Guidance through the jungle of behavioral science theories, models, and concepts for non-behavioral scientists

Abstract

Interdisciplinary research is becoming increasingly important to tackle complex problems such as climate change. Human behavior is one key factor that needs to be considered to find solutions to these complex problems. Working in an interdisciplinary field requires scientists to engage in tedious studies of disciplines that are beyond their core expertise. This is also true for the selection of behavioral science approaches best suitable for the research question at hand. To provide a concise introduction to behavioral science, this article provides four clusters of behavioral science approaches. These four clusters, in conjunction with the further developed 4 DBC framework, can assist the analyst in systematically selecting the most suitable behavioral science approach. To illustrate the application of the framework, the examples of cycling and Practice Theory are used.

Keywords

• Behavioral science
• interdisciplinary research
• framework
• sustainability science
• cycling
• practice theory