Overview

Using a combination of research methods, Professor Beshears applies behavioral economics to understand how households and businesses make decisions, and how those decisions affect market outcomes. He documents the types of mistakes that individuals and firms make, and then seeks to describe the barriers to sound decision making. The resulting insights can help improve institutional design—how, for example, an employer or service provider can lower the barriers people face in making decisions that will benefit them. Professor Beshears works in two primary research areas, as described below.