Blog

Thoughts and insights from our work applying behavioral science to social problems.

People’s attitudes towards poverty: it’s complicated (Part II)

by Octavio Medina

In our last post, we talked about poverty narratives, and how people have complex views on poverty in the U.S. Here’s some insights so far: People generally recognize structural barriers as drivers of poverty. Most people do not believe that people living in poverty have character flaws when compared to the rest of the population. People […]

How Does Uncertainty Influence Decisions About COVID Vaccination? Part 1

by Tom Tasche, Lee-Sien Kao, and Ric LaGrange

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, it can feel like there’s new developments and updated guidance every week. Consider the last few months of 2021 alone, which saw the first full FDA approval of a COVID-19 vaccine, authorization of a vaccine for the 5-11 age group, two different pills to treat COVID-19, and the […]

International Women’s Day: Breaking the Bias With Behavioral Science

by ideas42

International Women’s Day is a day of reflection—an acknowledgment that women around the world have long faced barriers to equal economic and social opportunities, and health services (and by extension outcomes). While at times it might seem like many women are fighting an uphill battle with challenging policy environments and resource constraints, behavioral science can […]

Barriers to Feeding Young Children Well During and After Illness: Insight from the Democratic Republic of Congo

by By: Madeline Kau, Emily Zimmerman, and Augustin Ngandu (SBC Advisor, Breakthrough ACTION DRC)

  For young children experiencing an illness, adequate nutrition is critical for recovery. However, children often don’t receive the recommended amounts of food during and after an illness. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 70% of children under five receive less food than usual or no food during episodes of diarrhea. Similar gaps […]

Black History Month: Honoring Black Behavioral Scientists

by ideas42

In the U.S., Black History Month is a time to reflect on the contributions made by Black people in all walks of life, across all industries and in all parts of our society. It’s also a time to celebrate and amplify the voices of those in the Black community and reflect on those who inspire […]

Work for Good: Turning Hours at Work into Dollars for Impact

by Cecilia Shang and Eleni Fischer

Many employees indicate that they want to be a part of a workplace that is socially meaningful in some way.  America’s Charities’ 2017 Snapshot study found that “71% of surveyed employees say it is imperative or very important to work where culture is supportive of giving and volunteering.” More recently, many employees are seeking to […]