This paper documents the existence of a “Formality Effect” in government communications. Across three online studies and three field experiments in different policy contexts (total N = 67,632), we show that, contrary to scholar and practitioner predictions, formal government communications...

Sample size, or power calculations are an integral part of conducting randomised controlled trials. Rules of thumb can be useful in these calculations, but can have negative consequences if the rules do not match up with reality. We review a large database of effect sizes in education, and find...

Although the benefits of adult literacy and numeracy programs are well-established, high drop-out rates in the first weeks of a program mean that many adult learners do not reap the benefits of such programs. This study presents the results of a large-scale field experiment aimed at using text...

Recent years have seen a growth in the use of social norm messages by local and national governments. These messages have been primarily used to induce desired behaviours among the non-compliant minority by pointing to the compliance of the majority. As well as being of considerable theoretical...

Under-participation in selective universities lowers social mobility in England, the United States, and elsewhere. English universities have standardized tuition costs, and strongly heterogeneous graduate earnings. Attending a selective university is therefore strongly incentivized, yet...

Foreword by David Halpern -- Chapter 1: Introduction -- Section 1: Central Teams -- Chapter 2: From innovative to imperative: Evolving the application of behavioral science in the Government of Canada -- Chapter 3: Ten Years of Ireland’s Behavioural Research Unit -- Section 2: Line departments...