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On the show
Recent episodes
Power struggles and group identity
May 5, 2026
27m 46s
The extraordinary motivating force of 'purpose' and 'transcendence'
Apr 28, 2026
28m 35s
The mysterious power of 'craving' and its role in addiction
Apr 21, 2026
28m 48s
Never underestimate the importance of being 'amused' as a motivational force
Apr 14, 2026
29m 12s
Matters of life and death
Apr 7, 2026
26m 34s
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| Date | Episode | Description | Length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/5/26 |  Power struggles and group identity | Robert and Jamie continue to explore sources of likes and dislikes (in the broadest sense) and in this episode move on to 'power' and how that relates to leadership. Robert reflects on the idea that often people don;t just want power for themselves, but for groups with whom they identify - and this is an extremely important source of conflict. Here is a link to the Substack article containing the pretty comprehensive list of sources of likes and dislikes. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 27m 46s | ||||||
| 4/28/26 | The extraordinary motivating force of 'purpose' and 'transcendence' | Humans appear to need some kind of purpose to our existence. It might be directed at spiritual enlightenment, furthering the well-being of the species, personal growth, getting good at something, or even just collecting stamps. Robert and Jamie discuss this as part of their examination of things that act as sources of wants and needs. They also delve briefly into the related topic of 'transcendence' - the sense of there being something beyond the physical world. Like other sources of wants and needs, these can be extremely pervasive and powerful influences on our behaviour and need to be considered when examining why people do things and how we can influence what they do. The full list of things we like and dislike can be found in this substack article. Before they get into the nitty-gritty of the topic, Robert raves about a new musical phenomenon, Angine do Poitrine. For anyone interested, here is a link to one of the very rapidly growing list of YouTube videos. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 28m 35s | ||||||
| 4/21/26 | The mysterious power of 'craving' and its role in addiction | What are cravings and what causes them? Craving is weird. You'd think that the more we enjoy something the more we would crave it. Not so. We crave things we don’t even like! As part of the series on what people do and do not like, Robert is on to one of his favourite topics. Here is a link to the Substack article setting out all the various things people tend to like and dislike. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 28m 48s | ||||||
| 4/14/26 | Never underestimate the importance of being 'amused' as a motivational force | What would life be like without entertainment? Is beauty integral to a good life? Is all art subjective? As part of their wide-ranging look at what people do and do not like, Robert and Jamie explore the world of aesthetic pleasure and displeasure . . . Here is a link to the Substack article that they are drawing on. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 29m 12s | ||||||
| 4/7/26 | Matters of life and death | Staying alive is terribly important to us . . . under certain circumstances. Why do we behave in ways that actually damage our bodies and shorten our lifespan? Robert and Jamie discuss what is going on and how life and death fit in with and compete with other motives. Here is a link to the Substack article with quite a comprehensive list of our sources of motivation. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 26m 34s | ||||||
| 3/31/26 | How important are 'agency' and 'understanding' as drivers of our behaviour? | Robert continues to explore the different factors that act as sources of liking and disliking and has asked his AI friend Claude to review his list and suggest how these could be usefully grouped. One crucial grouping concerns being in control of ourselves, other people and events, and understanding the world around us. Robert and Jamie delve into this and reflect on the importance, when teaching people of all ages, of avoiding the unpleasant feeling that comes from not understanding. Here is a list of the current version of Robert's list of things we tend to like and dislike: Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 26m 26s | ||||||
| 3/24/26 | Lots of things motivate our behaviour: Robert has been making a list ... | Robert has been busy making a list of things we like and things we dislike... Or do we? One person’s meat is another person’s poison. The duo also discuss drinking culture, life and death, and wanting to feel less bored... and make a passing reference to the wonderful Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for no very good reason... Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 27m 45s | ||||||
| 3/17/26 | How pleasure and comfort versus pain and discomfort drive our behaviour | So much of what we do stems from anticipated comfort, pleasure or satisfaction, or relief from pain or discomfort. So a really important target when trying to change behaviour is creating these anticipated feelings. We do this in lots of different ways, from rewarding and punishing behaviours, through prompting them to vividly imagine what may happen if they do the behaviour. Robert and Jamie continue their exploration of the updated COM-B model and the CACTIS tool to help create effective behaviour change interventions. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 25m 56s | ||||||
| 3/10/26 | What makes us accept that changing our behaviour is a good idea? | As part of their exploration into the updated COM-B and the CACTIS tool, Robert and Jamie discuss one of the big reasons for changing behaviour: because people think it's a good idea! But there is so much to unpack here when it comes to how we can provoke behaviour change. Do we improve their capability by helping them truly understand the benefits of changing over the costs, or try to persuade them about the merits of change when they already know the facts? Or something else. And how do lotteries exploit the way we view likelihoods ...? Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 28m 23s | ||||||
| 3/3/26 | CACTIS: A tools for developing behaviour change interventions using the COM-B model | How can we make practical use of the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation - Behaviour) Model when developing behaviour change interventions? The answer is the CACTIS (COM-B Assessment To Intervention Strategy) tool! It was CACTISS with 'Spreadsheet' at the end, but since the podcast, a decision has been made to drop the last S because although the original version was a spreadsheet, the new improved version (watch this space) will be a more interactive website. Here's a link to the spreadsheet version of CACTIS (which is being updated): https://www.com-b.org/tools Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 26m 41s | ||||||
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| 2/24/26 | How the COM-B model helps us understand the intervention-action gap | Robert has been wondering whether the updated COM-B is enough of an advance to merit the label COM-B 2.0! But more importantly, Robert and Jamie drill down on the concept of 'intention' and explore the intention-action gap. This leads to evidence-based tips for increasing the chances that we will do what we intend to do using the COM-B model. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 26m 01s | ||||||
| 2/17/26 | How identity and imagination can turn 'should' into 'want'. | This week Jamie has been playing Animal Crossing and Robert has been trying not to eat chocolate biscuits. Also, Robert offers tips on making marginal but meaningful changes to behaviour as the duo delves deeper into COM-B. Robert talks about how identity and imagination are important in turning 'should' into 'want' ... and how 'want' becomes 'should'! Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 28m 32s | ||||||
| 2/10/26 | The COM-B model in detail | Why does Robert keep hitting tennis drop shots into the net? How does ‘Atomic/Individual COM-B’ relate to ‘Aggregate/Population COM-B’? Robert continues his preview of COM-B 2.0 while Jamie wonders if England’s cricketers will ever learn how to make the right decisions ‘in the moment’ . . . Oh yes and they make a start, looking at the granular COM-B targets of: awareness of the behaviour and stuff to do with social norms and rule. Robert brings up the CACTIS Tool for which a video on the first version can be found here. The new, improved version should be with you soon - bookmark the https://com-b.org website for news. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 24m 47s | ||||||
| 2/3/26 | Updating the COM-B model in the light of experience | An updated version of the COM-B model is nearly ready to roll. It clarifies some things and expands others. It is 'backwardly compatible' with 'classic COM-B'. This episode is the first of several discussing what's new in COM-B 2.0 covering: 1) distinguishing 'individual' and 'population' level COM-B, 2) expanding the specification of 'behaviour', and 3) making a start on covering the more specific features of capability, opportunity and motivation. This episode covers the 'individual' versus 'population' COM-B distinction. Bookmark the COM-B website to stay up to date with developments. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 25m 38s | ||||||
| 1/27/26 | How capability, opportunity and motivation interact to influence behaviour | You can do it! Or . . . can you? When does believing in your own abilities help you achieve your goals? In this episode, Robert and Jamie explore how the different elements of the COM-B model interact. They clear up a bit of confusion about whether self-efficacy sits better with capability or motivation, and why the capability factor 'understanding the costs and benefits of doing something' primarily exerts its influence through motivation ... Even seasoned COM-B aficionados should find something of interest in this episode. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 28m 52s | ||||||
| 1/20/26 | Introducing the COM-B model of behaviour | Having finished their series on decision-making, Robert and Jamie start a new series that delves into a widely used model of human behaviour, designed to guide interventions that influence behaviour. Many podcast listeners will be very familiar with this model, and many won't. Either way, Robert and Jamie try to bring the model to life in a way that is accessible to specialists and non-specialists alike. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 27m 12s | ||||||
| 1/13/26 | Recap on the FACET framework for understanding real-world decision-making | It’s the last episode of the season! Robert and Jamie go on a whistle-stop tour through the FACET framework for understanding real-world decision-making: (Framing, Assessing, Comparing, Enacting and Time). They offer some of their favourite decision-making tips from the last season. These include: the importance of getting the decision 'frame right' as this conditions everything that follows; getting the right decision rule when choosing between options, taking account of our attitude to risk; the role of emotion in decision making, both in how we feel about the possible outcomes but also in how they influence the way we go about the process of decision-making; the concept of 'deciding about deciding' - making sure we reflect on how we are going about the process of decision-making and not just going with the flow; the distinction between willingness and desire and knowing when to sacrifice desire for willingness so we don't end up with the worst of all worlds; and ultimately to judge decision making on how we go about it rather than just the outcomes, which are often out of our control. Thanks to all our listeners, and we will see you next week for something completely/somewhat different . . . Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 26m 56s | ||||||
| 1/6/26 | How do we decide whom to trust when making decisions? | How do you spot a ‘dubious’ expert? What signs should you look out for? What counts as reliable evidence? And ultimately . . . who can you trust? Robert and Jamie offer tips and advice on navigating the information that bombards us every day. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 26m 09s | ||||||
| 12/29/25 | Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 32: Embrace 'the power to disbelieve' | This is the first of a two-part episode on how best to use advice and information from so-called 'experts'. When and how much should we trust them? What does healthy scepticism look like? Robert reflects on his time in SPI-B advising the UK government and discusses the importance of behavioural science in helping shape and understand behaviour. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 27m 04s | ||||||
| 12/22/25 | Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 31: The benefits and pitfalls of democratic decision-making | How do democracies work? Can there ever be a perfect voting system? What is the difference between desire and willingness? Deep dive with Robert and Jamie into the often murky and fraught world of democratic decision-making. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 28m 30s | ||||||
| 12/16/25 | Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 30: Groupthink, risky shift and nuclear war! | In this episode Robert gets it the wrong way round, citing the Cuban Missile Crisis as an example of how groupthink brought the West to the brink of nuclear war when in fact it was previous decisions such as authorising the failed invasion of Cuba that had exhibited groupthink and President Kennedy learned the lessons from this and set up decision-making processes that addressed this particular bias. For more info see https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352178533_Rethinking_Group_Dynamics_The_Cuban_Missile_Crisis_Revisited Anyway ... Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 26m 06s | ||||||
| 12/9/25 | Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 29: The ebb and flow of group decision making | Crucial decisions that affect our lives are made in 'groups', which technically can range from two or more people, as in the flight crew of a commercial jet, to the voting population of a country. This episode begins to examine how group decisions are made. Robert and Jamie analyse the ebb and flow of discussions and the art of skilful chairing. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 26m 48s | ||||||
| 12/2/25 | Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 28: What are 'ontologies' and why they will be at the heart of behavioural science? | Robert was fed up with asking for a flat white and getting heaven knows what, so with the help of his AI friend, Claude, he created an 'ontology' of milk-containing coffee drinks! Claude and Robert got carried away and ended up writing a Substack article about the power of ontologies as a way of clarifying meaning - something that is sorely needed in behavioural and social sciences. https://robertwest100.substack.com/p/a-flat-white-by-any-other-name This episode of the Unlocking Behaviour Change podcast may seem a bit technical at first but we hope it gives listeners a glimpse into what can be achieved when we use ontologies as a way for humans and computers to share knowledge and understanding - to take HI (human intelligence) and AI to the next level. Robert mentions a few links in the podcast, so here they are: The Behaviour Change Intervention Ontology (BCIO): https://www.bciontology.org/ This has lots of resources and tools to help you understand ontologies and their uses. The Smoking Cessation Intervention Prediction Tool: https://www.humanbehaviourchange.org/prediction This demonstrates what can be achieved when we use ontologies to capture features of studies evaluating behaviour change interventions, their target population and settings, and use machine learning to predict outcomes in never-before-seen interventions. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 27m 20s | ||||||
| 11/25/25 | Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 27: The desire to believe ... | Robert argues that we should assume people pretty much always believe things because we want or need to believe them. Some of us value evidence and truth and so want to believe things based on evidence, but clearly that is only one source of desire. So when we hear someone espousing a belief, it is worth asking 'Why does this person want or need to believe this?' And then Robert and Jamie discuss the potential adaptive advantages of unjustified beliefs ... Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 28m 05s | ||||||
| 11/18/25 | Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 26: Explaining decisions, 'optics' and the 'lose-change/win-stay' heuristic | Jamie has been watching Celebrity Traitors while Robert has been learning about Cicero. In this episode, the duo talk about why it can be stressful to explain your decisions to others, the pros and cons of focusing on ‘optics’, and how the simple 'lose-change/win-stay' heuristic can lead to bad decisions. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange | 23m 52s | ||||||
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Chart Positions
6 placements across 6 markets.
Chart Positions
6 placements across 6 markets.