Aussie minds – same behaviour, different reason

What behavioural data doesn’t tell you about people’s behaviour

Behavioural data can tell us what people do, but not always why they do it. The Research Agency (TRA) looks at why the same behaviour can be driven by very different motivations, and what that means for behaviour change.

We have never had more data about what people do.

We know what they click, where they drop out, what they watch, when they switch, what they search for and how often they come back. This behavioural data is incredibly useful. It gives us a much clearer picture of what is actually happening, rather than what people say is happening.

But there is a catch. Knowing what somebody did isn't the same as knowing what will move them next.

Two people can do exactly the same thing for completely different reasons. They might put money into savings each month. Avoid signing up to a new service. Choose the cheaper option. Abandon an application halfway through. The behaviour looks the same, but the psychology underneath it might not be. The more behavioural data we have, the easier it can be to mistake a detailed description of behaviour for an explanation of it. We can see the pattern with extraordinary precision without necessarily knowing what created it.

In psychology, this idea is known as equifinality: the principle that the same behavioural or psychological outcome can be reached through many different paths, experiences or starting conditions. When we see a pattern in behavioural data, it is tempting to work backwards and assume we understand what caused it.

We might interpret someone staying with their energy provider as satisfaction, an abandoned application as evidence that the process is too difficult, or low uptake of a new feature as a sign that people don’t see its value. Those explanations might be right, but the behaviour alone can’t tell us that.

Why can the same behaviour have different motivations?

This is something we see clearly in Aussie Minds, TRA’s framework for understanding the different motivational MindSets shaping Australians’ choices.

Imagine three people who aren't using a new digital service. A Keeper might resist it because the current option feels familiar and low-risk. A Nester might avoid it because learning something new feels like one more thing to deal with. A Strategist might hold back until there is clear evidence that switching is worth it.

In each case, the behaviour is the same: non-adoption. But what is driving it is different. One person needs the risk reduced, another needs the change to feel easier, while another needs stronger proof of value. “Non-adoption” describes what they are doing, but it doesn’t diagnose the problem.  

Why does motivation matter for behaviour change?

If we treat all three as ‘non-adopters’, we risk missing what sits beneath the behaviour and getting the intervention wrong.  We might offer an incentive when value isn't the barrier, or bombard people with more information when what they really need is reassurance.

This is consistent with the COM-B model of behaviour change, which identifies capability, opportunity and motivation as key influences on behaviour.

Understanding what sits beneath the behaviour helps us understand what we do next. For a Keeper, that means making the new service feel proven and low-risk. For a Nester, it means making the transition feel simple and manageable. For a Strategist, it’s about providing the transparency and evidence they need to make a considered decision.

The same customer behaviour can require very different responses depending on the motivation behind it. Behavioural data tells us what is happening. Understanding motivation helps us work out what to do about it.

How do you understand what sits behind behaviour?

At TRA, this is why we layer behavioural understanding. Behavioural data helps us map what people are doing, where patterns are emerging and where there might be an opportunity or a problem. From there, we need to understand what is driving it.

That might mean qualitative research to understand how people are interpreting the decision, behavioural research to uncover the barriers and contextual factors shaping it or understanding someone's motivational MindSet to uncover the values, tensions and trust cues they bring to the choice.

A behaviour can be doing very different jobs for different people. It can help someone feel safe, give them control, reduce effort, protect something they value or move them towards something they want.  

More behavioural data can make us increasingly precise about what somebody did without getting us any closer to understanding why. If the goal is behaviour change, understanding the ‘why’ is a core part of knowing what to do next.

Behavioural data tells us what people do. Understanding the motivations behind consumer behaviour helps explain why they do it – giving us a better idea of what might move them next.

Explore Aussie Minds or check out more of our latest thinking on behaviour change.