How can social psychology contribute to policy? [SPSP Convention Jan 28-30, 2016]

Hot on the heels of Obama's executive order on the use of behavioral science in the US government comes this announcement by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Next year's 17th annual SPSP convention will take place in San Diego on January 28-30 and will feature a session called "How Can Social Psychology Contribute to Policy?". Details below:

"SPSP's 2016 President Wendy Wood will be hosting a discussion that will answer questions ranging from, "are policy jobs out there for me?" to, "how can we improve the world by developing science-based policy?" We will all be asking such questions, given President Obama's 2015 Executive Order to use behavioral science insights to better serve the American people.

Collaborating with Government: One Example and Many Proposals
Michael I. Norton, Professor, Harvard Business School
Norton will present an experiment with the city of Boston, Massachusetts where increasing operational transparency—showing the work being done for citizens – improved perceptions of government. He will then review his co-editorship of an issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science: Memos to the President from a “Council of Psychological Advisors.”

Bridging the divide between social science and policy
Craig Fox, Professor, University of California Los Angeles
Policymakers are increasingly receptive to insights from social science, yet these scientists rarely have direct impact on policy with their research.  In my talk I’ll derive lessons from the success of neoclassical economists and enterprising behavioral scientists in influencing policy, and motivate a more effective approach to behavioral policy research.

Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics
Richard Thaler, Professor, University of Chicago
How behavioral economics recognizes human miscalculations and their effects on markets and policy. Understanding how people actually behave can inform policy and lead to better decisions in our lives, our businesses, and our governments"