I’m genuinely excited for the year ahead, as behavioural science continues to become a force for good in organisations, governments, charities and businesses.
Rather than being a bolt-on at the end, it has the capacity to drive and shape service improvements, better communications that go beyond awareness-raising, and product design that helps remove friction, simplify decisions, and build systems that people can actually use.
As behavioural science becomes more mainstream, questions of ethics, transparency and trust, particularly in the use of AI, will rightly play a bigger role in how these approaches are designed and governed.
My hope and prediction is that, when used properly, behavioural science will help deliver better services and products, whilst saving your organisation money in the face of tighter budgets.
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So with that in mind, let’s get into the details of my predictions for 2026 in the world of behavioural science:
1. Behavioural Science Becomes Mainstream
In 2026, we’ll see more organisations embedding behavioural science right from the start, at the earliest stage of decision-making.
Behavioural science will be used to co-design services and policies that reflect how people think and act in the real world. We’ll see it applied to everything from recycling and climate action to managing demand in health services or encouraging digital uptake. The focus will be on diagnosing behavioural barriers and understanding what gets in the way of people making better choices.
This trend aligns with what we’re seeing around the world, with governments and other organisations using behavioural insights to improve services and communications.
2. From Nudges To Systems
Short-term nudges, popularised by books like “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness” by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein, have shaped much of the popular conversation in behavioural science over the past decade.
In 2026, this narrative will continue shifting towards sustained behaviour change.
One-off reminders, prompts, and other nudges will be important, but increasingly the conversation will turn to service and systems design. This means a focus on the environment around us, examining core problems, behaviours, and barriers to change.
In practice, instead of tweaking one choice at a time, practitioners will redesign whole systems (education, health, finance, etc.) to embed better behaviours and choices and help people make better decisions themselves.
3. Increasing Role For AI
It’s no surprise that AI will play a growing role in behavioural science.
AI can help map behaviours, personalise interventions, and support faster, more efficient decision-making. Personally, I’ve started using AI tools to match interventions to behavioural barriers. It helps me research more quickly and get to better solutions, faster. It’s not a replacement, but it’s a great assistant.
At the same time, interpreting data through a behavioural lens will be increasingly crucial, as will spotting unintended consequences of automated decisions and making sure that data provided by machines reflects human needs.
This is also where ethics becomes essential…
4. Ethics And Guardrails
This is a big one.
As behavioural science becomes more embedded in everyday life, and starts combining with technologies like AI, there’s a growing need for strong ethical guardrails.
Behavioural tools can be powerful. They can encourage positive behaviours — but they can also be misused to manipulate, deceive, or take advantage of people. Think of how loan sharks take advantage of vulnerable people in need.
My hope and prediction are that ethical standards will improve and tighten: transparency, user consent and fairness will become the norm.
And genuine value exchanges, where the user derives value from a behavioural intervention rather than feeling manipulated into a specific choice, are ones to watch.
5. Better Measurement And Outcomes
2026 will cement a shift towards more rigorous and better evaluation and accountability for behavioural science.
Measurement tools will become more accessible, as not all organisations have the budget, time, and resources to rely on Randomised Controlled Trials (see explanation here). This means using new approaches, in addition to RCTs, such as simpler trials, online experiments, large observational studies, and increased collaboration.
My work with clients will increasingly focus on these areas: trialling interventions, conducting online experiments, and observational work. And as always, I will continue to focus on integrating service delivery, communications, and cross-departmental working.
6. Behavioural Science Doesn’t Work In Isolation Anymore
One of the biggest shifts I see coming is that behavioural science won’t work in isolation anymore.
Instead, we’ll see more deliberate collaboration between behavioural science experts, operational teams, communicators, people professionals, policy teams, data analysts and technology professionals.
On its own, behavioural science can explain why people act the way they do, but lasting change happens when those insights are translated into how services and systems are designed, working alongside disciplines such as sociology, economics and anthropology, and integrating with data science, AI, public policy, operations and ethics.
This means that 2026 will be about much more than just the individual – it’s about the systems, cultures, and contexts we live in and how they affect behaviour.
7. Combating Misinformation And Building Trust
Last but not least, this isn’t a new idea, but it’s not going away: behavioural science has a big role to play in fighting misinformation and building trust.
From pandemics to climate change and political polarisation, we’ve seen how misinformation can spread fast and do real harm. Behavioural science can help pre-empt this through techniques like “prebunking” — teaching people to spot manipulation tactics before they take hold — and by building trusted communication that resonates with real people.
Not a surprise to any communications professionals reading this, but good old-fashioned techniques like using credible messengers and making communications simpler and more human will be as important as ever.
Finally, ensuring that public services are transparent, responsive and user-friendly will help to restore trust.
Final Thought
It’s an exciting time for behavioural science. Clearly, there are many opportunities and many challenges.
Behavioural science will no doubt continue to become a key part of how organisations, governments, charities, and businesses work.
But it won’t happen if we don’t work together.
We all have a part to play in bringing about this change: to better understand people, systems, and the context in which we live. And to work across disciplines to design better services, stronger policies, and a more trustworthy, inclusive world.
Here’s to a better and more positive world in 2026.
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If any of this strikes a chord with you, please call us on 01928 242182 or Click Here To Make An Online Enquiry.
Dominic Ridley-Moy FCIPR, Chart.PR, Dip CIPR
Behaviour Change Network founder
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