The 2026 Behaviour Change Conference Programme is live! 🎉 There are still in-person and online places available, so do join us if you haven’t already registered: 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-ch... Workshop registrations will be closing soon - book by 8 May: 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-ch... #BCConf2026

I mostly don't post about politics (or at least party politics) here but this video from DoubleDown News is so shocking I thought I should try and get it out. For full disclosure, Paul Holden is part of my wider family. A very brave and incisive journalist. youtu.be/_nQeCCW7vHc?...

This is an important and sobering read about a 1943 American pamphlet warning citizens what fascism in America would look like. Every bit of it is happening now open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...

the ICE officer calling a woman he just murdered a “fucking bitch” is visceral, but imo the most material new information in the latest video is that she very clearly turns the wheel away from the officer right before it happens

Walz: "I couldn't help but think, and it scares me a bit -- 'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most important directive.' It certainly feels like that in this moment."

Large Language models pose an existential threat to online survey research www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... An AI can now evade a comprehensive suite of data quality checks, achieving a 99.8% pass rate on 6,000 trials of standard attention checks.

Statement from Birzeit University on the Israeli military invasion of its campus and shooting of students www.birzeit.edu/en/news/stat...

very disappointing. There is a code of conduct for Royal Society fellows - it's not a value judgement to say that Musk has contravened it! see relevant bits of code and the Royal Society stated values below.

For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies

BREAKING: The Hennepin County District Attorney's office says they have jurisdiction to charge the ICE agent involved in the fatal Minneapolis shooting.

his name is Jonathan Ross and he shouldn't get a good night's sleep for the rest of his life www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...

The US Government has set out very clearly its plans for the US oligarchs (not its people) to dominate the world. They are not hiding it and have thrown out a challenge to countries such as the UK: The US does not see us as an ally but as a vassal state. youtu.be/idkurWogst8?...

Please take a few moments to pressure the government to meet with the Palestine Action hunger strikers now. goodlaw.social/8f6640

Grateful if you can [email protected] @susanmichie.bsky.social @felixnaughton.bsky.social @uclbrainscience.bsky.social @uclpals.bsky.social @behaviourresuk.bsky.social @hbcproject.bsky.social @nihr-pru-bass.bsky.social @bsphn.bsky.social @robertjwest.bsky.social @socsocmed.bsky.social

We now offer an FAQs page on our website that answers the most common technical and training questions that you may have. You can access it here: www.ncsct.co.uk/publications.... You can also ask questions via [email protected] Please note: our new enquiries number is 01747 441648.

You may be interested in this preprint that Sarah Jackson, Linda Ng Fat and I have just published on improved mental wellbeing following health-behaviour changes. If you have any comments or suggestions please let us know. www.qeios.com/read/NY0ZS1

📢 Submissions are open for the 2026 Behaviour Change Conference! A fantastic opportunity to share your work & connect with delegates worldwide - all working toward a healthier, sustainable world 🌍 🗓 Deadline: 15 Dec 2025 👉 ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-change/conference #BCConf2026 @be-change.bsky.social

This will be a big one! www.linkedin.com/pulse/regist...

A flat white by any other name … open.substack.com/pub/robertwe...

I've just heard what may be the funniest line ever in a detective story. It's in the brilliant Anthony Horowitz' novel 'Close to Death' whose audiobook is brightening up my gym experience. It is 'There was so much blood, even the police dog threw up.'

Bigly recommend listening to the Unlocking Behaviour Change 'cast from #JamieWest (not sure of his blewski handle) and @robertjwest.bsky.social. Lots of info and insight, entertainingly and efficiently conveyed. #ChickenSexing youtu.be/J0y2Bo4glfk?...

Robert West explaining the use of ontologies to support research on #nicotine and #tobacco use at the SRNT-E conference addictovocab.org @robertjwest.bsky.social

#BehaviouralScience is not always about nudging. The authors @susanmichie.bsky.social @robertjwest.bsky.social argue "tackling the challenges facing humanity requires a collective, capacity-building approach" that boosts competences, opportunities, & motivations for individuals to act together.

👥📚 And are you interested in applying AI to your own behavioural research? Join our drop-in advice sessions with our AI webinar speakers @jannahastings.bsky.social , @robertjwest.bsky.social, and @susanmichie.bsky.social Michie beginning in September. Sign up to a session today!

Our new paper provides up-to-date evidence on cigarette consumption across Great Britain. 🟡~28.6 billion cigarettes are smoked each year. 🟡There are persistent disparities across socioeconomic groups, regions, and nations. academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-... @ntrjournal.bsky.social

Just released a new episode of the Unlocking Behaviour Change podcast. This series is tackling decision-making and this episode is all about the importance of the way that decisions are 'framed' (e.g., Shall I do X or not? which of X, Y or Z shall I choose?) www.podbean.com/ep/pb-rdhpx-...

I've just launched the latest episode in the Unlocking Behaviour Change podcast series, and it is the very first public airing of a new general framework for understanding and analysing real-world decisions - called FACET. So do check it out and leave comments. www.podbean.com/ep/pb-tgudh-...

The Human Behaviour Change Project 'Prediction Tool' has just had a revamp. It uses interpretable machine learning applied to rich ontologised data extracted from ~500 RCTs to predict smoking cessation outcomes in novel scenarios. Here's a link to a video about the tool youtu.be/fUvfXmeZhnM

Can't wait for the launch of APRICOT? 🍑 We got you covered: Here, Robert West is introducing himself and giving you a small peak into what he will be speaking about at the launch. Don't forget to register: 🗓️ 17 June 2025 ⏰ 3:30 PM (UK Time) 🎥 Online 👉 Register now: ucl.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Just posted the 3rd podcast in the Unlocking Behaviour Change series. This first series of podcasts is being done while Jamie West and I finalise our new book on decision making, so comments are very welcome ... here's a link to the podcast www.podbean.com/ep/pb-yavwn-...

🧠 Bonus for early birds! Register early for the BCTO training and get first access to a free workshop with Prof @robertjwest.bsky.social on the CACTISS Tool - a practical, step-by-step method to identify aspects of capability, opportunity & motivation to target - and how to use it to select BCTs.

We also have the last few places remaining on our Principles & Practice of Systems Mapping course on 3 July! 🔗https://www.ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-change/advanced-modules-behaviour-change @viviantonop.bsky.social @robertjwest.bsky.social

Looking for other advanced training? On 1 July join Prof @robertjwest.bsky.social for an in-depth guide to decision-making and motivation, with plenty of time for discussion and interactivity. 🔗https://www.ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-change/advanced-modules-behaviour-change

A reply to a reply. Ralph Hertwig @susanmichie.bsky.social @robertjwest.bsky.social & Stephen Reicher respond to a commentary from Luc Bovens on their BPP paper. doi.org/10.1017/bpp....

🚨 New article on 'Moving from nudging to boosting: empowering behaviour change to address global challenges' by Ralph Hertwig, @susanmichie.bsky.social, @robertjwest.bsky.social & Stephen Reicher. 🔗You can read it here: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Here is a short video about Long COVID - something we all need to be aware of as it is devasting people's lives and is a very good reason why we should normalise perfectly reasonable precautions against airborne viruses. youtu.be/mqIxyammvXE?...

New Addiction Audio: Communicating public health research with @drsarahejackson.bsky.social, Martin Jarvis and @robertjwest.bsky.social. Elle Wadsworth talks to 3 generations of tobacco/nicotine researchers about their recent editorial ‘The price of a cigarette: 20 minutes of life?’

Finally, we have a published version of the paper describing the ontology for capturing information about recipients of interventions. It's out for peer review but open to comments from all interested parties so do have a look and stress test it! wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/10-...

We're going to be focusing on using ML to predict intervention outcomes - something that we don't do enough but should be core business for behavioural scientists.

We are a week away from the second webinar in our AI in behavioural research series, focusing on Analytical AI, covering its use in classifying knowledge, reasoning, and making predictions from data. 📅 11:30am, 12 March 2025. Sign up below: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

With speakers @jannahastings.bsky.social, @susanmichie.bsky.social & @robertjwest.bsky.social

The populist right is damaging US science. The UK could be next. open.substack.com/pub/kityates...

The programme for #BCConf2025 is here! 🎉 2 days (2-3 April), 3 inspiring keynotes, 13 panel discussions/symposia, and over 200 projects showcased in oral presentations and posters! In-person tickets are sold out but you can register to watch online. 👉 Find out more: www.ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-ch...

How do apps backed by the alcohol industry mislead users & risk increasing the amount users drink? In our latest blog, Elliott Roy-Highley & @markpetticrew.bsky.social look at the content of industry apps. "It exemplifies the subtle ways that industry actors use... www.ias.org.uk/2025/02/25/d...

You can now sign up for the second webinar in our AI in Behavioural Research series. This session focuses on analytical AI, how it classifies knowledge, undertakes reasoning & more. 📅 11:30am, 12 March 2025. Register Here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Our third and final #AI webinar is also open for registration. In this webinar our speakers @jannahastings.bsky.social, @susanmichie.bsky.social & @robertjwest.bsky.social will explore ethical challenges in AI for behavioural research. 📅 1pm, 12 May 2025. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The Drink Less app goes from strength to strength. Here is an economic evaluation of the likely impact of rolling it out across England www.valueinhealthjournal.com/article/S109...

I worked in the MoD in the late 1970s and it was my opinion then and it remains today that the US was not a trustworthy ally. Now it has made its intentions clear - to install far right puppet governments in Europe. We have a fight on our hands.