World Development Report 2015- Mind, Society and Behavior
December 15, 2014
The title of this Report, Mind, Society, and Behavior,captures the idea that paying attention to how humans think (the processes of mind) and how history and context shape thinking (the influence of society) can improve the design and implementation of development policies and interventions that target humanchoice and action (behavior).
To put it differently, development policy is due for its own redesign basedon careful consideration of human factors This Report aims to integrate recent findings on the psychological and social underpinnings of behavior to make them available for more systematic use by both researchers and practitioners in development communities.
The Report draws on findings from many disciplines, including neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, behavioral economics, sociology, political science, and anthropology. In ongoing research, thesefindings help explain decisions that individuals makein many aspects of development, including savings, investment, energy consumption, health, and child rearing. The findings also enhance the understanding of how collective behaviors—such as widespread trust or widespread corruption—develop and become entrenched in a society
World Bank link
http://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2015