Behavioral Science & Policy: Volume 2, Issue 1

Book excerpt: The success of nearly all public- and private- sector policies hinges on the behavior of individuals, groups, and organizations. Today, such behaviors are better understood than ever, thanks to a growing body of practical behavioral science research. However, policymakers often are unaware of behavioral science findings that may help them craft and execute more effective and efficient policies. The pages of this new journal will become a meeting ground: a place where scientists and non-scientists can encounter clearly described behavioral research that can be put into action. By design, the scope of BSP is broad, with topics spanning health care, financial decisionmaking, energy and the environment, education and culture, justice and ethics, and work place practices. Contributions will be made by researchers with expertise in psychology, sociology, law, behavioral economics, organization science, decision science, and marketing. The journal is a key offering of the Behavioral Science & Policy Association in partnership with the Brookings Institution. The mission of BSPA is to foster dialog between social scientists, policymakers, and other practitioners in order to promote the application of rigorous empirical behavioral science in ways that serve the public interest. BSPA does not advance a particular agenda or political perspective. The first issue’s contents follow. Behavioral Science & Policy, vol. 2, no. 1 Table of Contents: Editors' Note Spotlight—Pre-Kindergarten Interventions: American Policy on Early Childhood Education & Development: Many Programs, Great Hopes, Modest Prospects, Ron Haskins Evidence for the Benefits of State Prekindergarten Programs: Myth & Misrepresentation, Dale C. Farran & Mark W. Lipsey Reforming Head Start for the 21st Century: A Policy Prescription, Sara Mead & Ashley LiBetti Mitchel Home Visiting Programs: Four Evidence-Based Lessons for Policymakers, Cynthia Osborne Launching Preschool 2.0: A Road Map to High-Quality Public Programs at Scale, Christina Weiland A 10-Year Strategy of Increased Coordination & Comprehensive Investments in Early Child Development, Ajay Chaudry & Jane Waldfogel Reimagining Accountability in K-12 Education, Brian P. Gill, Jennifer S. Lerner, & Paul Meosky Featured Topic: Healthy Through Habit: Interventions for Initiating & Maintaining Health Behavioral Change, Wendy Wood & David Neal Making the Truth Stick & the Myths Fade: Lessons from Cognitive Psychology, Norbert Schwarz, Eryn Newman, & William Leach Editorial Policy