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Located on the outskirts of Birkenhead in Merseyside, the offices of Evoke Creative are at the forefront of transforming how people shop and interact with businesses. This English company specializes in creating self-service terminals, the large touchscreen kiosks increasingly seen in places ranging from fast-food chains like McDonald’s to public libraries.
These kiosks have gained significant traction among restaurant operators due in part to their ability to boost sales. The underlying reasons for this sales increase can be explained through behavioural science—the analysis of human decision-making and the motivations behind the choices people make. Dean Ward, founder and chief product officer of Evoke Creative, highlights several psychological factors that contribute to why customers spend more using these terminals. He points out that talking directly to a cashier can sometimes make customers feel judged, which often leads them to decline extra items like upsizing their fries or adding extras. Using a touchscreen removes that social pressure, making customers more comfortable to enhance their order.
Furthermore, the terminals display appealing product images and offer numerous opportunities for upselling throughout the ordering process. “At every opportunity within the customer journey on the terminal, you are asked would you like to add this, would you like to do that?” Ward explains. “Because you’ve got more time and you’re not being judged, you’re very much more inclined to actually say yes to these things.” Supporting this, data from technology provider Vita Mojo shows that 61% of customers spend more at self-service kiosks compared to traditional tills, with average order values sometimes increasing by as much as 40%.
Behavioural science has long been used to influence consumer habits, even before it was formally recognized as a field. A classic example comes from the 1940s, when the US tobacco company RJ Reynolds ran a campaign claiming “more doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.” Today, similar tactics are common in endorsements, such as dentists recommending specific toothpaste brands. Ben Jones, a consultant from The Behavioural Architects, explains how this taps into “authority bias,” where people tend to trust and follow advice from figures they see as experts when uncertain. This principle extends beyond advertising to significant social programs as well. For example, the UK’s automatic enrolment scheme for workplace pensions, introduced in 2012, leveraged “default bias”—the human tendency to stick with pre-selected options—to dramatically increase retirement savings participation by more than 10 million people. Jones notes that defaults “help us manage that overload of choices we’re always having to make” by enabling quicker decisions and overcoming procrastination.
Behavioural science also subtly influences daily decisions like purchasing wine. In a study led by Adrian North at Leicester University, different days featured French accordion music or German oompah tunes playing in a supermarket. The results showed that French music days correlated with higher sales of French wines, while German music days boosted sales of German wines, even though customers were unaware that the music affected their choices. Beyond commercial uses, organizations such as the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) are adopting behavioural insights to encourage healthier lifestyles. In Tunisia, the WFP collaborated with the marketing agency Ogilvy to produce a TV drama called *Salla Salla*, designed using behavioural science techniques to subtly promote messages about healthy eating and reducing food waste. Takwa Khelifi from the WFP remarked, “If you know the facts only, it doesn’t change people and doesn’t change behaviour. We all know better, but we don’t do better.” The show was a ratings success, ranking fourth on Tunisian television, and contributed to a 22% reduction in bread consumption.
From private companies to governments and international organizations, behavioural science is a powerful tool increasingly employed to shape everyday decisions in ways we may not even realize
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