How Effective Altruism Can Help Behavioral and Organizational Scientists Increase Their Social Impact

Behavioral and organizational scientists often want their work to help make the world a better place. People in these fields, however, do not always have an organizing framework to guide them in these efforts. In today’s talk, I discuss how effective altruism (EA)—a growing movement based on using science and reason to guide efforts to do good—can help behavioral and organizational scientists achieve their prosocial goals, both as individuals and as a field. First, I’ll briefly introduce effective altruism and review important principles that people can apply to various elements of their work, such as importance, tractability, neglectedness, and personal fit. I’ll then review concrete examples of current and new actions that people can take as teachers, clinicians, scholars, and consultants. Finally, I’ll discuss field-level efforts that may help behavioral and organizational scientists increase their positive impact. Ultimately, I hope that this talk can contribute to the broader discussion on how our science can maximize its positive impact and inspire audience members to figure out ways that they can do the most good in their careers.