“Communication for Action: Doing It and Doing It Socially”

This talk will begin with the premise that even though humans evolved for action and social coordination, communication programs are often dissociated from these principles. I will describe experiments to determine whether and how to promote action through the introduction of explicit or implicit behavioral information, recommendations to perform rather than not perform a behavior, and directions to start rather than stop a behavior. I will then show how artificial intelligence can be used to optimize action-oriented communications aligned with these principles, concluding with the results of a large-scale randomized controlled trial in underserved areas of the United States.

Biography

Dolores Albarracín studies the impact of communication and persuasion on human behavior and the formation of beliefs, attitudes, and goals, particularly those that are socially beneficial. In addition to an interest in basic attitudinal processes, she is interested in finding ways of intervening to promote positive social interactions and public policies.