Research

Publication

Accepted - Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization


Substantial heterogeneity in behavioral traits has been observed across human societies, which have been linked to important differences in individual as well as societal outcomes. In this paper, we complement the existing literature by investigating the role of key behavioral traits, i.e. risk-taking, patience, altruism, and trust, at the population level in the design of new policies and institutions during an unexpected global crisis. Combining granular data on policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis with several pre-pandemic survey measures of behavioral traits in 109 countries, we observe robust relationships of significant magnitude. In particular, our findings underline that countries with higher levels of trust tended to respond later to the crisis; while populations that are patient, altruistic, and trusting are more likely to implement stringent policies in the medium and long-term. These results improve our understanding of how countries deal with global crises. They also supply an explanation for the lack of coordinated response at the international level during such events.

Working papers :

R&R Economics of Education Review

This study empirically examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students’ enrollment behaviors using a comprehensive database of university enrollments from 2012 to 2021. Our analysis reveals a 10.6% decline in the probability of re-enrollment for the subsequent academic year among the cohort affected by the pandemic. In particular, this effect is particularly pronounced among students pursuing STEM tracks and male students. To further investigate the underlying mechanisms, we employ a natural experiment framework in France, leveraging regional variations in policies adopted in response to the spread of the disease. Our results do not provide convincing evidence that stricter measures had an impact on student re-enrollment or on the likelihood of graduation. These findings contribute to our understanding of the disruptive consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ educational trajectories and highlight the importance of considering policy responses to mitigate adverse effects on educational outcomes.


R&R Education Economics

In this paper, we investigate how soft skills are related to educational achievement. We run a lab in the field experiment with pupils in Middle Schools to ask whether altruism, cooperation, willingness to compete and intrinsic motivation influence educational attainment. We find that willingness to compete is a strong predictor of individual educational achievement, while altruism is on the contrary negatively correlated with pupils’ success. Family background is a strong predictor of educational attainment. After controlling for individual and social preferences, we find that girls outperform boys.


Submitted

This study investigates the influence of social pressure on reinforcing social normsamong adolescents through a lab-in-the-field experiment. Using a controlled environmentwhere teenagers interact with their classmates, I examine the evolution of cooperation, akey aspect of prosocial behavior, over repeated interactions and explore its determinants. Ifind that girls and altruistic pupils demonstrate higher levels of cooperation. Additionally,the introduction of non-monetary rewards and punishments, serving as forms of socialpressure, significantly enhances cooperation among adolescents, aligning their behaviorwith prevailing social norms. Surprisingly, the study finds that the intensity of socialpressure does not directly impact cooperation, suggesting that adolescents adapt theirpro-social behavior in response to social pressure awareness. These findings contributeto a comprehensive understanding of the driving forces behind adherence to social normsand their influence on adolescent behavior. 


L'objectif de cet article est de présenter une revue de littérature des expériences en économie menées auprès d'enfants et d'adolescents. Ces expériences en laboratoire, principalement réalisées sur le terrain ("lab-in-the-field") permettent d'étudier les préférences et les décisions de populations plus jeunes et plus hétérogènes que dans les expériences classiques (auprès de populations étudiantes). Les principaux enseignements de ces études sont que les préférences individuelles et sociales comme l'aversion pour le risque, la coopération et l'altruisme évoluent avec l'âge. Ces résultats soulignent l'importance d'adapter les politiques publiques qui ciblent les enfants et adolescents, en prenant en compte les spécificités de leurs préférences.


Other Publication :

2023 "Reproducibility in Management Science", Management Science, Fišar, M., Greiner, B., Huber, C., Katok, E., Ozkes, A., and the Management Science Reproducibility Collaboration.

Note: Member of the Management Science Reproducibility Collaboration


Selected Work in Progress :


We propose an original approach to test gender identity and gender implicit bias as drivers of teachers' gendered behaviour, using both a theoretical framework and an empirical approach. We first plan to develop a theoretical model to understand teachers' behaviour. We distinguish two hypotheses: one where teachers are purely utilitarian and one where their behaviour is restricted by ethical principles. The idea is to assess whether gendered practices stem from gender differences in preferences---in a purely consequentialist way---or if ethical considerations are at play. We then plan to empirically test the theoretical predictions using an online experiment with high school teachers.

Funding : This project received a grant from the EUR Paris Jourdan Sciences Eco and from the Women in Science Chair from University Paris Dauphine

Funding : This project received a grant from the MSH Paris Nord