Knowledge, behaviour, and policy: questioning the epistemic presuppositions of applying behavioural science in public policymaking.

The aim of this article is to question the epistemic presuppositions of applying behavioural science in public policymaking. Philosophers of science who have examined the recent applications of the behavioural sciences to policy have contributed to discussions on causation, evidence, and randomised...

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Publicado en:Synthese Vol. 199; no. 1/2; pp. 5311 - 5339
Autor principal: Małecka, Magdalena
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Dec2021
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Knowledge, behaviour, and policy: questioning the epistemic presuppositions of applying behavioural science in public policymaking.
      aug:
        au: Małecka, Magdalena
        affil:
          Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. box 24, Unioninkatu 40A, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
          School of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive, 08540, Princeton, NJ, USA
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        Behavioral sciences
        Behavioral research
        Policy sciences
        Feminist theory
        Philosophers
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          Behavioral sciences
          Behavioral research
          Policy sciences
          Feminist theory
          Philosophers
      keyword:
        Behavioural economics
        Behavioural sciences in policy
        Cognitive psychology
        Feminist philosophy of science
        Knowledge production in behavioural research
        Philosophy of behavioural science
        Values in science
      ab: The aim of this article is to question the epistemic presuppositions of applying behavioural science in public policymaking. Philosophers of science who have examined the recent applications of the behavioural sciences to policy have contributed to discussions on causation, evidence, and randomised controlled trials. These have focused on epistemological and methodological questions about the reliability of scientific evidence and the conditions under which we can predict that a policy informed by behavioural research will achieve the policymakers' goals. This paper argues that the philosophical work of Helen Longino can also help us to have a better and fuller understanding of the knowledge which the behavioural sciences provide. The paper advances an analysis of the knowledge claims that are made in the context of policy applications of behavioural science and compares them with the behavioural research on which they are based. This allows us to show that behavioural policy and the debates accompanying it are based on an oversimplified understanding of what knowledge behavioural science actually provides. Recognising this problem is important as arguments that justify reliance on the behavioural sciences in policy typically presume this simplification.
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    language: English
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