Glossary
Restructuring the social environment
What is restructuring the social environment?
Restructuring the social environment means changing who is around and how people interact to make a desired behavior easier or an unwanted behavior harder.
How it works
A workplace might pair an inexperienced employee with someone who can help during practice. Or colleagues might organize a lunchtime walking group, making a walk part of their social routine.
When designing a change, ask who is present, how the team is organized, and which shared routines help or obstruct the target behavior. Changing team composition or a group routine is a different design choice from simply telling people what others approve of.
Why it matters
People act in a social world. A design that ignores their friends, colleagues, and daily interactions can miss a large part of the problem. The right change depends on the group; a walking club will not suit everyone.
The BCT Taxonomy lists this as technique 12.2 and distinguishes changes to the social setting from simply providing prompts, rewards, or punishments.