The market of private health insurance is characterised by high level of consumer inertia. Low consumer activity is probably linked to product complexity, abundance of choice options and low consumer understanding. These factors may overwhelm consumers and reduce willingness to engage with the...

This study demonstrates how status quo bias (SQB) acts as an obstacle to active travel policy. A pre-registered experiment was undertaken to measure the strength of SQB and to illuminate its likely causes. A large, nationally representative sample evaluated descriptions of a town layout designed...

A basic function of government is to manage environmental risks. This requires measurement of how the public perceive different risks, but it is hard to measure risk perceptions in a neutral, unbiased way. In a pre-registered experiment with a nationally representative sample (N = 800), we...

This study investigated levels of trust and attributions of blame in connection with a cervical screening programme following a controversy related to the programme's audit, incorporating an experimental test of the effectiveness of new information materials. We compared responses in Ireland...

The "obesogenic environment" contributes to the global obesity epidemic. However, many believe that obesity is caused solely by individual choice. This paper investigates how the public in Ireland, the UK, and USA perceive the causes, consequences and severity of obesity compared to an expert...

Problem gambling (PG) describes gambling behaviour that is disruptive or damaging to individuals, and includes behaviours (e.g., betting more than one can afford to lose) and experiences (e.g., feeling guilt and anxiety about gambling). This study set out to measure the prevalence of PG in...

Five hundred young people (aged 16 to 24 years) took part in a short, online study about the environment. The study focused on knowledge and beliefs about climate change mitigation. We recorded the climate-friendly behaviours young people in Ireland report engaging in, as well as their knowledge...

Nutritional labelling is a means of communicating the nutritional content of food to consumers. When a nutritional label is salient and understandable, consumers tend to make more healthy choices. Nutritional labelling policies can also influence providers by incentivising manufacturers to...

We present a theory of exchange that provides an alternative explanation for the endowment effect. Unlike standard neoclassical theories and Prospect Theory, our approach is not based on preference structure, but on adaptive responses to the problem of exchange when value is uncertain. We...