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Research

  • Does Having a Choice Provide an Illusion of Control?

    A study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Joowon Klusowski and Deborah Small finds giving people a choice doesn’t makes them think they are more likely to achieve a positive outcome and provides an explanation of why the opposite can appear to be to be true.

    An illustration of a woman choosing between one door and multiple doors
  • Does Capital Spending on Schools Improve Education?

    Yale SOM’s Barbara Biasi and her co-authors found that some projects improve test scores and others boost local property values—but they aren’t the same ones.

    Construction on a school building
  • A Better Algorithm Can Bring Volunteers to More Organizations

    Yale SOM’s Vahideh Manshadi and her collaborators found that an online platform was steering volunteers toward a small group of opportunities. By building equity into the algorithm, they were able to help more organizations find the volunteers they need.

    An illustration showing raised hands emerging from a set of gears
  • In the Emergency Department, Patients from Marginalized Groups Are More Likely to be Bypassed in the Queue

    In a busy hospital emergency department, White people who speak English and have private insurance are more likely to jump the line and get seen first, according to new research from Professors Lesley Meng and Edieal Pinker and Dr. Rohit Sangal ’21 of Yale New Haven Hospital.

    Patients waiting in an emergency department waiting room
  • Lower-Income Employees Are More Likely to Remain at 401(k) Defaults, Even If It Costs Them Money

    Automatically enrolling employees in retirement plans is a powerful tool for increasing savings. But Yale SOM’s James Choi and his coauthors find that once enrolled, people with lower incomes are more likely to remain at default contribution rates, even if they aren’t optimal.

    An illustration of currency being cut in half as it is put into a piggy bank
  • Did ‘Lockdown Fatigue’ Diminish the Effectiveness of COVID-19 Restrictions?

    COVID-19 restrictions on group gatherings and businesses stretched on for months. Did they continue to save lives? In a new study, Yale SOM’s Matthew Spiegel examines how the effectiveness of restrictions evolved over time.

    A socially distanced and masked staff meeting
  • Ratings Systems Amplify Racial Bias on Gig-Economy Platforms

    A new Yale SOM study found that the five-star ratings on platforms like Uber and TaskRabbit can spread the effects of racial discrimination by displaying ratings from biased users to those who otherwise would not discriminate.

    An illustration of a ride-share driver with thumbs up and thumbs down ratings emerging from the rear windows of his car.
  • Did Student Loan Forbearance Push Distressed Borrowers Further into Debt?

    In a new study, Yale SOM’s Heather Tookes and her co-authors find that after loan forebearance went into effect in March 2020, distressed borrowers’ credit scores jumped. That allowed them to take on more credit card and auto debt—and, eventually, led to higher rates of delinquencies.

    An illustration of a graduate trying to escape a storm of debt while running on top of credit cards.
  • As Incomes Rise, Variability in Happiness Shrinks

    New research from Yale SOM’s Gal Zauberman and former postdoc Bouke Klein Teeselink finds there’s both lower average happiness and greater happiness inequality among those with lower incomes.

    An illustration showing progressively happier emoji from left to right
  • Can You Make a Donation Today—and Tell All Your Friends?

    Sharing information about our charitable donations can multiply their impact. Prof. Deborah Small tested whether reframing why a donor should disclose a gift can help encourage them to spread the good news.

    An illustration of a woman peaking through curtains in front of a gift box