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Roundtable Discussion 'Met Kennis van Gedrag Beleid Maken'

28 October 2025
[upon invitation only]

The report “Ten Years after ‘Policy-Making with Behavioural Insights’: What Next?” (“Tien jaar na ‘Met kennis van gedrag beleid maken’: hoe nu verder?”) was recently published as part of the Expert Government (Deskundige Overheid) project of The Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid, WRR). Its key conclusion is that if government is to take the application of behavioural science insights in policy seriously, this perspective must be embedded structurally within policy processes. The report also advises behavioural scientists working in government service to further develop themselves as professional behavioural policy advisers and to acquire the competencies required for this role. To explore how this ambition can be realised, the B&I Platform is organising a roundtable discussion with around ten leading behavioural scientists. Particular attention will be given to the questions of what knowledge and skills behavioural experts need in order to operate effectively within the context of public administration, and how the academic world can best prepare students for this purpose. The findings of this discussion will be published on this website at a later date.

Click to read the full WRR report.

Behaviour & Institutions hosted evening for the 12th International Procrastination Conference

Panel on Procrastination & Policy

July 9th 2025, Utrecht

A dynamic start to the evening began with drinks and mingling among researchers hailing from all over the world – all interested in the subject of procrastination. The event opened with an introduction by Joel Anderson and Denise de Ridder, and an interactive game of ‘All That We Share’, in which the audience discovered that they are more alike than different in their procrastination habits. This was followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion, where experts shared their diverse perspectives on how procrastination impacts policy, finances, public health, and academia.

Panelists and audience members discussed the role of self-control, and whether procrastination stems from a lack of it, or if habits and structural factors play an equally important role. Disagreement arose around the idea of procrastination as a luxury, and how it manifests differently across individual, team, and systemic levels. The conversation also touched on how stress can influence our short-term goals and actions, contributing to what some described as "systemic procrastination” - delays not just at the personal level, but in areas like healthcare and policy. Throughout, the presenters engaged interactively with the audience, inviting questions about whether procrastination is the responsibility of the individual, the collective, or the system at large. Altogether, it was an inspiring evening and a perfect start to what promised to be an exciting conference.

Prof. dr Denise de Ridder & Prof. dr Lars Tummers to participate in 'Protection of the mind' expert workshop

Bescherming van de geest: Naar een normatieve evaluatie van psychologische en neurotechnologische gedragsbeïnvloeding [NL]

June 27th 2025, Utrecht

The workshop engages in discussions on the extent to which the use of psychological and neurotechnological behavioural influence is ethically and legally acceptable.

Summer School Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� - Designing and Evaluating Community Nudges

 August 26-30, 2025

How can we tackle problems that concern all of us?

Design your own community nudge at our Utrecht Summer School course.

The Program:
We discuss state-of-the-art theoretical insights on nudging in morning sessions, focusing on how community can be incorporated, how nudges can be co-created with the target audience, when and why people are nudgeable, and how to determine nudge effectiveness and appreciation. In the afternoons, participants work on their own (hypothetical or real) cases, individually or in small groups. Each day ends with a progress report to get constructive feedback from peers and teachers.

For more information and registration, visit the summer school website .

Call for abstracts - 12th International Procrastination Research Conference

July 9-11, 2025
Utrecht

The platform is also a co-sponsor of the 12th International Conference on Procrastination Research, which will be held at Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� on July 9-11, 2025.  On the first evening (July 9, 18:30 - 21:00), the Behaviour & Institutions platform will be organizing a symposium with speakers and a panel of societal partners addressing the societal impact of procrastinatory behaviour.  Stayed tuned for more information about this event.

We encourage you to consider submitting an abstract on diverse topics relating to procrastination, including clinical interventions, theoretical and conceptual constructs, psychological, neurological, and genetic mechanisms, social and environmental factors, societal impacts, and ethical and philosophical aspects. For more information and a preregistration form (to stay updated) please visit the conference website . 

Beyond tokenism Event

Policy makers are keen on engaging citizens with important societal shifts such as, for example, the energy transition or the protein transition. Still, it is not always clear when and how they can incorporate citizen views into their policy agendas. Asking citizens for input without a clear perspective of how contributions will be taken into account may backfire. Such practices are labelled as tokenism: making only perfunctory or symbolic effort to involve citizens with policy cases. Following up on the platform’s signature Think Paper on Behavioral Insights on Governing Social Transitions [/�����ٱ��/���ڲ��ܱ���/�ھ������/������%20�ճ󾱲԰�%20�ʲ�����%205%20-%20�����…] and a successful meeting on this topic organized in collaboration with KNAW [], we will discuss the following questions in a new symposium: What kind of models for collaborative governance are available? What kind of opportunities are provided by co-creation or citizen councils?

The symposium is scheduled for early summer (exact date and location to be announced). More information coming soon!

Impressions from the Symposium - March 21, 2024

'Getting a grip on yourself or your environment? Creating opportunities for strategic self-control in behavioral public policy'

Organized by the IOS platform Behavior & Institutions in collaboration with the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy with contributions from Wilhelm Hofmann (Ruhr Universität Bochum), Will Tiemeijer (Erasmus ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� Rotterdam and Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy), Anne-Greet Keizer (Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy), Marleen Gillebaart (Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��) and Denise de Ridder (Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� and coordinator of the Platform Behavior & Institutions).

Behaviour & Institutions Kickstarter Event

Tuesday 19 September 2023, 14:00 – 17:00
Academiegebouw Belle van Zuylen Hall, Utrecht

Attention researchers!

Are you looking for an opportunity to showcase your innovative research ideas and receive valuable feedback for funding? Look no further than the upcoming Behaviour & Institutions Kickstarter Event!

Join us on September 19th to engage in a stimulating discussion on the role of behaviour in policy contexts. We will also present a Think Paper on the future of the Behaviour & Institutions platform.
In addition, the event offers a chance to pitch your ideas for grant proposals individually or in a group, and receive tips on securing funding. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and elevate your research to the next level.

To participate, register through the provided and submit a 100-word abstract of your pitch by September 1^st (at d.t.d.deridder@uu.nl). The final program will be announced in early September.
We look forward to seeing you at the Behaviour & Institutions Kickstarter Event!

Denise de Ridder and Lars Tummers

New paper on Behavioural Insights on Governing Social Transitions published in the Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� Institutions for Open Societies Think Paper series.

Check it out here:

/sites/default/files/IOS%20Think%20Paper%205%20-%20Behaviour%20and%20Institutions.pdf

Onderzoeksrapport Effect van Kinderopvang

Paul Leseman (FSW) en Thomas van Huizen (REBO, USE) onderzochten in opdracht van het Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid de langetermijneffecten van kinderopvang. Het onderzoeksrapport was onderdeel van de kamerstukken voor het debat over de kinderopvang van 16 november j.l.. De onderzoekers concluderen dat vroege intensieve kinderopvang een risico met zich meebrengt voor de cognitieve en sociaalemotionele ontwikkeling van kinderen. Kinderopvang vanaf 1.5 à 2 jaar draagt juist positief bij aan de ontwikkeling van kinderen, mits hoge kwaliteit kan worden gegarandeerd. De onderzoekers pleiten voor bijstelling van de ambitieuze plannen van het kabinet. Er zijn grotere maatschappelijke baten te verwachten van kwalitatief goede kinderopvang vanaf 1.5 à 2 jaar, waaraan ook kinderen van niet-werkende ouders deelnemen.

Klik hier voor het rapport 

Verslag symposium 2 maart 2022

Afgelopen 2 maart heeft het Behaviour & Institutions symposium plaatsgevonden met als onderwerp Een beter milieu begint bij jezelf - toch? In dit symposium werden diverse perspectieven op duurzame gedragsverandering van individuen samengebracht. Een uitgebreid verslag van het symposium is hier te vinden.