Behavior Change for Good Initiative

“Without exception, every high performer I’ve studied credits a host of supporters for success. Research has found that a willingness to ask for help is crucial to achievement.”

— Co-Director Angela Duckworth in her New York Times op-ed on the power of asking for help.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/opinion/successful-people-help.html?unlocked_article_code=1.81A.2j2K.6nv_IS-Elizn&smid=url-share

Team Scientists Michele Gelfand and James Gross were recently recognized with lifetime achievement awards from the Association for Psychological Science. Congratulations!

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/observer/2027-lifetime-achievement-awards.html

Some have argued that gratitude can encourage people to accept the status quo.

New research by Team Scientist Tom Gilovich and collaborators found the opposite: people who were dispositionally grateful were more likely to do costly prosocial actions like donating blood, volunteering their time, and helping strangers.

BCFG joined friends, family and colleagues of Co-Director Angela Duckworth to celebrate the release of her new book, Situated.

Congrats, Angela!

Angela Duckworth’s new book on the power of the situation is out today!

Read a Q&A with Co-Director Duckworth in this month’s BCFG newsletter:

Getting Situated Co-Director Angela Duckworth’s book on the power of the situation is out today. Join us for a special live, online Q&A with Angela on November 2nd.

People often spend time worrying about future negative events yet fail to take preventive action.

New research by Team Scientist Gabriele Oettingen and collaborators shows how having people focus on positive aspects of their life can motivate taking preventative measures.

https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000490

Thank you to the undergraduate Research Assistants who supported BCFG’s research this summer! We appreciate all of their hard work on advancing behavior change research.

Can changing how people think about stress improve how they perform?

The Washington Post spoke with Team Scientist Alia Crum about her research showing that viewing stress as an opportunity for growth is linked to improved performance, resilience, and well-being.

https://wapo.st/4wLSCvf