Articles tagged with Money
A study by Peter Leeson and Russell Sobel found that each $100 of FEMA-provided disaster relief increases the average state's corruption by nearly 102 percent. Notably, hurricane-prone states with high FEMA allocations have more corruption convictions per capita.
A recent study examines the role of monetary aggregates in monetary policy and finds that they are not a compelling reason for assigning a prominent role. Monetary aggregates can provide information about unobserved variables, but their relevance is limited.
A study published in Personnel Psychology reveals that executives' underwater stock option portfolios are more likely to lead to voluntary turnover. Increasing the value of these portfolios can reduce the odds of turnover by substantially, suggesting that firms may need to consider alternative retention strategies.
The US desperately needs more family doctors to address healthcare access disparities and improve patients' outcomes. Incentives are needed to encourage medical students to specialize in general primary care, rather than lucrative but limited specialty options.
Individual investors are liquidating their holdings at record levels due to economic loss, opting for a risk-averse approach despite prospect theory's predictions. The MSU research challenges widely accepted behavioral theory, suggesting people prioritize preserving losses over recouping them through gambling.
A US study found that adults in a poverty-alleviation program with a cash component were more likely to be overweight, obese, and have high blood pressure. The researchers suggest that increased income may lead people to purchase unhealthy foods and drinks.
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., which insures pensions of 44 million American workers and retirees, is facing a $14 billion shortfall that could soar as the economy shutters more businesses. Expert Jeffrey R. Brown predicts a government fix similar to the recent Wall Street bailout as the likely solution.
A University of Illinois expert argues that traditional corporate governing systems failed to prevent risky business deals, contributing to the financial meltdown. In contrast, partnership-based firms have better weathered crises through controls like tying managers' compensation to company fortunes.
Research reveals tobacco companies paid top Hollywood stars millions in endorsement deals, contributing to the persistent presence of on-screen smoking in mainstream films. Almost 200 actors took part in cigarette endorsements between 1927 and 1951.
A new scale identifies consumers with a strong urge to buy, regular spending habits, and difficulty resisting impulse purchases. The study found approximately 8.9% of the population are compulsive shoppers, linked to materialism, reduced self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress.
A recent study from University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University researchers found that smokers who aren't craving a cigarette often underestimate their future urge to smoke, leading them to make decisions they may regret. This 'cold-to-hot empathy gap' can lead to increased nicotine cravings when motivation is low.
A study by Kansas State University researchers found that household surveys predict the inflation rate fairly accurately and as well as professional economists. Consumers participating in surveys are more likely to think about how much they spent at the grocery store that week.
A study published in Journal of Consumer Research found that simply asking people if they're willing to volunteer their time leads to increased donations of both time and money. This effect cannot be explained by guilt or feelings of obligation, suggesting a deeper psychological connection between giving time and experiencing happiness.
New studies examine the link between consumer behavior and emotional well-being, finding that value seekers are happiest, while non-spenders and experiencers are also more content. Additionally, researchers discovered that moderate-income gamblers, known as 'big fish,' are at high risk of financial and psychological trouble.
A new Carnegie Mellon University study finds that low-income individuals spend a larger percentage of their incomes on lottery tickets due to the hope of improving their financial situations. The research suggests that lotteries exploit poor people's desires to escape poverty, exacerbating income inequality.
Researchers at the University of Michigan found that bluffing can be a profitable strategy in prediction markets, which can cloud their accuracy. To combat this, the researchers propose penalizing later trades by charging participants to make them.
Recent studies have found that reminding participants of money improves personal performance but decreases interpersonal sensitivity. Participants who were reminded of money spent less time helping others and showed decreased kindness, but increased persistence in difficult tasks.
Research shows that watching sexy videos or handling lingerie increases desire for immediate rewards, even in financial decisions. Men who touch bras or look at pictures of beautiful women seek immediate satisfaction.
Researchers found that disabled people faced uncertain financial futures due to limited access to insurance and extra costs associated with disability. Socio-economic factors such as religion and ethnicity also influenced attitudes towards money and debt.
A new study by Dr. Terri Starman found that container gardens can increase in value with educational material, and most people prefer those with complementary color harmony for $25. The research suggests retailers should offer more extensive plant care information to cash in on the trend.
Key findings from The Lancet report show that Ethiopia and Rwanda reduced malaria cases by 51% and 64%, deaths by 60% and 66% between 2005-2007 through expanded access to bed nets and artemisinin-based combination therapies. An ambitious campaign is proposed to expand access to malaria control interventions, targeting everyone at risk,...
A study using the ultimatum game found that even when subjects stood to gain the same amount of money, they were happier with fair offers and more disdainful of lopsided deals. The brain's emotional response was linked to regions associated with reward and self-control.
A new study from Northwestern University finds that positive feedback can actually escalate perceived threats to the ego and increase the need to prove a questionable decision was right. Research participants who received praise for skills unrelated to the decision were less likely to recommit to it.
A study by Ritesh Saini and Ashwani Monga found that consumers use heuristics to make decisions when spending time, rather than money. This approach leads to differences in decision-making, with a greater reliance on intuitive judgments.
A recent survey of over 13,000 shoppers reveals that tightwads are more prevalent than spendthrifts due to the emotional pain associated with spending. Tightwads tend to save because forking out money is too painful an experience.
A new study found that children in low-income families who received extra cash from a government support program showed better development outcomes. The researchers suggest that the additional money allowed families to buy more nutritious food and other essential items, leading to improved health and cognitive scores. However, despite ...
Research by Aneel Keswani and David Stolin found that investors consistently choose funds with better future performance. The study employed British data from 1991 to 2000 and U.S. data during the same period, revealing a smart money effect in both markets.
Researchers found that people feeling sad spend more money to acquire the same commodities as those in a neutral emotional state. This is because sadness and self-focus cause one to devalue possessions and increase willingness to pay for new material goods to enhance sense of self.
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's GridWise Demonstration Project found that advanced technologies enable consumers to actively participate in improving grid efficiency and reliability. Homeowners who participated saved approximately 10 percent on their electricity bills by adjusting their energy use based on price signals.
Researchers discovered that appetitive stimuli can induce a shared state in consumers, leading them to choose smaller, sooner options in unrelated domains. In experiments, women were more likely to splurge on clothing after smelling chocolate chip cookies, and made unplanned purchases when exposed to the scent of a cookie-scented candle.
Researchers found that thinking about larger resource accounts makes consumption seem cheaper, leading to increased spending. This 'accessible account effect' applies to food, time, and other everyday purchases.
A new study investigates how culturally engrained systems of ideas influence persistent goal striving for parenthood. The researchers identify three major discourses: scientific rationalism, self-management, and fatalism, which shape people's appraisals of means, planning, and persistence in achieving parenthood. These discourses help ...
A $50,000 USDA grant will help Kansas State University's Rural Grocery Store Sustainability Initiative connect independent grocers and provide strategies for keeping small-town stores viable. The goal is to improve customer health by promoting healthier food options in rural areas.
Money illusion refers to the phenomenon where people base their decisions on nominal values rather than real value, leading to irrational behavior in markets. Experimental evidence shows that firms are reluctant to cut prices during deflation due to money illusion, but more willing to increase prices during inflation.
A collaborative healthcare model in Maine tied risk and reward to improve quality and efficiency. The program involved hospitals and employers sharing incentive funds based on performance standards, resulting in modest but meaningful financial rewards for top-performing facilities.
Researchers found that two evolutionarily ancient brain regions fired when subjects saw their money go to charity, even in situations without free choice. This neural activity is associated with the pleasure center of the brain, indicating a genuine sense of satisfaction and altruism.
A study by Klaus Wertenbroch and colleagues found that people spend less in real terms when using foreign currencies with lower face values, and more when using higher face values. This occurs because consumers evaluate transactions based on nominal differences rather than real purchasing power.
Researchers found that losing money activates an area of the brain involved in responding to fear and pain, similar to a system for responding to pain. This suggests a biological basis for the concept of 'financial pain', highlighting similarities between financial loss and physical harm.
A new study published in Nature found that participants in a game were willing to reduce their own earnings to increase another player's income, demonstrating a preference for economic equality. The results suggest that egalitarian motives underlie human cooperation and reciprocity.
A new study finds that hard money contributions by interest groups create incentives for members of Congress to enhance their analytical capacity for policymaking. Members with high analytical capacity, known as 'work horses,' tend to attract contributions and focus on intellectual aspects of policies.
Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia found that investing in news quality directly impacts a newspaper's profitability. The study, which analyzed financial data from small- to medium-sized newspapers, revealed that spending more on news content leads to increased circulation and advertising revenues.
Researchers found that people prefer waiting for monetary rewards over consumable ones due to the constant utility of money. This preference is due to inconstancy of desire for goods like beer, candy, and soda. The study has implications for savings, investments, and decision-making processes.
A new study by UC Irvine researchers found that immigrants are more likely to become US citizens when they live in states with a warm and welcoming attitude towards them. This suggests that money is not the primary motivator for naturalization, but rather a sense of community and acceptance.
The study found that the brain's reward centers are activated when thinking about potential gains, but turned down for potential losses. Neural activity in areas such as the prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum is more sensitive to possible losses than gains, predicting individual differences in risk-aversion.
A study from Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, and MIT used fMRI to determine brain activity when considering product purchases and predicting buying behavior. The results suggest that consumers trade off immediate pleasure for delayed pain of spending money, explaining overspending on credit cards.
Researchers argue that movie exhibitors can increase profits by adopting variable pricing, which would allow for price differentiation based on event movies, weekends, and holidays. The study suggests that consumers welcome discounts but may resent surcharges, making it easier for exhibitors to implement variable pricing.
A new study found that money brings about self-sufficiency, allowing people to work harder and independently, but also making them less socially insensitive. The researchers discovered that subtle reminders of money led to participants working longer without asking for help and being less helpful towards others.
A new study reveals that traditional ranchers are being priced out of business as wealthy 'amenity' owners buy up large ranches around Yellowstone National Park. These new owners often prioritize restoration of native ecosystems, large-scale conservation projects, and innovative approaches to blending conventional ranching with non-let...
In a study published in the Journal of Marketing, Erica Okada found that consumers who have bought an older model are similarly hesitant to upgrade to a new version, even if it offers enhanced features. This is because they incur a psychological cost when closing their mental account of previous consumption.
A new study by Harvard University researchers finds that diversity training programs have failed to increase minority representation in management positions. In contrast, programs that establish responsibility for diversity, such as equal opportunity staff positions or diversity task forces, have proven most effective.
A new study at University College London found that humans often act irrationally when faced with difficult decisions, driven by emotional reactions. Participants were more likely to gamble at the threat of losing £30 than the offer of keeping £20, despite both options resulting in the same outcome.
A new theoretical model explains how cooperation can emerge in a 'cheater's world', where self-interest typically prevails. In this model, group size plays a crucial role in the evolution of cooperation, with smaller groups allowing altruistic individuals to thrive and maintain their numbers over time.
Researchers at Stanford University argue that private investors can help solve global infrastructure problems with secure investments and fair returns. The Collaboratory for Research on Global Projects has discussed ways to improve infrastructure investment security and encourage private shareholders.
A study found that intercontinental migration from Africa can improve the welfare position of households with migrants by increasing their capital and allowing them to invest in productive activities. This not only benefits the migrant-sending countries but also provides a source of cheap labor for European countries, helping to allevi...
Employees in small firms pay 18% more for health insurance due to higher administrative costs and lower negotiated rates with insurers. States with urban populations tend to have better-adjusted premiums, while rural states face higher costs.
The UK Department for International Development has pledged £3 million over two years to address the shortfall in funding for safe abortion services. This move aims to support the third, fourth, and fifth Millennium Development Goals, which focus on empowering women, saving children's lives, and reducing maternal mortality.
A growing concern over lack of funding for UK sexual health services has raised alarm among experts. Despite government commitments, many clinics struggle with long waiting times and restricted access, hindering effective STI diagnosis and treatment.
A study by University of Iowa authors found that consumers have a bias for the whole, preferring larger bills due to processing fluency. This affects their willingness to use smaller bills, as they associate value with larger bills.
The GridWise Demonstration project tests new electric grid technologies that enable consumers to make informed decisions about their energy use. Researchers will analyze how customers react to real-time pricing information and smart appliances, aiming to reduce power demand during peak hours and prevent widespread outages.
A new report by Boston College researchers reveals that states previously labeled as 'stingy' have higher generosity levels than reported. Massachusetts moves from 49th to 11th in terms of charitable giving when cost of living and tax burden are taken into account, contradicting the Generosity Index.