The BASIC model

Decision-Making

A way of identifying behavioral problems that may be amenable to a nudge intervention is given by the Danish organization iNudgeyou, which uses the BASIC model to design interventions. The acronym stands for: B = behavioral mapping: collecting data to define the problem - the what phase. A = analysis: why people are currently behaving as they are - the why phase. S = solution mapping: this is the scientific and systematic process of making suggestions - the how phase. I = interventions - this is the testing of possible nudge solutions before full implementation - this is the test phase. Once a nudge intervention has been selected, there is then C = Continuation: solutions may fail due to poor implementation or lack of maintenance, so a process of on-going monitoring of the success of behavior change is needed, as well as an evaluation of possible unforeseen side-effects - the results stage. An approach such as BASIC is needed whenever nudging is being considered - jumping from general knowledge to specific behavioral problems is fraught with problems.

Behavioural science has a magpie problem. It sees a shiny bias and flies off with it.

Checkout abandonment? Loss aversion. Late expenses? Present bias. Weak security? People need nudging. The diagnosis sounds clever enough to survive without meeting the behaviour.

BASIC is useful because it forces the cleverness to queue behind observation. What exactly happens? Where? For whom? Surprise fees, a broken field and ordinary distraction can all produce an abandoned basket. They require three different interventions and perhaps one developer with access to the error logs.

The final C is the bit glamorous projects misplace. Continuation means discovering whether the result survived month three. Ownership changes. Novelty fades. People route around the intervention. The headline measure improves while an unmeasured cost grows behind it.

That is less fun than putting coloured bias cards on a table. It is also the difference between inquiry and behavioural astrology.

Map the moment. Test competing explanations. Try several small responses. Watch benefits and side effects. Name whoever maintains the change after the experiment stops receiving attention.

An acronym proves nothing, naturally. This one at least reminds the enthusiast that the world gets the final decisive vote before, during and after the clever idea.