PA SSENGER B E HAV IOUR
“Human decision making and
behaviour are controlled by
two systems in the brain”
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aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
JUNE 2019
B ehavioural design strategy, known as ‘nudging’
because it gently prods consumer behaviour,
has been used in a variety of fields, from
retail design to technology applications, to workplace
improvements, public facilities and in transport. It
could prove a particularly useful tool for airlines.
Nudging has its basis in psychology, applying
principles of universal human behaviour to create
solutions that are readily transferable, regardless of
culture or language. This universality makes nudging an
appealing concept to explore in aviation, where airlines
and airports may serve thousands of passengers from
all around the world on any given day. All of these
passengers’ learned behaviours (habits) accompany them
throughout their journeys, with inherent human reactions
to unfamiliar circumstances and possible threats taking
over their decision-making processes. But even in familiar
surroundings, nudging techniques can be very effective,
which also makes this design approach a useful tool for
improving staff performance.
We spoke with two behavioural design experts, who
share their insights on how airlines might put nudging
to work. The first is Sille Krukow, expert and founder
of the behavioural design firm, Krukow, based near
Copenhagen. She sees three particular areas where
airlines could reap benefits from nudging: reduced
fuel consumption, improved cargo management, and
increased passenger comfort.
“When you look at all these different processes – fuel
consumption, cargo management and passenger comfort
– they all come down to human decision making,” she
says. “Whether it’s the pilots making a decision on when
to turn the engines off and on, or the cargo staff deciding
how to load the airplanes, and so forth, there is human
decision making involved. Also, when it comes to
passengers, what time they show up at the gate, how they
place their luggage, how they find their seats, and so on,
all comes down to human decision making in the specific
moment; when they have to choose whether to go left or
right or lift their arms a bit higher – all these things.”
SYSTEMS ONE AND TWO
Though we might think otherwise, much of our decisionmaking
process is reactive and is susceptible to subtle
environmental cues, Krukow explains.
Human decision making and behaviour are controlled
by two systems in the brain, named system one and two,
which have been defined by Daniel Kahneman, a
psychologist, economist and Nobel Prize winner.
Basically, we as a species make decisions based on
system two, an energy-heavy system that makes
conscious decisions and evaluations. For example,
if a passenger is due to begin boarding in five
minutes, system two behaviour tells them that
they should be heading to the gate now,
based on information translated into an act.
Krukow says, “The problem with system
two behaviour is that it’s very effortintensive,
meaning that our blood sugar
UBERISING
AIR TRAVEL
Nudging design is really taking
off in technology where haptics,
colour, sound, visual cues and
reminders are all present and
available on a device. Groenewegen
says that airline apps should focus
on eliminating friction through
decision making at transactional
touchpoints, to increase brand
loyalty and sales.
“Think about Uber. They aren’t
cheaper than existing taxis, but they
take away a lot of human frustrations.
When will my taxi be here? – you
can see the car’s location on your
app screen.
What’s the driver like? – you see
his name and rating. How can I pay? –
you don’t have to take money with
you. Will it be safe? – you can share
your ride’s location in real time
with a friend so they can see where
you are. This isn’t about faster
transactions, but it is about adding
psychological value.”
/aircraftinteriorsinternational.com