Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer

Using Behavioral Psychology to Encourage Healthy Habits

Clip: Episode 4 | 4m 14s  | Video has closed captioning.

Advertising agencies employ behavioral scientists to use psychology to persuade people to make healthy lifestyle choices. They've discovered key insights into how the human mind works when faced with a call to action. Behavioral scientists used a universal human trait — fear of shame or social rejection — to encourage workers at a food factory to improve their hand washing habits.