People use cognitive shortcuts to make choices that sometimes have outcomes that don’t serve their own interests or preferences. But to call these choices irrational might be missing the big picture.
Articles on Behavioral economics
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Most Christmas trees are imported from other states, which drives up costs.
Gov. Kathy Hochul hit the brakes on congestion pricing in June but now is ready to roll, with a lower fee. Critics, including New Jersey officials and President-elect Donald Trump, remain opposed.
People who object to affirmative action were more likely to discriminate against job candidates with Black-sounding names than those who supported it, whether or not they had to rush.
Returns cost companies billions of dollars in lost sales. They also generate emissions and packaging waste. Two logistics experts offer some tips from psychology for more sustainable returns.
People tend not to think that their own emotions could simply be wrong. But research shows that people excessively dislike others who disagree with them.
Evidence from Massachusetts suggests that a multistep process discourages enrollment. The findings could help policymakers stave off a sharp decline in coverage when COVID-19 policies change.
Many Starbucks customers are irked by recent changes to its popular rewards program. But they may not have as much to complain about as it seems.
Asking alumni to reflect on ‘a person or event in their past that had particularly benefited them since graduating’ resulted in larger gifts.
Experiments in the US and Italy that observed people’s charitable choices found similar results: People tend to prefer to help local communities.
Microeconomics analyzes how individuals and businesses behave as they try to get the most they can for as little money as possible.
Several studies found that using the excuse ‘I don’t have time’ when declining an invitation harmed the relationship with the person who extended it.
An experimental study found that the vast majority of women didn’t support a pay policy that corrected for an advantage they received, slightly more than men in the same position.
Governments and companies are using incentives in hopes of getting more Americans to get a COVID-19 shot. A behavioral economist explains how they work.
Cognitive neuroscientists use brain imaging and behavioral economic games to investigate people’s sense of fairness. They find it’s common to take care of yourself before looking out for others.
When deciding whether others should make trades, children may consider who likes what.
Unfairness alone is upsetting enough to drive people to punish lucky recipients of unfair outcomes.
Policies meant to improve public health – like mandatory face masks during the coronavirus pandemic – need to take into account how people might adjust other behaviors in response.
Policymakers need to figure out ways to sustain the behaviors that are helping flatten the curve as cities begin to end their lockdowns.
Behavioral economists explain how widespread use of face masks, hand sanitizer and other preventive measures could counterintuitively encourage riskier behaviors around coronavirus.
Top contributors
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Harvard University
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Associate Professor of Business, Boston University
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Associate Professor of Economics, University of Miami
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Associate Professor of Economics, Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego
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PhD Candidate in Management, Columbia University
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Assistant Professor of Marketing, Northeastern University
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Professor of Economics and Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University
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Professor of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University
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Associate Professor of Marketing, Washington University in St. Louis
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Associate Professor of Economics, HEC Paris Business School
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Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia
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Assistant Professor of Finance, New York University
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Researcher in Public Health, San Diego State University
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Assistant Professor of Economics, Universidad de Alicante
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Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of California, Los Angeles