Behavioural Science and the Pandemic
Analysis20 Heinä 2020

Behavioural Science and the Pandemic

There were two narratives that emerged in the week before we locked down on 23rd March that could go some way to explaining why the UK was relatively slow to lockdown. One was the idea of “herd immunity” - that the virus was always going to spread throughout the population to some extent, and that should be allowed to happen to build up immunity.

That theory may have been based on a misunderstanding of how this particular virus behaved.

The second narrative was based on the idea of “behavioural fatigue”. This centred around the notion that the public will only tolerate a lockdown for so long so it was crucial to wait for the right moment to initiate it. Go too soon, and you might find that people would not comply later on.

It turns out that this theory was also wrong. And based on a fundamental misunderstanding of human behaviour.

Despite photos of packed parks, crammed beaches and VE day conga lines, on the whole the British public complied beyond most people’s expectations.

So what informed the government’s decision making?In this programme we ask, what is “behavioural fatigue”, where did it come from, how much influence did it have on the UK’s late lockdown, and where does Nudge theory fit into the narrative?

Presenter: Sonia Sodha Producer: Gemma Newby Editor: Jasper Corbett

Jaksot(389)

Profits Before Pay

Profits Before Pay

It may come as no great surprise that many of us have experienced a wage squeeze, while the cost of living has gone the other way, since the financial crisis of 2008. However, as Duncan Weldon, a seni...

20 Helmi 201228min

Preparing for Eurogeddon

Preparing for Eurogeddon

Europe thinks the unthinkable - what happens if the Eurozone splits. What would happen to the banking sector, how would a new currency be put in place, can contagion be halted, and more fundamentally ...

13 Helmi 201228min

Sheikh Rachid Ghannouchi

Sheikh Rachid Ghannouchi

Should the world fear the rise of political Islam in the newly democratic Middle East? The Arab Spring has thrust the ideas and ideology of one man into the centre of this crucial question. Before the...

6 Helmi 201228min

Do Schools Make a Difference?

Do Schools Make a Difference?

The government's brought in new style league tables to help parents choose schools. But do we really know what makes a good school? And how far can schools really transform lives? Researchers have lon...

30 Tammi 201227min

Capitalists Against the Super Rich

Capitalists Against the Super Rich

Are the champions of the capitalist system now turning against the super-rich? And if they are, what will they now do about it? In this week's Analysis, we meet leading figures of the centre right who...

23 Tammi 201228min

Dead Cert

Dead Cert

Certainty: is the lust for it a sin? And if so, should politics fear for its soul? Michael Blastland makes a plea for policy makers to be less sure of themselves in "Dead Cert", originally broadcast ...

19 Joulu 201128min

A Price Worth Paying?

A Price Worth Paying?

Banks are underwritten by the government in Britain. But should the taxpayer bail out so-called casino banks? In a programme previously broadcast on 1 February 2010 - Edward Stourton talks to the grow...

28 Marras 201128min

Robert H. Frank: The Darwin Economy

Robert H. Frank: The Darwin Economy

In 100 years time, Charles Darwin will be viewed as a better economist than Adam Smith, according to economics professor Robert H. Frank. In his new book 'The Darwin Economy: Liberty, Competition, and...

14 Marras 201128min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
politiikan-puskaradio
viisupodi
rss-podme-livebox
otetaan-yhdet
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-asiastudio
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-tekkipodi
io-techin-tekniikkapodcast
linda-maria
the-ulkopolitist
rss-polikulaari-humanisti-vastaa-ja-muut-ts-podcastit
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat