Behavioral Economics Commons^™

Transforming The Feminist Movement – How Female Celebrities Influence The Economic Power And Consumer Behaviors Of Women, Erin Lewantowicz

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the evolving relationship between feminism, economic power, and celebrity culture in the 21^st century. Through an examination of three key industries—entertainment, athletics, and influencers—this study highlights how female celebrities like Taylor Swift, Caitlin Clark, and Alix Earle act as catalysts for significant shifts in women’s economic and consumer power. Taylor Swift’s impact on the entertainment industry, Caitlin Clark’s role in redefining women’s sports, and Alix Earle’s influence on the social media marketing landscape illustrate the growing authority of women as consumers and change-makers. Utilizing social media, brand partnerships, and unprecedented fan engagement, these women transcend traditional …

The Role Of Personality And Late-Life Categorical Spending Regret, Blain Pearson, Thomas Korankye, Sarah Asebedo

Finance and Economics

This study examines the association between the big five “OCEAN” personality traits and late-life categorical spending regret. The categorical spending regrets examined are housing, food, clothing, appliances/furnishings, cars, leisure, child-related expenses, and providing financial help. Openness was associated negatively with spending regret on food. Conscientiousness was associated positively with spending regret on appliances/furnishings and cars. Extraversion was associated negatively with spending regret on food, cars, and providing financial help. Agreeableness was associated positively with spending regret on food, clothing, leisure, and providing financial help. The results for Neuroticism indicated no statistically significant association between the OCEAN personality traits and the …

Expectations Versus Reality In New Cairo's Gated Communities: An Interdisciplinary Analysis Of Socio-Spatial Features, Ala'a Marwan

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to introduce a new framework to identify the disparities between gated community residents’ experiences and real estate developers' visions towards the development. As New Cairo experiences significant growth, many residents are increasingly relocating to gated communities. It has become crucial to assess users’ expectations before moving and their lived experience post-moving to allocate the gaps between their expectations and reality, otherwise, the GC developments will grow apart from users’ updated preferences. The research focuses on the socio-spatial qualities such as accessibility to services and facilities, community interaction, and vast green areas between buildings for privacy, all of …

Analyzing Real-Time Behavioral Shifts In Response To Tourism Policy Using Google Trends Data And Advanced Difference-In-Differences (Did) Methods, Aaron Bradley Scott

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

Google Trends is a publicly available aggregate search data portal that allows researchers to capture and review search interests. This dissertation analyzes real-time behavioral shifts resulting from tourism policy changes in Venice, Italy using Google Trends data. This work contributes to the current literature in DiD modeling, by using information-seeking behavior that is ahead of observable, lagged, outcomes. Through the integration of recent DiD advancements, this work further extends DiD applications in tourism econometrics, and a case-example of real-world tourism policy assessment. This dissertation highlights changes in search behavior immediately following policy implementation. Additionally, this work highlights Google Trends as …

Just As Advertised: The Perception And Effectiveness Of Artificial Intelligence In Digital Advertising, Brandon Isem Cáceres

CMC Senior Theses

What do you think when you hear “AI in advertising”? Does it spark intrigue, or does it feel like just another tech buzzword? In today’s fast-paced digital marketing landscape, connecting with consumers is a high-stakes challenge, and artificial intelligence is at the forefront of innovation. From automating campaigns to creating hyper-targeted content, AI promises efficiency and precision—but how do audiences perceive this shift? By analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) like impressions, click-through rates, and cost-per-click in an an original A/B test, this thesis evaluates the perception and effectiveness of AI-driven advertising strategies. Combining historical insights, case studies, and an original …

Correlate Of Savings Attitude And Generational Poverty As Mediated By Financial Literacy: Evidence From Ghana, Adu Bismark Owusu-Sekyere, Williams Kwasi Peprah [email protected]

Faculty Publications

This study examines the mediating role of financial literacy between savings attitudes and generational poverty in Ghana. Generational poverty is a significant issue in Ghana, with a multidimensional poverty rate of 45.6% and a consumer expenditure poverty rate of 23.4%. The problem persists due to low financial literacy and poor savings attitudes, which hinder economic growth and development. The research employed a quantitative methodology, utilizing a series of regression analyses to test the mediation effects of financial literacy. A correlational design was adopted to assess the relationships between the variables. The study’s population included 400 individuals from the five regions …

Pengaruh Religiusitas Terhadap Intensi Boikot Mahasiswa Ui Untuk Produk Terafiliasi Israel, Muhammad Haiqal Fauzi, Rifkanissa Azzahra, Raditya Akhdan Nirwasita, Muhammad Izzan

Jurnal Manajemen dan Usahawan Indonesia

This study aims to analyze the factors influencing students at Universitas Indonesia (UI) in participating in the boycott movement against products affiliated with Israel. Data were collected through an online survey of 408 UI students from the 2021–2024 cohorts. The sample was selected using the purposive sampling method. Analysis using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) demonstrates that anger, empathy, and subjective norms have a positive and significant impact on boycott intentions, while religiosity is not significant. Economic threats are found to increase anger, which in turn drives boycott intentions. These findings emphasize that emotional factors and social pressure play a …

Behavioral Accounting As A Catalyst In The Organizational Transformation Process Toward Sustainability, Ni Wayan Yellow Prinsis Dayani, I Gusti Ayu Nyoman Budiasih

Jurnal Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia

This research investigates the role of behavioral accounting as a catalyst in the organizational transformation process towards sustainability using phenomenological methods. The study aims to explore how behavioral accounting identifies individual behavioral factors, designs efficient sustainability systems, and enhances organizational commitment to sustainable practices. The research employs observation, secondary data analysis, and semi-structured interviews with organizational internal team, analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings indicate that behavioral accounting contributes to organizational sustainability by enhancing transparency in accounting information, thereby minimizing the risk of fund misuse and ensuring efficient resource allocation. This research supports behavioral accounting as pivotal in shaping …

The Mediation Of Financial Behavior To Financial Literacy And Spending Habits Of Gen Z: An Exploratory Factor Analysis, Joel Mark Rodriguez, Del Carmen Labong, Lourdes Palallos

Journal of Global Awareness

The study aims to explain the relationship of financial literacy with spending habits and behavior. Financial behavior is a mediator of Generation Z. Financial literacy is a very important dimension in making financial decisions, and this research highlighted the direct and indirect impacts that financial literacy exerts on spending behavior. Data is collected from 317 respondents using a structured questionnaire measuring financial literacy, financial behavior, and spending behavior. Correlation, regression, mediation analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling have been used in evaluating these relationships. Financial literacy directly reflects a strong relationship with spending behavior, and its coefficient is 1.167. Financial behavior, …

Stakeholder Fairness And Corporate Social Impact: The Behavioral Economic Structure Of Corporate Law, Eli Bukspan

Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review

This study aims to bridge the gap between stakeholder capitalism—manifesting today in the evolving corporate social impact paradigm—and the historical shareholder primacy of corporate law. The emerging view of corporate purpose, particularly stakeholder capitalism, is closely related to the notion of fairness. This article demonstrates—by looking mainly at Israeli corporate law—that certain foundational concepts of behavioral economics better describe and justify the recent prominence of stakeholderism and the rejuvenated discourse of corporate social impact and purpose than does neoclassical economic theory. It concludes that the “fairness principle” provides a strong rationale for assimilating stakeholder expectations into the DNA of modern …

Striking A Balance: Market Shock & Responses In Automotive Components Manufacturing, Emma Lane Mcgahey

All Theses

This thesis examines the effects of extreme market shocks on supply chain dynamics within the automotive industry. Through an analysis of demand data from an automotive manufacturer to its component suppliers (January 2018 to May 2024), the study investigates the relationship between market shocks and supply chain responses, providing insights into how auto components inventory management handles downstream responses to market shocks. With supporting public data—from FRED, BLS, and the U.S. Census Bureau resources—we explore two primary relationships: the impact of market shocks on the Average Standard Deviation of Demand (SDO) and the effect of demand variability on expedited pricing …

Growers’ Perceptions And Strategies To Mitigate Spring Frost Injury In Grapevines, Vinicius Cervilieri, Imed Dami, Guilherme Signorini

Journal of Extension

Uncertain weather patterns raise concerns about frequent spring frosts and injury in grapevines. This article quantifies growers’ perceptions of susceptibility to spring frosts and examines their satisfaction with existing mitigation strategies. Departing from a survey with grape growers, results show that over 80% of sampled growers have experienced damage due to frosts. Over-vine sprinklers, proper site selection, and adoption of late budding cultivars are the practices with the highest satisfaction levels. None of the strategies examined reached the highest satisfaction score. In addition, 61% of respondents showed interest in sprayable products to delay budbreak and circumvent grapevine damage.

Refereed Research - Religiosity And Sociality As Sources Of Resilience For Women Subsistence Entrepreneurs During The Pandemic, Rozina Akther

Subsistence Marketplaces

This study examines challenges faced by subsistence women entrepreneurs during COVID-19, the crisis of 2020, and their resilience in addressing the circumstances. The results of qualitative interviews with 13 subsistence marketplace women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh are presented in this article. In the current study, two themes are found to best capture the experiences and resilience of women business owners in the subsistence marketplaces. Furthermore, the study provides important insights from informant interviews, showing how women business owners navigate their operations during a pandemic. It highlights attributes such as relational strength and faith in a higher power that contribute to their …

Willingness To Pay And Market Potential For Biowrap: An Economic Study Of A New Biodegradable Mulch Product In Home Gardening, Gengchen Cai

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explores the market potential of BioWRAP, a biodegradable sprayable weed suppression product, by assessing the willingness to pay (WTP) among American home gardeners. Traditional plastic mulch offers significant agronomic benefits but poses considerable environmental challenges, making BioWRAP a promising alternative due to its similar benefits and reduced environmental impact. Using a double-bounded contingent valuation method, we analyze the WTP for BioWRAP among different demographic groups and gardening practices. Our findings indicate that the highest WTP for BioWRAP is among home gardeners who currently use chemical sprays for weed suppression, followed by those using physical barriers, with the lowest …

Linking Risk Preference, Women’S Empowerment, Farm Investment And Household Well-Being, Samuel Olusesi Olumide

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A nuanced understanding of intra-household dynamics can inform the design of more effective empowerment and agricultural investment policies. By integrating household risk preferences and empowerment dynamics, this work offers valuable insights into the complex mechanisms driving household welfare and provides a framework for future interventions to promote gender equality and economic development in rural settings. This thesis addresses three core hypotheses: first, that the spouses of risk-seeking male heads are more likely to be disempowered compared to those of risk-averse male heads; second, that households with risk-seeking male heads and disempowered spouses are likely to invest more in farming activities; …

Exploring The Motivations And Determinants Of Farmer’S Market Consumers And Organic Specialty Crop Producers, Jane Arnold

All Theses

This two-chapter thesis evaluates the motivations and determinants of the central figures in farmers’ markets and organic markets. The first chapter explores the rise of farmers’ markets popularity through an in-person survey that was designed and distributed to 274 farmers' market consumers. Logit and ordered logit regressions were used to identify the motivations and characteristics that affect the likelihood of being a frequent farmers’ market customer (visiting 5 times or more per season) and spending over $50. The second chapter investigates the organic markets for cucumber and kale, which are dominant specialty crops on today’s grocery shelves. To identify the …

The Economic Extension And Advisory System And Its Role In Advancing The Private Sector (Case Study: African Countries), Sharaf Ahmed, Muhammad Sewalim

Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث

The paper aimed to highlight the importance of adopting an economic extension and advisory system to promote the growth of the private sector in the African countries. To achieve this purpose, a sample of 384 employees affiliated with the private sector in several African countries was surveyed. To analyze the results of the survey, the descriptive analytical method was used. The study concluded that there were no statistically significant differences regarding the importance of the economic extension and advisory system in promoting the growth of the private sector in the African countries and it is essential for the governments to …

The New China Model: Combating Economic And Political Order, Jack R. Swords

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Contemporary world politics centers around the actions of the two largest powers on Earth, the United States and China. They are both each other’s greatest adversary yet at the same time are each other’s largest trading partners. This thesis explores the nature of China’s economic climate that has seen it grow to one of the world’s foremost powers. However, the East Asian Nation faces economic challenges centered around the three D’s: Debt, Deflation, and Demographics. This thesis analyses what the nature of these challenges are and how China is responding to them within the ever-advancing world of economic and political …

Catching The Unlikely Gambler : How And Why Gacha Games Appeal To Conscientious Consumers, Jingyi Zhang

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Gacha games, often featuring Japanese anime-style characters and designs, are characterized by their eponymous gacha mechanics, wherein players obtain random virtual items using in game currency purchasable with real-world money. While scoring significant market success, gacha games are frequently likened to gambling by critics due to their chance-based purchase system. Despite this gambling-like feature, here we identify a paradoxical attraction of gacha games for individuals high in conscientiousness, a trait typically linked to self-discipline and gambling aversion. Through five behavioral experiments involving actual gacha game players, we consistently found that higher conscientiousness correlates with increased gacha game engagement, as captured …

A Systematic Literature Review On Overconfidence And Related Biases Influencing Investment Decision Making, Uttam Karki, Vaneet Bhatia, Dheeraj Sharma

Economic and Business Review

In the current market scenario, it has been observed that biases are among the most significant factors influencing investment decisions. Among these biases, overconfidence is a common phenomenon managers tend to exhibit while making decisions. To understand the role of overconfidence bias in investment decision making, this study thoroughly scrutinizes and consolidates the current research on overconfidence bias. To achieve the objective, this study performs a systematic review of literature utilizing the PRISMA approach and examines 92 journal articles published in the last 20 years. Results suggest that the other two biases—hindsight and confirmation—are related to overconfidence bias. In addition, …

The Relationship Between Culture, Sustainable Use Of Resources, And Financial Performance: An Institutional And Natural-Resource-Based Perspective, Deon H. Engelke, Noel J. Pearse, Fabio M. Correa, Frederick O. Skae

Economic and Business Review

Modelling a dataset of 5230 globally listed firms through two statistical approaches reflecting the primary principles of Natural-Resource-Based Theory and Institutional Theory, respectively, this study provides evidence that sustainability initiatives developed by firms are being rewarded in the form of improved Corporate Financial Performance (CFP). Culture has a significant influence on both firm sustainability performance, captured in ESG ratings, and CFP and also interacts with other variables, including industry sector and socio-economic development of a firm’s markets. This study is unique in hypothesising and statistically proving that sustainability is a mechanism that activates the potential of culture to produce CFP. …

Empirical Essays On Retail Investors, Institutional Investors, And Anomalies, Yuqing Yang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of five chapters on market efficiencies through retail and international mutual fund investors.

Chapter 1 This chapter briefly introduces this dissertation.

Chapter 2 This chapter Anomalies Never Disappeared: The Case of Stubborn Retail Investors delves into the “stubborn” retail investors and finds that anomalies traded against by retail investors never disappear in the long run, defying the conventional wisdom that anomalies are disappearing in recent years as market efficiency improves. Incorporating retail trading, I develop asset pricing models that surpass existing prominent models in explaining these long-run alphas. I hypothesize that retail investors exacerbate anomalies: the more …

Stock Market Volatility In The United Kingdom: Simulating Post-Covid-19 Recovery, Bala A. Dahiru, Mohammed Shuaibu, Najibullah Hassanov

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This paper investigates the time it would take for the FTSE-100 index to reach its post-COVID-19 peak. The paper utilises an exponential generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (EGARCH) model that accounts for leverage effect and asymmetries. The preferred models amongst competing variants was the Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA)-EGARCH(2,1) specification and was used to predict daily FTSE-100 data from 5th January 2000 to 21st June 2024. The empirical exercise showed that the COVID-19-induced financial crisis negatively affected the United Kingdom’s stock market performance. The results show that the FTSE100 index could reach its post-pandemic peak around 27th August, 2024 (two months after …

Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Performance Of Nigerian Stock Market, Shafiu Ibrahim Abdullahi

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study analyzes the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of Nigerian stock market. The study uses a number of models that include autoregressive distributed lag, vector auto regression, exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity and multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity models. Findings show that reported cases of COVID-19 have causal effect on daily returns of the Nigerian stock market. The results also show that Nigerian stocks are good for portfolio diversification. The results of variance decomposition confirm the declining importance of COVID-19 cases and deaths as the pandemic slows down. Further results show that, for the duration of the …

Financial Self-Efficacy Among Puerto Rican Women In The United States: An Ethnographic Action-Based Research Study, Melinda Jimenez Perez

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnographic action research study was to better understand the financial self-efficacy of Puerto Rican women in the United States. There is a gap in the literature in identifying the relationship between middle-class Puerto Rican women and financial literacy. In a pilot study, four major findings emerged from the survey about Puerto Rican women and their relationship with finances: (a) as children, mothers taught them to save, and as adults, they rely on the male figures in their families; (b) the traditional education systems did not provide financial education; (c) the childhood culture of poverty and scarcity …

Persuasion As A Function Of Celebrity, Argument Complexity, And Need For Cognition, Stratton Stave, Blair T. Johnson Dr., Lisset Martinez-Berman, Matthew B. Jané

Honors Scholar Theses

With advertising commanding so much money as an industry, it is critical to determine what people like or do not with ads. Our focus was on three main factors within advertising, two dimensions within how the advertisement is presented, one based on the person reading the ad. The two dimensions based on presentation were the complexity of the ad, done the first time by omitting letters from the ad and the second time by swapping letters within words, and celebrity endorsement, comparing popstar Taylor Swift’s to Alicia Steele, an AI-generated celebrity. We also measured Need for Cognition (NFC), the level …

To Tip Or Not To Tip: An Analysis Into Prompted Tipping, Jared Dingman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Giving tips (or gratuities) in restaurants in the United States has been and is currently a hotly debated and discussed topic. Concerns regarding proper compensation have been raised, but there is a need for empirical evidence to investigate and solve potential issues of compensation. This honors thesis aimed to answer two questions: Whether restaurant patrons tip more when prompted with tipping percentages, and whether those who have worked in the tipping industry tip more than those who have not. I administered a brief survey with tipping scenarios to gauge prompted and unprompted tipping behaviors. With these scenarios, demographic information was …

Understanding The Influences Of Hedonic Personality Towards Advertising Avoidance On Social Media, Diera Desmonda, So Yohanes Jimmy, Mohammad Annas

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This study aims to investigate and explore how the hedonic personality that exists in each individual can influence avoidance behaviour towards advertisements on social media platforms.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative approach with a purposive sampling technique was employed to collect data from 198 respondents who have shopped or at least searched for products on social media. The data were then analysed using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique.

Research Findings: The results showed that hedonic personality affected advertising avoidance behaviour. Through multigroup analysis, this research found differences in how men and women respond to an advertisement. On the other …

Jargon To Jackpot: The Financial Impact Of Infusing Pop Culture References In Social Media, Madelynn Solow

Business and Economics Honors Papers

This research explores the impact of incorporating pop culture references in a company's Twitter feed on the company's stock price. Pop culture is integral to people's everyday lives, providing a sense of familiarity and fun between individuals. Many companies have started leveraging pop culture references on social media platforms like Twitter to establish a relatable and engaging connection with diverse consumer demographics. The primary purpose of this research is to investigate whether this strategy is beneficial within the stock market. It is hypothesized that incorporating pop culture references on Twitter can lead to increased sales and higher stock prices, as …

Sustainable Fashion In New Era: Exploring Consumer Resilience And Goals In The Post-Pandemic, Joohye Hwang, Xun Sun, Li Zhao, Song-Yi Youn

School of Business Faculty Papers

Abstract: This study examines the underlying mechanisms that lead to sustainable fashion consumption in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. Particularly, this study explores the complex relations between resilient coping mechanisms, consumer life goals, and sustainable fashion consumption, combining Goal Content Theory and the Consumer Sustainability Orientation framework. The findings obtained from partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis using 503 responses confirm that resilient coping positively influenced both intrinsic and extrinsic life goals. While intrinsic goals reinforce all aspects of sustainability orientation (ecological, social, and economic), extrinsic goals show a contrasting effect—positively affecting economic orientation but negatively impacting ecological and social …