Imaginary of Behavioral Governing

Abstract The article introduces the concept of the imaginary of behavioral governing to capture the view on the role of behavioral research in governing behavior that is widely shared in the academic and public discussions about behavioral policy (nudging), including the recent debates about reliance on big data and algorithms to influence people's behavior. It is believed that behavioral science provides knowledge of stable regularities of behavior and of the cognitive processes that lead to them, and that policymakers/governments act upon this knowledge to change behavior of individuals. I argue that this set of claims about the knowledge provided by the behavioral sciences is not substantiated in behavioral research. The formal theoretical frameworks of behavioral science come to be interpreted—via the imaginary of behavioral governing—as relating to human agents that power can act upon. I reflect on the possible point of entry for critique of this imaginary and its effects.