In a recent series of workshops, participants mapped behavioral challenges, developed fictional taxpayer personas, and sketched low-cost interventions to improve communication and process design.

Read more about the workshop: Making tax compliance easier: How to help taxpayers help you (if you’re a tax administration) – European Commission

Learn more about the project context: Strengthening tax compliance by implementing behavioural insights for revenue administrations in Member States – Knowledge for policy

The guide provides practical tools for diagnosing compliance barriers, designing behavioral interventions, and embedding new approaches into tax processes.

The handbook is meant as a toolbox for authorities and policymakers who wish to apply behavioral insights in their work (Press Release).

Download the handbook: Strengthening tax compliance by implementing behavioural insights for revenue administration in Belgium, Austria, and Portugal – European Commission

Learn more about the project context: Strengthening tax compliance by implementing behavioural insights for revenue administrations in Member States – Knowledge for policy

A big thank you to the colleagues from the Portuguese Tax Authority for their active participation and invaluable contributions.

Read more about the workshop: Making tax compliance easier: How to help taxpayers help you (if you’re a tax administration) – European Commission

Project context: Strengthening tax compliance by implementing behavioural insights for revenue administrations in Member States | Knowledge for policy

What we will do

Behavioral sciences can contribute a lot when it comes to enhancing the design, implementation, and measurement of initiatives aimed at mastering complex developmental challenges. This is why the application of behavioral sciences has been accelerating within the UN since about 2016. We are honored to have the opportunity to potentially contribute to UNDP’s important initiatives aiming at strengthening local communities and supporting the development and implementation of effective policies and programs.

Shoutout to our project team

A big thank you to everyone who played a role in achieving this important milestone. Your commitment and expertise have been invaluable throughout the process, and we are looking forward to continuing working together.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications grow, we face a variety of unprecedented ethical dilemmas and uncertainties over their adoption. One of the most pressing challenges for policymakers, companies, and consumers is the issue of liability.

Together with the European Commission, Kantar Public, and CEPS, we investigated the attitudes of Europeans towards AI in terms of trust, social acceptance, and willingness to take up AI applications. To generate insights about the potential impact of different liability regimes on consumer behavior, we tested three regulatory alternatives in a hypothetical scenario like the lawnmower thought experiment above and observed how they affect their willingness to pay for AI products.

Turns out that Europeans, while generally open to AI applications, are skeptical about adopting them for concerns such as privacy, transparency, and the potential damage these products can cause. In the experiment, consumers generally behaved rationally and demonstrated that they are aware of the serious ambiguities in determining who is at fault in accidents where AI applications are involved. As such, their willingness to buy AI products is in tight harmony with economic self-interest. If the burden of proof lies on the user when damage is caused to self, the willingness to pay decreases. In the scenario of damage being caused to other parties, the more liable the users are, the less they are willing to pay.

The findings of our study informed a proposal for an AI liability Directive by the European Commission which can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu/contract-rules/digital-contracts/liability-rules-artificial-intelligence_en

Link to the full study: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0f738be1-5911-11ed-92ed-01aa75ed71a1

Please take the 10-minute survey to support our project: https://bathpsychology.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cwNFQiTNPmx4xpA

At the end of the survey, you will learn how your values compare to those of others.

Read the article (in German language): Behavioral Insights & (green) nudging  – Thüringer Agentur für die Kreativwirtschaft

(c) Thüringer Agentur für die Kreativwirtschaft (THAK)

One way to combat fake news is through independent verification of news accuracy so that media outlets and users can easily assess whether what they are exposed to is factual. Making such verification salient can prevent disinformation from seeping into the subconscious and conscious mind.  However, the speed at which news travels today makes it extremely difficult and costly for governments or media outlets alone to combat misinformation.

A possible solution to this issue was recently developed by Dr. Manuel Schubert and Fahad Alsharif, PhD. In a paper titled “Crowdsourcing Facts in Conflicts” published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Humanitarian Studies they discuss how a crowdsourcing platform that harnesses the “wisdom of the crowd” can increase the reliability and objectivity of conflict-related news.

Via an integrated marketplace, the proposed platform would connect two sides of the news market: reporters and media outlets. The platform would incorporate a financial and a reputational penalty-bonus system setting incentives for all participants to disclose information as accurately as possible. With these features, the platform is expected to sustain itself both financially and functionally without compromising its independence and crowd-based integrity.

The article in English language: Crowdsourcing Facts in Conflicts: Towards a Truth-Telling Mechanism to Counter Fake News (English)

The article in Arabic language: Crowdsourcing Facts in Conflicts: Towards a Truth-Telling Mechanism to Counter Fake News (Arabic)

The platform is in the development stage and open for collaboration and funding. To get involved, contact Dr. Manuel Schubert or Fahad Alsharif, PhD.

Our study will inform one of the key initiatives for 2022 under the European Green Deal issued within the State-of-the-Union Letter of Intent which seeks to contribute to achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Using behavioral experiments, consumer surveys, and qualitative research methods, our team will investigate the factors that keep consumers from choosing to repair a broken product or purchasing secondhand goods and determine the ideal configuration of a “right to repair” from a consumer point of view. The outcome of the study will help identify the best combination of policy measures to create a choice architecture that makes sustainable behaviors more attractive.

We are very happy to start working with Milieu, Kantar and Ramboll on this important topic to support the EU’s transition towards a Circular Economy – a topic near and dear to our hearts. This project marks another milestone in the successful partnership between Kantar and Behavia in which we have been jointly conducting complex behavioral experiments and market research on behalf of the European Commission.

The Ignited Voices program brought around 50 young people from all walks of life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia together to prepare them for global representation and engagement. The program culminated in a 5-day live-streamed event, containing ten presentations per day.

After the events, Manuel commented: “Amazing. The participants discussed tonight some of the most pressing issues of our time. I really got blown away by their ideas to make our world a better place, their passion and determination. I am truly grateful to the Misk Foundation and the participants for this wonderful experience and opportunity to learn from them.”