Exploring embodiment’s impact on autonomy and agency in behavioral design
to be presented at the Design research SOCIety Conference (DRS) 2026
The field of behavioral design uses insight into humans’ cognitive tendencies to help people make better, more rational choices. Yet individuals’ perceptions of what seems rational—let alone viable, or even conceivable—are not universally shared and are often informed by their embodiment as much as cognition. For example, fear of being scolded can inhibit overweight or obese individuals from seeking preventive healthcare, people with ‘invisible’ disabilities may feel pressured to pass as able-bodied to fit in, and Black individuals may avoid ordinary activities likely to prompt ‘birding while Black’ confrontations. Depicting cognition as the single site of judgment and decision-making therefore underestimates how an individual’s risk calculus or perceived agency may be informed by their particular physical embodiment or accumulated embodied experiences. This paper explores how embodiment can influence judgment, decision-making, and behavior, and how behavioral designers can better incorporate these factors when crafting solutions.