Government ‘nudge unit’ to attempt to change people’s behaviours

Psychological tricks used by governments to “nudge” how citizens behave may soon be applied to the contentious area of living wills and end-of-life decisions. After early wins in areas such as persuading people to pay fines on time, or cut down on fizzy drinks, the so-called behavioural scientists are raising their sights, said Dr Rory Gallagher, head of the Behavioural Insights (BI) Team in Australia.