Michael Hallsworth is a behavioral scientist and policy advisor who is known for applying insights from psychology and behavioral economics to public policy and social programs. He currently serves as Managing Director (Americas) at the Behavioral Insights Team (BIT), a world-leading organization founded by the UK Prime Minister in 2010 to apply behavioral science to government and social-purpose work.^[1][2]

Michael Hallsworth also earned his PhD in behavioral economics from Imperial College London and has held academic positions including assistant professor at Columbia University and visiting lecturer at Princeton University. He is a distinguished lecturer for the Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences program at the University of Pennsylvania and serves on the advisory board of Penn’s Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, as well as the editorial board of the journal Behavioral Public Policy.^[3]

He is also a co-author of the book Behavioral Insights (MIT Press) and has published research in journals including The Lancet, Journal of Public Economics, and Nature Human Behaviour.^[4] In his book “The Hypocrisy Trap,” Michael Hallsworth looks at how our urge to call out hypocrisy can actually backfire, sometimes creating more problems or making people more cynical. He uses real stories and research and explains that not all hypocrisy is the same, some really harms trust, while other kinds are just part of life and the compromises we all make. The book also gives practical advice on how to be more consistent ourselves, deal with accusations in a smart way, and think more clearly about other people’s actions, to help us improve our politics, work, and personal relationships.