Positive behavior change in the digital age

Learn to design behavior change interventions using digital media technology and AI to create a positive impact on individuals and society.

In this minor, you will learn how to design digital behavior change interventions that will have a positive impact on individuals and society at large. By combining behavioral and communication strategies with digital media technology and Artificial Intelligence, you will develop innovative solutions that inspire and empower people to adopt and sustain happy, healthy, prosocial, and sustainable lifestyles.

You will tackle complex behavioral challenges related to physical, mental, digital, and social well-being, and design effective solutions for urban environments. Beyond developing digital behavior change interventions yourself, you will also learn to advise companies and intervention developers on how to bring positive change in both individuals and society.

You will apply a systems thinking approach. Rather than addressing behavioral challenges in isolation, you will analyze the broader system in which these behaviors occur. This means identifying key stakeholders and understanding the interactions that shape behavior. This minor emphasizes stakeholder science. In collaboration with societal partners, you will identify and unravel real-world behavioral challenges in the areas of physical, mental, digital, and social well-being within the city of Rotterdam. You will then work in small interdisciplinary teams to develop effective solutions through co-creation with societal partners and end-users and to assess its feasibility, impact and relevance.

As we attain a flipped classroom principle, we expect an active attitude from students.

After completing this minor, you will be able to:

1. Combine relevant theoretical and empirical insights from (health) psychology, behavioral science, communication science, and data science to tackle a complex behavioral challenge in the domain of physical, mental, digital, and social well-being.
2. Integrate stakeholder insights into the process of positive behavior change and intervention-design.
3. Design a solution (i.e., digital behavior change intervention) tackling a complex behavioral challenge in the domain of physical, mental, digital, and social well-being.
4. Present your solution (i.e., digital behavior change intervention) orally and in writing attaining an accessible, professional, and/or academic style.
5. Assess your solution (i.e., digital behavior change intervention) in terms of effectiveness, feasibility, impact and relevance based on theoretical and empirical insights from (health) psychology, behavioral science, communication science, and data science as well as stakeholder insights.

This is a full-time minor . If you prepare well, keep track of your assignments, and integrate your feedback, you are very likely to pass the course and have fun working on your behavior change intervention. The course will be offered offline, on campus.

As incorporating different insights and perspectives in a behavioral challenge is essential, we are very open and welcome to students from a variety of educational backgrounds, nationalities, and ethnicities . For this reason, all the material and activities will be in English. The group assignments should be made in English, individual assignments may be made in English or Dutch.

To successfully complete the course, it is required that you actively participate in all parts of the course. This also means that you need to attend all practical sessions (i.e., tutorial meetings) and need to attain an active attitude.

Teaching methods
Team-based learning, project-based learning, challenge-based learning, autonomy-supportive learning, flipped classroom

Teaching materials
During the course we will rely on a variety of learning materials, including scientific articles, books, and video material. The exact learning materials will be posted on Canvas two weeks in advance. Part of the learning materials focuses on the central theory of the course, which includes the book “The Behavior Change Wheel” by Michie et al. (2013). The other part of the learning materials focuses on the central approach of the course (i.e., stakeholder science), which includes at least eight interactive learning modules. You need to also find relevant material applicable to your behavioral case yourself.

Method of examination
The following components together result in a grade:

• Weekly assignments (graded on team and/or individual level depending on the assignment)
• Oral presentation of the solution (i.e., pitch; graded on team level)
• Written substantiation of the solution and its academic foundation (i.e., advisory report; graded on team level)
• Written critical reflection on the solution (i.e., individual report; graded on individual level)

Composition final grade

• Weekly assignments (individual/team) - Test weight sufficient/insufficient (need to all be sufficient to be able to pass the course)
• Pitch (team) - Test weight 20%
• Advisory report (team) - Test weight 20%
• Individual report (individual) - Test weight 60%