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I do research in the areas of philanthropy, early childhood education, health and financial well-being. Check out some of my research that has been featured in the popular press.
I do research in the areas of philanthropy, early childhood education, health and financial well-being. Check out some of my research that has been featured in the popular press.
Picking a Health Insurance Plan is Really Hard
📰 Read the article → New York Times
People often choose insurance options that are sub-optimal because they struggle to see how different plans affect their finances. We developed a decision tool that shows the financial consequences of each choice clearly. In laboratory and survey experiments, we show that our tool reduces confusion and improves decision-making. [ Read the paper ]
Adult Skills Correlate to Early Childhood Learning Hours
Adult Skills Correlate to Early Childhood Learning Hours
We find that parental involvement in early childhood education boosts children's academic performance, especially in reading and writing. Girls see more of this engagement, which may explain their underrepresentation in STEM. Encouraging parents to focus on teaching math could help close this gap. [ Read the paper ]
Selecting Groceries Ahead of Time Helps Shoppers Make Healthier Choices
Selecting Groceries Ahead of Time Helps Shoppers Make Healthier Choices
🎧 Listen to the podcast → Behavioural Science Uncovered
📰 Read the article → The Conversation
We explore why individuals in food deserts often make food choices that contradict their long-term health goals. Through experiments, we uncover that dynamic inconsistency—where current desires conflict with future intentions—plays a significant role in these decisions. Our findings highlight the complex interplay between environment and behavior in shaping dietary choices. [ Read the paper ]
Why We Should Bribe Our Kids
Why We Should Bribe Our Kids
🎙️ Listen to the podcast → Freakonomics
📖 Read the blog post → The Economist
This research delves into how behavioral economics can influence children's food choices. By implementing small incentives and educational messages, we observe a significant increase in healthy snack selections among children. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining behavioral nudges with educational strategies to promote healthier eating habits in school settings. [ Read the paper ]
Seeking the Why of Giving
Seeking the Why of Giving
📰 Read the article → New York Times
We explore whether giving donors the opportunity to write a note to a recipient of their gift increases generosity. Despite related work showing that people feel "warm glow" when given the opportunity to engage in kind acts, we find that the additional note actually creates a burden to the donor and reduces the likelihood of a gift. A possible explanation for this result is that people who would normally give a small amount choose not to do so when given the opportunity to write a note. [ Read the paper ]
Parents Lie in Front of Sons but Not in Front of Daughters - Why?
Parents Lie in Front of Sons but Not in Front of Daughters - Why?
🎙️ Listen to the podcast → Hidden Brain
📰 Read the article → Today.com
📰 Read the article → FiveThirtyEight
We examine the transmission of dishonest behavior from parents to children. Through our experiments with parents and their children, we find that parents are less likely to lie when their child is present, suggesting that parents seek to model honesty. Interestingly, this result is driven entirely by daughters and not sons. [ Read the paper ]
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