Increasing Commuting Via Public Transit

How can we get more people to take public transit rather than drive to work? This article in Slate draws on behavioral science research—some of which was published in BSP — to argue that although commuting habits are deeply entrenched, significant disruptions—such as life changes or external events—can prompt individuals to reassess their travel choices which creates opportunities for interventions that encourage more sustainable options like public transit and biking. Effective change requires both improved infrastructure and behavioral nudges timed to moments of transition.

The Rise of the Food Desert

Access to healthy foods is a critical piece of a healthy life, however, people living in food deserts lack convenient access to affordable, fresh groceries. Here, The Atlantic covers the emergence of food deserts and describes what can be done, at a policy level, to improve access to healthy food.

The Danger of “Banking” With a FinTech App

The convenient way users can send and store money in Fintech apps like Venmo, has led to a steady increase in their use as an alternative to traditional banks. However, as covered here by Vox, users may be unknowingly exposing their money to risks due to limited FDIC insurance protections, susceptibility to scams, and poor customer service.

CALL FOR PAPERS/PRESENTERS – BSPA Annual Conference 2025

The Behavioral Science & Policy Association (BSPA) will hold its annual conference online, May 1 & 2, 2025. More than 500 leading behavioral scientists, policy makers, executives, and members of the media are expected to attend. All the programming, uniquely fit for digital, will be hosted online with live streaming and interactive sessions from 11am-5pm (EST).

BSPA is seeking proposals by February 28, 2025, for short presentations highlighting issues relating to key areas in which behavioral scientists could have significant influence on policy. Each area will be introduced by an invited keynote speaker, followed by a handful of compelling 8-minute presentations.

POLICY AREA

Poverty & Financial Wellbeing
Healthcare
Environment & Sustainability
Organizational/Management
Justice & Ethics
Education

Each short presentation session is designed to inform and influence academics, policy makers, and managers. Presentations may demonstrate recent key research findings (potentially from multiple papers) with meaningful implications for policy and practice and need not present new work-in-progress. These presentations should not be highly technical.

Click here to learn more and to submit: https://behavioralpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/BSPA-Call-For-Presenters-R1-2025.pdf

BPSA Conference Co-Chairs:
Denise Rousseau (Carnegie Mellon University) and Abby Sussman (University of Chicago)
BSPA Co-Founders: Craig Fox (UCLA) and Sim Sitkin (Duke University)

missed the opportunity to attend bspa 2020? watch online now!

On May 28 & 29th, BSPA hosted its first ever *virtual* conference. Featuring Dan Ariely, David Brooks from the NYT, Shankar Vedantam from NPR, sessions on COVID-19, the state of behavioral science at the city and federal level, latest publications, and many more exciting sessions, we encourage you to sign up for access to a compelling two days.

New Issue of BSP – Spotlight on Diversity in the Workplace

Our most recent issue features five new articles that propose new insights into how “business and society can address matters relating to well-being, empowerment and equity.” The last of these is particularly timely: three articles in a Spotlight on Diversity in the Workplace take on questions of how to design effective practices to reduce workplace inequality, how to develop and deliver effective anti-bias training, and how to manage teams in ways that make the most of their diversity.