Programme
| Times | Sessions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 9:30 | Registration & Networking | ||||
| 9:30 - 9:45 | Welcome
Professor Linda Bauld, BR-UK Co-Director, University of Edinburgh & Scottish Government |
||||
| 9:45 - 10:30 | Keynote: Boost — empowering behaviour change to address global challenges How can we help people make better decisions in an increasingly complex world? In this keynote, Professor Ralph Hertwig introduces the concept of “boosts”—interventions designed to build individuals’ cognitive and motivational competences rather than steer their choices. Drawing on research in bounded rationality, simple heuristics, and learning from experience, he will explore how boosts can enhance autonomy, support smarter everyday decisions, and strengthen societal resilience. Ralph will highlight real-world applications across pressing global challenges, offering an ethical and effective alternative to traditional nudges. Professor Ralph Hertwig, Max Planck Institute for Human Development Chair - Professor Susan Michie, BR-UK Co-Director, University College London |
||||
| 10:30 - 10:45 | Capability Survey | ||||
| 10:45 - 11:15 | Mid-Morning Break & Poster Viewing |
||||
| Parallel Session One | |||||
| 11:15 - 12:10 |
Decisions, Data and Policy Chairs: Professor Pedro Bordalo, University of Oxford Dr. Arkady Konovalov, University of Birmingham |
AI & Digital Chairs: Professor Victoria Goodyear, University of Birmingham Dr. Maggie Guanyu Yang, University College London |
Health & Wellbeing Chairs: Dr. Vera Buss, University College London Professor Jamie Brown, University College London |
Enviroment & Sustainability Chairs: Dr Elif Naz Coker, University College London Dr. Harriet Baird, University of Sheffield |
|
| 11:20 - 11:30 | This session will explore how advances in cognitive economics, and AI are reshaping innovation and regulation. Cognitive economics sheds light on how people reason and ultimately act within the contexts created by firms and regulators, which in turn are increasingly shaped by AI. Oliver Hauser, Professor of Economics and the Deputy Director at the Institute for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence at the University of Exeter, Senior Advisor in the Evaluation Task Force in the UK Cabinet Office and H.M. Treasury. David Stallibrass, Deputy Chief Economics, Financial Conduct Authority Pedro Bordalo, Professor of Financial Economics at Oxford’s Saïd Business School | O1. Perceptions of People Living with Diabetes and Healthcare Professionals Towards AI-Assisted Screening in the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme: A Mixed-Methods Study Umar Chaudhry, City St George's, University of London | O6. Is price important in encouraging substitution to alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks? Using a cross-commodity purchase task among higher-risk drinkers in the UK to explore cross-price elasticity and substitution effects Lucy Burke, University of Sheffield | O11. Public messaging for summer risks: Extreme heat, drought, and wildfires - Learnings from working with government policymakers Katherine Saunders, BR-UK & UCL | |
| 11:30 - 11:40 | As above | O2. Embedding Behavioural Science in public-facing generative AI: Early Learning from the AI Health Coach Josephine McAllister, University of Bath | O7. Designing Effective Public Health Gambling Messages: A Two-Stage Experiment (125) Devashish Ray, NIHR Policy Research Unit in Behavioural and Social Sciences | O12. Investigating behavioural barriers to sustained engagement of volunteer champions for local water security and climate adaptation insub-Saharan Africa Will Ingram, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics | |
| 11:40 - 11:50 | As above | O3. When intentions are translated into actions: A thematic qualitative investigation of the factors associated with caregivers’ engagement with a chatbot-led parenting intervention in South Africa Maria Ambrosio, University of Oxford | O8. Experiences and Perceptions of Food Bank Use Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups in High-Income Countries: A Qualitative Systematic Review Ellie Ansell, University of Birmingham | O13. Multi-Actor Behaviour Journey Mapping (MABEJ): a new behavioural design tool for mapping complex public policy and administration processes Katarzyna Mikołajczak, Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics | |
| 11:50 - 12:00 | As above | O4. Development of a Copilot Agent for behavioural analysis and intervention design in the pharmaceutical industry Lorelei Boston, IQVIA | O9. Who Should Set Your Defaults? Experimental Evidence on Personalisation, Paternalism, and Transparency (171) Malte Dewies, University of Cambridge | O14. Drought governance and behavioural dynamics in England Hannah Perriton, Environment Agency | |
| 12:00 - 12:10 | As above | O5. Testing the impact of choice architecture to reduce exposure to potentially harmful content online on Video Sharing Platforms. Wouter Landzaat, Verian Group UK | O10. Acute Alcohol Intoxication on Metamemory Processes and Accuracy When Recalling Sexual Offences Heather Flowe, University of Birmingham | O15. Using message framings to promote pro-environmental grocery purchasing behaviour: An online experiment. Helena Wehling, UK Health Security Agency | |
| 12:10 - 12:20 | Panel Discussion Q&A for session | ||||
| 12:20 - 13:15 | Lunch & Poster Viewing | ||||
| 13:15 - 14:00 | Debate: Who Owns Trust? Experts, Citizens, or Algorithms? Debaters: Dr. Richard Amlôt, UK Health Security Agency Dr. Marco Bardus, University of Birmingham Professor Oliver Escobar, University of Edinburgh Dr. Rachel Singleton, Ulster University Business School Chair: Professor Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten, Centre-UB Deputy Director, University of Birmingham |
||||
| 14:00 - 14:45 | Keynote: The future of behavioural research and policy With the challenges of government being fundamentally uncertainties about public behaviour, we need more than ever to craft behavioural research that is timely, specific and practical. In this keynote, Professor Taylor will explore successful examples of research to impact, identifying what worked and why, and the lessons this has for the next generation of behavioural researchers. Professor Paul Taylor, Lancaster University Chair - Professor Jessica Woodhams, Centre-UB Director, University of Birmingham |
||||
| 14:45 - 15:00 | Curium Solutions Presentation | ||||
| 15:00 - 15:30 | Movement / Coffee Break and Poster Viewing | ||||
| Parallel Session Two | |||||
| 15:30 - 16:25 |
Decisions, Data and Policy Chairs: Dr. Sharon Cox, University College London Dr. Marie-Louise Sharp, University of Birmingham and the Cabinet Office |
AI & Digital Chairs: Dr. Amy Rodger, University of Edinburgh Dr. Charlene Rose, University of Birmingham |
Health & Wellbeing Chairs: Dr. Julze Alejandre, University of Edinburgh Professor Joanne Hart, University of Manchester |
Enviroment & Sustainability Chairs: Prof. David Shipworth, University College London Dr. Joshua Kearney, University of Birmingham |
|
| 15:35 - 15:45 | O16. Prevalence and Patterns of Potentially Harmful Online Choice Architecture in Online Marketplaces Victoria Coleman, Department for Business and Trade | O21. Co-creating and evaluating a Telegram-based chatbot to encourage family planning among vulnerable women in Lebanon Marco Bardus, University of Birmingham | O26. Integrating theory and narrative: co producing the SPACES intervention for alcohol reduction Emma Davies, Oxford Brookes University | O31. Resident motivations, intentions and behaviour in the transition to low carbon housing: A Qualitative Longitudinal perspective Fiona Shirani, Cardiff University | |
| 15:45 - 15:55 | O17. Using Synthetic Participants to Study Price Personalisation on Online Platforms: Methodological, Ethical, and Operational Insights Shaymaa Hussein-Samy, Department for Business and Trade | O22. Phone Ownership, Digital Literacy and Mental Wellbeing Outcomes in UK Children and Adolescents Jacquelynn Ennis, University of Birmingham | O27. Before Behaviour Change: a socio-political critique of the application of behaviour change concepts to WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions in Low and Middle Income Countries Nicola Gale, University of Birmingham | O32. Understanding how UK households are using secondary heating to inform low-carbon heating policy Annabel Knightley, Verian Group UK | |
| 15:55 - 16:05 | O18. Experiences, Information, and Attitudes Toward Refugees: Evidence from an Information Provision Experiment. Runping Zhao, University of Oxford | O23. Complexity, Narratives, and Causal Reasoning Scott Dickinson, University College London | O28. Leveraging choice architecture to support healthier food choices in online delivery platforms Lourdes Valencia Torres, Nesta | O33. Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme Sludge Audit John Stephen, Scottish Government | |
| 16:05 - 16:15 | O19. The Trust-Adoption Gap in AI Financial Tools: A Behavioural Mediation Model Chun Wing Hung, Durham University Business School | O24. The Role of Shared Social Identity in Misinformation Susceptibility Lily Parsons, University of York Visfo | O29. Evaluating a School-Based Vaping Prevention Programme Adapted for UK Adolescents Jennifer Cassarly, North Yorkshire Council | O34. Behavioural signals in electricity consumption: Insights from a large scale, usage-linked standing charge trial Annu Dwivedi, Ofgem | |
| 16:15 - 16:25 | O20. Credit where credit is due: How can AI's role in credit decisions be explained? Cameron Belton, Financial Conduct Authority | O25. False and Misleading Information: A Summary of Evidence on What it is, Why it matters, and How to respond. Harriet Baird, University of Sheffield | O30. What really engages local communities in healthy lifestyle services? Learnings from a public health service in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Tiago Moutela, Claremont | O35. Revisiting Climate Change Risk Communication: The Registered Report Mega-study on the Persuasiveness of the Most-Cited Climate Messages Nick Pidgeon, Cardiff University | |
| 16:25 - 16:45 | Panel Discussion Q&A for session | ||||
| 16:50 - 17:00 | Capability - Learnings | ||||
| 17:00 - 17:15 |
Prizes and Closing Remarks Professor Jessica Woodhams, Centre-UB Director, University of Birmingham |
||||
| 17:15 - 18:15 | Networking & Drinks reception (registration
required) |
||||
As part of the organisation of this conference, The University of Birmingham is collecting income via registration fees and sponsorships on behalf of the Building Capability in Behavioural Research 2026 organising committtee.