Would you return a favor? Scientists say it depends on the relationship
A new study shows people expect reciprocal generosity only in interactions with friends or others of equal social status.
Study: Firms often use automation to control certain workers’ wages
MIT economists found US companies tend to target employees earning a “wage premium,” which increases inequality but not necessarily productivity.
What Americans actually think about taxes
Andrea Campbell’s new book shows that what we say we want on taxes doesn’t always match what we prefer in practice.
The sweet taste of a new idea
Sendhil Mullainathan brings a lifetime of unique perspectives to research in behavioral economics and machine learning.
How we think about protecting data
A new study shows public views on data privacy vary according to how the data are used, who benefits, and other conditions.
If time is money, here’s one way consumers value it
A study on ride-sharing opens a window into consumer behavior, measuring the benefits for businesses.
Credit where it’s due
MIT Sloan’s Christopher Palmer has produced new insights about household finance, thanks to razor-sharp empirical studies.
Playing a new tune
After taking a pass on the family bagpiping tradition to try a new vocation, Andrew Sutherland has made noise as an innovative business scholar.
A data-driven approach to making better choices
In the new economics course 14.163 (Algorithms and Behavioral Science), students investigate the deployment of machine-learning tools and their potential to understand people, reduce bias, and improve society.
Characterizing social networks
A new method to measure homophily in large group interactions offers insights into how groups might interact in the future.
Study finds workers misjudge wage markets
Employees underestimate salary levels in their own industry, leading them to spend less time exploring the job market.
Study: Colon cancer screenings are more effective than previously understood
By reevaluating existing data, researchers find the procedure is even more valuable than consensus had indicated.
MIT engineering students take on the heat of Miami
A collaboration between MIT and Miami-Dade County has students working with city planning officials to understand why people wait patiently for a bus — and why they bail.
Study: Microtargeting works, just not the way people think
In politics, tailored ads make sense, but with real limits to the tailoring.
Unnatural selection
In a new book, “Risky Business,” Amy Finkelstein examines the core issue of the insurance industry: Who gets to be a customer?