We study the effects of two widely observed behavioral policy interventions⸻the simplification of complex decisions and the implementation of high-quality defaults. Based on a laboratory experiment featuring a dual-task paradigm, we demonstrate that these policies do not only improve decisions...

We study the effects of two widely observed behavioral policy interventions⸻the simplification of complex decisions and the implementation of high-quality defaults. Based on a laboratory experiment featuring a dual-task paradigm, we demonstrate that these policies do not only improve decisions...

Policymakers discuss nudges as instruments to foster individual public good contributions. Contrary to the original aim of nudges, which is to improve decision outcomes for the individual, pro-social nudges aim to improve the social outcomes of individual behavior. This can potentially result in...

In an era where behavioral insights overwhelmingly shape policy interventions, heuristic-based decision-making merits closer consideration. That policy environments are complex is not a new topic, nor is the insight that simple heuristic solutions might work best in some complex situations. I...

Nudges are popular instruments in the toolbox of policymakers. Yet, empirical evidence suggests some of these interventions can influence decisions which were not initially targeted, raising the risk to undermine their effectiveness. To analyse such spillover effects, I develop micro-foundations...

The elegant economic picture of rational consumers achieving Pareto optimality through trade in decentralized self-organized markets is blurred by market imperfections and choices inconsistent with consumer self-interest. Behavioral economics has documented these errors in choice, and considered...