DIAS Event: 'Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Behavioural Science in Action' by Nikos Ntoumanis

Is behavioural science just common sense? Just another word for “nudging”? Only about individual behaviour change?

The answer to all three is no. While common sense relies on intuition and anecdote, behavioural science uses systematic research to uncover how people think, feel, and act—often in ways that are counterintuitive or invisible to us. It examines the roles of unconscious biases, habits, social norms, and environmental cues, and has consistently shown that what “seems obvious” is not always effective. For instance, simply providing information about health or climate issues rarely leads to lasting behaviour change. Instead, strategies such as habit formation, social support, and policy changes that enhance access tend to be more impactful—and often more so than nudging alone. This lecture will explore how behavioural science can support multidisciplinary efforts to improve both human and planetary health. I will share conceptual and methodological contributions, illustrated with examples from past, current, and planned research projects undertaken at DRIVEN (Danish Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Science; https://www.sdu.dk/en/forskning/driven). 

About Nikos Ntoumanis
Nikos Ntoumanis is Professor of Motivation and DIAS Chair in Health. Originally from Greece, Nikos has spent most of his adult life in the UK and Australia, working in various universities. In 2021, he joined the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), where he established DRIVEN – the Danish Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Science – within the Department of Sport Sciences and Clinical Biomechanics. His research focuses on the personal and contextual factors that foster motivation for sustained behaviour change. His work spans applied research on physical activity and health behaviour change in community and clinical settings, basic research on the regulation of life goals, and both basic and applied research on motivation in educational, workplace, and pro-environmental contexts. Nikos is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the British Psychological Society, and the UK’s Academy of Social Sciences.

Venue: DIAS Auditorium, Krogene V, SDU Odense

Open for all - no registration needed ​​​​​​​