Development Economics Universität Göttingen Prof. Marcela Ibanez

Our research focuses on behavioral and development economics. Using the tools of experimental economics, we investigate the origin and development of cooperative norms and their effect on development outcomes.

For instance, we examine how norms of altruism and solidarity change with the cognitive development of children and study how particular institutions as religiosity, insurances, and competitive payments affect prosocial social norms.

We implement large field experiments to test how particular policies can decrease discrimination and promote gender inequality, law compliance, and pro-environmental behavior. We study the role of mental constraints in economic decisions. In particular, we consider how risk, time, and moral preferences affect risk coping strategies and investment decisions.  We also examine the role of aspirations and cognitive load on economic decision-making.

Our teaching focuses on development economics from a microeconomic and behavioral economic perspective.