This learning unit is not open to incoming exchange students!
Teacher(s)
Language
English
Prerequisites
Bachelor in law, political science, economics, psychology, or social sciences.
Main themes
This course aims to acquaint students with a new and vibrant field of legal research at the crossroads of behavioural science, public policy, and law. In particular, its main objectives are (i) to introduce students to key findings of behavioural sciences (for students who are new to the field), (ii) to highlight the relevance of behavioural findings for public policy and law, (iii) to study real-world examples of behaviourally informed public policy from different countries and the European Union, and (iv) to take a critical perspective on the use of behavioural findings in policy-making and law-making.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| At the end of this course, students will be able to explain in a rigorous manner some key results from behavioural science and discuss their relevance to policymaking in a given context. They will be familiar with seminal texts in the literature on “nudges”, including critical ones, and will be able to relate ideas discussed in those texts to real-world examples of behavioural policymaking. They will be familiar with the EU framework for bringing scientific evidence to policymaking and some behavioural studies the EU has commissioned. They will develop a capacity to discuss the processes of behavioural policymaking from their own disciplinary angle (psychology, economics, law, political science, philosophy). |
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Content
This course offers an introduction to the emerging field of behavioural public policy at the intersection of psychology, economics, law, political science, and philosophy. Through online activities and an intensive residential week, students explore key behavioural insights, real-world policy applications, and critically examine how these insights shape public interventions in Europe.
What is the course about?
This course aims to acquaint students with the young and vibrant field of behavioural public policy, which is intrinsically multidisciplinary. Its main objectives are (i) to introduce students to key findings of behavioural sciences (for students who are new to the field), (ii) to highlight the multifaceted relevance of behavioural findings for public policy and law, (iii) to study real-world examples of behaviourally informed public policy in Europe, and (iv) to take a critical perspective on the use of behavioural findings in policy-making and law-making.
The online course will start with an introduction to behavioural insights and cover how empirical findings from psychology have profoundly influenced economics through the notion of ‘bounded rationality’. Then, we will turn to the relevance of empirical knowledge about how people behave for policymaking and lawmaking. We will also investigate the specific EU context and learn how EU policies and laws are made and how they already incorporate behavioural knowledge.
The usefulness of behavioural insights for governments is often associated with “nudges”, but we will see how this is only part of the story. We will explore debates on the legitimacy of using psychology in the running of government and the effectiveness of behavioural interventions. We will also reflect on how private actors leverage behavioural insights and what sort of regulation this calls for. These general lines of enquiry will be related to specific policy topics, such as consumer protection in online environments, the promotion of sustainable behaviour and healthy lifestyles.
The online teaching will be structured around five modules, which will form the basis for practical group work during the intensive face-to-face week.
1. Introduction(s): As part of this course, several disciplines will be covered. We will therefore devote three sessions to introducing various components of the field now known as ‘behavioural public policy’
- General introduction: How the behavioural sciences emerged, their position at the crossroads of several disciplines, and their relevance to public policy.
- Introduction to the behavioural sciences. An overview of the behavioural sciences and some seminal works (notably those of Kahneman and Tversky, as well as Gigerenzer’s critique of their ‘Heuristics and Biases’ programme).
- Introduction to EU policy-making: How EU policies are decided and transposed into law, which institutions are involved in the process, and how scientific knowledge is incorporated into it.
2: Behavioural public policy tools
The term ‘nudge’ was still a relatively new concept in 2008. Nearly 20 years later, it is widely used, and is sometimes even overused. The book *Nudge* (Thaler & Sunstein) played a major role in popularising research in behavioural science and highlighting its relevance to policy-making. ‘Nudge units’ tasked with advising governments have been set up in many countries. We will explore the academic debates surrounding the appropriate definition of ‘nudges’, as well as attempts to clarify related concepts (‘budges’, ‘sludges’, ‘shoves’). We will discuss the usefulness of these terms and debates for policy-making and attempt to identify categories relevant to practitioners.
3: The legitimacy of behavioural interventions
Much of the early debate on ‘nudges’ took place in the United States and centred on paternalism. Critics have challenged the ‘Nudge’ project, which aims to help governments apply psychological insights to steer citizens’ behaviour more effectively. They fear that ‘nudging’ may undermine citizens’ autonomy. This has raised the question of how public behavioural interventions interact with constitutional and legal safeguards. For example: Can behavioural interventions be personalised and is it legal? We will explore academic work addressing the philosophical and legal aspects of behavioural policy-making and examine how these relate to the reality in Europe.
4: Effectiveness of behavioural interventions
After the promise of behavioural policy-making had spread amongst governments worldwide, some researchers began to question the effectiveness of behavioural interventions. Several meta-analyses have sought to measure the magnitude of the effects of these interventions. We will examine the findings of these studies and consider how effectiveness is taken into account in the EU’s policy-making process, in both the short and long term.
5: The limitations of public behavioural interventions
Behavioural interventions have grown in popularity, but this does not mean they are a miracle solution. We will examine the limitations of current knowledge and government practices. For example, do people make decisions in real life in the same way as they do in a laboratory? What happens when several behavioural phenomena coexist (what is the combined effect)? Do certain behavioural interventions help some groups but not others? Why does a behavioural intervention sometimes work and sometimes not?
What is the course about?
This course aims to acquaint students with the young and vibrant field of behavioural public policy, which is intrinsically multidisciplinary. Its main objectives are (i) to introduce students to key findings of behavioural sciences (for students who are new to the field), (ii) to highlight the multifaceted relevance of behavioural findings for public policy and law, (iii) to study real-world examples of behaviourally informed public policy in Europe, and (iv) to take a critical perspective on the use of behavioural findings in policy-making and law-making.
The online course will start with an introduction to behavioural insights and cover how empirical findings from psychology have profoundly influenced economics through the notion of ‘bounded rationality’. Then, we will turn to the relevance of empirical knowledge about how people behave for policymaking and lawmaking. We will also investigate the specific EU context and learn how EU policies and laws are made and how they already incorporate behavioural knowledge.
The usefulness of behavioural insights for governments is often associated with “nudges”, but we will see how this is only part of the story. We will explore debates on the legitimacy of using psychology in the running of government and the effectiveness of behavioural interventions. We will also reflect on how private actors leverage behavioural insights and what sort of regulation this calls for. These general lines of enquiry will be related to specific policy topics, such as consumer protection in online environments, the promotion of sustainable behaviour and healthy lifestyles.
The online teaching will be structured around five modules, which will form the basis for practical group work during the intensive face-to-face week.
1. Introduction(s): As part of this course, several disciplines will be covered. We will therefore devote three sessions to introducing various components of the field now known as ‘behavioural public policy’
- General introduction: How the behavioural sciences emerged, their position at the crossroads of several disciplines, and their relevance to public policy.
- Introduction to the behavioural sciences. An overview of the behavioural sciences and some seminal works (notably those of Kahneman and Tversky, as well as Gigerenzer’s critique of their ‘Heuristics and Biases’ programme).
- Introduction to EU policy-making: How EU policies are decided and transposed into law, which institutions are involved in the process, and how scientific knowledge is incorporated into it.
2: Behavioural public policy tools
The term ‘nudge’ was still a relatively new concept in 2008. Nearly 20 years later, it is widely used, and is sometimes even overused. The book *Nudge* (Thaler & Sunstein) played a major role in popularising research in behavioural science and highlighting its relevance to policy-making. ‘Nudge units’ tasked with advising governments have been set up in many countries. We will explore the academic debates surrounding the appropriate definition of ‘nudges’, as well as attempts to clarify related concepts (‘budges’, ‘sludges’, ‘shoves’). We will discuss the usefulness of these terms and debates for policy-making and attempt to identify categories relevant to practitioners.
3: The legitimacy of behavioural interventions
Much of the early debate on ‘nudges’ took place in the United States and centred on paternalism. Critics have challenged the ‘Nudge’ project, which aims to help governments apply psychological insights to steer citizens’ behaviour more effectively. They fear that ‘nudging’ may undermine citizens’ autonomy. This has raised the question of how public behavioural interventions interact with constitutional and legal safeguards. For example: Can behavioural interventions be personalised and is it legal? We will explore academic work addressing the philosophical and legal aspects of behavioural policy-making and examine how these relate to the reality in Europe.
4: Effectiveness of behavioural interventions
After the promise of behavioural policy-making had spread amongst governments worldwide, some researchers began to question the effectiveness of behavioural interventions. Several meta-analyses have sought to measure the magnitude of the effects of these interventions. We will examine the findings of these studies and consider how effectiveness is taken into account in the EU’s policy-making process, in both the short and long term.
5: The limitations of public behavioural interventions
Behavioural interventions have grown in popularity, but this does not mean they are a miracle solution. We will examine the limitations of current knowledge and government practices. For example, do people make decisions in real life in the same way as they do in a laboratory? What happens when several behavioural phenomena coexist (what is the combined effect)? Do certain behavioural interventions help some groups but not others? Why does a behavioural intervention sometimes work and sometimes not?
Teaching methods
You will be assigned to a multidisciplinary group. For modules 2 to 5, a tutorial will help you prepare for class. Details about the tutorials will be given during the kick-off session.
Preparation will require reading texts and/or watching videos or listening to podcasts and reporting to the group. Individually and as a group, you will have to produce a structured reflection on a set of questions about the materials.
Preparation will require reading texts and/or watching videos or listening to podcasts and reporting to the group. Individually and as a group, you will have to produce a structured reflection on a set of questions about the materials.
Evaluation methods
You will be evaluated on both your teamwork (tutorials and residential week) and your individual progress and reflection (portfolio).
The evaluation of teamwork will be based on
The evaluation of teamwork will be based on
- 5 weekly team assignments relating to the readings, to be handed in after each tutorial
- A set of questions to Commission officials
- One final presentation at the end of the residential week
- A learning journal where you will reflect on different aspects of your learning journey (guidance will be provided)
Other information
Applications
There is a limited number of spots for this course. Candidates are invited to express their interest by filling out this form before September 25th 2026. Candidates will receive a response by October 1st.
The selection process will consider motivation and ensure the diversity of the student body in terms of disciplines and universities. Early application is encouraged to secure your spot.
Prerequisites
Bachelor in psychology, economics, political science, law, philosophy, or social sciences.
For this course, it is essential to have a good command of English (to read, write, participate in group discussion and present your work). The minimum required level is B2.
Credits and Workload
The estimated workload for this 5-credit course is 125 hours.
The online course (24 hours) will consist of three types of meetings.
Residential week (30 hours): During the residential week, our working days will run from 9 am to 5 pm (with a lunch break). Group work sessions will be included in the schedule, and there will be no homework.
After the residential week, students should plan time to finalise their portfolio (20 hours, or much less for those who have done the coursework regularly).
Residential week
The residential intensive week will take place at the UCLouvain Brussels Campus (Saint-Louis) from April 19 to April 23rd. Students from universities other than UCLouvain will receive information about recommended accommodation in Brussels. Students visiting from abroad should plan to stay in Brussels until April 23rd 3 pm and are invited to plan their return the next day (April 24th).
There is a limited number of spots for this course. Candidates are invited to express their interest by filling out this form before September 25th 2026. Candidates will receive a response by October 1st.
The selection process will consider motivation and ensure the diversity of the student body in terms of disciplines and universities. Early application is encouraged to secure your spot.
Prerequisites
Bachelor in psychology, economics, political science, law, philosophy, or social sciences.
For this course, it is essential to have a good command of English (to read, write, participate in group discussion and present your work). The minimum required level is B2.
Credits and Workload
The estimated workload for this 5-credit course is 125 hours.
The online course (24 hours) will consist of three types of meetings.
- 7 classes of 2 hours each
- 5 small group sessions (1,5 hours each)
- 2 online meetings: one to kick off the course (1 hour) and one to close the online part and discuss preparation for the residential week (1,5 hour).
Residential week (30 hours): During the residential week, our working days will run from 9 am to 5 pm (with a lunch break). Group work sessions will be included in the schedule, and there will be no homework.
After the residential week, students should plan time to finalise their portfolio (20 hours, or much less for those who have done the coursework regularly).
Residential week
The residential intensive week will take place at the UCLouvain Brussels Campus (Saint-Louis) from April 19 to April 23rd. Students from universities other than UCLouvain will receive information about recommended accommodation in Brussels. Students visiting from abroad should plan to stay in Brussels until April 23rd 3 pm and are invited to plan their return the next day (April 24th).
Online resources
Online resources will be available on UCLouvain Open Moodle platform.
The Journal Behavioural Public Policy, which focuses on issues covered in this course is accessible online: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioural-public-policy
The Journal Behavioural Public Policy, which focuses on issues covered in this course is accessible online: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioural-public-policy
Bibliography
- Eyal Zamir and Doron Teichman, Behavioral Law and Economics (Oxford: OUP, 2018).
- Kai Ruggieri (ed.), Psychology and Behavioral Economics: Applications for Public Policy (Routledge, 2nd ed. 2022)
- Eldar Shafir (ed), The Behavioral Foundations of Public Policy (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2012)
- Alberto Alemanno and Anne-Lise Sibony (eds): Nudge and the Law: A European Perspective (Oxford: Hart, 2015)
- Eyal Zamir and Doron Teichman (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Behavioral Economics and the Law (OUP, 2014)
- Adam Oliver, A political economy of behavioural public policy (Cambridge University Press, 2023)
- Yuval Feldman, The Law of Good People: Challenging States' Ability to Regulate Human Behavior (Cambridge University Press, 2018)
- Cass Sunstein and Lucia Reisch (eds.), Research Handbook on Nudges and Society, Edward Elgar, 2023
- Peter John and Sanchayan Banerjee, Nudge +: Think, Before You Nudge, Springer, 2026.
Faculty or entity
