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The Behavioral Science Edge in Collections
Presented by: Symend
October 23, 2025 | 2 p.m.
Delinquency is rising. Traditional approaches aren’t cutting through. To meet this moment, collections leaders need strategies rooted in how people actually make decisions under stress. That’s where behavioral science comes in.
In this webinar, our Head of Behavioral Science Alison Doyle, PhD, PMP, along with Brittani Plaisance, Manager Applied Sciences, will unpack the critical role of behavioral science in modern collections. You’ll learn how understanding cognitive biases, emotional triggers, and decision fatigue can turn intention into action—and support customers in resolving their debt more effectively.
Discover the game-changing impact of behavioral science on collections strategies. In this session we’ll explore:
- Demystifying the discipline: Uncover the essence of behavioral science and its practical applications for engaging and supporting past-due customers.
- Boosting recovery rates: Advanced strategies for integrating behavioral insights to optimize your entire collections process and boost recovery rates.
- Future-proofing strategy: Learn why behavioral science is indispensable to safeguard collections against market shifts and changing regulations.
Speakers:
Dr. Alison Doyle, PhD, PMP
Head of Behavioral Science, Symend
Expertise: Data-driven applied behavioral science, the role of context in decision making, cognitive psychology for customer engagement in debt recovery, large language models for customer insight, ethical research practices
Education: University of Calgary (PhD), University of Victoria (MSc), University of Victoria (BA)
Experience: Dr. Doyle is a seasoned applied behavioral scientist whose expertise has shaped Symend’s innovative, empathy-driven approach to customer engagement in debt recovery. With over a decade of experience, she leads the Behavioral Science department, including its research and development team, at Symend, where her exploration and insights are essential to the development of personalized strategies in digital communication. A natural problem-solver with a passion for understanding human behavior, Dr. Doyle has developed pioneering solutions that have directly contributed to better client outcomes and improved customer experiences.
Her career has included roles in academia, financial services, and applied research, with notable contributions such as Symend’s Delinquency Archetypes—a feature that has reduced account charge-offs by 21% for top financial clients. Her leadership is marked by a dedication to ethical practices and innovative research methodologies that support meaningful customer interactions.
Brittani Plaisance, Ph.D.
Manager, Applied Sciences; Behavioral Scientist, Symend
Expertise: Behavioral science, digital engagement strategies, decision architecture and heuristics
Education: Louisiana Tech University (Ph.D., M.A.), University of Southern Mississippi (B.S., M.S.)
Experience: With over a decade of experience in behavioral science, Brittani has honed her ability to integrate theoretical insights with practical applications. Her career stems from a background in academia and research, where she applies this knowledge to champion strategies that bridge human behavior with technology to drive engagement and growth.
Highlights:
• Manager of Applied Sciences at Symend, where she drives transformative initiatives rooted in behavioral science to inform customer segmentation, such as Delinquency Archetypes to outperforms traditional risk-based approaches by pinpointing the specific behaviors and motivations driving repayment decisions.
• Contributed to an increase across clients and industry of on-time bill payments in a way that fosters empathy and trust.
• Leads a team of behavioral scientists in empowering all Symend employees to lead with empathy through behavioral science and in designing innovative, effective treatment strategies for clients.
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