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Essays on context effects in behavioural economics
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Trendl, Anna (2019) Essays on context effects in behavioural economics. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
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Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b3479385~S15
Abstract
This thesis presents four research projects in the broader field of behavioural economics. In doing so, it aims to demonstrate the wide scope of behavioural economics as a scientific discipline, and illustrate its diverse methodological toolkit. Chapter 1 provides a broad overview of the birth of behavioural economics through the history of psychology and economics. Chapters 2–4 investigate context effects in decision making, while Chapter 5 describes an example of the profound effect visceral factors can exert on human behaviour.
More specifically, in Chapter 2, we investigate context-dependent choice behaviour within the framework of a popular cognitive model of decision making. Based on results from three tests using data from a value-based and perceptual choice experiment, we find that a mixture of absolute and relative valuation rules describes subjective valuation most accurately across two vastly different choice domains. In Chapter 3, we test whether the attraction effect, a well-known cognitive bias is present in choices involving naturalistic, complex stimuli. The results from two experiments suggest that the attraction effect does not extend to real-world choices. This finding serves as the basis for the research question we investigate in Chapter 4, where our aim is to explore the extent to which the strength of the attraction effect depends on the separability of the attribute dimensions. Potentially owing to the design of the experiment, the results of this investigation are mixed and inconclusive, which prevents us from providing a clear answer to our research question.
In contrast to the previous, laboratory-based experimental chapters, in Chapter 5, we use a large observational dataset to investigate the link between England’s participation in national football tournaments and the number of reported domestic abuse cases recorded by the West Midlands Police. Using a regression approach, we find that alcohol-related domestic abuse increases by 61% following and England victory. As well as exploring the characteristics of this increase, we also re-analyse data from a previous study to reconcile our results with earlier findings from the literature, and demonstrate the robustness of the win effect. Our study is the first to highlight the instrumental role alcohol plays in the relationship between football and domestic abuse. Finally, Chapter 6 summarizes the findings, and discusses the limitations and possible directions for future research.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
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Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory |
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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Economics -- Psychological aspects, Decision making, Choice (Psychology), Intimate partner violence -- Psychological aspects | ||||
Official Date: | September 2019 | ||||
Dates: |
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Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | Department of Psychology | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Stewart, Neil, 1974- ; Mullett, Timothy L. | ||||
Sponsors: | Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) | ||||
Format of File: | |||||
Extent: | xi, 210 leaves : illustrations, charts | ||||
Language: | eng |
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