Tag: Social Science Projects

Social Policy
A multi-racial group of children stand in a field on a sunny day, dressed in scouting uniforms, and peering through glasses, binoculars, a magnifying glass, and monocular

Ethnography of Customer Service

Social Science Insights

Social science methods can be used to improve customer service. I discuss ethnography, an approach to capture social experiences in their everyday setting, such as through photography and other tools. I then describe participant observation, a method for studying people, organisations, and environments while participating in the same activity as the participants. Using an example from public health, I demonstrate how businesses and policymakers might put these methods into practice.

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Social Policy
A white man's hand squeezes the pump as he fills his car with petrol

How to Stop Panic Buying

Social Science Insights

The war on Iran led to petrol shortages in early 2026. We look at structural issues and biases that impact this behaviour, and how social science theories, social norms, and morality messages may stop consumer hoarding in future.

  • A white man's hand pumps petrol into a car. Title: Social science of why people panic buy and how to stop it
  • Illustration of a green petrol pump on the bowser. Title: Poor policy planning
  • Illustration of a service station in the distance on a sunny day. Quote from Prof Tarryn Phillips, Dr Danielle Couch, and Dr Carmen Vargas: "We must continue to scrutinise fuel markets and disribution failures."
  • Illustration of a man with his fist covering his mouth and his other arm across his shape. He looks down, worried. Title: Fearing loss
  • Black and white illustration of a man and woman in silhouette against large arched windows. They look up and face away from each other, as if disagreeing. Title: misinformation feeds fear
  • Illustration of a young Asian woman hiding inside a large cardboard box, looking anxious. Title: Regain control
  • Illustration of two women in hijab walking outdoors with a Black South Asian man as they hold coffees. Title: blaming individuals doesn't help
  • A Black woman patient looks down, worried, as a white male doctor points at a device. Title: personalise the risk
  • A white woman smiles softly as she walks outdoors, and holds a paper heart over her chest. Title: appeal to morals
  • Illustration of a Black woman driving a car, smiling, with a male passanger beside her. Title: learn more: SocialScienceInsights.com
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Social Policy
Two white women and a man stand at the edge of a cliff. One of them points into the distancce while the other takes a photo with her phone

Measuring Public Information Campaigns

Social Science Insights

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.

  • Four diverse young workers sit around a table looking at documents and a laptop. Title reads: Measuring Public Information Campaigns
  • Four diverse people stand in a row looking at their phones, smiling, against an orange wall. Title reads: media campaigns
  • Two white women and a man stand at the edge of a cliff. One of them points into the distancce while the other takes a photo with her phone. Title reads: E.g. Environment
  • A diverse group of young women stand indoors in a tight circle, laughing
  • A group of Black women in hijab laugh while sitting in two rows. One of them fixes her friend's hijab
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Business
A group of five people run on a bridge against a stormy sky

Using Social Norms to Change Behaviour

Social Science Insights

Social norms are the unwritten rules of acceptable behaviour that motivate us to follow social expectations. Social science shows how norms can be used to positively change behaviour.

  • A diverse group of friends sit in a cinema eating popcorn, with shocked and amused expressions. Title reads: Using norms to change behaviour
  • A Latin man holds a piece of glass in his hand, which reflects his stern gaze. Title reads: what are social norms
  • A group of five people run on a bridge against a stormy sky. Title reads: Descriptive norms
  • A white woman holds her hand out as if saying, 'Stop'
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Business
Young Black woman scrolling on her phone

Designing Effective Forms and Webpages

Social Science Insights

Programs and services can improve the customer experience by simplifying registration processes, and making webpages easier to navigate.

  • Young Black woman scrolling on her phone. Title reads: Designing Effective Forms and Webpages
  • Diverse people line up at a registration desk. On the side, a Black woman's hands scroll on a phone. Title reads: improving customer experience.
  • A Black woman with curly blonde hair reads her mobile phone outdoors against a white wall. On the side, is the mock up of a website. Title reads: barriers to action
  • Asian people seated on public transport scroll and watch their phones. Title reads: evaluation and analysis
  • An Asian man wearing a face mask reads his phone on the street beside his motorbike. On the side a while person's hands hold a phone with a large tick on the screen. Title reads: Simplify forms
  • A white older man in a hat and jacket writes on his phone outdoors. Two young white women are smiling while looking at one of their phones, in a cafe. Title reads: enhance webpages
  • A transparent picture of a plant on a desk behind glasses and a notebook. Title reads: how social science helped
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Business
Young male construction worker looks at his phone while holding a long pole. He wears a hardhat and hi-vis vest. A cement truck and mounds of dirt are in the background

Promoting Employment Services

Social Science Insights

Employment services often struggle to appeal to their intended clientele. Sending effective messages can increase sign-up. Messages should emphasise the ease, benefits, and comparative outcome of services.

  • A Latin American woman types on a keyboard
  • A group of white people wearing boiler helmets, hard hats, and goggles stand at a workbench
  • An older man's hand signs a paper
  • An older white man and a younger white woman wearing boiler suits smile at each other
  • Two Filipina women smile while holding a book and laptop
  • A South Asian man wearing a hi-vis vest and hard hat writes on a clipboard
  • An Aboriginal woman smiles while writing on her phone outdoors
  • Two Asian men look at a phone as they walk outdoors
  • An Asian man looks at his phone at a construction site
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Social Policy

Encouraging Referrals

Social Science Insights

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.

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Social Policy
Two men stand on cracked land, one of them kneels touching the ground, the other stands looking to the distance

Emergency Disaster Support

Social Science Insights

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.

Man wearing a hat stands in a middle of a barren field in New South Wales
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Business

Workplace Compliance

Social Science Insights

Social science can be used to encourage employers to follow workplace regulations. This post covers how to increase compliance by appealing to social norms, providing practical examples of how to implement new requirements, and by sending timely messages that encourage change.

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Business
People swinging mid-air in the 'Nitro,' a carnival ride at the Perth Royal Show

Safety Planning

Social Science Insights

Social science can encourage businesses to comply with safety regulations. This is a case study showing how to encourage community organisations to submit event safety planning information in a timely manner. We cover how to encourage early planning, showing the benefits of complying with safety information requests, targeting messages, and using trusted messengers.

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