Andrea Burro

PhD Candidate - University of St. Gallen

I am a fourth-year PhD candidate in Economics at the University of St. Gallen.

My advisor is Beatrix Eugster.

I am currently visiting Bocconi University, hosted by Michela Carlana.

My main research fields are labor economics and experimental economics, with a focus on education.

I studied Economics at Bocconi University, and worked at IGIER, LEAP, EUI, C-BID and GREEN.

I will be on the 2026/2027 job market.

News:

I secured funding on wemakeit to run a field experiment on self-esteem and procrastination.
I visited the University of Chicago, hosted by John List during Fall 2025.

Research

Job Market Paper

Self-Esteem and Procrastination: Evidence from a Field Experiment (draft available upon request)

Abstract: This study presents causal evidence on the effect of self-esteem on procrastination, using a field experiment with college students. Leveraging a novel high-frequency dataset from a learning app, I randomly assign students to a self-esteem booster, a goal-setting intervention, or a control group, with treatments delivered through weekly notifications. I find that students who receive the self-esteem booster procrastinate less, while the goal-setting intervention has no effect. This effect persist in the months after the intervention, supporting a habit-formation mechanism. The results differ by gender: the self-esteem booster reduces procrastination among male students but reduces study effort among female students. Finally, students in the self-esteem booster group also report higher self-esteem and lower procrastination in surveys.

Working Papers

The Thin Line: AI Performance Evaluation and Risk Taking (draft available upon request)

Work in Progress

Intergenerational mobility: the role of peers in higher education, with Elisabeth Essbaumer and Beatrix Eugster (data collection in progress)

On the Mechanisms of Ability Peer Effects (with Beatrix Eugster and Valentina Sontheim) (data collection in progress)

In or Out? Goals and Productivity (with Jeremia Stalder) (pilot concluded)

Digital Cupid? Dating Apps, Mental Health, Beliefs and Sorting: Evidence from a Field Experiment (with Matteo Fossi) (pilot in progress)

Loneliness and Time Preferences (with Giovanni Burro) (pilot concluded)

Publications

Are European cities achieving emission reduction commitments? A comparative analysis under the Covenant of Mayors initiative,

with Benedetta Lucchitta , Valentina Palermo, Giulia Melica, Tania Molteni, Paolo Bertoldi, Edoardo Croci

Helyon, Volume 10, Issue 1, January 2024

Article on unibocconi.it

Teaching

University of St. Gallen

Fall 2025: Data Handling: Import, Cleaning and Visualisation (Undergraduate). Teaching assistant for Aurelien Sallin.
Spring 2025: Empirical Research Methods (Undergraduate). Teaching assistant for Beatrix Eugster and Johanna Kutz.
Fall 2024: Data Handling: Import, Cleaning and Visualisation (Undergraduate). Teaching assistant for Aurelien Sallin.
Spring 2024: Empirical Research Methods (Undergraduate). Teaching assistant for Beatrix Eugster and David Preinerstorfer.
Fall 2023: Data Handling: Import, Cleaning and Visualisation (Undergraduate). Teaching assistant for Aurelien Sallin.
Spring 2023: Empirical Research Methods (Undergraduate). Teaching Assistant for David Preinerstorfer and Jana Mareckova.

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