The federal government is hiring what it calls a "Behavioral Insights Team" that will look for ways to subtly influence people's behavior, according to a document describing the program obtained by FoxNews.com. Critics warn there could be unintended consequences to such policies, while supporters say the team could make government and society more efficient.
While the program is still in its early stages, the document shows the White House is already working on such projects with almost a dozen federal departments and agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture.
"Behavioral sciences can be used to help design public policies that work better, cost less, and help people to achieve their goals," reads the government document describing the program, which goes on to call for applicants to apply for positions on the team.
The document was emailed by Maya Shankar, a White House senior adviser on social and behavioral sciences, to a university professor with the request that it be distributed to people interested in joining the team. The idea is that the team would "experiment" with various techniques, with the goal of tweaking behavior so people do everything from saving more for retirement to saving more in energy costs.
The document praises subtle policies to change behavior that have already been implemented in England, which already has a "Behavioral Insights Team." One British policy concerns how to get late tax filers to pay up.
You're exposed to that on a daily basis.As if we're not manipulated enough by forces outside our purview, now our government is openly engaging in these tactics.
You're exposed to that on a daily basis.
It's called 'marketing'.
You're exposed to that on a daily basis.
It's called 'marketing'.
Thank you.
That sums it up quite nicely.
Government has been doing that since day one. Organizations and leaders have been doing that since day one. You've been doing that since day one. You cried, fussed and looked cute as a baby, did you not? That's behavioral science.Of course. Advertising and propaganda are powerful tools. Tools that our government shouldn't be using on us. Don't you agree?
Gov't Knows Best? White House creates 'nudge squad' to shape behavior | Fox News
As if we're not manipulated enough by forces outside our purview, now our government is openly engaging in these tactics.
You're exposed to that on a daily basis.
It's called 'marketing'.
Government has been doing that since day one. Organizations and leaders have been doing that since day one. You've been doing that since day one. You cried, fussed and looked cute as a baby, did you not? That's behavioral science.
"The term behavioural sciences encompasses all the disciplines that explore the activities of and interactions among organisms in the natural world. It involves the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behaviour through controlled and naturalistic observation, and disciplined scientific experimentation. It attempts to accomplish legitimate, objective conclusions through rigorous formulations and observation. Examples of behavioural sciences include psychology, psychobiology, and cognitive science."
Oh, dear Lord. They're getting behavioral scientists to recommend how to make government run more efficient; i.e. putting tax forms online instead of mailing them. Where to place public notice signs at the beach. How to combat tagging and vandalism.Remember Orwell
Everyone in the government should have been given this type of feedback years ago. It would certainly help with the ineffective, bureaucratic, fraud-ridden, wasteful, clueless, federal programs that we already have. Can you just imagine a behavior scientist telling the dolts in the government that beaming jammed radio signals into Cuba is ineffective? Or saying, "Hey you do realize that no one actually listens to PSAs ... ?"Thank you for the information, but you didn't say whether or not you agreed with the government messing around with behavioural sciences on us.
Oh, dear Lord. They're getting behavioral scientists to recommend how to make government run more efficient; i.e. putting tax forms online instead of mailing them. Where to place public notice signs at the beach. How to combat tagging and vandalism.
You don't need to be in a corner hyperventilating into a brown paper bag.
Gov't Knows Best? White House creates 'nudge squad' to shape behavior | Fox News
As if we're not manipulated enough by forces outside our purview, now our government is openly engaging in these tactics.
You're exposed to that on a daily basis.
It's called 'marketing'.
You agree with this?
I agree with this:
Do I think the government should be marketing? Probably not, but there are many things the government does that annoy me at least as much or more.
I go to great lengths to avoid marketing. I don't even have a TV to tell me how to smell or what to think.
Gov't Knows Best? White House creates 'nudge squad' to shape behavior | Fox News
As if we're not manipulated enough by forces outside our purview, now our government is openly engaging in these tactics.
You watch Fox news and your concerned about being manipulated?!
You watch Fox news and your concerned about being manipulated?!
You watch CNN and are entertained?
Oh, dear Lord. They're getting behavioral scientists to recommend how to make government run more efficient; i.e. putting tax forms online instead of mailing them. Where to place public notice signs at the beach. How to combat tagging and vandalism.
You don't need to be in a corner hyperventilating into a brown paper bag.
Didn't Hitler do the same thing but used propaganda threats and violence to accomplish the same thing and we all now how that turned out millions of murdered Jews
Dont you need a lot of money to be self sufficient?" Tax Filers to pay up" !?
F*** You Obama and the disgusting Liberal virus you drug into that White House with you.
Where are the behavioral sciences needed to clean up the gehttos and to stop the mass kilkings of young blacks by other young blacks ?
The behavioural sciences that teaches people not to embrace the victim mentallity and to be self sufficient ?
Remember Orwell
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