Foundations of Behavioral Science

What drives human behavior, and how can we influence it for the better? Enroll in Foundations of Behavioral Science, taught by Dr. Kai Ruggeri, to build a foundational understanding of how people make decisions and how those decisions can be influenced, measured, and improved through behavioral insights.

Drawing on evidence-based theories and real-world case studies, this course explores the principles that underlie behavioral interventions across healthcare, public policy, finance, and management. Learners will gain tools to identify, implement, and evaluate behavioral solutions to complex challenges at the individual and population levels.

Key Benefits

• Understand Core Behavioral Theories: Explore frameworks such as rational choice theory, prospect theory, and nudging to understand the mechanics of decision-making.

• Bridge Theory and Practice: Translate behavioral science into real-world applications in public policy, health, education, and economic systems.

• Learn from Global Case Studies: Analyze interventions across diverse cultural and sectoral contexts to identify common drivers of behavior and factors contributing to intervention success.

• Evaluate What Works, and Why: Critically assess where and how behavioral science succeeds or falls short, with a focus on implementation and outcomes.

• Develop Applied Skills: Acquire the ability to identify behavioral levers, predict decision-making patterns, and design ethical and effective interventions.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Explain the key principles and methods of behavioral science.

• Identify behavioral biases and decision-making patterns in real-world settings.

• Evaluate behavioral interventions across public and private sectors.

• Apply behavioral frameworks to challenges in healthcare, policy, finance, and management.

• Analyze case studies and draw lessons from both successes and failures in behavioral implementation.

Whether you're shaping policy, managing teams, or designing systems, understanding behavior is essential to creating meaningful change. Foundations of Behavioral Science equips you to understand why people act the way they do and how to use that knowledge to solve complex challenges with clarity and precision. Join a growing community of professionals applying behavioral insights to drive smarter decisions and more impactful outcomes.