Thanks Mughal & Elisabeth to share this excellents references on behaviour change!
I notice that the Amma campaign, mentioned on "The science of habit" excellent publication, is based on Evo-Eco behaviour change theory from the Hygiene Centre, LSHTM (ABC methodology, already mentioned by Elisabeth). Please, add it on the top 5 (or 6!) documents in the thematic area of Behaviour change and user psychology issues!

Regarding the question of which working groups has the more interest in behaviour change, I'm quite sure that almost all groups have an interest in this issue of behavioral change because it is a means to achieve access to sustainable and appropriate sanitation and public health. Why not keeping this thematic transversal (it is already in a thematic discussion serie)?

Thanks, Mughal! This looks like an excellent publication; it is brand new as well. I hadn't yet seen it before.
Here is also the URL for it:
www.washplus.org/resources/reports/2015/...icky-behavior-change

I have added it to be one of the 5 key documents for our "sticky post".

I am planning to send an e-mail to the SuSanA Working Group 12 (nutrition) mailing list later today to ask for their opinions, too. I was actually wondering which of our working groups has the most interest in behavior change. It could be Working Group 4 (as it includes hygiene in the title), but I think it's more likely WG 12 as nutrition has a lot to do with behavior change, hygiene and handwashing. Perhaps one day, we should clarify this better in our working group structure and their descriptions.

For people who are new to SuSanA: please see here information about the 12 working groups (WGs) of SuSanA:
www.susana.org/en/working-groups/overview

Regards,
Elisabeth

(edit on 7 Dec by moderator: the document mentioned in this post has now been included in the list of five key documents)

Dear Elisabeth,

I came across a WASHplus publication, titled:

The Science of Habit - Creating Disruptive and Sticky Behavior Change in Handwashing Behavior

The 24-page publication is attached. The abstract reads:

Handwashing with soap is a highly effective method for reducing the risk of diarrheal disease, yet interventions to alter this behavior often fail or achieve only short-term success. In this paper, we propose that the “science of habit” can partly explain the challenge of handwashing behavior change. Integrating basic science insights from psychology, cognitive science, and behavior change research, we propose six principles for creating greater initiation and maintenance of handwashing change. For each principle, we outline the supporting science and provide examples of potential tactical implementation in field settings. In addition, we highlight ways in which habit thinking can be integrated with interventions that focus on more reflective, conscious drivers of change such as knowledge, social norms, and strong emotions.

Regards,
F H Mughal

For more information about why I am creating this new thread, please see here:
forum.susana.org/forum/categories/10-gen...d-sub-category-level

++++++++++++++

This thread is a "sticky thread" which means it will always remain at the top of this sub-category.
It contains a recommendation for new people regarding the most important five documents in the thematic area of "Behaviour change and user psychology issues".

The selection of documents was based on advice by Tracey Keatman and by Hansi Mosler. Note the documents selected are mainly focused on maintaining ODF (open defecation free) behaviours - except the publication by Mosler - see also the comment at the end of this post.

We are open to feedback if others think that other documents or links should be selected here.

Recommended top five documents in the thematic area of "Behaviour change and user psychology issues", in reverse chronological order:

(1)
Neal, D., Vujcic, J., Hernandez, O., Wood, W. (2015). The Science of Habit - Creating disruptive and sticky Behavior Change in Handwashing Behavior. USAID/WASHplus Project, Washington D.C., USA
www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2380

In this white paper, we unpack the role that the “psychology of habit” plays in explaining why the success of handwashing interventions focused only on reflective drivers may be short lived. We also recommend specific ways to leverage habit, creating more “disruptive” handwashing behavior change that is maintained over time. Hygiene-related behaviors are prime candidates for habit formation because they involve relatively unconscious “reflexive” actions that are triggered automatically by familiar contextual cues. These are key features of habits. Indeed, evidence shows that simple context cues, such as the physical availability of soap and the presence of other “nudges” (such as a conveniently located handwashing station) can be powerful determinants of whether people maintain handwashing behaviors over time.

(2)
Cavill, S., Chambers, R., Vernon, N. (2015). Frontiers of CLTS: Innovations and Insights. Sustainability and CLTS: Taking Stock (Issue 4). CLTS Knowledge Hub at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Brighton, United Kingdom
www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2179

Sustainability is one of the most burning subject matters that subsumes many of the issues in CLTS. In the issue, some priority areas for learning are identified: How to phase in sanitation marketing; Post-ODF engagement of government, NGOs, donors and others; How to ensure equity and inclusion; How to transform social norms; Monitoring, learning, changing.

(3)
Contzen, N., Mosler, H-J. (2015). Compilation of methodological fact sheets on behavior change. Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2397

These six fact sheets about methodologies deal with the RANAS (Risks, Attitudes, Norms, Abilities, and Self‐regulation) approach that is an often used method for designing and evaluating behavior change strategies. The factsheets contain a brief description of the approach ready to use for practitioners

(4)
Mosler, H.-J. et al. (2015). Compilation of intervention fact sheets on data-driven behavior change. Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2396

These five fact sheets about interventions present case studies from Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Uganda and show the effects of different strategies that were applied in order to achieve behavior changes.

(5)
O’Connell, K. (2014). What Influences Open Defecation and Latrine Ownership in Rural Households?: Findings from a Global Review. World Bank, Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) Working Paper, Washington DC, United States
www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2362

The programmatic approach combines Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), behavior change communication, and sanitation marketing to generate sanitation demand and build up the supply of sanitation products and services at scale. This Working Paper is one in a series of knowledge products designed to showcase project findings, assessments, and lessons learned through WSP’s Scaling Up Rural Sanitation initiative.

You can find further important documents and website links dealing with this topic here:

• Resources and readings compiled for the Thematic Discussion 4 on "Sanitation and hygiene behaviour change programming for scale and sustainability": forum.susana.org/forum/categories/209-th...e-and-sustainability
• Search for documents containing the keywords "behavior" or "behaviour" in the SuSanA library: www.susana.org/library?search=behavior and www.susana.org/library?search=behaviour
• Filter the SuSanA library by Working Group 13 on behaviour change: www.susana.org/en/resources/library?vbl_...=&vbl_8%5B647%5D=647
• Publications by the group of Hansi Mosler at EAWAG (Environmental Social Sciences
  Environmental and Health Psychology):
  www.eawag.ch/en/department/ess/main-focu...th-psychology-ehpsy/
• Workshop on "Creativity in Behavior Change" in 2015 (not specifically focused on sanitation): ehg.lshtm.ac.uk/2015/09/25/creativity-in-behaviour-change/
• ACF has published a manual on “ABC- Assisting Behavior Change” in two parts: “theories and models” and “practical ideas and techniques”: www.actioncontrelafaim.org/en/content/ab...ting-behavior-change
• LSHTM have their own specific ABC methodology: “ABCDE: Assess Build Create Deliver and Evaluate”: blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/envhealthgroup/files/2...ign.compressed-2.pdf
• The 2015 regional Think Tank event hosted at the AfricaSan4 Conference in Dakar, Senegal, brought together experts to discuss the theme of Three Big Ideas in Handwashing, including emotional motivators, behavior settings, and the science of habit: globalhandwashing.org/resources/2015-hw-tt/
• The "SuperAmma campaign" is the culmination of years of behavioural science research to inculcate the habit of handwashing with soap. They designed a communication campaign based on the Evo-Eco theory of behaviour change: www.superamma.org
• Wikipedia article on behavior change (still needs more work):
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavior_change_(public_health)

Behavior change is a huge topic in public health. The selection here is focussing on two behaviors that are regarded as critical in the WASH sector: changing from open defecation to toilet use; and handwashing (is this too limiting? Are there others?).

We had in the past identified key documents in those two particular areas of behaviour change already (but not with a focus on psychology issues), namely:

• Key documents for community-led total sanitation: forum.susana.org/forum/categories/5-comm...otal-sanitation-clts
• Key documents regarding handwashing: forum.susana.org/forum/categories/23-hyg...gory-on-hand-washing

Please provide your feedback. What do you think of this selection? We can update it from time to time.

Regards,
Elisabeth