I am an Associate Professor of Economics at San Jose State University and co-director of the Spartan Experimental Economics Lab (SEEL). My research spans experimental economics, behavioral economics, and economic history, with a current emphasis on how culture, religion, and enforcement institutions impact decision-making.

You can find my CV here. 

Publications

"From Shocks to Solidarity and Superstition: Exploring the Foundations of Faith" with Laurence Iannaccone (previously circulated as  Gods and Cooperation) Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Volume 229, January 2025, 106775.

"Reputation or Court: Individualism, Collectivism, and the Choice of Enforcement Mechanism in Exchange", Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Volume 217, January 2024, Pages 184-206

"God Games: An Experimental Study of Uncertainty, Superstition, and Cooperation" with Laurence Iannaccone, Games and Economic Behavior, Volume 139, May 2023, Pages 88-116

"Individualism, Collectivism, and Trade" with Erik Kimbrough, Experimental Economics, Volume 22, Issue 2, June 2019, Pages 294–324  (Lead Article)

"Exchange in the Absence of Legal Enforcement: Reputation and Multilateral Punishment under Uncertainty" with Jared Rubin, Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Volume 35, Issue 1, March 2019, Pages 192–237

Working Papers

"When Superstition Outperforms Truth: Belief Transmission and Cooperation under Environmental Uncertainty" (previously circulated as Uncertainty, Superstition, and Endogenous Group Formation: An Intergenerational Experiment)

"Do Individualists and Collectivists Cooperate Differently?" with Erik Kimbrough and Brock Stoddard

"Testamentary Power and Wealth Accumulation: Islamic Inheritance Law versus Primogeniture" (available upon request)

Selected Work in Progress

"Are you Lucky or Better? Inequality Acceptance under Uncertainty" (Data Collected)

"The Evolution of Cooperation: The Case for Noise" with Laurence Iannaccone  (Data Collected)

"Extractive Sovereign, Property Rights, and Enforcement Mechanisms"

"Temple: An Experimental Study of the Origin of the Monetary Authority" with Justin Rietz

"Cooperation in Chaos"