The ability to form consistent preferences and to choose according to them is supported by brain regions involved in executive functions (working memory, planning, etc). As these functions decline with age, decision-making also becomes impaired. Read here.

As consumers, we often act irrationally and we may be tricked into buying certain options by clever presentation and pricing startegies. Read here.

We often value things more when we own them, regardless of their market value, and the price we would pay to acquire them if we did not own them. This bias is called the endowment effect.

People are subject to inertia, a tendency to repeat decisions or stick to default options. read here.

Impulsive and compulsive buying behaviors are becoming problematic in our society, and a cause of overindebtedness. Understanding the differences and similarities between the two, as well as the path from one to another is critical to restore healthy consumption behavior. Read here.

People often bet on lottery tickets with negative expected value. This means that, were they rational, they should not bet at all. Why does this occur? Is this more frequent in environments in which people can compare themselves to others? Read more here.

Evolutionary theories of risk behavior build on risk sensitivity theory. Read more here.

Time preferences develop throughout childhood and adolescence. This report investigates these changes and what causes them. Read more here.

Our willingness to delay immediate rewards to get higher rewards in the future depends on our subjective evaluation of these delays. People who are more patient and willing to sacrifice current rewards for larger future ones are also people for which time passes more quickly. Hence, they are more willing to wait. Read more here.

Mental time travel refers to the ability to remember the past to predict the future. It is rooted in brain systems involved in episodic memory and planning. Here we develop a mathematical model that links brain functioning to behavior in the context of intertemporal decision-making.

How do we develop our ability to lie to benefit ourselves and others? It appears that children are already wired to lie to their advantage. Also, lying to benefit others is rare. Read more here.

How can emotions shape moral behavior? When stealing cannot be deterred by a system of monetary incentives, shaming may be beneficial to achieve norm compliance. Read more here.

Children develop preferences differently across domains (goods, risk, social). The evolution of preferences in the social domain reflects a trajectory between selfishness/spite to fairness and prosociality during elementary school. Read more here.

Sometimes, it is easier to remain ignorant of the consequences of our actions on others. This attitude is however not present in children: independently of whether they act selfishly or in a prosocial way, they are aware of their choices and consequences. Strategic ignorance develops late, probably in parallel with self image concerns. Read more here.

Read aslo the documents under ''Inequality'' in the Projects section.

How and when do we develop a tolerance for inequality in the context of meritocratic allocations. Read here.

How do we develop our ability to update information. Read more here.

The development of number and quantity judgements. read more here.