Behavioural Economics Research Group (BERG)
From field and laboratory evidence we know that human behaviour is not consistent with the neoclassical economic theory. This group studies behavioural aspects of economic decision making to improve the current theoretical and applied knowledge, and to evaluate behavioural public policy. Our methods include formal theory, laboratory experiments, field experiments, surveys, and field data. Our group meets to discuss behavioural research in organisational economics, labour economics, health economics, welfare economics, industrial economics, and other areas.
Research group leader
Academic staff
Aidas MasiliūnasJesse Matheson
PhD students
Representative publications
Subhasish M. Chowdhury., Esteve‐González, P., & Mukherjee, A. (2023). Heterogeneity, leveling the playing field, and affirmative action in contests. Southern Economic Journal, 89( 3), 924– 974.
Elliott, J., & Aki Tsuchiya (2022). Do they just know more, or do they also have different preferences? An exploratory analysis of the effects of self-reporting serious health problems on health state valuation. Social Science & Medicine, 315, 115474.
Alzuabi, R., Brown, S., & Karl B. Taylor (2022). Charitable behaviour and political affiliation: Evidence for the UK. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 100, 101917.
Baik, K.H., Subhasish M. Chowdhury, & Ramalingam, A. (2022). Group Size and Matching Protocol in Contests. Canadian Journal of Economics, 54(4), 1716-1736.
Brown, S., Ghosh, P., Daniel Gray, Pareek, B., & Roberts, J. (2021). Saving behaviour and health: A high-dimensional Bayesian analysis of British panel data. The European Journal of Finance, 27(16), 1581-1603.
Daniel Gray, Montagnoli, A., & Moro, M. (2021). Does education improve financial behaviors? Quasi-experimental evidence from Britain. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 183, 481-507.
Daniel Gray, Pickard, H., & Munford, L. (2021). Election outcomes and individual subjective wellbeing in Great Britain. Economica, 88(351), 809-837.
Powell, P. A., Jennifer Roberts, Gabbay, M., & Consedine, N. S. (2021). Care Starts at Home: Emotional State and Appeals to Altruism may Reduce Demand for Overused Health Services in the UK. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 55(4), 356-368.
Subhasish M. Chowdhury, Kovenock, D., Rojo-Arjona, D., & Wilcox, N.(2021) Focality and Asymmetry in Multi-battle Contests. Economic Journal, 131(636), 1593-1619.
Abásolo, I., & Aki Tsuchiya (2020). Comparing aversions to outcome inequality and social risk in health and income: An empirical analysis using hypothetical scenarios with losses. Health Economics, 29(1), 85-97.
Aidas Masiliūnas, & Nax, H. H. (2020). Framing and repeated competition. Games and Economic Behavior, 124, 604-619.
Baik, K.H., Subhasish M. Chowdhury, & Ramalingam, A. (2020). The Effects of Conflict Budget on the Intensity of Conflict: An Experimental Investigation. Experimental Economics, 23(1), 240-258.
McDool, E., Powell, P., Jennifer Roberts, & Karl B. Taylor (2020). The internet and children’s psychological wellbeing. Journal of health economics, 69, 102274.
Subhasish M. Chowdhury, & Crede, C.J. (2020). Post-Cartel Tacit Collusion: Determinants, Consequences, and Prevention. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 70, 102590.
Aidas Masiliūnas (2019). Overcoming inefficient lock-in in coordination games with sophisticated and myopic players. Mathematical Social Sciences, 100, 1-12.
Bert Van Landeghem (2019). Stable traits but unstable measures? Identifying panel effects in self-reflective survey questions. Journal of Economic Psychology, 72, 83-95.
Adriani, F., Matthew Rablen, & Sonderegger, S. (2018). Teaching by example and induced beliefs in a model of cultural transmission. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 145, 511-529.
Bert Van Landeghem, & Vandeplas, A. (2018). The relationship between status and happiness: Evidence from the caste system in rural India. Journal of behavioral and experimental economics, 77, 62-71.
Feng, Y., Hole, A. R., Karimi, M., Aki Tsuchiya, & van Hout, B. (2018). An exploration of the non‐iterative time trade‐off method to value health states. Health Economics, 27(8), 1247-1263.
Powell, P. A., Puustinen-Hopper, K., Jode, M. D., Mavros, P., & Jennifer Roberts (2018). Heart versus head: Differential bodily feedback causally alters economic decision-making. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 71(9), 1949-1959.
Powell, P. A., Wills, O., Reynolds, G., Puustinen-Hopper, K., & Jennifer Roberts (2018). The effects of exposure to images of others' suffering and vulnerability on altruistic, trust-based, and reciprocated economic decision-making. PloS one, 13(3), e0194569.
Aidas Masiliūnas (2017). Overcoming coordination failure in a critical mass game: strategic motives and action disclosure. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 139, 214-251.
Ali, S., Aki Tsuchiya, Asaria, M., & Cookson, R. (2017). How robust are value judgments of health inequality aversion? Testing for framing and cognitive effects. Medical Decision Making, 37(6), 635-646.
Brown, A., & Subhasish M. Chowdhury (2017). The Hidden Perils of Affirmative Action: Sabotage in Handicap Contests. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 133, 273-284.
Piolatto, A., & Rablen, M. D. (2017). Prospect theory and tax evasion: a reconsideration of the Yitzhaki puzzle. Theory and decision, 82(4), 543-565.
Brown, S., & Daniel Gray (2016). Household finances and well-being in Australia: An empirical analysis of comparison effects. Journal of Economic Psychology, 53, 17-36.
Brown, S., & Karl B. Taylor (2016). Early influences on saving behaviour: Analysis of British panel data. Journal of banking & finance, 62, 1-14.
Currarini, S., Jesse Matheson, & Vega-Redondo, F. (2016). A simple model of homophily in social networks. European Economic Review, 90, 18-39.
Subhasish M. Chowdhury, Jeon, J., & Ramalingam, R. (2016). Identity and Group Conflict. European Economic Review, 90, 107-121.
Event organization
Member of this group organizes (along with 6 other institutions) a bi-weekly webinar titled Global Seminar on Contests & Conflict. Administrative support provided by MPI (Munich).