BIG Difference BC 2025:
Changing Behaviour in Complex Systems
DRAFT PROGRAM || ABSTRACTS
Friday, November 7, 2025
9:00am to 4:00pm Pacific Time
Zoom webinaR
Register now to reserve your free spot!
9:00am - 9:30am welcome remarks
Kirstin Appelt
UBC Decision Insights for Business & Society
Stephanie Papik
Moose Hide Campaign Society
9:30am - 10:30am Keynote Address
Behavioural Science for Functional Policy & Practice
Elizabeth Linos
Harvard Kennedy School
Moderator: Kerri Buschel
WorkSafeBC
How do we build governments and systems that truly work? Based on over a decade of research in and with various governments, Elizabeth Linos (Harvard Kennedy School) will draw on new behavioural science research to examine the people, processes, and feedback loops that sustain effective policy and practice—and the big questions that remain unanswered. She will explore how to strengthen the workforce, design interactions that deliver, and overcome the bottlenecks that limit the adoption of evidence. By surfacing these critical questions, the talk will chart a shared agenda for researchers and policymakers alike.
Elizabeth Linos
Elizabeth Linos is the Emma Bloomberg Associate Professor for Public Policy and Management, and Director of The People Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Her research uses insights from behavioural science and evidence from public management to improve government by considering how to recruit, retain, and support the government workforce, how to improve resident-state interactions, and how to better integrate evidence-based policymaking into government. Elizabeth previously served as VP and Head of Research and Evaluation at the Behavioural Insights Team in North America, and policy advisor to the Greek Prime Minister focusing on social innovation and public sector reform.
10:30am - 10:45am Break
10:45am - 11:50am Lightning Talks
Behavioural Insights Policies in Canada: Support for Nudges vs Nudging
Vincent Hopkins* (University of British Columbia) & Andrea Lawlor* (McMaster University)Flexibility and Deep Work in a Hybrid Workplace: Evidence from a Government Context
Greg Lockwood*, Anna Vanderkooy, & Poya Saffari (Global Affairs Canada)Misinformation is Social: The Causal Impact of Social Consensus Information on Policy-Related Misinformation Belief
Justin Savoie*, Nicholas Diamond, Annamarie Grant, Arvin Jagayat, David Donovan, & Lauryn Conway (Impact Canada, Privy Council Office, Government of Canada)
Moderator: Jeff Mackey-Murdock (City of Vancouver)
11:50am - 12:30pm Lunch BREAK
12:30pm - 1:00pm Micro-Presentations
Track 1: New BI Tools for Policy & Process
Removing Barriers to Inclusion: Behavioural Science Solutions for a Smoother Accommodation Process
Maria Peddle*, Can Fenerci, Sarah Wall, Christine Kormos, & Luke Babad (Impact Canada, Privy Council Office, Government of Canada)Integrating Behavioural Systems Mapping into Policy Processes
Anna Burrowes* & Isabel Chew (BC Behavioural Insights Group)
Moderator: Tim Hannan (WorkSafeBC)
Track 2: Humans & the Natural World
Nudging Coexistence: Testing Behavioral Interventions for Human-Bear Safety
Sima Khanal*, Sumeet Gulati, David Hardisty, & Rumi Naito (University of British Columbia)Behavioural Systems on Board: An Integrated Approach to Riverine Populations’ Health in the NAVIO Project
Caroline Reis*, Flora Pfeifer, & Claudio Meilman (Brazilian Institute of Behavioral Sciences) & Luciane Wandermurem (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation)
Moderator: Dave Hardisty (University of British Columbia)
Track 3: Healthy Choices
Using Behavioural Science to Improve Antibiotic Stewardship in Canadian Long-Term Care Homes
Tyler Good* & Jorida Cila (Behavioural Science Office, Public Health Agency of Canada), Barbara Catt (Antimicrobial Resistance Task Force, Public Health Agency of Canada), Rhiannon Mosher, Catherine Guo, & Mark Morrissey (Behavioural Science Office, Public Health Agency of Canada)A Behaviourally-Informed Approach to Shifting Purchases to Local, Organic Food Choices Among Parents of Young Children
Lindsey Boyle* (Canadian Centre for Food & Ecology) & Kate White (University of British Columbia)
Moderator: Stina Grant (BC Behavioural Insights Group)
Track 4: Energy & Climate
Pro-Climate Behaviours in Atlantic Canada
Nicolle Jaramillo* (Net Zero Atlantic), Raquel Rosas & Eliza-Jane Stringer (Davis Pier), Mary Beth Doucette (Cape Breton University), Stanley Asah (Dalhousie University), Martin Day (Memorial University of Newfoundland), David Foord (University of New Brunswick), & Lena Liang & Xiao Chen (University of Prince Edward Island)How BC Hydro is Using Behavioural Insights to Balance Supply and Demand for Electricity
Arien Korteland* (BC Hydro), Sasha Tregebov & Amna Raza (BIT), & Vicky Rubio (BC Hydro)
Moderator: Jordana Composto (University of British Columbia)
Track 5: Financial Decisions
Encouraging Pension Savings: A Nationwide Reminder Megastudy
Heidi Reinson* (University of Tartu & Maastricht University), Thomas Post (Maastricht University & Netspar), Nina Mazar (Boston University), Crystal Reeck (Temple University), Stylianos Syropoulos (Arizona State University), Andris Saulitis (Collegio Carlo Alberto), Avni Shah (University of Toronto), & Andero Uusberg (University of Tartu)Promoting Tax Compliance Amidst Five Layers of Complexity
Hamilton Carvalho* (Sao Paulo State Tax Agency)
Moderator: Will Wang (University of British Columbia)
1:00pm - 2:30pm Special Session
Expanding Your BI Playbook
Applied behavioural science is constantly evolving—as a field, we are always learning new things about human behaviour and about how to do better science. Lindsay Miles-Pickup (BC Public Service) will moderate this session exploring tools and perspectives that will advance your practice of behavioural science, including:
Integrating Systems Thinking: Jennifer Macklin (BehaviourWorks Australia) will share how to use behavioural systems mapping to help incorporate systems thinking principles into behavioural science.
Including Indigenous Perspectives: Emily Salmon (Unxiimtunaat) (Simon Fraser University) will discuss the importance of understanding our own worldviews and including other worldviews.
Leveraging Qualitative Methods: Rhiannon Mosher (Public Health Agency of Canada) will explain how and why to use mixed methods throughout behavioural science projects.
Using Artificial Intelligence Wisely: Sasha Tregebov (BIT) will talk about the ways behavioural science practitioners can use AI to increase their efficiency and efficacy.
2:45pm - 3:50pm Lightning Talks
Can Five Minutes Shift Financial Behaviour? A Behaviourally Informed Intervention to Reduce Credit Card Debt
Jeannette Benson* (Financial Consumer Agency of Canada) & Nicole Robitaille, Avery Haviv, Ekin Ok, & Tara Rezvan (Queen's University)Testing Framing and Simplification to Increase Engagement with a Contractor Search Tool
Julie Wilson* (Nudge Vancouver), Alison Schatz (Metro Vancouver Regional District), James McNeill (BC Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction), Monika Spence* (B.C.'s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner), and David Hardisty (University of British Columbia)Increasing Organ Donation Registrations at Citizen Services Offices
Takuro Ishikawa* & Anna Burrowes (BC Behavioural Insights Group), Lindsay Miles-Pickup (BC Public Service), Mikayla Ford, Stephanie Wilkie, & Carl Jensen (BC Behavioural Insights Group), Craig Hutton ((former) BC Behavioural Insights Group), Service BC, and BC Transplant
Moderator: Christine Kormos (Impact Canada, Privy Council Office, Government of Canada)
3:50pm - 4:00pm Closing Remarks
Carl Jensen
BC Behavioural Insights Group
*indicates presenter.
Draft program subject to change.
All listed times are Pacific Time (UTC−07:00).