We are getting ready for 3 days of #FGSP2025 at @ruhr-uni-bochum.de with > 300 contributions! looking forward to learning about the latest research in social psych - safe travels to Bochum everyone!🚄

We propose a more holistic view-one that recognizes the diagnostic potential and policy relevance of unsuccessful behavioral interventions. When behavior change fails despite good design, it often points to deeper structural constraints. These failures may justify stronger, systemic policy measures.

📢 New commentary out today in Nature Human Behaviour!
We argue that behavior change interventions often suffer from a one-sided success focus. But failures may reveal structural barriers people face.

🔗 rdcu.be/ex8hR

#BehavioralScience #PublicPolicy

Key Findings:

Citizens underestimate how much others support climate action, replicating earlier work on pluralistic ignorance✅

👉 but: Politicians show even greater underestimation (particularly regarding people's support for taxes, laws, and also their willingness to contribute 1% of income).

Hopefully useful for folks interested in structural barriers/policy support!🌎

Ping @kristiansn89.bsky.social @kimberlynicholas.bsky.social @corneliabetsch.bsky.social @madalina.bsky.social @kimdoell.bsky.social @kaitlynmwerner.bsky.social

Big thanks @saschakuhn.bsky.social and Heiko Mikolajzcak🙌

Across four studies, we validated the scale in two domains. SAS showed good internal consistency and was meaningfully related to policy support and related variables, and distinct from individualizing constructs such as trait self-control or self-efficacy.

In doing so, we were guided by the idea that people may - to varying extent - infer structural constraints from observable cues such as (low) availability, accessibility, affordability, normativity and the influence of systemic agents on choice. 👀 The final result was a 13-item scale.

📣very thrilled to see the new, open access (!) edition of the Handbook of Social Psychology is now online! With 50 chapters, this is an amazing collective effort brought to everyone by @danielgilbert.bsky.social, Susan Fiske, @elijfinkel.bsky.social, and Wendy Mendes and Situational Press. 👏🎉🙏

oops, forgot to post the actual model...

While "soft" policies such as information campaigns aim to motivate individual behaviors change, only policies high in regulatory depth can truly reshape choice environments. Such policies make sustainable options more accessible, affordable, and socially normative, driving broader, systemic change.

🌎What makes people want more impactful climate policy? In our new Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences article, Sonja Grelle and I explore when and why citizens may support more ambitious structural solutions addressing climate change.
tinyurl.com/36xfsysb

📣Publication Alert! In this NRP Perspective, I outline how self-control research may benefit from going beyond its traditional individual focus, towards a multi-level approach.

go.nature.com/47mcIQ4

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