Wise Intervention

Question 1

Tragedy of the Commons

Answer 1

• Commons dilemma
  
  • Renewable resource, collectively shared (”commons”)
  • If people cooperate, resource renews (good for everyone)
  • If people take too much, resource depletes (sometimes catastrophically)

Question 2

The Psychology of the Commons

Answer 2

Mutual motivation to take too much
- Incentive to exploit other’s trust
- Concern about being exploited
- Focus on short-term (not long-term) outcomes

Question 3

Intervention Strategies

Answer 3

Incentives: Enhance the perceived benefits of cooperating and conserving

Information: Enhance knowledge and reduce uncertainty about others’ intentions

Identity: Enhance sense of community and common social identity

Institutions: Enhance trust in rules and authorities

Question 4

Wise Interventions

Answer 4

• They are psychologically precise
• They target recursive processes to cause lasting change
• They are context dependent

Question 5

Definition

Answer 5

Interventions aimed at altering critical psychological processes that contribute to social problems or hinder flourishing.

Question 6

Recursive Dynamics

Answer 6

Wise interventions initiate changes that create positive feedback loops over time.

Question 7

Guiding Principle for Success

Answer 7

• Context Sensitivity: Interventions must align with the target group’s psychological needs and situational factors.
• Timeliness: delivering interventions early, before negative patterns solidify, maximizes impact
• Scalability and Sustainability: wise interventions often use minimal resources, making them scalable for broader implementation

Question 8

Examples

Answer 8

Education: a 1-hour intervention on belonging reduced the racial achievement gap in college student for 3 years

Relationships: a 7-minute exercise encouraging perspective-taking in marital conflicts improved relationship quality over a year

Health: writing exercises about personal values helped women sustain weight loss and reduced stress