Turning research into real-world impact

Entrepreneurship and innovation are about more than building businesses or developing technology. They’re about finding problems worth solving and putting new ideas into action. For University of Waterloo Psychology PhD students Hamza Tariq and Dogukan Demircioglu, that means applying behavioural science to real-world challenges and creating opportunities for fellow graduate students to take their research beyond academia.

“We’re always searching for things that could be done better, or problems we might be able to help solve,” says Tariq, a third-year PhD student whose research focuses on cognitive biases in human judgment and decision-making, and finding ways to help counteract them.

Their shared approach led them to establish the Waterloo Behavioural Insights and Consulting (WBIC) Group, connecting organizations with behavioural science expertise to help solve practical problems.

“Our research is quite applicable,” says Demircioglu, whose research focuses on judgment and decision-making. “We look for ways to translate that into real-world impact.”

Bringing behavioural science to campus

WBIC’s early projects have involved the University’s Food Services and W Store teams, helping them explore challenges related to customer behaviour, communication and pricing perceptions. The students meet with their leadership and operations teams to understand their needs and identify questions that behavioural science can help answer. They then review research, analyze data and conduct experiments to better understand how people make decisions, using their findings to develop practical recommendations that help businesses and organizations address challenges in their operations.

Their approach draws on understanding how people make decisions and how small changes to systems or services can influence behaviour.

“Given our training, we look at the world through this behavioural lens and try to figure out how to solve issues,” he says.

Applying that training outside the laboratory has brought its own challenges. Real-world problems are often less clearly defined than academic research questions, requiring flexibility and an understanding of organizational needs.

"The real world is messier," says Tariq. "The problems are broader, and there are more moving parts. Learning how to take our research skills and connect them to a problem that isn't as easily defined, and then offer suggestions based on that, is something we've learned through this work."

Experience beyond the laboratory

Both students brought local applied research experience to WBIC. Tariq worked with the Food Bank of Waterloo Region on a project to improve access to healthy food, and both have supported Marillac Place, a local non-profit serving women and mothers experiencing homelessness. Demircioglu has worked as a consultant and data analyst and contributed to behaviourally informed policymaking as a political advisor in Turkey.

These experiences showed the students how their research skills could address challenges beyond the lab. They also recognized an opportunity to create more structured pathways for graduate students interested in applied careers.

“We have the experience and the knowledge of the literature,” says Demircioglu. “But we also have that entrepreneurial spirit.”

Creating opportunities for the next generation

Both students say WBIC could only have taken shape at Waterloo.

"Waterloo has one of the highest densities of startups anywhere, not just in the country but perhaps in the world," says Tariq. Many of those young companies face human challenges but don't know where to turn for expertise.

The people around them mattered just as much. School of Psychology leadership backed the idea while leaving the students in charge, and faculty advisor Dr. Sam Johnson joins project meetings to offer advice.

"They said, go ahead, you guys are going to do the legwork, but we're very willing to support you through this process," says Tariq.

Now the students want to establish WBIC as a lasting initiative that reaches more organizations and gives graduate students practical experience and professional connections. For Demircioglu, it also means making applied careers more accessible to psychology students.

"We want to make it easier for students to explore those paths and see how they can apply their skills beyond academia," he says.

Through WBIC, the students are building a bridge between research and practice, one that Waterloo's culture and mentorship helped make possible.