Behavioral Science Interventions: Integrating the Decision Task, Context, and Individual Differences to Inform Policy

Interest in applying evidence from psychological science to strengthen public policy has increased in recent years. The governments of at least 20 countries have “nudge units,” or teams of researchers and policymakers dedicated to applying insights from psychological science to improve public policy. Many international agencies and consulting firms have followed suit, and other disciplines are also increasingly interested in using psychological science to better understand decision-making. We argue that policymakers should use psychology to adopt an integrative understanding of behavior as shaped by three factors: features of the decision task (e.g., how choices are framed), the context (e.g., access to institutional resources), and individual differences (e.g., race and ethnicity). Identifying which factor to focus on requires an understanding of the interdependent nature of these factors. As a test case, we show how this integrative model of decision-making can be used to support parents’ ability to provide nurturing and stimulating early learning environments. We argue that for behaviors that parents want to do, but need an extra nudge to follow-through, targeting the decision task is effective. In situations of cumulative risk, policies should ease contextual constraints such as economic hardship, or support context-level strengths, such as peer networks. Finally, considering individual differences such as race and ethnicity through a strengths-based, cultural, and historical lens can increase the effectiveness of parenting interventions by allowing policymakers to tailor interventions appropriately.

Duke Scholars

Author Sarah Elizabeth Gaither Psychology & Neuroscience

Author Anna Gassman-Pines Sanford School of Public Policy