The war on Iran led to petrol shortages in early 2026. Some people panicked and stockpiled fuel. We look at the structural issues and biases that impact this behaviour, and how the social science theories, social norms, and morality messages may stop consumer hoarding in future.
Continue reading “How to Stop Panic Buying”
Social science can help marketers, decision-makers, and businesses to effectively use social norms to change behaviour. Below are two case studies on the environment and health.
Continue reading “Measuring Public Information Campaigns”
How can you use social science to encourage communities to change collective behaviours? We cover how to identify a behaviour that needs to change, how to target the key audience, how to encourage change, and the best mode of communication to reach the intended community. The provided check list will help you communicate effectively with local communities.
Continue reading “How to Encourage Community Change”
This post provides tips for improving public health communications. I show examples from studies that encouraged doctors to comply with health guidelines. I discuss a case study of a health organisation that sought to increase patient referrals to a free treatment program.
Continue reading “Encouraging Referrals”
How can you encourage your customers to take up free support services? We look at how to get employers and workers to complete a survey sent via SMS, and sign-up for emergency disaster relief.
Governments and companies provide a range of free services to improve the lives of vulnerable clients, yet few people take these up. Below is an overview of why this happens and how to improve take-up of life-saving services.
Continue reading “How to Improve Services for Vulnerable Clients”
Social science was used in a state inquiry into social injustice. This includes a review of information services, analysis of policy and program outcomes, and identifying the social and economic impact of racial inequity.
Continue reading “Using Social Science to Address Injustice”
‘Race at Work Within Social Policy,’ has been published in the book, Critical Racial and Decolonial Literacies: Breaking the Silence, edited by Dr Debbie Bargallie and Dr Nilmini Fernando. This book chapter demonstrates how inadequate racial literacy impacts social policy documentation, including policies attempting to implement anti-racism principles.
Continue reading “Race and Social Policy”
The new book chapter, ‘Critical Race Studies and Intersectionality Responses to COVID-19,’ presents a case study of how the welfare state exercises multiple domains of power to maintain racial inequality, even during the public health crisis of COVID-19. Read the abstract and an excerpt below.
Continue reading “Race, Welfare, and COVID-19”
Learn about how applied social science was used in a state project to increase the number of girls and women in trades.
Continue reading “Enhancing Recruitment of Women”
