Meet the IIU's Behavioural Science Fellow: Sarah Wall

What work in the field of behavioural science has inspired you?

I’m inspired by the interplay of discovery and application in the field of behavioural science. We first figure out the “why”, “how”, and “when” of human behaviour, and use those insights as tools to make evidence-based recommendations for addressing issues that we face as a society

How would you explain the application of behavioural science in the policy context to someone who’d never heard about it before?

Policies impact the everyday lives of Canadians. By using insights from behavioural science — the science of what are people doing and why — to implement and inform policies, we’re able to keep the human experience at the forefront of everything we do.

In what way do you believe the application of behavioural science can effectively support the Government of Canada’s response to COVID-19?

Studying individual- and societal-level experiences (and challenges) is at the core of what we do as behavioural scientists. In the context of COVID-19, a crucial piece of our response is through wide-scale behavioural change. Using behavioural science, we are able to draw from what we already know about human behaviour, experimentally test it, and provide evidence-based recommendations to help keep Canadians safe.

What attracted you to apply for the Fellowship program?

It is incredibly important that science and evidence-based practices are prioritized by the Government of Canada. The Fellowship program is an opportunity for me to apply my skills and expertise as a behavioural scientist to help address the complex issues and questions the Government and everyday Canadians are facing. I’m honoured to be able to play a part in benefitting the lives of Canadians.