Financial incentives in motivating socially desirable behaviours: when is it effective and when is it right?

On September 13th, 2013, the Behavioural Science Center at Stirling Management School will host a symposium on the theme: monetary incentives to promote socially desirable behaviours. Two questions that the symposium will address are:

1. What factors make monetary incentives effective in promoting socially desirable behaviours, and what factors compromise their efficacy?

2. Paying people to engage in socially desirable behaviours might have implications for ethics and the formation of norms. What do we know about these issues?

We are proud to have two pioneering behavioural scientists as keynote speakers: George Loewenstein and Peter Ubel.

We will be live-tweeting during the day with the hashtag #StirBSC.

Venue: The Court Room, Cottrell Building, University of Stirling

Program:

9.00 – 9.15 coffee and introduction

Theme 1: Experiments in incentives

9.15 – 9.40 Ruth Hunter (Queens University, Belfast): Physical activity loyalty cards for behavioural change

9.40 – 10.05 Jonathan James (University of Bath): Changing Eating Habits

10.05 – 10.30 Dan Connolly (Ideas 42): Financial incentives improve accuracy of political judgments

Coffee

Theme 2: Acceptability of incentives

10.45 – 11.10 David Meads (University of Leeds): A contingent valuation study of financial incentives for health behavior change

11.10 – 11.35 Mirjam Plantinga (University of Groningen): Financial incentives and stigma

11.35 – 12.00 Marianne Promberger (Kings College, London): Perceived coerciveness of rewards for medical treatment

12.00 – 1.30 Lunch

1.30 – 2.45 Peter Ubel keynote

2.45 – 3.25 Guided walk around campus

Theme 3: Meta-analyses

3.25 – 3.50 Jean Adams (Newcastle University): A meta-analysis of financial incentives to encourage uptake of healthy behaviours

3.50 – 4.15 Nicola Lacetera (University of Toronto): Economic rewards to motivate blood donations

4.15 – 5.30 George Loewenstein keynote

5.30 – 6 Q&A