--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It makes sense for social scientists to…" description: "\"It makes sense for social scientists to become more involved in policy because many of society's most challenging problems are, in essence, behavioral...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/richard-thaler-3060_behavioral_it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to_2398417.png" --- # It makes sense for social scientists to become more… ![“It makes sense for social scientists to become more involved in policy because many of society's most challenging problems are, in essence, behavioral.” quote by Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/richard-thaler-3060_behavioral_it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to_2398417.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/richard-thaler-3060_behavioral_it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to_2398417.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/richard-thaler-3060_behavioral_it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to_2398417.png) > “It makes sense for social scientists to become more involved in policy because many of society's most challenging problems are, in essence, behavioral.” [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Social scientists should engage policy because many tough societal issues are fundamentally about human behavior. **In simple terms:** Social scientists belong in policy because problems are behavioral. Key Takeaway Apply research to shape policy. Themes policy behavior research society Mood thoughtful optimistic Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - government advisory - community programs - education reform - health interventions Key Concepts behavioral economics public policy interdisciplinary collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How can researchers stay objective in policy debates? - What incentives drive behavioral change? A Different Perspective Policy impact may be limited by political constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavioral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavioral/) [Challenging Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenging-problems-282674/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [Policy Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy-society-5999219/) [Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social Scientists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-scientists-774103/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Society Challenging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-challenging-5999218/) ## Related quotes > [You don't become enormously successful without encountering and overcoming a number of extremely challenging problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-victor-hansen/you-don-t-become-enormously-successful-without-encountering-and/) [Mark Victor Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-victor-hansen/) > [If you're not failing 90% of the time, then you're probably not working on sufficiently challenging problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/if-you-re-not-failing-90-of-the-time-then-you-re-probably-not-working/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [I'm motivated by solving new and challenging problems, especially ones that people say can't or shouldn't be tackled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holmes/i-m-motivated-by-solving-new-and-challenging-problems-especially-ones/) [Ryan Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holmes/) > [I practice what has come to be called behavioral economics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/i-practice-what-has-come-to-be-called-behavioral-economics/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [Increased physical activity during the school day can help children's attention, classroom behavior, and achievement test scores. Meanwhile, the decline of play is closely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darell-hammond/increased-physical-activity-during-the-school-day-can-help-children-s/) [Darell Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darell-hammond/) > [“Social scientists sometimes talk about the concept of "identity". It is the idea that you have a particular vision of the kind of person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/social-scientists-sometimes-talk-about-the-concept-of-identity-it-is/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [One reason citizens, politicians and university donors sometimes lack confidence in the social sciences is that social scientists too often miss the chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/one-reason-citizens-politicians-and-university-donors-sometimes-lack/) [Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/) > [I'm not suggesting that social scientists stop teaching and investigating classic topics like monopoly power, racial profiling and health inequality. But everyone knows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/i-m-not-suggesting-that-social-scientists-stop-teaching-and/) [Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/) > [The great myth that many social scientists want to encourage is that there is an incompatibility between modern technology and traditional religion. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/the-great-myth-that-many-social-scientists-want-to-encourage-is-that/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [Economists and technologists bring the "bits", but it requires the social scientists and humanists to bring the "wits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/economists-and-technologists-bring-the-bits-but-it-requires-the/) [Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/) > [Can a controlled experiment explain why people like Kewpie dolls in one year, Beanie Babies in another, and American Girl dolls this year? Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/can-a-controlled-experiment-explain-why-people-like-kewpie-dolls-in/) [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [In the late 60s, 70s and possibly early 80s, social scientists were interested in researching the diffusion of innovation and studying the link between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-simmons/in-the-late-60s-70s-and-possibly-early-80s-social-scientists-were/) [Ruth Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-simmons/) > [The conception that, instead of this, contemporary society is at or near a turning point is very prominent in the views of a school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talcott-parsons/the-conception-that-instead-of-this-contemporary-society-is-at-or/) [Talcott Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talcott-parsons/) > [“Social scientists generally agree that students’ families (especially family income, which determines advantages and opportunity) have an even bigger impact on student performance than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/social-scientists-generally-agree-that-students-families-especially/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [“But Hayek is also one of the handful of social scientists who (along with his teacher Ludwig von Mises) demonstrated more than sixty years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/but-hayek-is-also-one-of-the-handful-of-social-scientists-who-along/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) ## More by Richard Thaler > [The Nobel Prize is going to be 'fun money' - for an occasion, when my wife and I want a $50 bottle of wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/the-nobel-prize-is-going-to-be-fun-money-for-an-occasion-when-my-wife/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [In some ways, the finding that financial education doesn't provide long-term payoffs is hardly surprising. After all, how much do you remember from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/in-some-ways-the-finding-that-financial-education-doesn-t-provide/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [Fortunately, economists open to new ways of thinking are finding novel ways to use supposedly irrelevant factors to make the world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/fortunately-economists-open-to-new-ways-of-thinking-are-finding-novel/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [If people just put away what's left at the end of the month, that's a recipe for failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/if-people-just-put-away-what-s-left-at-the-end-of-the-month-that-s-a/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [The wealth in many large estates has never been taxed because it is largely in the form of unrealized - therefore untaxed - capital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/the-wealth-in-many-large-estates-has-never-been-taxed-because-it-is/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [The lesson of my field, behavioral economics, is that we need to understand the ways in which we differ from the rational human assumed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/the-lesson-of-my-field-behavioral-economics-is-that-we-need-to/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [I think behavioral economists don't have any more of an explanation about the rise of Trump than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/i-think-behavioral-economists-don-t-have-any-more-of-an-explanation/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [There are cases when I can make myself better off by restricting my future choices and commit myself to a specific course of action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/there-are-cases-when-i-can-make-myself-better-off-by-restricting-my/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [For amateur golfers, I think one of the biggest mistakes is to model their play on professionals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/for-amateur-golfers-i-think-one-of-the-biggest-mistakes-is-to-model/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [he card companies will often, as a courtesy, honor that credit card, but hit you with a penalty. And you keep swiping your card…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/he-card-companies-will-often-as-a-courtesy-honor-that-credit-card-but/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [We all need a lot of humility, and especially about the economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/we-all-need-a-lot-of-humility-and-especially-about-the-economy/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [Social Security may be the most beloved of all the government's programs, partly because it requires so little thinking. You pay taxes while you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/social-security-may-be-the-most-beloved-of-all-the-government-s/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [If you're trading individual securities, you're almost certainly making a mistake. Because most professional managers can't outperform their benchmarks, and there's little reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/if-you-re-trading-individual-securities-you-re-almost-certainly/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [A nudge is some feature of the environment that changes the behaviour of humans but would not change the behaviour of rational economic agents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/a-nudge-is-some-feature-of-the-environment-that-changes-the-behaviour/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [One reason for high health care costs is that patients fail to follow their treatment regimen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/one-reason-for-high-health-care-costs-is-that-patients-fail-to-follow/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) [Explore all 141 Richard Thaler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) ## More Behavioral quotes > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“Behavior is the critical in-store factor. It is widely recognized that it is more reliable to observe what people do than to ask them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-sorensen/behavior-is-the-critical-in-store-factor-it-is-widely-recognized-that/) [Herb Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-sorensen/) > [One of the big lessons from behavioral economics is that we make decisions as a function of the environment that we're in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/one-of-the-big-lessons-from-behavioral-economics-is-that-we-make/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Increased physical activity during the school day can help children's attention, classroom behavior, and achievement test scores. Meanwhile, the decline of play is closely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darell-hammond/increased-physical-activity-during-the-school-day-can-help-children-s/) [Darell Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darell-hammond/) > [“The behavioral bias solution is a clear focus on disciplined and systematic investing. Stop with the discretion and trying to be smarter than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-behavioral-bias-solution-is-a-clear-focus-on-disciplined-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not sure the least educated members of the population are missing out on the advances in medical technology as much as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/i-m-not-sure-the-least-educated-members-of-the-population-are-missing/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [ \[The question for the behavioral disciplines is simply\] what is better, and how do we get there? ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/the-question-for-the-behavioral-disciplines-is-simply-what-is-better/) [Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/) > [How could economics not be behavioral? If it isn't behavioral, what the hell is it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/how-could-economics-not-be-behavioral-if-it-isn-t-behavioral-what-the/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The plastic bottle we're throwing away every day still stays there. And if we show that to people, then we can also promote some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-ratti/the-plastic-bottle-we-re-throwing-away-every-day-still-stays-there/) [Carlo Ratti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-ratti/) > [Reports that online cognitive behavioral treatment can be as effective as in-person psychotherapy suggest that technology will expand access, extend the impact of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-r-insel/reports-that-online-cognitive-behavioral-treatment-can-be-as/) [Thomas R. Insel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-r-insel/) > [There are nature and nurture components to virtually every behavior a human experiences. The research effort lies only in finding the relevant percentages, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/there-are-nature-and-nurture-components-to-virtually-every-behavior-a/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [I begin with the premise that behavior is an incredibly important element in medicine. Peoples habits, their willingness to quit smoking, their willingness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-e-varmus/i-begin-with-the-premise-that-behavior-is-an-incredibly-important/) [Harold E. Varmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-e-varmus/) > [When you try to bring about behavioral change by an effort of will, you actually do violence to yourself, and the chances are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/when-you-try-to-bring-about-behavioral-change-by-an-effort-of-will/) [Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/) > [Growing up, I was in and out of trouble in group homes and other institutions, and when I was 14, I was locked up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gbenga-akinnagbe/growing-up-i-was-in-and-out-of-trouble-in-group-homes-and-other/) [Gbenga Akinnagbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gbenga-akinnagbe/) > [I get off on the interaction with people, and I love the chess of a movie and particularly - not only in preproduction or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-gyllenhaal/i-get-off-on-the-interaction-with-people-and-i-love-the-chess-of-a/) [Jake Gyllenhaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-gyllenhaal/) [Browse all 61 Behavioral quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavioral/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It makes sense for social scientists to become more involved in policy because many of society's most challenging problems are, in essence, behavioral.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Thaler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to-become-more-involved-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behavioral" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to-become-more-involved-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/richard-thaler-3060_behavioral_it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to_2398417.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/richard-thaler-3060_behavioral_it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to_2398417.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/richard-thaler-3060_behavioral_it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to_2398417.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It makes sense for social scientists to become more involved in policy because many of society's most…” — Richard Thaler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Richard Thaler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It makes sense for social scientists...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to-become-more-involved-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/it-makes-sense-for-social-scientists-to-become-more-involved-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```