Module 3: Understand people: Planning behavioural research
Drive Detector: Intro

Discover what is driving behaviour, quickly

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We all know it's hard to understand why people do things. Much of it lies below the surface. Our job is to reveal the hidden influences, see which ones are in action, and decide if they're worth targeting in a project. No mean feat! But that's what the Drive Detector is for.

What is the Drive Detector?

The Drive Detector is a simple yet powerful tool that provides a quick snapshot of what might be driving people's actions. It's your first step into behavioural exploration, giving you an overview of which key drivers might be influencing behaviour.

Key Benefits:

  1. Identify Hidden Influences:
    Quickly find out which drivers may be influencing behaviour, even if they aren’t immediately visible.

  2. Get a Quick Overview:
    Use the Drive Detector as a check-in tool to identify the drivers swiftly.

  3. Prioritise Research Efforts:
    Easily prioritise which drivers need deeper exploration and further research.

  4. Guide Your Next Steps:
    Offer a structured first step before diving into more detailed research.

Why it’s useful in a project

The Drive Detector simplifies behavioural exploration by focusing on the 9 core drivers of the Drive Grid framework. It's not about finding definitive answers immediately but giving you a clearer direction for your research.

It’s useful because it:

1. Is A Quick Check-In:
If you're in the early stages of understanding a behaviour, use the Drive Detector to quickly check in on potential drivers influencing the action. It helps you focus your efforts and uncover hidden barriers.

2. Helps To Prioritise What Matters Most:
With the Red/Amber/Green traffic light system, you can easily prioritise which drivers are most influential and which need further exploration.

  • Green (✔️): The driver has influence.

  • Amber (❓): Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t - it’s unclear.

  • Red (❌): The driver doesn’t have an influence on this behaviour.

3. Focus Your Research:
Once you’ve prioritised the drivers using the Drive Detector, you can delve deeper into the influential ones with more targeted research questions.

4. Simplify The First Step:
Think of the Drive Detector as the top layer of a behavioural onion. It helps you quickly uncover key areas worth exploring further. Whether it’s helping you see your hidden unknowns or giving a focus to further research planning and research activities. If you know what to explore more, you save time and effort exploring it.

The Drive Detector tool is your quick entry point into understanding behaviour, offering a clear snapshot of which drivers might be at play. It’s perfect as a check-in tool or the first step before more in-depth exploration.