Project MUSE®: Behavioral Science & Policy - Latest Articles
https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696
Project MUSE®: Latest articles in Behavioral Science & Policy.daily12026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00text/htmlen-USVol. 1 (2015) - vol. 7 (2021)Latest Articles: Behavioral Science & PolicyTWOProject MUSE®Behavioral Science & Policy2379-46152379-4607Latest articles in Behavioral Science & Policy. Feed provided by Project MUSE®Editors' Note
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850957
<p></p>
This issue of Behavioral Science & Policy focuses on the defining issue of our time: humankind's far-reaching effects on the planet. These effects are so vast that scientists say the earth has now entered the Anthropocene epoch, in which human behavior has become the dominant influence on the environment that supports all life on earth. In this reality, environmental challenges are behavioral challenges—and opportunities. The articles in this issue illuminate these connections across the spectrum of behavioral science through empirical studies of interventions that reduce individuals' energy use, comparisons of discrete behaviors and policies, reviews of how insights from behavioral science can be woven into
... <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966">Read More</a>
Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696/image/coversmallEditors' Note2022-03-25text/htmlen-USEditors' Note2022-03-252022TWOProject MUSE®111992026-05-17T00:00:00-05:002022-03-25Improving the effectiveness of time-of-use pricing to make household electricity consumption more sustainable
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850958
<p></p>
Electricity production is a major contributor to the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases at the root of human-caused climate change. It is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States (26.9% in 2018),1 and electricity and heat generation are the primary sources of emissions globally (31% in 2017).2 Advancements in energy technology are critical to the success of interventions aimed at reducing these emissions and their effects on climate. But policymakers and utility providers are increasingly recognizing that inducing citizens to alter their electricity use in their homes can also help.The proportion of energy consumption attributable to the residential sector
... <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966">Read More</a>
Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696/image/coversmallImproving the effectiveness of time-of-use pricing to make household electricity consumption more sustainable2022-03-25text/htmlen-USImproving the effectiveness of time-of-use pricing to make household electricity consumption more sustainable2022-03-252022TWOProject MUSE®703022026-05-17T00:00:00-05:002022-03-25Leveraging the motivational effects of labels: Lessons from retrofitting
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850959
<p></p>
A decade ago, an article in Science called on the behavioral science community to deliver low-cost and scalable interventions to reduce energy consumption.1 For consumers, replacing inefficient appliances with more energy-efficient ones results in bigger reductions in household energy consumption than does curtailing or modifying the use of existing energy-draining equipment.2 An open question is how to induce homeowners to take this step.In this article, we summarize findings on tested interventions that encourage retrofitting, or replacing obsolete home infrastructure with more energy-efficient substitutes. We then offer advice, based on behavioral science research, for ways to improve the effectiveness of one of
... <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966">Read More</a>
Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696/image/coversmallLeveraging the motivational effects of labels: Lessons from retrofitting2022-03-25text/htmlen-USLeveraging the motivational effects of labels: Lessons from retrofitting2022-03-252022TWOProject MUSE®626562026-05-17T00:00:00-05:002022-03-25Nudging the commute: Using behaviorally informed interventions to promote sustainable transportation
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850960
<p></p>
To avoid the most expensive and catastrophic effects of global climate change and air pollution, humanity must dramatically reduce the emissions associated with fossil fuel combustion. Researchers predict that if emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, continue at their current pace, global temperatures could rise to 8°F above preindustrial levels by the year 2100.1 This warming will cost about $400 billion each year in the United States alone, which is 1.25 times the amount currently spent on heart disease, the leading cause of death.1 The temperature increase is also projected to cause calamitous human suffering and ecological collapse. More than a million plant and animal species are at risk of
... <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966">Read More</a>
Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696/image/coversmallNudging the commute: Using behaviorally informed interventions to promote sustainable transportation2022-03-25text/htmlen-USNudging the commute: Using behaviorally informed interventions to promote sustainable transportation2022-03-252022TWOProject MUSE®1800182026-05-17T00:00:00-05:002022-03-25Harnessing behavioral science to design disposable shopping bag regulations
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850961
<p></p>
In the United States alone, more than 400 laws aim to curb the use of disposable (single-use) shopping bags, particularly those made of plastic. Policies implemented by governments or retailers typically impose fees for disposable shopping bags, give rewards for bringing reusable bags, or ban stores from supplying certain types of disposable shopping bags. In this article, we review research on these policies and apply insights from behavioral economics to suggest strategies for enhancing their success. Behavioral economics can be helpful in this situation because, unlike standard economics (which assumes that consumers make decisions by carefully tallying the costs and benefits of their options), it reveals ways
... <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966">Read More</a>
Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696/image/coversmallHarnessing behavioral science to design disposable shopping bag regulations2022-03-25text/htmlen-USHarnessing behavioral science to design disposable shopping bag regulations2022-03-252022TWOProject MUSE®832522026-05-17T00:00:00-05:002022-03-25Six behaviors policymakers should promote to mitigate climate change
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850962
<p></p>
Climate change is projected to cause crop failures, extreme weather, rising seas, and heat-driven mortality.1 Policies that promote reducing or eliminating emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are crucial for mitigating these effects. In the United States, broad policies that would have a substantial impact, such as placing a price on carbon emissions, currently face significant political opposition, making them unlikely to have the near-term effects on emissions needed to prevent the worst consequences of inaction. Policies that use behavioral science principles to encourage individual action while preserving choice have been shown to be effective for shifting behavior and present a complementary
... <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966">Read More</a>
Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696/image/coversmallSix behaviors policymakers should promote to mitigate climate change2022-03-25text/htmlen-USSix behaviors policymakers should promote to mitigate climate change2022-03-252022TWOProject MUSE®807892026-05-17T00:00:00-05:002022-03-25Habits to save our habitat: Using the psychology of habits to promote sustainability
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850963
<p></p>
The 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth made an eloquent and impassioned call for immediate climate action, combining heart-wrenching storytelling with statistics to highlight the grave state of the environment.1 It earned two Academy Awards and became one of the highest grossing documentaries of all time.2 In 2007, the film's creator, Al Gore, even received the Nobel Peace Prize.3 This recognition is likely due to the dramatic effect the movie had on viewers' attitudes. When polled in 2007, 66% of respondents indicated that the film had changed their attitudes toward global warming.4 In another survey, filmgoers reported that it had strengthened their intentions to engage in pro-environment behaviors, such as
... <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966">Read More</a>
Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696/image/coversmallHabits to save our habitat: Using the psychology of habits to promote sustainability2022-03-25text/htmlen-USHabits to save our habitat: Using the psychology of habits to promote sustainability2022-03-252022TWOProject MUSE®1607052026-05-17T00:00:00-05:002022-03-25Making it easier to take environmental actions is not enough: Policymakers must also emphasize why action is necessary
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850964
<p></p>
During the Southern Hemisphere summer of 2019–2020, the world looked on in horror as Australia burned. Bushfires of unprecedented ferocity wreaked havoc across large swaths of the country. Australia's largest-ever bushfire burned an estimated 20% or more of Australia's forests, leading to the loss of 34 lives, 5,900 buildings, and over 1 billion animals.1 If ever there was a signature event to represent the negative consequences of the Anthropocene, surely this was it.The Anthropocene is a proposed geologic time period that has already begun and is marked by human activities' significant effects on Earth's systems.2 Climate change, wildfires, habitat destruction, plastic pollution, and widespread extinctions are
... <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966">Read More</a>
Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696/image/coversmallMaking it easier to take environmental actions is not enough: Policymakers must also emphasize why action is necessary2022-03-25text/htmlen-USMaking it easier to take environmental actions is not enough: Policymakers must also emphasize why action is necessary2022-03-252022TWOProject MUSE®675152026-05-17T00:00:00-05:002022-03-25How to encourage pro-environmental behaviors without crowding out public support for climate policies
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850965
<p></p>
People who are concerned about climate change may be prompted to adopt climate friendly behaviors if they are given a nudge in that direction—a slight push that does not limit their freedom of choice. For instance, receiving household utility bills that indicate how the household's energy use compares with that of the neighbors may motivate homeowners to turn their heat down during the winter, which will reduce the burning of fossil fuels and thus the emission of carbon dioxide and other climate-warming gases. Or seeing emissions ratings on new-car labels might prod a buyer to select a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Behavior-based climate interventions such as these have been touted as cost-effective ways to reduce
... <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966">Read More</a>
Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696/image/coversmallHow to encourage pro-environmental behaviors without crowding out public support for climate policies2022-03-25text/htmlen-USHow to encourage pro-environmental behaviors without crowding out public support for climate policies2022-03-252022TWOProject MUSE®735512026-05-17T00:00:00-05:002022-03-25Institutional policies for a healthy Anthropocene society
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966
<p></p>
We have become, by the power of a glorious evolutionary accident called intelligence, the stewards of life's continuity on earth. We did not ask for this role, but we cannot abjure it. We may not be suited to it, but here we are.
What is the issue?Humans in the Anthropocene have crossed four of nine planetary boundaries beyond which natural ecosystems and human societies will tend toward collapse. To avoid this, a shift needs to occur in the two dominant types of logic that underlie much of present-day Western society: market capitalism and technological optimism. Institutional theory provides guidance on how to design effective policies that target regulations, norms, and implicit beliefs and agreement, driving
... <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/850966">Read More</a>
Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-17T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/696/image/coversmallInstitutional policies for a healthy Anthropocene society2022-03-25text/htmlen-USInstitutional policies for a healthy Anthropocene society2022-03-252022TWOProject MUSE®1603132026-05-17T00:00:00-05:002022-03-25