bspa this week (1.17.17)

bspa this week (1.17.17)

• 

  Can Behavioral Science Help in Flint?

  The New Yorker’s new profile dives into the work of the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team as the Obama administration comes to a close, and Maya Shankar’s journey to delve deeper into big policy problems — like the Flint water crisis in Michigan — after racking up a series of quick, cost-effective successes in her first two years leading the team. Maya had a few people to thank on the policyshop blog.

• 

  Behavioral Insights at the United Nations – Achieving Agenda 2030

  A new report published by the United Nations demonstrates how behavioral approaches to UN programs bring fresh gains, from recycling in China to refugee care in Jordan. The UN’s new team is also led by Maya Shankar as well as her SBST colleague Lori Foster.

• 

  Fake News and Conflicts of Interest

  Two mainstays of behavioral science weigh in on U.S. headlines this week. In Slate, Robert Cialdini cites research on PSAs and norms to advise how facebook could combat fake news. On Fivethirtyeight, George Loewenstein points out that everyone underestimates the impact of conflicts of interest on their behavior, and disclosure has negative rebound effects.

• 

  New Nudge Unit Starting Up in Greece

  The Nudge Unit Greece (NUG) brings professionals in economics and psychology together to improve Greece through nudge applications, with an aim to become Greece’s official national nudge unit. Their first stop: curbing trash in Athens.

In Other News...

• Why it’s better to pursue meaning than happiness. Great piece from @EmEsfahaniSmith & @aaker: https://t.co/PI3XVBioYZ

  — Susan Cain (@susancain) January 12, 2017

• An overview of some common behavioral tendencies: confirmation bias, status quo bias, gambler's fallacy & morehttps://t.co/IVGnqUdHl2

  — Lisa Kramer (@LisaKramer) January 15, 2017

• From London, to Copenhagen to Qatar Fine piece on nudge-units around the world by @makkifadi https://t.co/62SUenlKKX

  — Pelle G. Hansen (@Peguha) January 14, 2017

• .@PaulatDR & @DanielVastfjall Iconic photographs and the ebb and flow of empathic response to humanitarian disasters https://t.co/NIEiEEU7YP pic.twitter.com/dPofRnWnAe

  — Dave Nussbaum (@davenuss79) January 10, 2017

• How to Start a Career in Behavioral Design https://t.co/9aUQoYxwIA

  — OBSERVER (@observer) January 12, 2017

• Latest report from @B_I_Tweets on applying behavioural insights to health - with new examples from around the world https://t.co/N7XVRvcfSm

  — Michael Hallsworth (@mhallsworth) January 11, 2017