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

When Superstition Outperforms Truth: Belief Transmission, Sacrifice, and Cooperation under Environmental Uncertainty"  (Forthcoming at Evolution and Human Behavior)

"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

"Do Individualists and Collectivists Cooperate Differently?" with Erik Kimbrough and Brock Stoddard (R&R at Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization) 

"The Evolution of Cooperation: The Case for Noise" with Laurence Iannaccone 

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

Selected Work in Progress

"Seeing Yourself in Others: How Shared Experience Shapes Fairness Preferences" (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"