Biography
Bobby Duffy is Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute. He Chairs the Campaign for Social Science and the CLOSER Advisory Board, is a member of the Executive of the Academy of Social Sciences, a trustee of British Future and a Senior Fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. He was previously Global Director of the Ipsos Social Research Institute, has been seconded to the UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, and was a fellow at the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at LSE.
His first book, The Perils of Perception – Why we’re wrong about nearly everything, was published by Atlantic books in 12 countries, drawing on a set of global studies on how people misperceive key social realities. His latest book, Generations - Does when you’re born shape who you are?, came out in 2021 and challenges myths and stereotypes around generational trends, seeking a greater understanding around generational challenges and intergenerational connection.
Research
Centre for Attention Studies
Forging new responses to the foundational digital age crisis: distraction
Offence
With growing interconnectedness, especially online, and with personal identities having more salience, the issue of offence has risen up the agenda.
Project status: Ongoing
Complex Life and Death Decisions group
The Complex Life and Death Decisions group (CLADD) is a King’s based group with expertise in psychiatry, palliative care, bioethics, public policy and law. Members of the group lead research in life and death decision-making (particularly in relation to mental health conditions and palliative care), contribute to policy development, professional guidelines and law reform, and have appeared in leading court cases.
The Impact Centre for Palliative and End-of-Life Care
The Impact Centre aims to close the gap between evidence and practice, ensuring that everyone approaching the end of life receives the best care possible.
KingsCAT: Capture and Analysis Tool for Social Media Research at King’s College London
KingsCAT is an instance of the open source 4CAT: Capture and Analysis Toolkit set up to support interdisciplinary and collaborative social media research.
Project status: Ongoing
Understanding death literacy across the United Kingdom
This study measures death literacy in the UK and examines sociodemographic and experiential factors influencing levels across the population.
Project status: Ongoing
News
UK's sense of division reaches new high as culture war tensions grow, study finds
Growing numbers say the nation feels divided and they would like the country to return to how it used to be
'No such thing as society'? Just 11% support Thatcher's view on anniversary of famous interview, study finds
New research tests public attitudes to four influential political statements
Celebrating the fourth cohort of King's Parliamentary Research Interns at the House of Lords
King's celebrates the next cohort of our Parliamentary Research Interns at an event in Parliament
NMPC student takes gold at Policy Idol for proposal to tackle eating disorders in gyms
MNurs student Sophie du Plessis wins the Overall Prize at the Policy Institute’s annual contest
What Trump's second presidential term could mean for the world
With Donald Trump now sworn in as the 47th US President, academics from King’s have been sharing insights into the implications of his presidency for the USA...
Europe, not America, now favoured as ally for Britain – in reversal from almost 60 years ago, study finds
Britons would now prefer the country be more like Sweden and Switzerland, rather than try to be a leading world power
Celebrating the third cohort of King's Parliamentary Research Interns at the House of Lords
King's celebrates the next cohort of our Parliamentary Research Interns at an event in Parliament.
Good manners, obedience and unselfishness: data reveals how UK parenting priorities compare with other nations
The public now place less importance on raising obedient children, but they still value good manners hugely
UK public among least likely to place importance on work
The UK ranks low for the belief that work should always come first, even if it means less leisure time
Britons broadly aligned on tackling poverty and inequality
Major study finds Britons broadly aligned on tackling poverty and inequalities
Events
Campaign for Social Science Annual Sage Lecture 2025
The Campaign for Social Science Annual Sage Lecture in partnership with the Policy Institute at King's College London.
Please note: this event has passed.
An emerging divide? Young people's attitudes to gender and the challenges facing both women and men
This discussion will unpack how social, cultural and online influences are shaping young people's outlook on gender and identity – and how we can move toward...
Please note: this event has passed.
Conservative Party Conference: What is the Conservative approach to higher education and skills integration?
What is the Conservative approach to higher education and skills integration?
Please note: this event has passed.
Labour Party Conference: The future of higher education and skills, together
Labour Party Conference: The future of higher education and skills, together
Please note: this event has passed.
Fourth International Behavioural Public Policy Conference
The School for Government and the Policy Institute at King's are hosting the fourth IBPPC in London, bringing together academics, policymakers, and...
Please note: this event has passed.
How much surveillance is too much? Public views on facial recognition
What does the public think about facial recognition technology, and how should this shape regulation?
Please note: this event has passed.
How We Argue: About Immigration
Miranda Green, David Goodhart and Sunder Katwala explore perspectives on immigration.
Please note: this event has passed.
King's Experts Series: Peace and security in a turbulent world
We live in a turbulent world, where uncertainties surrounding peace, security, and the prosperity of societies are ever-growing.
Please note: this event has passed.
Assisted dying: principles, practice and politics
Join the Policy Institute and the Complex Life and Death Decisions group for a discussion about assisted dying.
Please note: this event has passed.
A public polarised? Values, attitudes and beliefs in post-Brexit Britain
Join us for the launch event of the UK World Values Survey.
Please note: this event has passed.
Features
British people see geographical inequalities as most pressing – not gender or race
The end of lockdowns is in sight but the road out of these restrictions is only the start of a much longer journey to a full recovery from the pandemic.
One year on: Reflections from working at the forefront of the pandemic
As 2020 started, the world faced the threat of a totally new virus, COVID-19. As we all navigated completely new and very difficult challenges in our working...
Three ways people are reacting to coronavirus: 'accepting', 'suffering' and 'resisting'
How the UK is coping with life under lockdown
Informing the public debate on COVID-19
Academics from across the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy are helping us all better understand the huge societal shifts created by the COVID-19...
Spotlight
How King's researchers challenge the status quo in healthcare and policy
Research is core to King’s: what we do, what we care about and how we educate. It’s how we use our creativity to further our knowledge and understanding,...
Research
Centre for Attention Studies
Forging new responses to the foundational digital age crisis: distraction
Offence
With growing interconnectedness, especially online, and with personal identities having more salience, the issue of offence has risen up the agenda.
Project status: Ongoing
Complex Life and Death Decisions group
The Complex Life and Death Decisions group (CLADD) is a King’s based group with expertise in psychiatry, palliative care, bioethics, public policy and law. Members of the group lead research in life and death decision-making (particularly in relation to mental health conditions and palliative care), contribute to policy development, professional guidelines and law reform, and have appeared in leading court cases.
The Impact Centre for Palliative and End-of-Life Care
The Impact Centre aims to close the gap between evidence and practice, ensuring that everyone approaching the end of life receives the best care possible.
KingsCAT: Capture and Analysis Tool for Social Media Research at King’s College London
KingsCAT is an instance of the open source 4CAT: Capture and Analysis Toolkit set up to support interdisciplinary and collaborative social media research.
Project status: Ongoing
Understanding death literacy across the United Kingdom
This study measures death literacy in the UK and examines sociodemographic and experiential factors influencing levels across the population.
Project status: Ongoing
News
UK's sense of division reaches new high as culture war tensions grow, study finds
Growing numbers say the nation feels divided and they would like the country to return to how it used to be
'No such thing as society'? Just 11% support Thatcher's view on anniversary of famous interview, study finds
New research tests public attitudes to four influential political statements
Celebrating the fourth cohort of King's Parliamentary Research Interns at the House of Lords
King's celebrates the next cohort of our Parliamentary Research Interns at an event in Parliament
NMPC student takes gold at Policy Idol for proposal to tackle eating disorders in gyms
MNurs student Sophie du Plessis wins the Overall Prize at the Policy Institute’s annual contest
What Trump's second presidential term could mean for the world
With Donald Trump now sworn in as the 47th US President, academics from King’s have been sharing insights into the implications of his presidency for the USA...
Europe, not America, now favoured as ally for Britain – in reversal from almost 60 years ago, study finds
Britons would now prefer the country be more like Sweden and Switzerland, rather than try to be a leading world power
Celebrating the third cohort of King's Parliamentary Research Interns at the House of Lords
King's celebrates the next cohort of our Parliamentary Research Interns at an event in Parliament.
Good manners, obedience and unselfishness: data reveals how UK parenting priorities compare with other nations
The public now place less importance on raising obedient children, but they still value good manners hugely
UK public among least likely to place importance on work
The UK ranks low for the belief that work should always come first, even if it means less leisure time
Britons broadly aligned on tackling poverty and inequality
Major study finds Britons broadly aligned on tackling poverty and inequalities
Events
Campaign for Social Science Annual Sage Lecture 2025
The Campaign for Social Science Annual Sage Lecture in partnership with the Policy Institute at King's College London.
Please note: this event has passed.
An emerging divide? Young people's attitudes to gender and the challenges facing both women and men
This discussion will unpack how social, cultural and online influences are shaping young people's outlook on gender and identity – and how we can move toward...
Please note: this event has passed.
Conservative Party Conference: What is the Conservative approach to higher education and skills integration?
What is the Conservative approach to higher education and skills integration?
Please note: this event has passed.
Labour Party Conference: The future of higher education and skills, together
Labour Party Conference: The future of higher education and skills, together
Please note: this event has passed.
Fourth International Behavioural Public Policy Conference
The School for Government and the Policy Institute at King's are hosting the fourth IBPPC in London, bringing together academics, policymakers, and...
Please note: this event has passed.
How much surveillance is too much? Public views on facial recognition
What does the public think about facial recognition technology, and how should this shape regulation?
Please note: this event has passed.
How We Argue: About Immigration
Miranda Green, David Goodhart and Sunder Katwala explore perspectives on immigration.
Please note: this event has passed.
King's Experts Series: Peace and security in a turbulent world
We live in a turbulent world, where uncertainties surrounding peace, security, and the prosperity of societies are ever-growing.
Please note: this event has passed.
Assisted dying: principles, practice and politics
Join the Policy Institute and the Complex Life and Death Decisions group for a discussion about assisted dying.
Please note: this event has passed.
A public polarised? Values, attitudes and beliefs in post-Brexit Britain
Join us for the launch event of the UK World Values Survey.
Please note: this event has passed.
Features
British people see geographical inequalities as most pressing – not gender or race
The end of lockdowns is in sight but the road out of these restrictions is only the start of a much longer journey to a full recovery from the pandemic.
One year on: Reflections from working at the forefront of the pandemic
As 2020 started, the world faced the threat of a totally new virus, COVID-19. As we all navigated completely new and very difficult challenges in our working...
Three ways people are reacting to coronavirus: 'accepting', 'suffering' and 'resisting'
How the UK is coping with life under lockdown
Informing the public debate on COVID-19
Academics from across the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy are helping us all better understand the huge societal shifts created by the COVID-19...
Spotlight
How King's researchers challenge the status quo in healthcare and policy
Research is core to King’s: what we do, what we care about and how we educate. It’s how we use our creativity to further our knowledge and understanding,...