Behavioural approaches are increasingly used in both the global North and South as means to effect government policy. These interventions aim to encourage preferred behaviours by subtly shaping choices, applying incentives or employing punitive measures. Recent digital technology developments extend the reach of these behavioural approaches. While these approaches have been criticised from political science perspectives, in this paper we apply an innovative mode of analysis of behavioural policy approaches founded in a ‘new materialist’ ontology of affects, assemblages and capacities. This perspective enables us to explore their ‘micropolitical’ impact—on those who are their subjects, but also upon the wider sociocultural contexts within which they have been implemented. We examine two different behavioural interventions: the use of vouchers to incentivise new mothers to breastfeed their infants (a practice associated with improved health outcomes in both childhood and later life), and uses of debit card technologies in Australia to limit welfare recipients’ spending on alcohol, drugs and gambling. In each case, we employ a materialist methodology to analyse precisely what these interventions do, and what (in)capacities they produce in their targeted groups. From these we draw out a more generalised critique of behavioural approaches to policy implementation.

中文翻译：

---

行为干预的微观政治：一种新的唯物主义分析

行为方法在全球北方和南方都越来越多地用作影响政府政策的手段。这些干预措施旨在通过巧妙地塑造选择、应用激励措施或采用惩罚措施来鼓励偏好的行为。最近的数字技术发展扩展了这些行为方法的范围。虽然这些方法已经从政治科学的角度受到批评，但在本文中，我们应用了一种创新的行为政策方法分析模式，该模式建立在影响、组合和能力的“新唯物主义”本体论之上。这种观点使我们能够探索它们的“微观政治”影响——对那些作为它们的主体的人，以及它们已经实施的更广泛的社会文化背景。我们研究了两种不同的行为干预：使用代金券鼓励新妈妈母乳喂养婴儿（这种做法与改善童年和晚年的健康状况有关），以及在澳大利亚使用借记卡技术来限制福利领取者在酒精、毒品和赌博上的支出。在每种情况下，我们都采用唯物主义方法来精确分析这些干预措施的作用，以及它们在目标群体中产生的（不）能力。从这些中，我们对政策实施的行为方法提出了更广泛的批评。我们采用唯物主义方法来精确分析这些干预措施的作用，以及它们在目标群体中产生的（不）能力。从这些中，我们对政策实施的行为方法提出了更广泛的批评。我们采用唯物主义方法来精确分析这些干预措施的作用，以及它们在目标群体中产生的（不）能力。从这些中，我们对政策实施的行为方法提出了更广泛的批评。