Why do people do what they do? And how can we get them to change? Join us for the launch of Saadi Lahlou's new book, where he will discuss how we can realistically and effectively implement change.
The discussion will be followed by a drinks reception open to all attendees.
For 30 years, Lahlou and his team at LSE have been studying the behaviour of hundreds of people in very different situations to understand what makes them act. Using miniature video cameras, called subcams, attached to eyeglasses, people around the world have filmed their own activities: cooking, eating, cleaning, looking after their children, using their smartphones, driving, shopping, working - and explained in detail why they do what they do.
Professor Saadi Lahlou cracked the powerful combination of mechanisms by which societies make people act in predictable ways. Think of how predictable behaviour is in almost every social setting, not just on planes, trains and buses, but on the street, in offices, in hospitals, at family dinners. Predictability is necessary for society, so the societal channelling techniques are very efficient. Lahlou's method, 'installation theory', is inspired by the exact combination of mechanisms that societies themselves have built and perfected throughout history to channel behaviour. This new book explains how to implement change in a simple and educational way.
Meet our speakers and chair
Professor Saadi Lahlou is Chair in Social Psychology at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Director of the Paris Institute for Advanced Study. He is a member of the Academy of Europe (Academia Europaea) and of the National Academy of Technologies of France. Lahlou has spent decades analysing human behaviour in a wide range of domains and advising government and industry on how to change the way people behave.
Professor Helga Nowotny is Former President of the ERC, the European Research Council (2010-2013) and one of its founding members (2007). She is Professor emerita of Science and Technology Studies, ETH Zurich.
Professor Liam Delaney (@LiamDelaney2020) is Head of the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at LSE. His career spans economics, psychology, and public policy. From 2017-2020, he was Professor of Economics at University College Dublin, leading the MSc in Behavioural Economics and Geary Institute Experimental Lab. He previously led Stirling's Behavioural Science Centre. A Fulbright Fellow at Princeton and MSCA fellow, he has published extensively on mental health and economic outcomes and developed a widely used framework for integrating ethical considerations into behavioural science applications.
More about this event
This is an in-person only event.
The Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science (@LSE_PBS) is a growing community of researchers, intellectuals, and students who investigate the human mind and behaviour in a societal context. Our department conducts cutting-edge psychological and behavioural research that is both based in and applied to the real world.
Please note that photographs and footage may be taken throughout this event. These may be used by the School for marketing and publicity in our publications, on our website and in social media or in any third party publication. Please contact the event organiser if you have any concerns or if you wish to be exempted from this activity.