Psychology for Social Change: Strategies That Work
Public policy is at its best when based on a solid understanding of human behavior. Psychology –
the science of human behavior – offers a base of knowledge and practice for the development of
policies that promote peace, social justice, human rights, and an ecologically sustainable future.
PSYCHOLOGY
FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Psychologists for Social Responsibility
258 Harvard Street, PMB 282
Brookline, MA 02446
Strategies That Work
Psychological research and real-world applications are key resources for positive social change
because they can help individuals, groups, and societies:
•
Build common ground across perceived divides, overcoming “Us-versus-Them” mindsets and
distrust of those we see as different.
•
Focus on the future and our collective welfare, prioritizing the broader long-term consequences
of our actions instead of short-term self-interest.
•
Acknowledge errors and make amends, resisting our tendency to deny responsibility and blame
others when things go wrong.
•
Evaluate alternatives through thoughtful analysis and empathy, rejecting appeals to fear and
anger that often cloud our judgment.
•
Correct misunderstanding and miscommunication, preventing the escalation of conflict and
bloodshed.
•
Heal the wounds of violence, trauma, and neglect, averting the transmission of vengeance and
despair from one generation to the next.
As with any field of knowledge, there are those who misuse their understanding of human
behavior for selfish or destructive purposes. Political leaders and corporations around the world at
times have engaged in manipulation to promote everything from unhealthy lifestyles to war. The
consequences often have been tragic.
We can do better. Bringing the best psychological resources to the widest possible audience –
policymakers, activists, educators, students, news media, and the general public – can empower
all of us to make better choices. This brochure highlights how critical it is to understand the
psychological dimensions of urgent social and environmental issues.
A Guide From
Psychologists for
Social Responsibility
www.psysr.org
PsySR Can Help
Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR) is an independent non-profit organization
that promotes the ethical application of psychological research and best practices for peace and
social justice. To add psychological resources and expertise to your own work for social change,
please visit our website at www.psysr.org, email us at [email protected], or call 202-543-5347.
Human Rights
Mass killing, torture, slavery, gender-based
violence, and other human rights violations
occur worldwide. Perpetrators are often
driven by psychological factors: vengeance,
blind obedience to authority, the intoxicating
effects of power, and the dehumanizing and
demonizing of those who are different.
Abuses can be reduced by addressing the
psychological barriers that discourage
individuals or nations from intervening.
These include fear, apathy, denial, perceived
helplessness, and diffusion of responsibility.
Poverty
Terrorism
Terrorism involves asymmetric, psychological
warfare in the pursuit of political goals. The
targeting of civilians creates widespread fear
– and it pushes governments toward costly
security measures and potentially counterproductive retaliatory responses.
Over one billion people struggle to survive
on less than $1 a day. To reduce chronic
poverty, it is essential to confront the
prejudices, discrimination, and societal
arrangements that promote inequality and
limit opportunity for so many.
Psychology also highlights the need to
reduce the stigma associated with being
poor. We tend to be most supportive of
others when their concerns relate to our
own. Anti-poverty campaigns should work to
communicate how poverty affects us all.
To combat terrorism, it is important to win
over the broader base of sympathizers from
which future recruits are drawn. This
requires us to address the very powerful
experiences of humiliation and threat to
identity that can make terrorism attractive.
Peacebuilding
Nuclear Disarmament
Healing and reconciliation are essential
psychological processes for groups bitterly
divided and distrustful after violent conflict.
Effective initiatives range from social rituals
for communal grieving to joint economic
enterprises across ethnic and sectarian lines.
Nuclear weapons could destroy all life on
Earth, a horror so great that we bury it from
awareness. To eliminate these weapons, it is
important to understand the psychology that
motivates us to acquire and retain them.
Restorative justice is also crucial, including
truth-telling, victim compensation, apology,
and forgiveness. The exploration of common
interests and shared goals can help create
inclusive political systems able to manage
future conflicts without violence.
Environmental Sustainability
Climate change, population growth, and
rising consumption represent a looming
ecological catastrophe that imperils all
human life. Psychology offers key insights to
confront this crisis.
Policies can be more effective by addressing
our tendency to focus on the short-term and
to disregard critical dangers that grow over
time. Another promising strategy is to help
wealthier nations examine how excessive
consumption interferes with the pursuit of
important goals and values. Paradoxically, the desire for greater security
spurs countries to want weapons of mass
destruction. Overcoming a key attribution
error – “our weapons are for protection, but
theirs are for aggression” – is therefore
crucial for parties to negotiate in good faith
toward a nuclear weapons-free world.
Psychologically Informed
Strategies for Change
Psychologically informed strategies can be
used every day in local initiatives to advance
positive social change. For example:
•
Training community leaders in conflict
management has led to significant declines
in sectarian violence in deeply-divided
neighborhoods.
•
Providing feedback on home energy
consumption, including praise for
homeowners whose use is below average,
has yielded significant reductions in
overall community energy use.
•
Utilizing intergroup contact and dialogue
in community youth programs has
succeeded in reducing prejudice.
•
Disseminating carefully framed public
service messages targeting HIV/AIDS
prevention in under-served areas has led
to sizable decreases in risky behavior.
•
Correcting student misperceptions about
the prevalence of heavy drinking on college
campuses has produced substantial
declines in alcohol consumption.
•
Fostering trust and a sense of shared
identity has helped activists and advocacy
organizations build broader and more
effective coalitions.
By promoting psychologically informed
strategies and initiatives such as these,
PsySR aims to further socially responsible
solutions to the many challenges we face
today.
Psychologists for Social Responsibility is an
independent non-profit that promotes the ethical
application of psychological research and best
practices for peace and social justice. To join,
contribute, or learn more about psychological
resources for social change, visit www.psysr.org.