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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Rapid Evolution Of Homo Economicus: Brief Exposure To Neoclassical Assumptions Increases Self-Interested Behavior, John Ifcher, Homa Zarghamee
The Rapid Evolution Of Homo Economicus: Brief Exposure To Neoclassical Assumptions Increases Self-Interested Behavior, John Ifcher, Homa Zarghamee
Economics
Economics students have been shown to exhibit more selfishness than other students. Because the literature identifies the impact of long-term exposure to economics instruction (e.g., taking a course), it cannot isolate the specific course content responsible; nor can selection, peer effects, or other confounds be properly controlled for. In a laboratory experiment, we use a within- and across-subject design to identify the impact of brief, randomly-assigned economics lessons on behavior in the ultimatum game (UG), dictator game (DG), prisoner's dilemma (PD), and public-goods game (PGG). We find that a brief lesson that includes the assumptions of self-interest and strategic considerations …
The Great Recession And Life Satisfaction: The Unique Decline For Americans Approaching Retirement Age, John Ifcher, Homa Zarghamee, Amanda Cabacungan
The Great Recession And Life Satisfaction: The Unique Decline For Americans Approaching Retirement Age, John Ifcher, Homa Zarghamee, Amanda Cabacungan
Economics
During the 2007-09 Great Recession, the American economic environment was bleak: unemployment roughly doubled, median household incomes fell 5 per cent, average household net worth declined by a third, and consumer spending dropped markedly. Each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported massive lay-offs, disappointing job creation numbers, and a dismal outlook for future job growth. The literature studying the impact of the Great Recession on American households finds that those nearing retirement age were particularly hard hit. For example, using data from the American Life Panel, Hurd and Rohwedder (2010) find that 25 per cent of respondents aged 50-59 …