In order to encourage adherence to prevention measures against Covid-19, Unicamp has been carrying out interventions on campus based on behavioral sciences. The initiative uses communication pieces to promote healthy habits and choices, providing guidance on the correct use of masks, hand hygiene and social distancing. The places that already show the interventions are the Center for Comprehensive Attention to Women's Health (Caism), the Community Health Center (Cecom) and Praça da Paz.
The project, part of the international Behavioral cooperation Change Initiative (BCI), is based on the understanding that the choices we make are not strictly rational and can be influenced by subtle changes in context. This allows the design of alternatives to encourage healthy choices. In this case, to promote preventive measures in relation to the transmission of Covid-19, posters and other pieces of communication were developed based on the health protocols defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
To arrive at the design of the communication pieces, an initial diagnosis of the main behaviors to be worked on was carried out. These behaviors are related to some biases identified by behavioral sciences. Among them is the “present bias”, that is, the tendency of human beings to opt for momentary pleasure instead of preventing future risk. “Framing” refers to the fact that choices depend on the way in which alternatives are presented to individuals. The “affection heuristic”, in turn, takes into account that this is an important variable in decision-making. Two other biases were identified as relevant: the "optimism bias", from which we tend to minimize the risk of dangerous events occurring to us, and the "herd behavior bias", that is, the individual's inclination to behave as the majority.
The project was born from a partnership between the Public Sector Studies Laboratory (LESP), from the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FCA) at Unicamp, and the Portuguese company CLOO Behavioral Insights Unit. Professors Juliana Arruda Leite and Milena Pavan Serafim are responsible for technical cooperation at Unicamp. “For us at BCI, it was very important to have the full involvement of partner bodies in the development of the project. We highlight the mutual learning generated by this work. We will soon present the results regarding behavioral changes, but without a doubt we are already reaping the rewards”, says Juliana.
Professor Milena highlights the unprecedented nature of the project and the interaction with the bodies and units for its implementation. “It is certainly an unprecedented project, both from a theoretical-conceptual point of view and the involvement of Unicamp's administrative units, and the support of employees. We were able to understand the behavior of those who use services at Unicamp and develop intervention pieces that encourage them to comply with health compliance measures to protect against Covid-19,” she says.
For CLOO's Lead Behavioral Advisor, Henry Nasser, “BCI has been a great opportunity to generate practical knowledge about the role of human behavior in adhering to health protocols in open and closed environments”.
Interventions at Cecom
At Cecom, interventions include posters with phrases that evoke the gain of following appropriate behavior. “If you came to accompany someone, you also need to keep your distance. This way you guarantee your safety, hers and that of everyone else”, or “In this place, the protocol is 'keep your distance and save a life'. Your actions guarantee our safety!” These phrases, says Juliana, frame the issue from the perspective of gain for the individual, seeking greater adherence on their part.
In order to avoid direct contact between employees and citizens during service at the counter, posters were pasted on the counter's isolation plexiglass and on the floor with the following message: “Stay away! I can hear you." To encourage adequate distancing on the benches, notices were placed on the seats themselves, in places close to them and at the entrance door.
The advisor to the General Coordination of the University and former coordinator of Cecom, Patricia Leme, highlights the importance of the project in the context of the pandemic. “Amidst a whirlwind of thoughts to carry out actions aimed at the diagnosis, assistance and epidemiological surveillance of Covid-19 on university campuses, we arrived in December 2020 with a group willing to contribute to increasing health compliance in preventive behaviors, such as wearing a mask, social distancing and hand hygiene with alcohol gel. I learned that between receiving guidance and following it there is a path that can be followed through Behavioral Science”.
Interventions in Caism
At Caism, an adhesive strip was placed on the floor, right after the entrance turnstiles, with the phrase: “I commit to Wearing a mask + keeping distance”. Its purpose is to establish “pre-commitments” with visitors. When crossing that line, points out Juliana, individuals are encouraged to commit to the indicated guidance. Illustrative figures of feet and hands, placed near the alcohol dispensers, are accompanied by the following message: “Your hands smelling good and clean!”, highlighting the gains of use of sanitizer.
Posters were also displayed throughout the space. One of them has a message coming directly from Caism employees: “The team at this hospital thanks you for your support in the fight against the pandemic! Continue keeping your distance, using a mask and alcohol gel.” Here, reciprocity is evoked.
For the Coordinator of the Caism Nursing Division, the project allows us to think about new interventions. She highlights the importance of the initiative. “The partnership process with the BCI team was very productive, and brought different views on how to deal with a very important issue in the area of health, which is the issue of behavior change. Some studies are conducted in the health area using behavioral theories, mainly in relation to hand hygiene and adherence to bundles to prevent hospital infections. However, adherence is lower and, consequently, the change in behavior falls short of what we observed with the methodology presented by the BCI team”.
Interventions in Praça da Paz
Through a partnership with the Campus Experience Secretariat (SVC), the project was also implemented in Praça da Paz, considering that, even during the period without circulation by the internal community at Unicamp, the place was used by the external community. Paintings were made on the floor seeking to establish “pre-commitments”. One of them advises: “When I cross this line, I commit to wearing a mask, keeping a distance from a chair and using alcohol gel.”
Other pieces represent a distance of 1,5 m, allowing you to visualize the space to be respected. Banners and posters encourage pedestrians and cyclists to also adopt distance, avoiding crossing flows in the area. Messages from the Unicamp health team signal the importance of these professionals and encourage reciprocity with their work. Banners and signs were also installed, reminding us of the need to use masks in the environment.
"The intervention project in Praça da Paz contributed to communication with the university community. The banners, signs and paintings strategically placed at points of greater pedestrian circulation contributed to raising awareness among passers-by regarding health standards for the prevention of Covid-19, such as distancing and the use of masks”, assesses the SVC coordinator, Anderson Manoel Batinga de Araujo.
Check out some more pieces communication systems based on behavioral insights spread across campus:
