Thanks for the comment Buse. My own opinion is that there is nothing wrong with using behavior change techniques to help improve wellbeing. Behavioral science simply studies people to understand their motivations, decisions, and behaviors, and then we can use that knowledge in predicting how people will react to different interventions. It doesn’t take away the element of choice in our lives, it merely tries to encourage us toward particular responses by understanding our general patterns. That is something we all do with other people every day. Behavioral science is just better at it!

As long as the desired behavior change outcomes are good for us — e.g. improving health outcomes, enhancing happiness, creating a safer society — I’m a supporter of behavior change approaches. When they are bad for us — e.g. encouraging addictions, unhealthy life choices — I’m less supportive. And of course, there will alway be grey areas in the middle to discuss.