Monthly Archives: September 2018

Choosing and using identities

Posted on September 28, 2018 by koenfucius

(featured image credit: Jenny Scott CC BY) Identity is strong, and can trip us up in two ways. Who are you? That’s a pretty existential question. It is quite hard to come up with a quick and concise answer – … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural economics, Cognitive biases and fallacies, Emotions, politics, Psychology, Society | Tagged , | 1 Comment

In whose interest?

Posted on September 21, 2018 by koenfucius

(featured image credit: gaelx CC BY) The relationship between charitable giving and nudging is an uneasy one Charitable giving is a challenging phenomenon for neoclassical economics. What homo economicus, what rational, self-interested, utility maximizing would willingly give money away? It could … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural economics, Economics, Emotions, Morality, Society | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Economics in your thoughts

Posted on September 14, 2018 by koenfucius

Economic thinking is not just about objective costs and benefits – it is also about your very thoughts You’re driving along a road in town, and in the distance you can see a pedestrian crossing, protected by traffic lights. A … Continue reading →

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Bags of nudges

Posted on September 7, 2018 by koenfucius

(featured image credit: Mitchell Haindfield CC BY) The British government is planning to double the charge for single-use plastic shopping bags, to reduce their usage further. Will this work? I am pretty sure that you, like so many environmentally conscious … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural economics, Economics, Psychology | Tagged , | 1 Comment