Is Psychological Science Serving More Health or Control?

This editorial highlights a modern paradox: insights from psychology and behavioral economics—originally developed to improve health—are now widely deployed in political campaigns, corporate advertising, and digital governance to steer choices, exploit cognitive shortcuts, and amplify compulsive engagement. It frames psychology as a double-edged sword in public health, noting strong evidence that psychological well-being protects physical health and that behavioral science can help populations make better choices. Yet, while “attention merchants” aggressively leverage these tools, public health systems underutilize proven approaches at scale. The result is an anxious, hyper-competitive environment shaped by status anxiety and hedonic adaptation, sustaining addictive consumption and emotional volatility. Ironically, the knowledge to counter these dynamics already exists—from “nudges” that structure healthier defaults to psychological levers that improve treatment adherence. Amid escalating threats—including climate instability, geopolitical risk, economic precarity, and the rapid advance of AI—the piece urges humanizing health and informatics systems and deploying transparent, population-level behavioral interventions that restore autonomy and well-being.