The Government has to go beyond monetary rewards to appeal to Singaporeans, said psychologists and sociologists at a population conference yesterday. They explained that while Singaporeans may be practical, there is a need for the Government to address their emotional issues and psychological processes as well. This is especially pertinent with regard to their attitudes towards foreigners, who many perceive as coming to Singapore only for economic gains and to compete for jobs, they added. The experts were speaking at the Behavioural Sciences Institute at SMU conference on population matters held at Orchard Hotel. It was attended by 240 participants from the public sector, academia and human resources industry. SMU Professor of Psychology and BSI Director David Chan said that when policies are crafted, one must look past monetary rewards to appeal to Singaporeans, as human behaviour is not simplistic. He also said citizens have two types of commitment towards Singapore: An emotional attachment and a sense of belonging; and a sense of obligation and duty. But they feel a sense of anger towards foreigners because they believe foreigners "are committed to Singapore only in a transactional way", or a commitment based on costs and benefits, he said.