Self-Regulation and Behaviour Change

Our program of research highlights the way people think about the future and plan strategies for achieving their personal goals as the main components of self-regulation. A crucial aspect of self-regulation is the ability to initiate action at the right moment so as to promote goal achievement. To support people in this critical process, we examine in what way choice architecture (‘nudging’) benefits self-regulation and well-being with a focus on the psychological mechanisms underlying choice-architecture. In doing so, we aim to unravel when and why choice arrangements contribute to skills that afford good decisions. In collaboration with colleagues from other disciplines – public administration, law, and ethics – we examine when and why implementation of choice architecture in public policy is justified and helps people to act as autonomous and competent citizens during complex societal transitions.
We employ a variety of methods, including lab and field experiments and longitudinal research. We collaborate with other researchers in different disciplines within the UU strategic theme Institutions for Open Societies. The Self-Regulation Lab is also one of the founders of the Institutions and Behavior stream. And finally, we contribute to Utrecht University’s research focus area Future Food Utrecht.