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Robert West

@robertjwest.bsky.social
2.1K followers 597 following 79 posts

Based at UCL. Researching tobacco use, human motivation and application of AI to behavioural science. Co-founder of Behaviour Change Wheel and COM-B model.

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Reposted by Robert West
Human Behaviour Change - APRICOT @hbcproject.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
@robertjwest.bsky.social, the founder of the PAT, will take participants through the improved user interface and enhanced functionality.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
A 2 week old chimp and a prize fighter. Sometimes the move from 100 percent to 99.9999999 percent or lower comes from uncertainty about the precise meaning or context of the proposition.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
youtu.be/F7BjoOHjniY?...
youtu.be
ISRAEL CAUGHT TARGETING NYC MAYOR MAMDANI! 🚨
YouTube video by Double Down News
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
The word 'may' does a lot of heavy lifting when reporting study findings. Taken literally it makes no substantive claim so can be defended as not overselling, but of course taken literally it carries no meaning either! It's all in the conversational implications.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Anyone who dresses like a cross between the Monty Python knight who wouldn't give up and the drummer from Angine de Poitrine gets my vote.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Sensible policies for a happier Clacton. Never voted before? Now's your chance to make a difference. All the main parties have stood aside to avoid splitting the Binface vote 😜. Don't make them regret it.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Come on the people of Clacton. This is your chance to make a joke out of the bad joke that is Farage, and make history. Vote Count Binface.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Only someone with a heart of stone wouldn't laugh at the demise of Jenrick's political gambit... playing out here in real time
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Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
It’s not a ‘difficult decision’. It’s a barbaric decision. A *wrong* decision.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
youtu.be/8aVWCRBLqgk?...
youtu.be
"DESTROY Them Before They DESTROY Us": The SECRET Plot to Crush Independent Media
YouTube video by Double Down News
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
youtu.be/sl9LKnyAVmc?...
youtu.be
What The UK Did is SHOCKING & no one’s allowed to talk about it
YouTube video by Double Down News
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Reposted by Robert West
UCL Centre for Behaviour Change @ucl-cbc.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
The 2026 Behaviour Change Conference Programme is live! 🎉 There are still in-person and online places available, so do join us if you haven’t already registered: 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-ch... Workshop registrations will be closing soon - book by 8 May: 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-ch... #BCConf2026
ucl.ac.uk
Behaviour Change Conference 2026
Our annual conferences bring together industry, academia, government and NGOs to discuss cutting-edge developments in the science and application of behaviour change to a range global challenges.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
I mostly don't post about politics (or at least party politics) here but this video from DoubleDown News is so shocking I thought I should try and get it out. For full disclosure, Paul Holden is part of my wider family. A very brave and incisive journalist. youtu.be/_nQeCCW7vHc?...
youtu.be
UNCOVERED: The SECRET Plot To DESTROY Zack Polanski
YouTube video by Double Down News
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Reposted by Robert West
Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
This is an important and sobering read about a 1943 American pamphlet warning citizens what fascism in America would look like. Every bit of it is happening now open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...
open.substack.com
January 9, 2026
Beginning in 1943, the War Department published a series of pamphlets for U.S.
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Reposted by Robert West
Peter @notalawyer.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
the ICE officer calling a woman he just murdered a “fucking bitch” is visceral, but imo the most material new information in the latest video is that she very clearly turns the wheel away from the officer right before it happens
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 08/01/2026
Walz: "I couldn't help but think, and it scares me a bit -- 'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most important directive.' It certainly feels like that in this moment."
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Large Language models pose an existential threat to online survey research www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... An AI can now evade a comprehensive suite of data quality checks, achieving a 99.8% pass rate on 6,000 trials of standard attention checks.
pnas.org
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
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John Drury @profjohndrury.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Statement from Birzeit University on the Israeli military invasion of its campus and shooting of students www.birzeit.edu/en/news/stat...
birzeit.edu
Statement from Birzeit University on the Israeli military invasion of its campus and shooting of students
As part of its ongoing assault on Palestinian life and institutions, the Israeli occupying army carried out a military invasion of Birzeit University during official working hours, at a time when the ...
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Reposted by Robert West
Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
very disappointing. There is a code of conduct for Royal Society fellows - it's not a value judgement to say that Musk has contravened it! see relevant bits of code and the Royal Society stated values below.
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies
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MS NOW @ms.now · 08/01/2026
BREAKING: The Hennepin County District Attorney's office says they have jurisdiction to charge the ICE agent involved in the fatal Minneapolis shooting.
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BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL AKA PRESIDENT FOOTBALL @edsbs.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
his name is Jonathan Ross and he shouldn't get a good night's sleep for the rest of his life www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...
startribune.com
Star Tribune identifies ICE agent who fatally shot woman in Minneapolis
Jonathan Ross was dragged in a separate incident last year by a fleeing driver, according to court records.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
I think this conversation has been instructive and apologise to the anonymous person or bot for allowing them to illustrate important features of self-delusion. Today I will be demonstrating to plead with our government to show humanity to the hunger strikes. And this person or both will be blocked.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
The charge of assaulting a police officer relates to a different group of people. The person in that case is not on hunger strike. But again, this person illustrates another tactic - conflation with apparently hard evidence.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Notice, the continuing reliance on insults and deflection. The discussion was about people on hunger strike, whom this person (assuming it's not a bot) appeared to imply had been violent and were seeking special treatment. This is all standard fare but instructive to see it in action.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
For anyone else who may be reading this, you may notice 1) the use of insult, and 2) deflection from the original facts in question. This happens when a party to a disagreement finds engaging with material facts too aversive to engage with.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
No one can surely be in any doubt that these people are being made an example of to deter direct action against the UK's complicity in genocide. It is now a simple dichotomy: Are you for or against the UK government's support for Israel's ongoing slaughter and displacement of Palestinians?
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
To be clear. None of the hunger strikers are being accused of violence. The reported violence of PA obviously falls far short of anything that would normally be thought of as terrorism. It is reported and not confirmed. And the accused are being denied the usual rights of remand prisoners.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
The US Government has set out very clearly its plans for the US oligarchs (not its people) to dominate the world. They are not hiding it and have thrown out a challenge to countries such as the UK: The US does not see us as an ally but as a vassal state. youtu.be/idkurWogst8?...
youtu.be
This is Trump's new plan for US global dominance
YouTube video by Geopolitical Economy Report
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
😂
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Please take a few moments to pressure the government to meet with the Palestine Action hunger strikers now. goodlaw.social/8f6640
goodlaw.social
Force the government to meet with the Palestine Action hunger strikers NOW
Palestine Action activists are in the middle of their hunger strike, and their situation is desperate. Some of them have not eaten for 46 days. They have been refused medical attention, their communic...
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UCL Centre for Behaviour Change @ucl-cbc.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Grateful if you can share!@martamarques.bsky.social @susanmichie.bsky.social @felixnaughton.bsky.social @uclbrainscience.bsky.social @uclpals.bsky.social @behaviourresuk.bsky.social @hbcproject.bsky.social @nihr-pru-bass.bsky.social @bsphn.bsky.social @robertjwest.bsky.social @socsocmed.bsky.social
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ncsct.bsky.social @ncsct.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
We now offer an FAQs page on our website that answers the most common technical and training questions that you may have. You can access it here: www.ncsct.co.uk/publications.... You can also ask questions via enquiries@ncsct.co.uk Please note: our new enquiries number is 01747 441648.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
You may be interested in this preprint that Sarah Jackson, Linda Ng Fat and I have just published on improved mental wellbeing following health-behaviour changes. If you have any comments or suggestions please let us know. www.qeios.com/read/NY0ZS1
qeios.com
Benefits to Mental Wellbeing from Making Positive Changes in Health-Related Behaviours: An Ultra-Rapid Review
BACKGROUND AND AIMS. Changes in health-related behaviours that have a longer-term impact on physical health have also been found in many studies to lead to relatively rapid improvements in mental well...
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Reposted by Robert West
UCL Centre for Behaviour Change @ucl-cbc.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
📢 Submissions are open for the 2026 Behaviour Change Conference! A fantastic opportunity to share your work & connect with delegates worldwide - all working toward a healthier, sustainable world 🌍 🗓 Deadline: 15 Dec 2025 👉 ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-change/conference #BCConf2026 @be-change.bsky.social
Behaviour Change Conference 2026 - call for abstracts now open, submit by 15 December 2025. Image of conference venue.
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
This will be a big one! www.linkedin.com/pulse/regist...
linkedin.com
Registration for the Building Capability in Behavioural Research Conference 2026 Opens Today!
We are delighted to announce the Building Capability in Behavioural Research 2026 Conference will take place in the Teaching and Learning Building at the University of Birmingham. In partnership with ...
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
A flat white by any other name … open.substack.com/pub/robertwe...
open.substack.com
A flat white by any other name …
Why we need an ontology of milk-containing coffee drinks and other things ...
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
I've just heard what may be the funniest line ever in a detective story. It's in the brilliant Anthony Horowitz' novel 'Close to Death' whose audiobook is brightening up my gym experience. It is 'There was so much blood, even the police dog threw up.'
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Joe Gitchell @jgitchell.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Bigly recommend listening to the Unlocking Behaviour Change 'cast from #JamieWest (not sure of his blewski handle) and @robertjwest.bsky.social. Lots of info and insight, entertainingly and efficiently conveyed. #ChickenSexing youtu.be/J0y2Bo4glfk?...
youtu.be
Unlocking Behaviour Change Podcast Episode 20: Notice the difference!
YouTube video by Unlocking Behaviour Change
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Daniel Kotz @danielkotz.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Robert West explaining the use of ontologies to support research on #nicotine and #tobacco use at the SRNT-E conference addictovocab.org @robertjwest.bsky.social
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Shayoni Lynn @shayonislynn.bsky.social · 03/08/2025
#BehaviouralScience is not always about nudging. The authors @susanmichie.bsky.social @robertjwest.bsky.social argue "tackling the challenges facing humanity requires a collective, capacity-building approach" that boosts competences, opportunities, & motivations for individuals to act together.
cambridge.org
Moving from nudging to boosting: empowering behaviour change to address global challenges | Behavioural Public Policy | Cambridge Core
Moving from nudging to boosting: empowering behaviour change to address global challenges
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Behavioural Research UK (BR-UK) @behaviourresuk.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
👥📚 And are you interested in applying AI to your own behavioural research? Join our drop-in advice sessions with our AI webinar speakers @jannahastings.bsky.social , @robertjwest.bsky.social, and @susanmichie.bsky.social Michie beginning in September. Sign up to a session today!
usher.ed.ac.uk
Section 4: BR-UK AI Help Desk | Behavioural Research UK (BR-UK) | Usher Institute
A soon-to-come initiative of bi-monthly online advice sessions supporting researchers in navigating this fast-evolving space.
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Reposted by Robert West
Sarah Jackson @drsarahejackson.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Our new paper provides up-to-date evidence on cigarette consumption across Great Britain. 🟡~28.6 billion cigarettes are smoked each year. 🟡There are persistent disparities across socioeconomic groups, regions, and nations. academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-... @ntrjournal.bsky.social
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Just released a new episode of the Unlocking Behaviour Change podcast. This series is tackling decision-making and this episode is all about the importance of the way that decisions are 'framed' (e.g., Shall I do X or not? which of X, Y or Z shall I choose?) www.podbean.com/ep/pb-rdhpx-...
podbean.com
Understanding decision ‘framing’: asking the right question
Where’s the best place to go on holiday? What should I do with my life? Why is the way we frame decisions so vital? In this episode, we continue unpacking the FACET framework, focusing on F: Frame. We...
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
I've just launched the latest episode in the Unlocking Behaviour Change podcast series, and it is the very first public airing of a new general framework for understanding and analysing real-world decisions - called FACET. So do check it out and leave comments. www.podbean.com/ep/pb-tgudh-...
podbean.com
Introducing FACET: A framework for understanding and analysing real-world decision-making
This episode introduces a new framework for understanding and analysing decision-making. It is the first public airing of this framework - so quite a big deal!! FACET stands for Frame (the way we appr...
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
The Human Behaviour Change Project 'Prediction Tool' has just had a revamp. It uses interpretable machine learning applied to rich ontologised data extracted from ~500 RCTs to predict smoking cessation outcomes in novel scenarios. Here's a link to a video about the tool youtu.be/fUvfXmeZhnM
youtu.be
Instructions on how to use the HBCP Prediction Tool
YouTube video by Human Behaviour Change Project
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Reposted by Robert West
Human Behaviour Change - APRICOT @hbcproject.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Can't wait for the launch of APRICOT? 🍑 We got you covered: Here, Robert West is introducing himself and giving you a small peak into what he will be speaking about at the launch. Don't forget to register: 🗓️ 17 June 2025 ⏰ 3:30 PM (UK Time) 🎥 Online 👉 Register now: ucl.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
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Robert West @robertjwest.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Just posted the 3rd podcast in the Unlocking Behaviour Change series. This first series of podcasts is being done while Jamie West and I finalise our new book on decision making, so comments are very welcome ... here's a link to the podcast www.podbean.com/ep/pb-yavwn-...
podbean.com
Hot and cool decisions & much more!
What are hot and cold decisions? How important is it to appreciate when decisions are reversible? In an uncertain world, sometimes we have to get on and make a decision and then make it work. Join Rob...
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UCL Centre for Behaviour Change @ucl-cbc.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
🧠 Bonus for early birds! Register early for the BCTO training and get first access to a free workshop with Prof @robertjwest.bsky.social on the CACTISS Tool - a practical, step-by-step method to identify aspects of capability, opportunity & motivation to target - and how to use it to select BCTs.
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UCL Centre for Behaviour Change @ucl-cbc.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
We also have the last few places remaining on our Principles & Practice of Systems Mapping course on 3 July! 🔗https://www.ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-change/advanced-modules-behaviour-change @viviantonop.bsky.social @robertjwest.bsky.social
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