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“Financial incentives affect behavior. They do not cause it.”

Of course financial incentives cause behavior! Why wouldn’t they? Have you ever heard of B.F. Skinner? or even been a parent? Rewards are extremely powerful influences over the drives that cause behaviors. This is a researched fact.

There are other influences on behavior as well, or course, but the reward factor is big. Free will is operative, and is woven into the mix, but that is another topic.

Have you ever heard of B.F. Skinner? [ . . . ][Free will is operative, and is woven into the mix, but that is another topic.

Some of us had heard of Dr. Skinner, and reject him, just as he rejects the soul and Free Will.

You are right, however, in pointing out the error in the line,

"Financial incentives affect behavior. They do not cause it.”

Affecting behavior IS causing behavior. My employer matches retirement savings up to 3%, so I save 3%. Even if it doesn't whether I save, it certainly creates the amount of behavior, which itself is a behavior.

The primary influences in a culture are going to be primarily social, not usually financial (depending on the person). Some people would't drive a mionivan if it were free. On the other hand, I can tell you that I have heard (2nd hand, at a former employer) the gals in the call center calculating the effect of their life choices on their government bennies, even showing evidence of Algebra I skills they did not provide in ANY other context.