Current Research
List viewEconomists from around the world are using real time data collection to better understand the impact the Covid-19 crisis is having on families, workers, firms and society, and how policies can help the recovery out of the crisis. Find out more about how these research teams are carrying out their projects, and what their findings are below.
Uncovering the effects of Covid-19 on wellbeing and economic decision-making
To counter the public health emergency caused by the spread of Covid-19, “stay-at-home” executive order have been issued in most states across the U.S.. Because of the social distancing measures, the fear of income and employment losses and the f...
Primary Topic: Health, physical & mental
Secondary Topic: Attitudes, media & governance
Lead investigator: Andreas Loschel
Countries
The implicit health-money trade-off in Covid-19 pandemic
The strategies to manage Covid-19 pandemic involve a challenging trade-off for policy-makers. On one hand, the closure of all non-essential economic activities (lockdown) helps to reduce the diffusion of the epidemic. On the other hand, lockdown come...
Primary Topic: Attitudes, media & governance
Lead investigator: Vincenzo Carrieri
Countries
How does the Covid-19 crisis affect access to mental health care? evidence from an audit field experiment in the United States
Crises such as pandemics and recessions increase mental illness and suicidality. Care from mental health professionals (MHPs) such as counselors, therapists, and psychologists, can help people affected by these conditions. However, little is known as...
Primary Topic: Health, physical & mental
Lead investigator: Patrick Button
Countries
Do cash transfers help sustain economic and psychological well-being in times of crisis – experimental evidence from Uganda
We evaluate the impact of cash grants offered to a random sample of rural households in Uganda on their economic and psychological well-being during the COVID19 crisis. The cash grants were provided shortly before the Government of Uganda ordered a n...
Primary Topic: Health, physical & mental
Secondary Topic: Families & households
Lead investigator: Kjetil Bjorvatn
Countries
Resilience to economic shocks through continued electricity access
As Covid-19 spreads, access to reliable electricity will be critical in allowing households and firms to continue productive activities, keep their phones charged, and stay up-to-date on public health guidelines. Government restrictions that are need...
Primary Topic: Inequality & poverty
Secondary Topic: Recession & recovery
Lead investigator: Catherine Wolfram
Prediction bias in times of Covid-19: use of a linear infection-prediction model when the true model is exponential
The set of measures designed to halt the unrelenting transmission of Covid-19, prescribed by the World Health Organization and widely disseminated by local governments, include frequent washing of hands, use of hand sanitizers and face masks, social ...
Primary Topic: Science, technology & innovation
Lead investigator: Ritwik Banerjee
Staying close when apart: the value of “information communication” during Covid-19 pandemics
Information-sharing and communication are key features of pandemics. In particular, people share information about the outbreaks, communicate with family and friends—be it either for support or not, including employers—be it formal and informal e...
Primary Topic: Health, physical & mental
Secondary Topic: Inequality & poverty
Lead investigator: Francis Annan
Countries
Improving bureaucratic effectiveness during the Covid-19 crisis
We study whether positive and negative reinforcement messages to supervisors can help improve bureaucratic outcomes in times of crisis. In many parts of the developing world, it is difficult to get bureaucrats to complete tasks. Focusing on school pr...
Primary Topic: Schools, universities & training
Secondary Topic: Attitudes, media & governance
Lead investigator: Catherine Rodríguez
Countries
Accepting the mask, accepting the mosque? the effects of Covid-19 related face covering on prejudice towards religious veiling.
Using a large scale lab-in-the-field experimental setting, we study how the mitigation efforts for Covid-19 in the form of covering the face through masks affect the behavior and perception of subjects towards others. In particular, we study whether ...
Primary Topic: Attitudes, media & governance
Lead investigator: Samreen Malik
Countries
Covid-19 health messaging to underserved communities
In the US, recent statistics show that African American and Latinx communities bear a disproportionate burden from Covid-19. Reaching vulnerable and underserved populations is therefore crucial to combating the disease. However, most public messaging...
Primary Topic: Health, physical & mental
Lead investigator: Marcella Alsan
Countries
The effects of marketing inclusivity in the wake of Covid-19 on university matriculation
We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at increasing application and matriculation rates among women (and underrepresented minority (URM) women) at California Polytechnic State University’s College of Business. RCT marketing address...
Primary Topic: Schools, universities & training
Secondary Topic: Inequality & poverty
Lead investigator: Jacqueline Doremus
Countries
Perceived risk and wellbeing during the Covid-19 crisis in India
Covid-19 has paralyzed the world over the last few months and has sent millions into complete lockdown. Residents from developing countries such as India who suffer from widespread poverty and inequality and reside in regions with high population den...
Primary Topic: Health, physical & mental
Secondary Topic: Inequality & poverty
Lead investigator: Debayan Pakrashi
Countries
Identity in multicultural society
The project experimentally investigates the role of identity in shaping preferences and attitudes. A multidimensional definition of identity informs the work, with specific attention to differences between natives and immigrants. At this aim, we run ...
Primary Topic: Attitudes, media & governance
Lead investigator: Natalia Montinari
Countries
Robo-advisor adoption, willingness to pay, and trust—an experimental investigation pre and during Covid-19
We compare readiness to adopt and willingness to pay for (as a proxy for trust) financial advice provided three ways (algorithm, human, and a hybrid of algorithm and human) using an online and a computerized laboratory experiment. Our experiments wer...
Primary Topic: Attitudes, media & governance
Lead investigator: Daniel Ben David
Countries
Effect of Covid-19 and the enacted policy measures on individual travel behavior
Between August 2019 and January 2020, we carried out a large-scale tracking study involving 3,000 people in Switzerland. Participants were tracked using the GPS –based travel diary app “Catch my Day” for a total of 8 weeks based on a rolling re...
Primary Topic: Attitudes, media & governance
Secondary Topic: Inequality & poverty
Lead investigator: Beat Hintermann
Countries
The tradeoff between healthcare and income contributions during the Covid-19 pandemic
We investigate the trade-off between public support in the form of charitable contributions to healthcare needs versus income support for displaced workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. We conducted a nationwide incentivized experiment in the United ...
Primary Topic: Attitudes, media & governance
Lead investigator: Samir Huseynov
Countries
