Behaviour Change

Behaviour change is a term often used to describe the human response to climate change and is a constant source of frustration for those working in the field. Sure, we can green our grid and introduce cleaner forms of power, but if people would change their patterns of consumption of energy, improve their rates of recycling and travel by car and plane less, we’d also achieve a lot. Getting people to change their behaviour is hard! The pathways to behaviour change are many and complex, and may start with a profound and poetic realisation of our place within nature – a transformation that art can assist. The use of real-time data in artworks or other forms of instant gratification and reward can drive a more direct path to behaviour change. Here are some works that we think do this in diverse and fun ways.

The Fun Theory

The Fun Theory is an initiative of Volkswagen in Sweden – a competition of ideas – that is based on the theory that you can get people to change their behaviour by making it fun to do the right thing. Turning the stairs next to an escalator in a public metro into a giant musical piano keyboard created a shift of 66% of users to the stairs instead of the elevator. A rubbish bin in a park that makes a funny noise when waste is deposited encouraged people to clean up the park for the pure joy of throwing away waste. Such demonstrations show the power of creativity to make a measurable difference. Watch the amusing videos on their website.