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Behavioral

Can ChatGPT Accelerate Social Science Research? 

Yale SOM’s Balázs Kovács and his co-authors spent years designing a computer-based method to measure “typicality.” In a new study, they found that ChatGPT could duplicate their results at a fraction of the cost.

An illustration of researchers watching a robot write on a blackboard
  • Sermons with Stories of Debt Can Help Churchgoers Stay Frugal

    A recent study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Thomas Steffen and Brett Campbell found that when religious leaders gave sermons warning against excessive debt, areas with high church membership tended to have lower indebtedness.

    A preacher holding up a piggy bank during a sermon
  • How Social Media Rewards Misinformation

    A majority of false stories are spread by a small number of frequent users, suggests a new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Gizem Ceylan. But they can be taught to change their ways.

    An illustration of people looking at devices and being rewarded with likes and other reactions
  • Taking a Disciplined Look at Irrational Investors

    Prof. Nicholas Barberis applies a scientific eye to the irrational ways we form beliefs and how those beliefs collectively drive financial markets.

    A professor talking with two students in from of a white board
  • Smarter Ways to Look Ahead: Research-Based Suggestions for a Better 2023

    We asked faculty from the Yale School of Management to put a scholarly lens on improving our personal and professional lives in the coming year.

    A vintage image of a person looking through a telescope
  • Building Trust with the Algorithms in Our Lives

    Consumers are wary of the recommendations made by algorithms. But according to new research co-authored by Yale SOM’s Taly Reich, showing that an algorithm can learn—that it improves over time—helps to resolve this distrust.

    An illustration of a computer thrusting suggested products at the person using it.
  • How to Give Better Gifts

    Do your loved ones want their presents to be expensive or thoughtful? Do they want to be surprised or to get items from their wish lists? We asked Professor Nathan Novemsky, a psychologist and expert in consumer behavior, to explain some of the common mistakes that gift-givers make.

    Illustration of a gift
  • When Counting Calories, Words Are More Valuable than Pictures 

    A new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Gal Zauberman finds that apps that track calories with a photo are appealing, but manually logging your meals is actually more effective. The results offer a cautionary tale about giving consumers what they think they want, he says.

    An illustration of a smartphone taking a photo of a salad
  • How Does Inflation Change Consumer Behavior?

    Inflation has put consumers in an anxious, angry mood, even as the economic data shows confounding bright spots. We asked Yale SOM’s Ravi Dhar how the perception of rising prices affects buying behavior, and how companies can respond.

    Shoppers in a supermarket seen from overhead
  • How Grammy Wins and Losses Shape Artists’ Creative Trajectories

    Prof. Balázs Kovács and his co-authors found that Grammy winners tend to branch out in new directions afterward—but nominees who don’t win become more creatively cautious.

    Billie Eilish with an armful of trophies at the Grammy Awards in 2020.
  • Do Homebuyers’ Expectations Align with Reality?

    People’s predictions of long-term home price growth were wildly optimistic in the early 2000s but have become more cautious since the Great Recession, according to a study co-authored by Robert Shiller of Yale SOM.

    People viewing a home for sale