Showing results for "behavioral economics"

behavioral economics

American

[bih-hayv-yer-uhl ek-uh-nom-iks, eekuh-] / bɪˈheɪv jər əl ˌɛk əˈnɒm ɪks, ˌikə- /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

the branch of economics dealing with the effects of psychological, emotional, cultural, and social factors on individual or group economic decision-making, as distinguished from classical economics, which assumes that people will make the optimal economic decisions based on rational self-interest and utility.

Etymology

Origin of behavioral economics

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

behavioral economics

A clear illustration of this behavior comes from one of the most-cited studies in the behavioral economics field.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026

To dig deeper, the researchers built a mathematical model using tools from game theory and behavioral economics.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 2, 2026

The ascent of behavioral economics was complete, or at least so it seemed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025

We’d stay up late debating string theory, behavioral economics, even the origins of satire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

These barriers are known in behavioral economics as "friction," said Dan Ariely, a psychology and behavioral economics professor at Duke University and a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight.

From Salon ● Feb. 10, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023