Topic: Behavioral Economics

Search results of three different types of pink slippers Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

As Few as Three Options Can Be Too Many for Online Shoppers 

A large field experiment suggests two items is the sweet spot for converting motivated lookers into buyers

Piggy bank over orange background Research Brief / Finance

Oversight of Borrowed Money Creates Animosity

Friends lending to friends, taxpayers bailing out businesses feel it’s still their money and have opinions on how it’s spent

Aerial view of Chicago from the south. Research Brief / Wealth Inequality

Segregation Compounds the Effects of Poverty

In Northern cities, railroad tracks that defined Black neighborhoods remain boundaries against economic mobility

True and false symbols accept rejected for evaluation, Yes or No on wood blogs on blue background Research Brief / Ethics

Institutions Make Mistakes: Which Should We Seek to Prevent; Which Ought We Fix After the Fact?

In experiments, people endorsed seemingly harsh policies — only to reverse course after the fact

Illustration of many people with signs protesting. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Consumer Backlash to CEO Advocacy: Signaling or Act of Conscience?

An experiment seeks to isolate motivation and raises concerns for outspoken corporate leaders

An illustration featuring text that reads "happiness" and other items such as scissors and a ruler Research Brief / Happiness

How-To Guide for Happiness Surveys, Which Increasingly Drive Public Policy

Advice for researchers aims to help improve both data collection and its interpretation

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

Shopping cart on white background. Research Brief / Pricing

When Surge Pricing Comes to the Supermarket

Charging more at peak times could reduce congestion and lift profits. Would customers revolt?

Detail of a 19-century painting depicting the Battle of Kulikovo (1380 CE). Research Brief / Cultural History

Testing 17 Theories on the Development of Complex Civilizations

Large-scale data project produces stark conclusion: military technology + agricultural productivity caused the takeoff

A man is lost in a foggy field with blue signs all around him. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Amateurs Struggle To Incorporate Market Signals About Pricing into Their Trades

Disregarding data, novices often sail into strong winds

A dark blue maze with a white arrow that shows the way out all against a light blue background. Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

Proposed: Give Consumers on Amazon a Direct Line to Small Business Products

Third-party sellers would gain; consumers might pay more but increase control of products display

Five open doors in various colors on a hilly grass expanse. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Why We Think Differently About Money Than About Probabilities

Learning gradually versus all at once and how we estimate value

Side-by-side view of the Robert Taylor housing project in Chicago before and during demolition. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Kids Who Moved from Public Housing More Likely to Vote as Adults

Demolition of Chicago projects dispersed thousands to other areas

A nighttime image of a homeless encampment on a city corner in Los Angeles. Research Brief / Wealth Inequality

Go Ahead, You Decide How Much Wealth Should Be Redistributed

Can modern decision theory, paired with a half-century-old thought experiment, help make a more just society?

A nighttime blurry image of a woman and a man walking into a store. Research Brief / Economics

CEOs Risk Alienating Customers with High-Profile Activism

Taking a stand on controversial issues can hurt sales, but the effect is brief

Two men sit on a bench in a scene from the TV show "Silicon Valley." Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

The Role of Chance Encounters in Silicon Valley Innovation

Cellphone signals and patent citations approximate a theory’s long-sought paper trail