Behavioral
How Gambling Is Transforming the Experience of Sports
We asked Professor Nathan Novemsky, who has examined the psychology of gambling in multiple studies, how the ubiquity of betting is changing the way we watch sports.
The Secret of Effective Motivation
What kinds of motives are most conducive to success? In a New York Times op-ed, Professor Amy Wrzesniewski and coauthor Barry Schwartz discuss their research looking at the motives of new West Point cadets and how they relate to success as Army officers.
Donors Give More When They Have a Sense of Belonging
Recent research, drawing on behavioral economics, suggests that donors make larger contributions to a nonprofit organization when they have a sense of active involvement in the organization's mission. In an op-ed for the New York Times, Professor Robert Shiller suggests that changes to legal and institutional structures could be powerful new tools to increase engagement and giving.
Celebrity Touch Raises Auction Prices
The degree of physical contact that a celebrity has with a piece of memorabilia affects how much collectors are willing to pay for it at auction, according to a study co-authored by Professor George Newman.
A Scientific Approach to Increasing Diversity in the Sciences
To reduce subtle biases that limit women and minority academic scientists, research universities should design diversity programs that adhere to rigorous scientific standards, according to a new paper co-authored by Professor Victoria Brescoll.
What’s Ahead for Financial Markets? An Interview with Robert Shiller
Nobel laureate Robert Shiller discusses some of the trends he currently sees in finance and the housing market.
Why You Buy What You Buy
Professor Ravi Dhar runs through how recent research in psychology helps explain how we all make decisions when shopping. When are you impulsive? When do you really think things through? When do you make the good long-term choice? And when do you go for the junk food?
Robert Shiller: Owning a Home Isn’t Always a Virtue
In the New York Times, Professor Robert Shiller writes that the United States should reduce government subsidies for homeownership, while finding another way to promote household saving.
Manager Favoritism Blocks New Ideas
New research co-authored by Professor Olav Sorenson finds that managers are biased against ideas that are proposed by employees outside of their own work groups, hurting innovation and performance.
How do you build a culture of innovation?
How does a successful company maintain a climate in which new ideas and risk-taking are encouraged? Tim Brown, CEO and president of the design consultancy IDEO, describes how he thinks about innovation and why empathy is an important part of the equation.
Yes, We’re Confident, but Who Knows Why
As housing, unemployment, the stock market, and the overall economy show signs of recovery, Professor Robert Shiller writes in the New York Times that we understand little about how people’s confidence affect these major turning points. "…[P]ublic thinking is inscrutable. We can keep trying to understand it, but we’ll be puzzled again the next time the markets or the economy make major moves."
