behavioral science

noun

1. a science or branch of learning, as psychology or sociology, that derives its concepts from observation of the behavior of living organisms.

behavioral science

1. Any of various scientific disciplines, such as sociology, anthropology, or psychology, in which the actions and reactions of humans and animals are studied through observational and experimental methods.

Other Word Forms

• behavioral scientist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of behavioral science¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

One of the researchers, Eldar Shafir, now a professor of behavioral science and public policy at Princeton University, points out that those living in poverty may be able to make more rational financial decisions, but the act of the decision-making is still stressful and taxing.

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These kinds of “nudges,” informed by behavioral science, don’t force anyone to give up social media.

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So, I called professor Wändi Bruine de Bruin, director of the Schaeffer Institute’s Behavioral Science and Policy Initiative at USC and an expert on the psychology of risk assessment.

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“I’d like to be more optimistic, but it’s really hard to change behavioral norms, especially when you’re in your own home where nobody else can see what you’re doing,” Stacy Blondin, a behavioral science researcher who studies food waste at the World Resources Institute, told Slate.

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The Reid Technique, as it came to be known, relies on insights from behavioral science to help police officers determine if a suspect is likely guilty, or if a witness is telling the truth.

Read more on Los Angeles Times