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Essays in Behavioral and Experimental Economics
No full textThis dissertation consists of essays in behavioral and experimental economics, with a focus on how bounded rationality and information-processing constraints shape economic behavior.
The first chapter, coauthored with Cassidy Shubatt, develops a theory of how tradeoffs govern the difficulty of comparing choice options, and studies the implications of this theory. We propose measures of comparison complexity in three choice domains: multi-attribute, lottery, and intertemporal choice, which formalize the intuition that comparisons are more difficult when they involve pronounced tradeoffs, and provide axiomatic foundations for the theory in each domain. We experimentally validate our theory using large-scale choice data: in all three domains, our complexity measures are strongly predictive of choice errors and inconsistency. We then study the behavioral implications of our theory. First, we show how our theory rationalizes a range of documented biases and instabilities in choice, such as decoy/asymmetric dominance effects, preference reversals, and apparent probability weighting and hyperbolic discounting – and makes novel predictions on how they can be reversed by varying the nature of tradeoffs. We confirm these predictions experimentally, documenting that these disparate choice patterns are outgrowths of comparison complexity. Second, we apply our model to study obfuscation in markets, analyzing a pricing game in which firms can influence how comparable their products are to their competitors. We find that comparison complexity leads to spurious differentiation: firms design seemingly dissimilar products to increase the difficulty of price comparisons, which softens price competition and leads to higher markups.
In the second chapter, I show how information-processing constraints can make sense of an empirical puzzle that has been documented in multiple domains: that the relationship between individuals’ beliefs over economic quantities and their behavior is often quantitatively attenuated relative to theoretical benchmarks. The idea is that due to the complexity of many decisions, individuals find it difficult to translate their beliefs into optimal decisions – they face uncertainty over the belief-action map. I develop a model of how this uncertainty affects beliefs and behavior, and empirically test its predictions by measuring and manipulating uncertainty over the belief-action map. In a portfolio allocation experiment, I find that higher uncertainty over the mapping predicts a more attenuated relationship between subjects’ return expectations and investment decisions, weakens behavioral responses to information regarding returns, and reduces information acquisition. One implication of these results is that information provision interventions, which aim to improve behavior by correcting beliefs, are unlikely to be successful if individuals face frictions in translating beliefs into behavior. On the other hand, the existence of this friction points to the usefulness of interventions that reduce uncertainty over the belief-action map. I demonstrate the effectiveness of one such intervention in increasing subjects’ responsiveness to their beliefs.
In the third chapter, I develop a theory of how boundedly-rational agents learn from data. I model a decision-maker who observes data and is exposed to a multiplicity of models, or accounts of how information should be interpreted. The decision-maker does not average across these models as a Bayesian would, but instead adopts a single model through which to interpret the data. I propose a theory of model selection based on the insight that individuals seek decisive models that reduce residual uncertainty over the optimal course of action. I show how the decisiveness criterion is characterized by a demand for extreme models, which generates documented inferential biases such as overprecision and confirmation bias. The dependence of the decisiveness criterion on the decision-maker’s objectives rationalizes a range of documented patterns in inference and choice, and generates novel predictions as to how belief polarization can arise along heterogeneity in decision-makers’ objectives. Finally, I apply the model to study the provision of expert advice, as well as social learning through the exchange of models; the theory predicts the supply of overly confident advice in the former setting and predicts group polarization in the latter.Economic
Contesting Svalbard: Navigating Arctic Futures
No full textSvalbard is an archipelago built on an irreducible plurality of interests and Arctic design traditions. Norway has sovereignty over the island group. Contesting Svalbard combines a granular understanding of the spatial implications of multinational occupation in Svalbard with a critique of the Norwegian nationalism underlying the Svalbard project.
The Svalbard Treaty grants all 46 signatory states equal rights to conduct commercial and scientific research activities on the archipelago. This results in an intricate mix of interests and stakeholders and a unique foundation for design experimentation, collaboration, and speculation in an Arctic context. Norway is, however, tightening its grip on Svalbard, impacting the idea of Svalbard as an Arctic common imagined and designed by many nations and people groups.
Five distinct challenges in Svalbard’s built environment are identified as fertile ground to inject a range of alternative futures, catalyzing the archipelago’s multinational character. A participatory and scenario planning approach based on design research is central to such an endeavor. This study, therefore, deals with and speculates about a cross-cultural, fluid, and plural set of issues and actors in an increasingly contested Arctic common.
This study results in (i) adaptations to The Svalbard Treaty addressing climate change, the empowerment of minority groups, and the increasing diversity of interests in the region; (ii) design recommendations and scenarios foregrounding Thai and other Asian-Arctic interests in Svalbard’s built environment; (iii) a proposal for new material assemblies promoting the entanglement of multiple—existing and speculative—Arctic design traditions found in Svalbard; (iv) the introduction of a new transnational organization, The Central Arctic Ocean Design Agency, streamlining inclusive knowledge exchange across the Arctic and guiding alternative futures for Svalbard; and (v) a baseline condition where Norwegian dominance on Svalbard continues in the form of a new company town proposal.
This dissertation is geared toward an international design audience. It acts as a body of actionable knowledge to inform future development on Svalbard while curating and expanding the scope, practice, and literature on urbanism within Arctic contexts. This study also aims to supplement natural and social sciences on Arctic topics, challenge dominant literary histories, and unfold new spatial orders by transversing multiple nation-states, looking beyond the old polarities of hegemony.Advanced Studies Progra
Spin-Phonon Coupling in Nanodevices
No full textMany physical implementations of quantum bits interact to varying degrees with mechanical
vibrations. The ability to nanostructure a qubit’s local environment presents new opportunities
to utilize mechanical modes in a coherent spin-phonon interface, and to connect different types
of quantum systems. Some solid-state spin qubits like the silicon vacancy center (SiV) in diamond
have notably large strain susceptibilities. Integrating SiV centers with engineered wavelength scale
nanomechanical resonators can provide the high quality factors and small mode volumes required to
enhance the strength of spin-phonon interactions towards the quantum coherent regime.
This thesis details the characterization of high Q factor optomechanical crystal (OMC) resonators
in diamond with coupled intracavity SiV centers. We make use of the resonant SiV-optical
cavity spin-photon interface to probe the spin’s coherence properties and to observe spectroscopic
signatures of spin-phonon coupling when the mechanical modes of the structure are near their motional
ground state. We independently probe the frequency and intrinsic linewidth of the mechanical
swelling mode of the OMC via the optomechanical interaction. We observe that mechanical
dissipation currently limits the cooperativity of the spin-phonon interface. We discuss how future
devices could eventually reach the quantum coherent coupling regime.Engineering and Applied Sciences - Engineering Science
Shaping the Shapeless: New Formulations for Emergent Settlements in Kerala
No full textThe settlement-form of the state of Kerala can be described shapeless based on prevalent unregulated land-markets and blanket floor-space-indices. This thesis seeks the causes and effects of Kerala's shapelessness and examines potential-roles for urban-design to formally influence emergent settlement-patterns.
Kerala’s settlement-form is defined by the processes of myth-making and laissez-faire space-making rather than deliberate urban-design-strategies – manifesting as discordant land-right-schemes and the discombobulation of built-form. Contemporary Kerala exhibits high-degrees of equality whereby formal-land-tenure predominantly lies in the private-realm. However, the consequent dearth and acute-fragmentation of the commons is interfering with prospects to integrate, perpetuate, and preserve vernacular-settlement-forms, cultural-infrastructures, open-spaces, and natural-systems.
The city of Kochi/Cochin will be a proxy to discern settlement-form at ground-level and propose urban-design-strategies to establish the commons as armatures that disincentivizes incongruent-large-scale-infrastructures, while coherently propagating and consolidating vernacular-settlement-forms, cultural-infrastructures, open-spaces, and natural-systems – reifying identity, fostering inclusivity and promoting sustainable-development within an otherwise incoherent and disjointed pattern of emergent settlements in Kerala.Department of Urban Planning and Desig
From Portfolio to Precision: Examining the Transition to Multi-Part Bids in European Electricity Markets
No full textThe transition to a decarbonized electricity system in Germany requires fundamental changes in market design to efficiently integrate renewable energy sources (RES) while maintaining grid stability and cost efficiency. This thesis examines the potential adoption of multi-part bids (MPBs) at the unit level and explores how they could improve market efficiency, congestion management, and investment signals compared to Germany’s current portfolio-based bidding system. Through a comparative case study of Italy, which has successfully implemented unit-based MPBs and locational price elements, this research assesses the feasibility of similar reforms in the German electricity market.
Germany’s existing bidding structure, based on a single national price zone and ex-post redispatch, has led to high congestion costs, inefficient price signals, and suboptimal investment decisions. In contrast, Italy’s multi-part bidding framework, integrated with zonal pricing and real-time dispatch mechanisms, enables more transparent cost allocation, reduced redispatch needs, and stronger locational incentives for generation and flexibility assets. The case study highlights key structural differences, including grid topology, regulatory frameworks, and stakeholder adaptation, which influence the applicability of Italy’s model to Germany.
To facilitate a transition, this thesis outlines a phased implementation roadmap tailored to Germany’s market conditions. In the short term, pilot programs in congestion-prone regions could test the feasibility of MPBs, while imbalance pricing reforms could
improve cost allocation. In the medium term, increasing intraday market liquidity and introducing dynamic bidding zones would enhance flexibility. In the long term, a gradual shift toward locational price signals and real-time market integration could improve market efficiency while balancing stakeholder concerns.
This research contributes to the literature on electricity market design and congestion management by analyzing how specific characteristics of national market structures—such as the level of generation centralization, grid topology, and existing bidding formats—influence the effectiveness and feasibility of bidding reforms. The findings suggest that implementing multi-part bids in Germany could significantly reduce redispatch costs, improve market transparency, and support more efficient investment signals. However, the success of such a transition depends on regulatory adjustments, IT infrastructure upgrades, and stakeholder coordination. Future research should incorporate quantitative modeling, political feasibility assessments, and consumer impact analyses to further refine implementation strategies.
By learning from Italy’s experience, Germany can modernize its market design, ensuring a more cost-effective, flexible, and resilient electricity system aligned with European decarbonization goals.Extension Studie
Political economy of refugees: How responsibility shapes the politics of education
No full textIn this theory generating article, we take up the question of what shapes the role of host governments in social service provision for refugees, using the case of education. We consider the ways in which traditional theories relevant to the political economy of education vary under a responsibility sharing model of refugee education that has developed in recent years. Under a traditional development approach, in which refugees are integrated into national systems over the long-run, like in the United States or Canada, we would expect the political economy of education to operate similarly to national or other migrant populations. Under a humanitarian model, we would expect responsibility for service provision to align clearly with humanitarian actors, with demands, purposes, and incentives distinct from and minimally entangled with those of hosting states. Under new responsibility sharing models, lines of responsibility become opaque and the political economy of education, including ideas about the purposes of education, actors and the nature of demand, and incentives for its provision become more complex.
We argue that the political economy of refugees can be understood as distinct from the political economy for citizens as it requires addressing fundamental questions of responsibility and assumptions about time horizons. Our proposed conceptualization of the political economy of refugees draws on theories from political science, economics, sociology, education, and refugee studies. As host countries and the global community grapple with decisions about services for refugees across sectors, it is critical to understand ways in which factors shaping the political economy may be distinct from national citizens to ensure that approaches are equitable and effective for refugees and host communities.Version of Recor
Integration of single-cell multimodal data to define the chromatin landscape of rheumatoid arthritis
No full textRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a prototypical tissue-mediated autoimmune disease and a major healthcare burden. It is characterized by synovial tissue inflammation. While there have been multiple efforts to identify tissue-resident pathogenic cell populations in the RA synovium using single-cell RNA-seq, how these cell populations are epigenetically regulated remains largely unexplored. Open chromatin, measured via single-nucleus assay for transpose-accessibility chromatin using sequencing (snATAC-seq), can reveal the underpinnings of transcriptional regulation across heterogeneous cell states. As with any single-cell technology, the computational integration of multiple snATAC-seq samples into one consistent dataset is a challenge that relies on correcting batch effects while maintaining biological phenotypes. Multimodal datasets, that measure both chromatin accessibility and gene expression, have given us the opportunity to both link transcriptional regulation to its output gene expression as well as measure the performance of snATAC-seq integration against a gold standard snRNA-seq integration.
Utilizing 30 RA synovial tissue samples assayed using unimodal snATAC-seq and multimodal snATAC-seq + snRNA-seq, I developed a computational pipeline to amalgamate single-nucleus open chromatin datasets into 24 cohesive biological cell classes. I then identified putative transcription factors per class, such as STAT3 within a sublining fibroblast class. By integrating with an RA tissue transcriptional atlas, I proposed that these chromatin classes represented ‘superstates’ corresponding to multiple transcriptional cell states. I demonstrated the utility of this RA tissue chromatin atlas through the associations between disease phenotypes and chromatin class abundance as well as the nomination of classes mediating the effects of putatively causal RA genetic variants. Furthermore, I used these RA multimodal datasets and 2 published COVID-19 datasets to benchmark 57 additional computational pipelines encompassing 5 feature types, 7 integration methods, and 1 batch correction method to define effective strategies for multi-sample snATAC-seq integration. Using a command-line tool I developed and 2 novel multimodal metrics, I determined that SnapATAC2 using ATAC-specific features (peaks, cCRE, tiles) with Harmony correction performed best.
This work demonstrates the value of chromatin accessibility studies to discern disease-specific transcriptional regulation. It also highlights how multiple modalities can complement each other. The benchmarking study shows how one modality can be used to assess another. The superstate hypothesis illustrates how both modalities can be integrated together to learn about the relationships between the underlying biological processes. The RA applications show how both modalities can give mechanistic insight into RA pathology. The pipelines I developed here, both for snATAC-seq and multimodal analysis as well as the benchmarking methodology, are broadly applicable to many diseases and will hopefully inspire more investigations into disease-specific chromatin accessibility.Biomedical Informatic
Jewel Beetle Ornament: Art, Animals, and Power in East Asia, 5th–8th Centuries
No full textIn premodern East Asia, animals that display vivid colors supplied some of the rarest, most precious materials for making sumptuous artifacts. Funerary and Buddhist artifacts from Japan and Korea dated to the period between the fifth and the eighth centuries preserve a decorative technique that uses the exoskeletons of jewel beetles (Chrysochroa fulgidissima), a species native to East Asia known for its stunning iridescence. Collected from dispersed habitats and lavished on artifacts reserved for the upper echelons of society, the jewel-like insects disclose the complex interrelationships of art, animals, and power that underpin the history of ornamentation. Such interrelationships remain largely underexplored in existing scholarship, which primarily treats the decorative use of insects as a material and technical feature of historical artifacts with little relevance for understanding their social function or cultural meaning. This dissertation draws on methodologies from material culture studies, ecocritical art history, and animal-human studies to reframe the history of jewel beetle ornament against the backdrop of the rise of centralized states, increased interregional connectivity, and intensified exploitation of natural resources. Instead of treating jewel beetle ornaments as mere embellishments, I approach them as compelling examples of how animals and humans embedded in their shared ecologies shaped the production and consumption of elite artifacts during a transformative period in East Asian history.
The dissertation is organized into two parts. Part I, “Materials and Making,” consists of two chapters that follow the movement of jewel beetles from their habitats in broadleaf forests to artisans’ workshops and elite patrons’ collections, examining jewel beetles as vital things with unique physical and optical properties and environmental settings that shape human interactions with them. Part II, “Ornament and Power,” is organized as three case studies of extant artifacts with jewel beetle ornaments that delve into how the physical, sensory, and symbolic presence of animals empowers objects to mediate social interactions and ritual experiences. Together, the two parts of the dissertation use jewel beetle ornament as an analytical thread to interweave discussions of a diverse corpus of prestige goods, funerary art, and Buddhist ritual paraphernalia. By focusing on the materiality and insectile origin of beetle ornaments, this project elucidates the entanglement of animals and animal bodies in the construction and expression of power within political and religious contexts.History of Art and Architectur
The Effects of Sustainability Leadership and Innovation on Responsible Mining
No full textThe global mining industry faces mounting pressure to become more responsible in achieving environmental goals while also meeting increasing global demands for materials. With a need for efficient and cost-effective production, firms can be tempted to deprioritize responsible mining practices that would meet environmental aims. Achieving responsible mining may depend on two factors: leadership orientation toward sustainability and the development of sustainability-related innovations. However, the role of these factors in driving responsible mining has yet to be fully examined. Using data from the Responsible Mining Index, an independent scoring of how 40 global mining firms address environmental aspects related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), I analyzed the impact of sustainability orientation and sustainability-related innovations on these scores. Sustainability orientation was measured using text analysis of annual reports for sustainability keyword density and frame positivity, while a patent portfolio analytics tool was used to assess the proportion of SDG-related innovations. The analysis revealed that sustainability keyword density and a higher proportion of SDG-related patents were positively correlated with responsible mining, while frame positivity showed no significant correlation. This original analysis suggests that mining firms’ communication of sustainability efforts and focus on SDG-driven innovation are not merely “greenwashing” but instead can underpin responsible mining practices
Global Trends in Innovation Patterns: A Complexity Approach
No full textGrowth Lab Working Paper Series No. 235Technological know-how in a country shapes its growth potential and competitive- ness. Scientific publications, patents, and international trade data offer complementary insights into how ideas from science, technology, and production evolve, combine, and are transformed into capabilities. Analyzing their trajectories enables a more comprehen- sive and multifaceted understanding of the whole innovation process, from generating ideas to internationally commercializing products. We analyze the production patterns in these three domains, documenting the differences between advanced and emerging mar- ket economies. We find that future income, patenting, and publishing growth correlate with the economic complexity indices calculated from these domains. Capabilities em- bedded in the country also shape future diversification opportunities and make the inno- vation process path dependent. Lastly, we also show that diversification opportunities can be inferred across innovation domains.Version of Recor