Topic: Behavioral Economics

Building facade with old air conditioners Research Brief / Energy

Motivating Households in India to Reduce Energy Consumption

The same message that works with U.S. households is effective in the developing world

LA Dodger Manny Ramirez taking a swing Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Not All Second Chances Are Good Ones

Hengchen Dai finds that hitting the reset button can help those who have recently struggled, but erodes the motivation and execution of top performers

Illustration of a young man looking into a mirror, reflecting his older self Feature / Time

The Healthy Upside of Thinking about an Older You

Consciously imagining our older self can spur us to take better care of ourselves now

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

Illustration of a character wearing a hat covering their ears Research Brief / Investing

Ignorance — About One’s Investments, Anyway — Isn’t Always Bliss

Valentin Haddad’s research looks at the phenomenon of “information aversion,” when individual investors stop tracking their portfolios for fear of bad news

City landscape at dusk Research Brief / Housing

Could Costly Housing Bring Down Superstar Cities?

Stuart Gabriel’s research shows how a vibrant economic hub loses essential residents

A man shopping for soap Research Brief / Marketing

When It Pays Not to Help Your Customers Comparison Shop

Rakesh Sarin creates a model that shows consumer “ambiguity” about product quality should drive marketing and brand management strategy

Collage of women forming a larger image of a woman Research Brief / Cultural History

Using Ancestral Characteristics to Study Modern Economics

A database of pre-industrial sampling supports historical and ethnographic research

Illustration of a map Research Brief / Cultural History

How Local Governance Came to England’s Economy

Nico Voigtländer found that to combat arbitrary taxes and corruption, merchants persuaded the king to cede control

Monochrome photo of Wall Street Research Brief / Investing

To Wall Street, There’s No Crisis Like a Banking Crisis

Tyler Muir finds that neither war nor deep recession darkens investor sentiment like sudden turmoil in the financial system

Illustrations of a timeline Feature / Time

An Aerial, as Opposed to Ground-Level, View of Time

A novel framework proposes to reduce angst over schedules and lives

Ebola tent Research Brief / Health Care

When Ebola Strikes, Where Should Help Go?

Improving epidemic forecasting helps response teams target aid more effectively

Book cover of American Default Book Review / Economics

A Shocking Tale of Sovereign Default and Private Contracts Nullified

Sebastian Edwards brings to life a widely forgotten chapter of U.S. history starring FDR, his no-name economist and the demise of the gold standard

Illustration of a capital city Research Brief / Government

How the Seemingly Rapid Advance of Democracy Goes Astray

Using voting records from a unique transition in the 19th-century Caribbean, Christian Dippel examines the embrace of self-interest by new legislators

Illustration of a house, cap, rings, car keys, baby crib Feature / Nudges

Behavioral Nudges Timed to Certain Days are Effective Motivator

Dates of milestones — major and minor — can spur us to action

YouTube on a tablet computer Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

Taking the Battle for Financial Literacy to Where the Eyeballs Are

Research by Bruce Carlin and Stephen Spiller suggests YouTube videos could help consumers make better money decisions