Thread by @KatelynStenger

An imperfect thread on some intersections of #BehavioralScience + #ComplexSystems

@DavidPerrott_ @g_arteagoitia

Some ppl recognize behavioral science is in its adolescents in a lot ways. While behavioral scientists have identified design that work really well (you know:
opt-out organ donation @ProfEricJohnson & @dggoldst
Save More for Tomorrow @R_Thaler & @shlomobenartzi)

These are wonderful & we should keep doing these!

But these are only a beginning manifestation of behavioral design & never meant to encompass all of behavioral science

The problem some see is that #nudges are designed in STABLE contexts & with specific demographics

Many have recognized this big assumption & adapted though:

Behavioral Systems Analysis offered by Evidn @johnpickering,
@WorldBank #embed_wb,
@Lemonade_Inc
@NinaMazar open.bu.edu/handle/2144/39…

please comment more below

stable conditions can happen, they just assume quite a lot!

& @StuartJRitchie makes a few good points about these assumption (& others) when applying #BehavioralScience to covid unherd.com/2020/03/dont-t…

That brings us to systems, systems thinking & #ComplexSystems

what are they?

shameless plug: if you want to learn more, then @sfiscience is the go-to! I am looking forward to their Complexity Interactive course next month & working with Dr. Mirta Galesic!

Complex systems (more specifically complex adaptive systems) are systems w/o central contol, that follow simple rules & give rise to complex behavior

Most of today's most pressing problem involve recognizing or understanding complex systems

Complex systems are really difficult to understand bc other science is taught with causality & centrality as a core concepts

@yoonsa (2019). Toward a learning progression of complex systems understanding. Complicity: An Inter. Jo. of Complexity & Ed

Complex system & Cognition researchers
[Michelene T.H. Chi, @asueducation
Tina Grotzer @hgse
@chs8084,
Michael J. Jacobson @Sydney_Uni,
@jennie_chiu]
have researched ways to make it easier for non-experts

please comment more!

Its REALLY important for #BehavioralScience ppl to understand complex system before falling into our own biases of learning/understanding science, which valorizes causality

'Systems Thinking: A Primer' by Donella Meadows popularized systems thinking

Also, for whole systems design I'd recommend @Leidyklotz & Blizzards framework doi.org/10.1016/j.dest…

books.google.com/books/about/Th…

Systems thinking allows individuals to recognize various elements as connected components that interact to form a functioning whole, or system & identify social, economic, & natural worlds as part of a system, & humans (themself included) as actors in this system

Systems thinking can lead to some really wild effects.
For ex: @matthewtballew & collegues found evidence that systems thinking can be a really important pathway to believing in global warming
pnas.org/content/116/17…

Systems thinking can really influence #BehavioralScience;
many have intergrated complex system science in different ways.

I always think of @economiclogic's
Complexity as an opportunity and challenge for behavioural public policy @BPPjournal doi.org/10.1017/bpp.20…

Inviting other disciplines into the fold is great, but comes at a high cost!

@joramfeitsma & @Markiewhitehead discuss this in 'Bounded interdisciplinarity'

And other researchers have discussed the costs of science like @KRoyMyers's aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…

Alternative forms of #BehavioralScience have emerged like #BehavioralDesign, which really seeks to do more than apply, but to design for behavior (which means to also anticipate it)

Reminds me of @SamuelSalzer posts:
medium.com/behavior-desig…

@ruthkschmidt & I have argued for more systemic stances of #BehavioralDesign that consider 'the big picture' & 'the long game' using scenario planning in papers still being reviewed.

If you'd want to partner, please contact us

Predicting behavior is really hard, and plenty of researchers like Dr. Mirta Galesic @sfiscience take on this challenge of predicting human behavior, judgements, and social dynamics.

For ex asking about social circles improves election predictions nature.com/articles/s4156…

Assumptions of homogenous populations are being challenged like @dilipsoman & Tanjim Hossain advocate for in:
Successfully scaled solutions need not be homogenous @BPPjournal doi.org/10.1017/bpp.20…

Some have really recognized we can decentralize behavioral science using big data, and that can overcome heterogenous population challenges

@stuart_mmills paper offered an interesting perspective realizing more data will result in more personalized nudges doi.org/10.1017/bpp.20…

This is great! I am collaborating with @aria464 to try and bring behavioral interventions using personalized data from #SMART buildings.

If you want to partner, please contact us --- more contexts are better!

This comes with a caveat:
this approach neglects those who cannot or will not generate such data, and embeds some crucial assumptions about who gets included for personalized nudges, and raises qu. about #equity in #BehavioralScience and #BigData

#BehavioralScience is already taking on the "-ity titans"
replicability
scalability,
generalizability,
heterogeneity

Definitely not an itty-bitty feat

I anticipate #BehavioralDesign will start asking qu about:

connectivity,
adaptation,
inclusion

A lot of these conversations are going on in other fields like @CRXLAB, so I am hopeful!

I recognize I can't capture it all --- so please comment if you think I neglected something at the intersection of behavioral science and complex systems!