Why do widely supported solutions to major problems, such as climate change, so often struggle to gain real traction? A new study suggests that part of the answer lies in understanding why people resist change, and how the combination of their preferences and social networks can help overcome that resistance.

A study published in Nature Human Behaviour by researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) shows that it is possible to measure people's individual thresholds for change. This threshold value describes how much social support a person needs before adopting a new behavior.

Personal thresholds vary widely
The research brings together two fields that have traditionally studied social change separately: behavioral science, which examines what drives individual decisions, and complexity science, which looks at how behaviors spread through complex social networks.

"People don't change in isolation," says Manuel S. Mariani from the Department of Business Administration. "They respond to what others around them are doing, but the amount of encouragement they need varies from person to person. Some people will try a new idea the moment they hear about it. Others wait until everyone else is doing it."