Assessment Log

Policy Making Using Psychology to Make Better Policy

The government is following the science

Key messages from the ‘scientists’

• “translation” of science/stats

• responsibility of scientists to make translation in a measured, truthful, useful way

• working with the media and other communication channels to ensure the above

• making corrections – limitations of science, errors, public perceptions

• educating the public to be responsible consumers of science

Research is essentially unfinished unless the findings are synthesised and applied in practice to improve the situation

• Publishing research findings in journals and reports doesn’t ultimately lead to their use in practice.

• Findings need to by synthesised and then communicated in the right way to the right people, in order for them to be applied.

Research Centre Conference 2021: Transition of Service People and Families

• This conference brought together a range of experts on policy, research and the ‘lived experience’ to provide unique and rounded perspectives on significant issues of interest for veterans and their families.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN_21pFiRPM

• Research into Health and Wellbeing by Beverley Bergman, Institute of Health

and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow

• Why we need Research? Types of Change E.g. Heart attacks for Veterans

• A step-by-step guide for reading a Research Paper

Policy briefs

• A valuable tool for

• communicating the essential information in a research report, and

• (help) bridging the divide between research and policy communities.

• The value of a policy brief depends on

• quality evidence

• translating new knowledge into context-relevant messages for the target audiences.

What is a policy brief

• A concise, stand-alone publication that focuses on a particular issue requiring

policy attention.

• Presents a problem, its context, and gives clear policy recommendations or

implications.

• Provides evidence to support the reasoning behind these recommendations.

• Promotes some kind of change: in law, health policies or regulations, agency

funding priorities, organisational practices or programme implementation.

• 2-4 pages long and written using a professional style that is easy to understand

without specialised knowledge.

Possible Issue example: Groupthink

• Occurs when a group of well-intentioned people make irrational or non- optimal decisions by the urge to conform or the discouragement of dissent.

• In a groupthink situation, members stop disagreeing with the consensus.

• They may ignore any ethical consequences. Risky military maneuvers, such as the invasion of Iraq are commonly cited as instances of groupthink.

Spaceship challenger

必应视频

Another issue in policy making: Framing

• Framing is about how information is presented — the context or wording used — and how that influences our decisions. We respond differently depending on whether the same facts are presented as a gain or a loss, or positively vs. negatively.

• Our perception and therefore our reaction to a person, phenomenon or event, depends in part on the way it is presented. We may equate a good company with a good risk plan.

• We also tend to form an early opinion of funds, policies and even of the Broker, which we may cling to.

• Imagine a medical treatment is described in two ways:

• Positive frame: “This treatment has a 90% survival rate.”

• Negative frame: “This treatment has a 10% mortality rate.”

• Even though both statements say the same thing, people

usually feel more comfortable with the first version because

it’s framed positively.

Another issue in policy making: Framing

• Anchoring is a cognitive bias where people rely too heavily on the first piece of information (the “anchor”) when making decisions or estimates.

• Once the anchor is set, we tend to make adjustments around it — but those adjustments are often insufficient.

• Anchors often are arbitrary, but not all anchors are poor. •

Anchoring

Differences between Framing and Anchoring

Feature Framing Anchoring

Definition Influence of how information is presented

Influence of first number or idea encountered

Type of Bias Based on context, tone, or emphasis Based on initial value

Focus Emotion and perception of outcomes Numerical estimates and judgments

Example “90% survive” vs. “10% die” Guessing price after hearing a high number

Effect on People Changes choice based on framing of the outcome

Adjusts guess based on anchor value

Criteria for Evaluating a policy brief

1. Quality of Evidence

• Is the information based on credible and recent research?

• Are sources clearly cited and referenced?

• Is the data relevant, and are methods transparent?

• Are there clear findings, not just general claims?

2. Clarity and Structure

• Is the brief well-organized (e.g., executive summary, background, recommendations)?

• Does it use headings, bullets, or visuals to guide the reader?

• Is the length appropriate (typically 2–4 pages)?

• Is the language concise and easy to understand?

3. Relevance to the Context

• Does it address local or target-specific issues? • Are the recommendations feasible given the political, social, or economic

environment? • Does it consider cultural, institutional, or policy realities?

4. Audience Appropriateness

• Is the brief tailored to its intended audience (e.g. public or health professionals)?

• Does it avoid jargon and use accessible language?

• Does it include a clear call to action or policy ask?

Criteria for Evaluating a policy brief

5. Use of Visuals and Data Presentation

• Are graphs, tables, or infographics used to enhance understanding?

• Are visual elements clear, labeled, and relevant?

• Is the data presented in a digestible and non-technical way?

6. Actionability of Recommendations

• Are the recommendations specific and realistic?

• Do they address the root causes of the issue?

• Are they prioritized or staged (e.g., short-term vs. long-term)?

Criteria for Evaluating a policy brief

Group Exercise

Take a few minutes and do a rapid search to identify policy briefs

• Download an example

• Assess its quality in respect of criteria discussed

• Share your assessments

Structure and content of a brief

• Title - Engaging and informative - it tells the reader what the brief is about

• Executive summary (10%) - Overview of the content of the brief

• Introduction (10-15%)

• Explain the importance of the issue; create curiosity about the brief

• Methodology (5-10%)

• Results and conclusions (30%)

• Implications or recommendations (30%)

• References or useful resources (10%)

Potential sections of a brief: 2 or 4 pages in length (between 1000-2000 words):

• Identifying target audiences

• Identify the message that is going to be the most motivating or engaging for the audience.

• Determine what kind of background information they need.

• Consider • Who may benefit from the brief:

• What countries? What level?

• What sector (government, NGO, media)?

• What institutions?

• Why the problem is important to them?

• How much do they already know about the issue?

• How open are they to your messages?

Planning a policy brief

Developing an overarching message

• Think about what the aim of the brief is and summarise the main point into one or two clear and accessible sentences.

• Prioritisation (not dumbing down).

• Messages should be both clear and consistent and should tell a coherent story.

• What is the aim of the policy brief?

• What is the best hook for the audience?

Example 1: Mental Health in Schools

• Target Audience: Education policymakers and school administrators

• Aim: Advocate for increased funding and access to mental health support for students

• Overarching Message: Every child deserves a safe, supportive learning environment—school- based mental health programs can prevent crises and boost academic success.

Developing an overarching message

Example 2: Workplace Well-being Policies

• Target Audience: CEO, Business executives, HR leaders

• Aim: Get approval to adopt evidence-based well-being strategies

• Overarching Message: Happy employees are productive employees—well-being policies lead to more profits and long-term company success.

Developing an overarching message

Example 3: Urban Climate Resilience

• Target Audience: City planners, local government leaders

• Aim: Promote investment in green infrastructure to mitigate urban heat and flooding

• Overarching Message: Greener cities are safer cities—investing in trees and parks reduces flood risk, cools neighborhoods, and saves public money in the long run.

Developing an overarching message

Describing the changes or action

What policy changes or actions do the research findings point to?

• Make sure research supports the recommendations.

• Describe clearly what should happen next.

• Keep recommendations short and actionable.

• Identify around three and elaborate on these. The three should be most practical and relevant for the target audience.

Examples:

• Promote healthier nutrition in schools.

• Open to interpretation, and might or might not say anything new or noteworthy

• Provide healthier food choices in school lunches.

• More specific

• More fresh vegetables and lower-fat foods closer to the front of the lunch line and remove sodas from school vending machines.

• Clearer about what specific actions promoting, however, whether or not this is the best example depends on the aim, evidence and the intended audience

Describing the changes or action

Writing styles: dos and don’ts

• Briefs should be written in clear, jargon free language, and pitched towards

educated non-specialists in the topic.

• This is because policymakers are generalists.

• Do:

• Write in a concise and focused style – be economical in word choice.

• Write in a professional, rather than academic style.

• Use an active voice (‘people do things’, rather than ‘things were done’).

• When possible, use a verb rather than its noun form: “this study focuses on” rather than

“the focus on this study is”.

• Don’t:

• Use health or development jargon as the reader may not understand this

• Use dramatic language to convince the reader.

• Introduction (150-200 words)

• Explain the purpose of the brief and why it is important (from section 2.2 and 2.3).

• Give a brief overview of the direction of the brief – what it will tell the reader.

• Context and background information that is relevant for the brief.

• Methodology (50-100 words)

• Can convey authority, credibility and tone, however, it is not always relevant.

• Description of the research methods that were used to conduct the study.

• Avoid overly technical language; highlight unique methods or data collection.

• Research, results and conclusions (400-500 words)

• Provides a summary of the issues, context and data.

• Move from general to specific – detailing only what the reader needs to know. (tailoring findings to audience interests and political context e.g. is it a time of policy reform).

• Base conclusions on results. These should be concrete.

Writing a policy brief

• Policy recommendations or implications (400-500 words)

• State what should happen next – following on from conclusions and supported by the evidence. Clear to minimise misinterpretation.

• Implications are less direct. They describe what the researcher thinks will be the consequences, are useful when advice is not requested.

• Recommendations describe clearly what should happen (relevant, credible and feasible)

• References and useful resources

• If synthesising evidence from several sources, cite a list of references.

• Acknowledge the funder (research programme) and funding body.

• Include seminal works in the area which is useful and helps transparency.

• Direct readers to other resources produced by the same author or organisation.

• Title and executive summary (150-200 words)

• Usually written last.

• An overview of the content of the brief.

Writing a policy brief

Format and Design

• Visually appealing to draw the reader’s attention and present

information in a way that is easily remembered.

• Highlighting important information

• Headings and sub-headings, bullet-point lists

• Illustrative quotes

• Fonts

• Photographs

• Data-visualisation – graphs and charts

Design a Policy brief poster

Design a Policy brief poster

1. Choose a Policy Topic

• Pick a topic that affects your community, organization, or society (e.g., mental health

support in schools, climate resilience, youth employment).

2. Define the Purpose

• What policy change do you want to recommend?

• What problem are you addressing?

• Who is your target audience (e.g., government, schools, NGOs)?

3. Research Briefly

• Find 2–3 key pieces of evidence (e.g., stats, a research finding, or a case study).

• Keep it reliable and concise.

Design a Policy brief poster

4. Structure Your Poster

You may follow this format (sections can be in boxes or columns):

Section What to Include

Title Clear, catchy policy title and an overarching message

Problem Statement Why is this issue urgent or important?

Evidence Snapshot 1–2 key facts, figures, or quotes

Policy Recommendation What should be done? One clear action point

Expected Impact What will improve? Who benefits?

Call to Action Why should your audience care or act now?

Source(s) Cite the source(s) of evidence briefly

Your Self reflection Time