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Emotions And Decisions In The Real World: What Can We Learn From Quasi-Field Experiments?, Syon Bhanot, D. Chang, J. L. Cunningham, M. Ranson
Emotions And Decisions In The Real World: What Can We Learn From Quasi-Field Experiments?, Syon Bhanot, D. Chang, J. L. Cunningham, M. Ranson
Economics Faculty Works
Researchers in the social sciences have increasingly studied how emotions influence decision-making. We argue that research on emotions arising naturally in real-world environments is critical for the generalizability of insights in this domain, and therefore to the development of this field. Given this, we argue for the increased use of the “quasi-field experiment” methodology, in which participants make decisions or complete tasks after as-if-random real-world events determine their emotional state. We begin by providing the first critical review of this emerging literature, which shows that real-world events provide emotional shocks that are at least as strong as what can ethically …
The Effects Of Medicare Payment Changes On Nursing Home Staffing, Daifeng He, P. Mchenry, J. M. Mellor
The Effects Of Medicare Payment Changes On Nursing Home Staffing, Daifeng He, P. Mchenry, J. M. Mellor
Economics Faculty Works
In light of persistent shortcomings in nursing home care quality and evidence that lower nurse staffing levels could be harmful to residents, we examine whether staffing levels are affected by changes in Medicare reimbursement rates. We exploit a 2006 change in Medicare’s methodology for adjusting provider payments for geographic differences in costs, a change that generated plausibly exogenous variation in nursing facility reimbursement rates. Our method compares facilities with higher and lower shares of Medicare resident days, which were differentially exposed to the payment changes we examine. Using panel data on US nursing homes from 2003 through 2009, we find …
Simulating Covid-19 In A University Environment, P. T. Gressman, Jennifer R. Peck
Simulating Covid-19 In A University Environment, P. T. Gressman, Jennifer R. Peck
Economics Faculty Works
Residential colleges and universities face unique challenges in providing in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Administrators are currently faced with decisions about whether to open during the pandemic and what modifications of their normal operations might be necessary to protect students, faculty and staff. There is little information, however, on what measures are likely to be most effective and whether existing interventions could contain the spread of an outbreak on campus. We develop a full-scale stochastic agent-based model to determine whether in-person instruction could safely continue during the pandemic and evaluate the necessity of various interventions. Simulation results indicate that …
Local Food Prices And The Purchasing Power Of Snap Benefits, G. Christensen, Erin Todd Bronchetti
Local Food Prices And The Purchasing Power Of Snap Benefits, G. Christensen, Erin Todd Bronchetti
Economics Faculty Works
While the nominal value of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits is fixed across states (except for Hawaii and Alaska), variation in food prices across the U.S. is dramatic. We provide new evidence describing geographic variation in the purchasing power of SNAP benefits, measured by the extent to which SNAP-recipient households are able to afford the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food plan on which legislated SNAP benefit levels are based. For more than one-quarter of SNAP households, SNAP benefits are too low to cover the cost of the TFP at the primary stores where …
How You Can Work To Increase The Presence And Improve The Experience Of Black, Latinx, And Native American People In The Economics Profession, Amanda Bayer, G. A. Hoover, E. Washington
How You Can Work To Increase The Presence And Improve The Experience Of Black, Latinx, And Native American People In The Economics Profession, Amanda Bayer, G. A. Hoover, E. Washington
Economics Faculty Works
Recently in economics there has been discussion of how to increase diversity in the profession and how to improve the work life of diverse peoples. We conducted surveys and interviews with Black, Latinx and Native American people. These groups have long been underrepresented in the economics profession. Participants were at various stages along the economics career trajectory, or on the trajectory no longer, and used their lived experience to reflect on what helps and hurts underrepresented minorities in economics. We heard a few consistent themes: bias, hostile climate, and the lack of information and good mentoring among them. Respondents' insights …
Partisan Polarization And Resistance To Elite Messages: Results From Survey Experiments On Social Distancing, Syon Bhanot, D. J. Hopkins
Partisan Polarization And Resistance To Elite Messages: Results From Survey Experiments On Social Distancing, Syon Bhanot, D. J. Hopkins
Economics Faculty Works
COVID-19 compelled government officials in the U.S. and elsewhere to institute social distancing policies, shuttering much of the economy. At a time of low trust and high polarization, Americans may only support such disruptive policies when recommended by same-party politicians. A related concern is that some may resist advice from “elite” sources such as government officials or public health experts. We test these possibilities using novel data from two online surveys with embedded experiments conducted with approximately 2,000 Pennsylvania residents each, in spring 2020 (Study 1 in April and Study 2 in May-June). We uncover partisan differences in views on …
Diagnosing The Learning Environment For Diverse Students In Introductory Economics: An Analysis Of Relevance, Belonging, And Growth Mindsets, Amanda Bayer, Syon Bhanot, Erin Todd Bronchetti, Stephen A. O'Connell
Diagnosing The Learning Environment For Diverse Students In Introductory Economics: An Analysis Of Relevance, Belonging, And Growth Mindsets, Amanda Bayer, Syon Bhanot, Erin Todd Bronchetti, Stephen A. O'Connell
Economics Faculty Works
Using administrative and survey data, we diagnose the learning environment in an introductory economics course. Relative to men from overrepresented groups, women and underrepresented minority students finish the course reporting significantly lower measures of relevance, belonging, and growth mindsets, factors related to college success. For example, they are less likely to agree that their professor used relatable examples, more likely to report feeling different than the typical economics major, and less likely to report believing they could learn the material. We also describe a new, low-cost initiative expanding the role of undergraduate teaching assistants to promote a more inclusive environment.