Mapping Doings

Last year’s Behavioural Economics guide contains a dandy little behaviour map, grouping similar behaviours together in on a simple axis. I’ve slightly adapted it to the version below, in my own scrawl.

This is useful for marketers trying to figure out what the type of behaviour is they’re looking to change, as it will have some influence on the direction of strategy. Elaborations within.

The basic is assumption is that all behaviours, stripped down to their barest bones, fall on this axis.

On the y we have System 1 and System 2: the difference between behaviours motivated by emotion or instinct and those that are carefully thought through. On the x we have affect, which is either hot or cold. This refers to how emotionally invested we are in the behaviour (hot being more so and cold being less so).

Intuitive behaviours fall in the top-left quadrant. We do these behaviours because we just have a feeling that they will work or be beneficial in some way. They are initial reactions to the environment, carry emotional weight, and have consequences that are not always thought through.

Habitual behaviours fall in the top-right quadrant. We do these behaviours because we have always done them. They have become automatic, and therefore not a lot of cognitive effort is put into doing them. This makes them easier.

Interestingly, the likelihood that a behaviour will become habitual depends on the type of reward it offers. Behaviours with emotional rewards (increasing happiness, providing status) are stronger than those with purely rational rewards (improving the environment, being healthy).

Motivated behaviours are the fun ones, falling in the bottom-left quadrant. They are emotionally charged, with all possible benefits considered. Motivation can come from external sources (friends, family) or from within (willpower) and affect how motivation is sustained over time.

Generally, willpower alone is tough to sustain without some outside encouragement, but can be extremely powerful if cultivated.

Reflective behaviours fall in the bottom-right quadrant. We do these behaviours because they are in line with our attitudes and belief systems. They reflect who we are as a person. They are carefully thought through and (usually) approached objectively, without emotional influence.

When changing behaviour, it is not enough to choose the behaviour you want to change to. It's useful, also, to consider the behaviour you want to change from.

For me, this model helps with that.

a.ce