More Than a Nudge:

Behavioral Science
Applications in Residence Life
Dan Wright, Area Coordinator
The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States

Session #1008

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This Afternoon’s Session
Outline Learning Outcomes

• Introduction to Behavioral • Describe introductory concepts

Science of behavioral science and areas
for application of concepts to
• Behavioral Science Concepts housing and residence life

• Dan’s Example Application • Identify challenges and

opportunities for resident advisor
• Brainstorm Session: Behavioral and resident interventions to
Science Applications overcome psychological,
logistical, and heuristic barriers
• Questions
• Develop strategies to re-frame
• Resources existing or planned resident
interventions with behavioral
science techniques and
data-informed decision-making

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Behavior

Define behavior
(“Behavior is…”)

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Now It’s Your Turn!

Pick a desired
student behavior
• Action to take • Action to not take
Think small - specific and intentional
(ex. - “I want students to put their bags of
trash down the chute in the trash room”)

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What is Behavioral Science?

A Definition:
“Behavioral science is the study of how people
make decisions and act within a complex and
textured world where details matter...We make
decisions with imperfect information and do
not always choose what’s best for us.
Seemingly small and inconsequential details
undermine our intentions to act…”
Nudging for Success: Using behavioral science to improve
the postsecondary student journey (Ideas42, 2016).

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Intro to Behavioral Science

Concepts
Framing Defaults
Confirmation Bias Social Norms
Decision Fatigue / Uncertainty Aversion
Choice Overload

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Behavioral Science Concepts

Framing
Given options
available, the
choice made is
influenced by
how the options
are presented
Twitter: @mxiqbal
https://twitter.com/mxiqbal/status/109075695
1926099969

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Tversky & Kahneman (1981) © ACUHO-I 2019 | All Rights
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Behavioral Science Concepts

Defaults
Pre-set courses of action that go into effect if
the person making the choice does nothing
Organ Donation
Effective Consent
Rates.
Ariely (2008)

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Thaler & Sunstein (2008) © ACUHO-I 2019 | All Rights
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Default Effect

GW’s “Freshman Day of Service”

All day event held two weeks

into the fall semester

2018-2019: 2,800 first year students

80% attendance
• Assumed 100% attendance
• Auto-assigned every first year student to a service site and
gave them all personalized info about their schedule for the day

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Behavioral Science Concepts

Confirmation Bias
Seek out or interpret information
that confirms one’s existing beliefs,
preconceptions, or way of thinking

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Wason (1960) © ACUHO-I 2019 | All Rights
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Behavioral Science Concepts

Social Norms
Behavior considered
socially “acceptable”
by a majority of people
with a group, with
considerable influence
on an individual’s
decisions
"Read About How Hotels Get You To Reuse Towels.
Everyone’s Doing It"

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Cialdini & Goldstein (2004) © ACUHO-I 2019 | All Rights
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Behavioral Science Concepts

Decision Fatigue / Choice Overload

Too many choices can lead to psychological
fatigue and impairs self-control

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Vohs et al. (2008); Iyengar & Lepper (2000) © ACUHO-I 2019 | All Rights
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Behavioral Science Concepts

Uncertainty Aversion
Tendency to
choose a known
risk over an
unknown risk,
even when there’s
significant
benefits

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Ellsberg (1961) © ACUHO-I 2019 | All Rights
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Intro to Behavioral Science

Applications
Enrollment Financial Aid
Student Success Academic Advising

Housing and Residence Life?

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Application at the George
Washington University’s
Mount Vernon Campus
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Campus Context
GW’s Mount Vernon Campus

679 bedspaces - 94% first year

4 Living Learning Communities

16 Resident Advisors

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Resident Advisor “Reflections”

Residential Life Team-wide initiative to provide Resident Advisors a

regular opportunity to reflect on their community, their work as an
RA, and personally as a student

Weekly Basis

• Resident Interactions • Notes on Their Community

• Personal Stories • Initiatives, Programs, Events
• Successes and Challenges

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Resident Advisor “Reflections”

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Resident Advisor “Reflections”

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Comparison Across Semesters

Average Residents Interacted With (Campus Wide)

Fall 2018: 98 residents per week
Spring 2019: 205 residents per week

By Resident Advisor
15 of 16 Resident Advisors increased average
number of residents interacted with per week

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 What behavior did I desire?

What were the barriers that a Resident

Advisor faced to exhibit that behavior?

What behavioral science concept

did I apply in my attempt?

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Brainstorm Session
1. Get into small groups - 3-6 people
2. Introduce yourselves
3. Share how you define behavior and the desired student
behavior that you picked earlier in this session
4. Among your group, pick one of those desired behaviors
5. Brainstorm potential solutions that:
• Attempt to overcome a barrier to desired behavior a
student faces, and/or
• Use one or more of the described behavioral science
concepts
6. Share with the rest of the groups!

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Three Takeaways!

1. Think small - specific behaviors

can be adjusted through small
tweaks!
2. Have a barrier-oriented approach
to designing your solutions
3. Ensure that students still have the
ability to choose for themselves

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Questions/Discussion
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Selected Readings

ideas42: Nudging for Success: Using behavioral science to improve

the postsecondary student journey

ideas42: Nudges, Norms, and New Solutions: Evidence-based

strategies to get students to & through college

Daniel Kahneman: Thinking, Fast and Slow

Dan Ariely: Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape

Our Decisions

Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein: Nudge: Improving Decisions About

Health, Wellness, and Happiness

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