Who's in control: the power of settings | Val Curtis | TEDxLSHTM

"We are not in control of our own behavior, but rather slaves to our environment," asserts behavioral scientist Val Curtis in this light-hearted and humorous, yet thought provoking talk. Val discusses how, as a public health specialist, she wants to utilize the power of settings to control or change people’s behavior and in so doing improve people’s lives and health.

Val is a behavioural scientist who develops and tests interventions to change behaviour.

Trained as an engineer, epidemiologist and anthropologist, she uses an approach known as Behaviour Centred Design to create and test interventions in hygiene, sanitation, nutrition, product development and other behaviour-related issues. Her background is in hygiene and sanitation and she is co-founder of the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap.

She teaches and consults on behaviour change with governments, international organisations and industry. She has published widely on hygiene, behaviour and disgust and is author of: Don’t Look Don’t Touch, the Science behind Revulsion (OUP 2013) and co-author of Gaining Control, how human behaviour evolved (OUP 2015).

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx