Content Type: Research Brief

Image of yawning newborn baby in bassinet Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Why the COVID-19 Baby Bust May Be Far Smaller Than Expected

Access to birth control among lower-income women was curtailed by pandemic’s lockdown

A group of children in uniform reading from small red books Research Brief / Government

Why Some Dictators Build Schools — and Others Don’t

Compulsory education ‘homogenizes’ population, can stave off democracy

A classroom of middle school students taking a test at their desks. Research Brief / Education

Why So Few Women in STEM Fields: The Role of Middle-School Peer Influence

Notion that boys are innately better at math undermines girls’ self-belief

Aerial view of two bridges over water with a dinghy passing underneath Research Brief / Investing

Why Risk and Reward Don’t Always Move in Concert

Investors initially underreact to volatility, then overreact

Three female workers planting rice. Research Brief / Cultural History

Why Offspring of Rice Farmers Are Better at Detecting Emotions

Raising the crop is a communal project, more so than the work of wheat farmers, who’re less attuned to feelings of others

A group of people climbing a mountain peak Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Why Kickstarter Funders Quickly Kick in the Last 5 Percent

Research shows that people have a sincere desire to see projects take flight

A departures board for international flights at an airport Research Brief / Startups

Why Do Startups Make International Moves?

In connection with funding, typically; those chasing money abroad tend to raise a lot more of it

Abstract digital generated eyes looking around and the yellow one standing out from the crowd. Research Brief / Banking

Why Do Banks With Little Skin in the Game Still Monitor Borrowers?

Tax policy change triggers an incentive for lenders to be more aggressive

Airplanes parked Research Brief / Accounting

Why Corporate Leasing Practices Deserve More Respect

Most companies use asset leasing for business reasons, not accounting window dressing

Five illustrated figures interact with coffee and snacks Research Brief / Cultural History

Why Can’t We All Get Along? On Some Things, We Do

The narrative of a growing cultural divide, while partly true, conceals a more nuanced picture

The hands of a young woman depositing check by phone in the cafe. Research Brief / Banking

Why Big Banks Can Pay Less on Deposits

Their level of technology and services makes up for it; it’s vice versa with little banks

Firefighters in front of their truck Research Brief / Gender Gap

Why Aren’t There More Women Firefighters?

Aligning people’s idea of a firefighter with the range of work and skills actually required might reduce gender bias

Research Brief / Nudges

Why a Surcharge Can Alter Behavior Better than a Discount

Equal incentives perceived differently and can affect norms

Angela merkel Research Brief / COVID-19

Who Loves a Leader in a Lockdown?

Not the people who see coronavirus as an unpredictable threat

Studio portrait of a diverse group of three women and three men smiling while standing against a grey background Research Brief / Venture Capital

Who Gets Venture Capital?

Experienced founders with good products still need great employees to attract early investment, study finds

Three nurse confer in front of a computer screen at a nurses station Research Brief / Labor

Who Does — and Doesn’t — Suffer From Lack of Competition for Workers

Nurses, cosmetologists and other professionals find wages suppressed more than many lower-skilled workers