Research focus areas

The central questions of our research group revolve around voluntary cooperation and moral behavior. We are interested in uncovering features of human behavior and identifying institutional arrangements that either facilitate or impede the achievement of socially beneficial outcomes. Our goal is to better understand human behavior in different contexts and institutional conditions in order to develop solutions for sustainable development.

We rely on a variety of research methods. For instance, we conduct lab experiments to understand the conditions under which individuals and groups are ready or reluctant to cooperate towards achieving socially beneficial goals. We also use field experiments, surveys, and field data to examine decisions and beliefs outside of the lab. Game theoretical models and insights from social psychology often serve as the basis for our behavioral hypotheses and the design of our experiments and surveys.