Moshe Hoffman

Moshe Hoffman is a Research Scientist at the MIT Media Lab Human Dynamics Group and Lecturer at Harvard's Department of Economics.

Moshe applies game theory, models of learning and evolution, and experimental methods, to try to decipher the (often subconscious) motives that shape our social behavior, preferences, and ideologies.

Together with Erez Yoeli, he co-designed and teaches "Game Theory and Social Behavior" which lays out this approach.

Moshe obtained his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business and his B.S. in Economics from the University of Chicago.

For concise introductions to the approach, please see: research statement, talk, or twitter thread.

Working Papers (feedback welcome):

"Coordinated Enforcement" Moshe Hoffman, N. Aygun Dalkiran, Henrik Sigstad, Erez Yoeli

"Why norms are categorical" Moshe Hoffman, Erez Yoeli, Aygun Dalkiran, Martin Nowak

"(In)efficient Giving" Bethany Burum, Moshe Hoffman, Martin Nowak

Select Publications:

"Why We Obscure Positive Traits and Good Deeds," Moshe Hoffman, Christian Hilbe, Marin Nowak, R&R at Nature Human behavior

"Hamilton's Rule" Matthijs van Veelen, Ben Allen, Moshe Hoffman, Burt Simons, Carl Veller, Journal of Theoretically biology (2016)

"Third-Party Punishment as a Costly Signal of Trustworthiness," Jillian Jordan, Moshe Hoffman, Paul Bloom, Dave Rand. Nature (2016)

      • Related Op-Ed, New Tork Times, Jillian Jordan Paul Bloom, Moshe Hoffman, and Dave Rand

"Game Theory & Morality" in The Evolution of Morality, Moshe Hoffman, Erez Yoeli and C. D. Navarette (2015).

      • Related satirical piece, mocking the inefficiencies in our moral intuitions, published in EDGE's Annual Question Series: "What to Think about Machines that Think"
      • Related letter in The Economist on how game theory applies beyond conscious/strategic settings

"Cooperating without looking: Why we care what people think and not just what they do," Moshe Hoffman, Erez Yoeli, and Martin Nowak. PNAS (2015).

"Harnessing Reciprocity to Promote Cooperation and the Provisioning of Public Goods," Dave Rand, Erez Yoeli, and Moshe Hoffman. Policy Insights from Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2015).

"Powering Up with Indirect Reciprocity in a Large-Scale Field Experiment," Erez Yoeli, Moshe Hoffman, David G. Rand, Martin A. Nowak. Published in PNAS (2013)

"Common Knowledge and State-dependent Equilibria" Nuh Aygun Dalkiran, Moshe Hoffman, Ramamohan Paturi, Daniel Ricketts, and Andrea Vattani. Published in Proceedings of Symposium on Algorithmic Game Theory (2012).