The incoming President of British Science Association, Lord Krebs has raised doubts over the potential of behavioural psychology in changing the society for the better.

He said that the government's attempts to use the "nudge" tactics to influence the public's behavior should not replace the more traditional approach to change the societal patterns for the greater good. The government had set up a Behavioural Insights Team Headed by David Halpern.

The team, which is also known as the "nudge unit" is formed to look into ways to use behavioral psychology techniques to influence individuals' decisions. The central idea is to change the way choices are presented to the people so as to influence their decisions.

While speaking at the British Science Festival in Aberdeen, he admitted that nudge tactics helped in behavioral changes but pointed out that its practical utilization is limited. While replying to a query about whether behavioral science can help solve the problems faced by the society, he said that the answer can be both positive and negative.

Krebs said, "Insights can help us, to some degree but no, they're not the alternative to other approaches. They're not a kind of get out of jail card if the government wants to avoid tougher approaches like taxation and regulation. It's got be to a mixture of things, including regulation and financial incentives."

Krebs will deliver his presidential address at the festival on Thursday on the subject.