Discourse on behavioural science in times of COVID-19: the two distinct and divisive perceptions that exist in the media and among the public

Drawing on mixed-methods research, Jet Sanders, Alessia Tosi, Sandra Obradovic, Ilaria Miligi and Liam Delaney found behavioural science to be a divisive topic in UK newspaper articles and on Twitter. They reviewed newspaper and social media discourses on behavioural science in the UK’s COVID-19 response, with a view to identify the role of transparency and trust in science actors in this high-stake context. Based on their findings, they recommend that greater efforts are made to clarify both the function of a behavioural scientist in a policy context and the diversity of approaches taken toward behavioural science to avoid media divisiveness in future emergencies.