U.S. Health

Want to Get Healthier but Don’t Know Where to Start? Try Microbehaviors

by Arielle Gorstein

It’s February. How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions for 2023? Here are 10 “microbehaviors” to keep your health goals on track.   If you made a health-related New Year’s resolution this year, you’re not alone; health-focused resolutions make up the top three most common goals, year after year. And if you’re still […]

What it means to say that the COVID-19 pandemic is “over”

by Ric LaGrange, Lee-Sien Kao & Lalo Motiño

The words spoken by public government officials matter; and more often than not, such words have real-life implications for the decisions people make and the actions they do or don’t take. For example, much attention has been paid to President Biden’s recent declaration that the pandemic is “over”. On a recent episode of the broadcast […]

Better Messaging About Future Public Health Emergencies Using Behavioral Science

by Lalo Motiño, Lee-Sien Kao & Ric LaGrange

We are now over 900 days into the global pandemic that is COVID-19. Meanwhile, there has been hope for many with the introduction of vaccines and boosters; reintegration into society via hybrid working arrangements; and the resumption of sporting events, concerts, and international travel. A semblance of normal life has returned for most, yet we’re […]

How Does Uncertainty Influence Decisions About COVID Vaccination? Part 2

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

Behavioral science provides a crucial framework for understanding human responses to uncertainty. As we unpacked in a recent post, we’ve all been living with high levels of uncertainty and instability throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.  When it comes to uncertainty regarding COVID-19 vaccines, there are four “cognitive pitfalls” in particular that are likely to affect decision-making. […]

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 […]

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 […]

Giving Childhood Vaccinations a Boost

by Arielle Gorstein

Vaccines are one of the most powerful and cost-effective public health interventions in the history of medicine. Each year, vaccines save millions of lives and billions of dollars in indirect costs. Yet in the U.S. alone, about 42,000 adults and 300 children die of vaccine-preventable diseases (not including COVID-19) each year. And underserved populations, such […]

Honoring Black Behavioral Scientists and Examining the Psychology of Race in History

by ideas42

People often (erroneously) believe that a few leaders are responsible for the development of an emerging field, an idea, or event in history because of perceived “natural attributes” such as superior intelligence. This is known as “great man” theory–a flawed theory, of course, because in reality it is the tireless work of countless people that […]

Our Top Behavioral Science Highlights of the Year (Goodbye, 2020)

by ideas42

It’s become tradition of sorts that each December, we reflect on the year behind us and celebrate the newest evidence and social impact generated by behavioral science. Of course, 2020 is a difficult year to look back on with much fondness. And yet, even in one of the more challenging years in living memory, we […]