The Psychological State

Consumer Behavior

Is Ethical Nudging an Oxymoron?

Jessica Pykett Ph.D. on June 5, 2015

A new research article published this week by prominent psychologist, Gerd Girgerenzer (author of best-selling 'Risk Savvy') potentially radically debunks decades of behavioural economic research which underpins 'nudging' associated with the 'psychological state'.

A new research article published this week by prominent psychologist, Gerd Girgerenzer (author of best-selling 'Risk Savvy') potentially radically debunks decades of behavioural economic research which underpins 'nudging' associated with the 'psychological state'.

The idea that integrated technologies will increasingly enable us to close the loop between learning about what people are doing and being able to shape what they are doing, at unprecedented demographic scales, surely heralds a qualitative and quantitive sea change in behavioural governance. In this post we explore the connections between behaviour change and big data

Ethics and Morality

Nudge: The Real Ethical Debate?

Mark Whitehead Ph.D on October 1, 2014

Is all the discuss around the ethics of nudging missing the key point? In this blog I argue that it often is and suggest an alternative focus for this ethical attention.

Is all the discuss around the ethics of nudging missing the key point? In this blog I argue that it often is and suggest an alternative focus for this ethical attention.

Politics

Nudging All Over the World

Mark Whitehead Ph.D on September 24, 2014

The impact of the behavioral sciences on public policy development is more global than you might think!

The impact of the behavioral sciences on public policy development is more global than you might think!

Heuristics

Heuristics: Half Baked

Mark Whitehead Ph.D on September 15, 2014

How easy is it to control and change our behavioral heuristics. In this post we explore the emerging debate around this question and what it may mean for public policy.

How easy is it to control and change our behavioral heuristics. In this post we explore the emerging debate around this question and what it may mean for public policy.

Placebo

Experimental Citizenship

Mark Whitehead Ph.D on June 13, 2014

Does the use of randomised controlled trials within public policy have implications for how we understand citizenship. In this post we claim it does.

Does the use of randomised controlled trials within public policy have implications for how we understand citizenship. In this post we claim it does.

Evidence-based architecture and urban design has been growing in significance and in this post we consider how an emergent interdisciplinary field of neuro-architecture might re-make cities of the future in light of psychologised understandings of human behaviour.

Self-Control

Homo Economicus to Homer Simpson

Mark Whitehead Ph.D on March 31, 2014

Are new forms of psychological governance really reshaping how humans understand themselves? In this post we claim that they are and that there are costs to the overly pessimistic accounts of the human subject that are emerging.

Are new forms of psychological governance really reshaping how humans understand themselves? In this post we claim that they are and that there are costs to the overly pessimistic accounts of the human subject that are emerging.

Are new forms of behavioural governance really challenging established liberal ways of interpreting freedom? In this post we argue they are.

In this post we consider the emerging relationships between governments and our emotions. Exploring the notion of emotional governance, this blog post outlines how notions of the therapeutic and submerged state can help us to understand better what is going on.

Health

Introducing the Psychological State

Mark Whitehead Ph.D on March 10, 2014

Have we entered a new period of government within which the psychological is a new vector for public policy design and intervention? This post explores the origins and nature of what we term the psychological state.

Have we entered a new period of government within which the psychological is a new vector for public policy design and intervention? This post explores the origins and nature of what we term the psychological state.