The Science of Framing – Dr Nat Kendall-Taylor

We think in story, always be telling one, because when we change the story and how we tell it, we can change the world.

In March 2024 B4 had the great privilege of hosting Dr Nat Kendall-Taylor, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer at the FrameWorks Institute. Nat (as he introduced himself) is an expert in psychological anthropology, communications science, and is a pioneer in strategic communications that draws methods from the social and behavioural sciences to measure how people understand complex socio-political issues and tests ways to reframe them to drive positive social change. Framing is the tapestry through which we weave our story, a beautiful tangle of threads that reveal a bigger picture of what we say, how we say it, what we leave unsaid and the way in which the story impacts how we are heard, understood and the actions that are taken by those that hear it.

This inspirational series, focused on the way in which words change minds, and encourage communities to become motivated by the idea of social change, highlighting solution-based thinking.

Nat guided us through conversations around reframing language, the power of cultural mindsets, and role they play in influencing the way that people think and make decisions about health and education. Through the scope of our works, many of us seek to nurture and cultivate a way of speaking and thinking regarding the projects, programs and policies that we want communities to tap into, and in doing so change that very same community’s perception of, and good will towards works that are aimed at delivering high quality outcomes for children and families statewide.