abstract: An increasingly sedentary lifestyle, rising levels of household debt, global warming—many of society’s most pressing challenges have one contributing factor in common: human behavior. Many people have lofty goals involving physical activity, retirement saving or sustainable behavior. But in the moment of truth, they choose snoozing the alarm clock over going for a morning run, splurging on a pair of expensive shoes over saving money, and driving to work instead of cycling. In other words, these global challenges are exacerbated by the gap between people's good intentions and lack of meaningful action, dubbed the intention-action gap. It has been suggested that behavioral interventions, or interventions that rely on psychological insights, can be effective in mitigating these problems, and can thereby complement traditional tools for behavior change such as regulations and economic incentives. Additionally, digital tools such as algorithms and apps are increasingly involved in daily decision-making, and therefore can be apt for both learning about, and conducting, behavioral interventions. This consolidated dissertation aims to empirically study the combination of such behavioral interventions and novel digital technology to promote positive change across various domains.