Economics
Feeling Deprived? Stay Away from Casinos
Sep/07/2011 23:29
As we often note, much of life comes down to weighing short- vs. long-term tradeoffs. It can be difficult to resist what feels good in the here and now, but new research shows that just how difficult it is may depend on if you're feeling deprived. Read More...
I Don't Need You When I've Got Money
Aug/16/2011 14:10
Mimicry -- the tendency to automatically copy the gestures of an interaction partner -- has often been referred to as a "social glue." Most research has found that when others subtly mimic us, we like it. But new work by Jia Liu and colleagues is suggesting that mimicry might not always be a plus, especially when money is involved. Read More...
The Economics of Sex Ratios
Aug/10/2011 10:25
As we often note, life is full of long- vs. short-term tradeoffs. Should you work hard and invest your money or go spend it on a new Ipod right now? New work by Vladis Griskevicius and colleagues suggests that how we solve this decision might just be influenced by who is around us. Or, more specifically, the number of women to men -- the available mate ratio for men. Read More...
The Benefits of Sacrifice
Jul/22/2011 13:53
Past research has shown that we tend to have an aversion to inequality, especially when we are getting the short end of the stick. But it is also true that we often sacrifice our own self-interest to enhance the welfare of others. These seem to be contradictory effects. How can we on the one hand care about someone else’s well-being while on the other also want to be better off than they are? Read More...
Consumer Envy
Jun/02/2011 11:46
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods. Simply put: envy = bad. Fair enough, but then why is it so rampant? Read More...
