Behavioural and experimental economics
Standard economic models assume people make rational decisions that prioritise their own needs and interests. Our research in behavioural and experimental economics extends this view by looking at how psychological, emotional and social factors affect economic decision making.
Some of the issues we explore include whether people decide differently for others than for themselves, if gender biases influence the labour market and how to improve performance measures. Our research results stem mostly from laboratory research but can help legislators improve regulations and policies.
We collaborate with researchers from more than 30 institutions in 12 countries, and our research has been funded by the British Academy, the German Science Foundation and the Central Bank of the Netherlands.
Partnerships and collaborations
We collaborated with the University of Rosario, Colombia to increase public support for projects such as waste incinerators by raising people’s awareness of environmental benefits.
We're working on several externally funded joint projects with researchers from Radboud University in the Netherlands, to develop a new theoretical framework for decisions taken on behalf of others which is backed up by empirical evidence. The findings are likely to have a positive impact in areas such as financial investment, brokerage, and political decisions.
Project highlights
- We collaborated with the University of Rosario, Colombia to increase public support for projects such as waste incinerators by raising people’s awareness of environmental benefits.
- We're working on a joint project with researchers from Radboud University in the Netherlands, funded by the British Academy, to develop a new theoretical framework that improves decision making when decision makers can lie to gain a profit for themselves or others. The findings are likely to have a positive impact in areas such as financial investment, brokerage, tax advice and accountancy.
- We're researching how gender bias in teaching evaluations can affect academics’ careers and prevent higher education institutions from making fair hiring decisions.
Recent publication highlights
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Confidence snowballing and relative performance feedback
Murad, Z., & Starmer, C. (Accepted/In press). Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.
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Lying for others: the impact of agency on misreporting
Buckle, G. E., Füllbrunn, S., & Luhan, W. (2021). Economics Letters, volume 198.
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Money or morality: fairness ideals in unstructured bargaining
Luhan, W., Poulsen, O., & Roos, M. W. M. (2019). Social Choice and Welfare, volume 53, issue 4, pages 655–675.
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Concession bargaining: an experimental comparison of protocols and time horizons
Alberti, F., Fischer, S., Güth, W., & Tsutsui, K. (2018). Journal of Conflict Resolution: Research on War and Peace between and within Nations, volume 62, issue 9, pages 2017–2039.
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Full agreement and the provision of threshold public goods
Alberti, F., & Cartwright, E. J. (2016). Public Choice, volume 166, issue 1, pages 205–233.
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How do risk attitudes affect measured confidence?
Murad, Z., Sefton, M., & Starmer, C. (2016). Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, volume 52, issue 1, pages 21–46.
Discover our areas of expertise
Research groups
Our people
Media ready expert
Dr Wolfgang Luhan
- Job Title Reader in Behavioural Economics
- Email Address wolfgang.luhan@port.ac.uk
- Department Economics and Finance
- Faculty Faculty of Business and Law
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor
Media ready expert
Dr Federica Alberti
- Job Title Senior Lecturer
- Email Address Federica.Alberti@port.ac.uk
- Department Economics and Finance
- Faculty Faculty of Business and Law
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor
Media ready expert
Dr Zahra Murad
- Job Title Senior Lecturer in Economics and Finance
- Email Address zahra.murad@port.ac.uk
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor
Interested in a PhD in Economics?
Browse our postgraduate research degrees – including PhDs and MPhils – at our Economics postgraduate research degrees page.