Changing behaviour can be hard. We are bundles of associations between past events, thoughts, emotions and behaviours that can drive our behaviour in opposition to our goals, intentions and plans. We are creatures of habit, of routines, of desires, urges and impulses. We need to find ways of helping people develop methods for overcoming or changing these when they get in the way of what they want to achieve such as healthy behaviours or the delivery of health care services. We need to help them increase motivation, capability and opportunities for behaviour change. Behaviour change is increasingly recognised as central to human wellbeing, social cohesion and sustainability. Changing behaviour is a challenging and complex process, requiring theories, methods and evidence from many academic disciplines. This talk covers how theoretical tools and frameworks developed in behavioural science have been applied to change a range of health behaviours.

Lou Atkins PhD is a researcher, trainer and consultant in behaviour change intervention design and evaluation. As Senior Teaching Fellow of the UCL Centre for Behaviour Change she leads the Australasian Hub. Lou is involved in a number of projects to improve health and wellbeing through the application of behaviour change theory to intervention design to change health professional behaviour, prevent and manage illness. Together with Professors Susan Michie and Robert West, Lou co-authored the book, ‘The Behaviour Change Wheel – A Guide to Designing Interventions’. She is a registered Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

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