Three Myths of Behavior Change - What You Think You Know That You Don't: Jeni Cross at TEDxCSU

Jeni Cross is a sociology professor at Colorado State University. She has spoken about community development and sustainability to audiences across the country, from business leaders and government officials to community activists. As a professor and consultant she has helped dozens of schools and government agencies implement and evaluate successful programs to improve community well-being. In this talk, she discusses her work around changing behaviors.

This video was originally posted 3/14/2013 and received 481 views. This corrected version was posted on 3/20/2013.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, wher/e x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[giorgigudiashvili]

I find myself occasionally coming back to this talk because every time I begin watching I don't really understand what she's talking about.

[tylergeffeney]

Education doesn't change behavior.... unless that education is 1. tangible 2, personalized 3. socialized, 4. points out what their are losing 5. appeals to the particular audience. TRANSLATION: Education -- when persuasive -- DOES change behavior.

[covenof]

One thing I always keep in mind when a professor or 'expert' lectures.  American schools produce poorly educated people at high cost.  One of the big problems is that they are so focused on changing people to fit whatever their personal opinion is on how people are supposed to act and behave they forget all about teaching. 

[danilocampanha]

"Social interaction is one of the most important tools we can use for making change."
Wow! Nice

[aaronjohnmaughan]

Anyone who parents has, I hope, discovered that modeling social norms is the most effective way to change behavior. If you want to get a child to clean up their mess, start cleaning the mess and have them help. Kids follow the examples they are given, and adults are simply grown up kids. Makes sense!

[warrenlauzon]

I honestly don't give a crap what some famous person says, as the credibility factor is usually pretty low. Many years ago the single most successful campaign in Japan to stop people littering went something like "Do you want visitors from XX country to see all this trash in the streets?" 

[k.ireneanderson]

It's a really good thing I don't have to rely on closed captioning or I would have NEVER gotten the gist of this talk."Refinance" = "raise your hands" and "turn up like really the rams" = "turn off the light when you leave the room." I don't know if it's YouTube or the people who create the videos but someone ought to pay attention to the closed captioning for people who DO need to rely on it.

[kittimcconnell]

Giving information is NOT the same as education.  

[hamiltonmays]

Watching some TEDx talks is like being required to sit through those presentations at work by overpaid "facilitators" droning on, offering nothing but useless, wrong, and/or worn-out platitudes packaged as brilliant and effective outside-the-box thinking.

[Faeleena]

I really don't like this speaker. She comes off as very condescending and like an obnoxious teacher. She has some good points, but this was so painful to listen too and I can't help but feel that it's taken to extremes.

[daniel-stopsurvivingstartl]

At first, they begin to engage themselves in many things with full motivation.

Everything appears to be exciting and meaningful, so they try to fill up their schedule with various activities.

In turn, they quickly build up knowledge and experience.

They meet new people and experience things they have never done before.

They feel like they are making progress and feel a sense of pride.

It doesn’t matter if this is actually true.

They just believe that what they feel is true.

This is exactly what the book 'Kit for Reaching Emotional Stability' is explaining about.

You might just turn on a documentary show and as it reaches the end, it feels like you have learned something.

But it doesn't matter whether you actually did learn anything.

You just feel satisfied with yourself.

[irfankazi]

She is right about how we tend to copy some body unconsciously like you start clapping if some body else starts to clap in an auditorium.

[nicole-secondaryemail-mort]

Hopefully this is an accurate summary:.

Myth 1: lack of education/information is the reason for irrational behaviour. Wrong. (behvaiour is more complex than this)


Myth 2: need to change attitudes to change behaviour? no.

Answer: Set behavioural expectations. It works. Also understand people's values.


Myth 3: People know what motivates them? No.

Answer: Social influence and social norms are a stronger motivator than we realise.

[clinicalpsychologistwannab]

I was bored by 1:46.
    I dislike when they bring up 'the AD'  type thing,  then make you sit thru the talk to 'get back to it later'.
    

[EditorialBunny]

There is a difference between giving information and education. You can tell people anything you want. But that isn't educating. Educating has to do with critical analysis and in depth conversation as well. Educating is also teaching by getting someone to think not have someone think for them.

[zzidaric]

"Change" is bullshit
Change is just something different.
What we really need is SOLVING PROBLEMS
When you solve a problem, change happens.

[RRBOROOAH]

Pretty Boring Talk. Picture 1 moves me more .That means her views are not universal. She contradicts herself in the talk. First she believes in messages being  personalised and then she goes on to make a rule which is static. LOL She is high.

[whatever]

I see that 216 people commented on this video... 
I must comment as well

[fredocorleone]

Presenter's vocabulary could be better...too verbose...and couldn't explain things in a sensible matter...left things logically vague.

[Dekan]

"Reality, in fact, is usually something you could not have guessed." -C.S. Lewis