An addictive good is one whose consumption eventually and reliably reduces the marginal utility of all other goods*. It is because of its effects on the perceived utility of all other goods that an addicitive good is distinct from one that is moreish. A good is moreish if it takes willpower to resist consuming more
Author: davidcomerford
A transitory upshift in expected utility e.g. seeing the trophy awakened in him an enthusiasm for the contest. Enthusiasm is often contagious.
Here’s a link to a video for prospective students where Sam Shand, a then-current student, and I talk about the program and what you can expect from it: MSc Behavioural Science for Management Webinar 29-04-2021.mp4 on Vimeo
Guidance on use: Clarity-enhancing jargon is always welcome. Identity-reinforcing jargon is generally to be avoided but can sometimes have signalling value that you might wish to leverage. Clarity-enhancing jargon succinctly and precisely articulates a concept that does not otherwise have a name. Examples: Present bias; loss aversion Welfare effects: Unambiguously positive. By making a specific
We were delighted to welcome Mona back to Stirling to present her fascinating PhD research documenting that after they have seen more and more patients GPs become more likely to prescribe antibiotics and less likely to prescribe statins. Really elegant combination of big data analytics, psychological theory and real world policy implications.
I have just been asked by a propsective MSc student for recommended reading. A more formal page will follow but here is my reply: Alongside Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow, Thaler and Sunstein’s Nudge, be sure to check out anything by Christopher Hsee, George Loewenstein or Jon Elster. Also Tyler Cowen at the Marginal Revolution
Aspiration – a state x that is a presumed to provide higher utility than states not x; a prejudice in favor of state x e.g. people have an aspiration to be effortless so they forego opportunities to engage in fun activities (Comerford and Ubel, 2015) people aspire to being a car driver, so they misremember
This is a guest post by Jordan Garrett, one of our undergraduate students of behavioural economics. If you wish to contact Jordan e.g. about internship opportunities etc. then please email david.comerford@stir.ac.uk and I will pass along your message. In an intimate BBC News article, a 43-year-old mother shares her secret of how she is able
This is a guest post by Ben McIvor-Redwood, one of our undergraduate students of behavioural economics. If you wish to contact Ben e.g. about internship opportunities etc. then please email david.comerford@stir.ac.uk and I will pass along your message. Recent high inflation rates of 10.4% have become a significant issue for individuals, businesses, and the economy.
This is a guest post by Patrick Whittam, one of our undergraduate students of behavioural economics. If you wish to contact Patrick e.g. about internship opportunities etc. then please email david.comerford@stir.ac.uk and I will pass along your message. During December of 2022, I was forced to take a taxi instead of taking my normal train