Positive behavioral change in the digital age

Become familiar with the possibilities of digital media to support positive behavior change and learn how behavioral and communication strategies can be used to promote happy, healthy, prosocial, and sustainable lifestyles.

In this minor, you learn how to use behavioral and communication strategies in combination with digital media technology to inspire and empower people to adopt and sustain happy, healthy, prosocial, and sustainable lifestyles. You are challenged to address complex behavioral issues in the domain of health, digital wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, intimate relationships and love, or sustainability, and design effective solutions in an urban environment.

In this minor, you dive into the world of behavioral change in the digital age. You become familiar with the unprecedented possibilities digital media offer to support positive behavior change. Also, you learn how behavioral and communication strategies can be used to promote happy, healthy, prosocial, and sustainable lifestyles. Topics covered include but are not limited to eHealth, online social influence, artificial intelligence (e.g., targeting and tailoring), influencer marketing, and gamification.

This minor is a collaboration between the Erasmus Movez, BRICS, and Love Labs and the university-wide student initiative Erasmus Verbindt, which has a large and relevant network of societal stakeholders in the city of Rotterdam. In cocreation with these academic and societal stakeholders, you are challenged to identify and unravel pressing behavioral issues in the fields of mental and physical health, digital well-being, diversity and inclusion, intimate relationships and love, or sustainability in the city of Rotterdam. Then, you are challenged to come up with a relevant digital solution (e.g. intervention or campaign) for the behavioral issue of your choosing. Solutions are designed in small, interdisciplinary teams and in cocreation with end users and stakeholders. The solutions are assessed by a jury consisting of both academics and stakeholders in a closing symposium.

• Define, explain and critically discuss complex behavioral issues in the domain of health, digital wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, intimate relationships and love, or sustainability by systematically applying relevant theoretical and empirical insights from (health) psychology, behavioral science and communication science.
• Systematically design a digital solution to tackle a complex behavioral issue in the domain of health, digital wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, intimate relationships and love, or sustainability by applying relevant theoretical and empirical insights from (health) psychology, behavioral science, communication science, and data science.
• Showcase the digital solution (e.g., intervention) in a professional and persuasive presentation to convince fellow students, academic and societal stakeholders of your ideas.

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

Teaching materials
You are provided with various teaching materials, including scientific articles, books, and video lectures.

Students’ agency is an important part of the learning experience. This entails that you and your team decide for yourselves what societal issue you want to focus on and what relevant knowledge and information is needed to solve the issue. You are also encouraged to find relevant materials yourselves as well.

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

• Weekly assignments (graded on team and/or individual level, depending on the assignment)
• Presentation of the solution (graded on team level)
• Report of the solution (graded on team level)
• Report including critical discussion of the solution (graded on individual level)

Composition final grade

• Weekly assignments
• Individual assignment (critical discussion of the solution)
• Team assignment (report and presentation of the solution)

The minor will be open for international students. For this reason, all the material and activities will be in English. The language used in class will be English. The group assignments should be made in English, individual assignments may be made in English or Dutch.

Because this minor is interdisciplinairy in nature, we encourage students from all educational backgrounds to participate.