Our work is rooted in insights from published research curated from a range of disciplines in social, behavioral, cognitive and communication sciences. Here are some of the theories that we frequently use:
‘Wicked Problems’: Challenges That Defy Easy Solutions
Ever feel like some problems are just… impossible? You try to define them, and the definition shifts. You work on a solution, and new issues emerge. You’re not alone. In the 1970s, design…
Availability Bias
We use mental shortcuts when judging how likely or frequently an event will happen, because we tend to remember our most recent experience and therefore we put more value on that information.…
Construal Level Theory
Describes the relationship between psychological distance and the extent to which people’s thinking (e.g., about objects and events) is abstract or concrete. The general idea is that the more…
Cultural Cognition
Refers to the tendency of individuals to conform their beliefs about disputed matters of fact (e.g., whether humans are causing global warming; whether the death penalty deters murder; whether…
Diffusion of Innovation
Explains the pattern and speed at which ideas spread from their introduction to uptake in the wider society. Four elements influence the spread of the new idea: the innovation itself,…
Dual Coding Theory
People have different systems in their mind for processing information: one system for visual imagery and one for verbal communication. Visual and verbal communication are processed…
Dunning Kruger Effect
The Dunning Kruger effect is a cognitive bias, affecting people at all levels of intelligence, where people tend to overestimate their knowledge or ability in specific areas, especially new…
Fundamental Attribution Error
(or the over-attribution effect) People are often quick to draw conclusions about the attitudes and personalities of others, even when an external factor or cause may explain that behavior.…
Health Belief Model
One of the original public health theories developed in the 1950s, this model suggests that people’s beliefs about health problems, perceived benefits of and barriers to action and…
Inoculation and Prebunking
A psychological framework derived in the 1960s that aims to induce pre-emptive resistance against unwanted persuasion attempts. Papageorgis and McGuire (1961) explain: “A previous study ……