Topic: Behavioral Economics

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

High angle blurred view of pillars forming green dollar sign Research Brief / Investing

A Different Way to Evaluate Private Equity Performance

An approach tailored to investor risk appetite and more comparable to stocks

A color image of a genome. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

College Completion and Your Genome (Don’t Get Too Excited)

It’s still early days in genetic research, though advances will aid study of educational attainment and, notably, disease

An illustration of a man holding an umbrella standing ina sea of alarm clocks. Research Brief / Nudges

Lack of Urgency Can Undermine a Popular Behavioral Nudge

Encouraging pre-commitment to a future behavior helps people do hard things — but it can backfire

An exterior night shot of a Dollar General store. Research Brief / Retail

How Dollar Stores Contribute to Food Deserts

Expanding chains drive out independent grocers, reduce access to fresh produce

A sleeping baby wrapped in a white blanket wearing a black graduation cap with a red tasle Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

How Far Would You Go for an Ivy League Kid?

Study finds interest in screening embryos for education propensity, especially if everyone else is doing it

An overhead view of a herd heading toward water Research Brief / Cultural History

Societies With a Legacy of Herding: More Prone to Current Day Violence

A culture that valorized revenge among pre-industrial herders resonates today

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

The Unhappy Quest for a Happiness Index

Pushing aside GDP for a measure of human well-being turns out to be very, very difficult. Ask Dan Benjamin

A young man wearing a blue shirt plays a game on his cellphone Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

What Drives Engagement in $116 Billion Mobile Gaming Industry

Novelty and social connection boost time spent playing

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