Module 3: Understand people: Planning behavioural research
Decoding human behaviour

Me Drivers: Drive comes from within

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We're embarking on a deep dive into the 'Me' drivers, the individual and elements that put the user / person front and centre.

Drive comes from within.

These drivers are the internal mechanisms that guide our daily decisions and actions. Let's break them down and see how they manifest in everyday scenarios.

Heart and Mind

Heart & Mind at the direct level. They are the unseen undercurrents shaping our potential behaviour. It contains the drivers:

  • Attitudes and Beliefs: Consider these as your personal compass. They guide your responses to situations and people. For example, your belief in the importance of fitness might drive you to choose stairs over an elevator.

  • Mental Models: These are your mind's frameworks for interpreting the world. They're shaped by your past experiences. Think about how you automatically categorise a new acquaintance based on your previous interactions with others.

  • Decision Making: It's the process of making choices, influenced by your preferences and biases. When choosing a meal at a restaurant, you're exercising decision-making, possibly swayed by past dining experiences or dietary choices.

Motivation

Motivation at the Shift level are the spark that ignites the process of change. It includes:

  • Autonomy: This is about having control over your actions. When you start a hobby because it interests you, not because someone told you to, that's autonomy in action.

  • Goals: These are the signposts that guide your long-term efforts. Your ambition to run a marathon sets a series of smaller goals and training schedules in your life.

  • Incentives: They're the reasons behind your actions, like external rewards or internal satisfaction. A promotion at work is an incentive that can drive increased effort and commitment.

Doing

Doing drivers at the Act level are the execution and maintenance phase of behaviour. It covers:

  • Confidence: This is your belief in your ability to succeed. When you feel confident about a project at work, that confidence is key to your persistence and effort.

  • React vs. Planned: It's about acting on impulse versus acting with intention. Buying something on a whim is reacting, whereas saving for a big purchase is a planned action.

  • Habits: These are your automatic, often unconscious actions. The cup of tea you make every morning without thinking is a habitual part of your routine.

Direct:

At this foundational level, drivers are like seeds in the soil, not yet germinating into action but essential for what comes next. They set the stage for future responses and actions.

Shift:

Here, drivers act as catalysts, transforming dormant attitudes and beliefs into tangible actions. They signify the transition phase where contemplation becomes a commitment to change.

Act:

This stage is about the continuation and habitualisation of behaviour. It’s where actions are implemented, repeated, and eventually become part of our routine.