University of Cologne
Excellence Center for Social and Economic Behavior
The Center for Social and Economic Behavior (C-SEB) at the University of Cologne (UoC) brings together Cologne-based researchers from economics, management science, and psychology. Together with internationally renowned scientists from Europe and the USA, they investigate the fundamental principles and behavioral mechanisms that affect social and economic behavior. Since its establishment in 2019, the Cluster of Excellence ECONtribute is an important partner.
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Social and economic behavior is shaping almost all aspects of our lives. But it does not only influence the actions of individuals. Behavior and its underlying motivation and cognition, also affects the success of societies, politics, markets and organizations. Understanding its determinants, and how it can be ‘managed’, is thus of crucial importance for understanding and addressing major challenges to society and humanity.
C-SEB aims to develop an empirically based theory of the institutions that define economic incentives and of the conditions that influence information processing in social and economic contexts. Using a behavioral economics and social cognition approach, the center examines how these mechanisms can be designed and manipulated. C-SEB seeks to build a bridge between laboratory research and real-world contexts in order to contribute to solutions to contemporary challenges in the economy.
Our Aims
Scientific exchange
C-SEB runs various programs to create a productive research environment and to promote interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists. In order to foster communication across disciplines and research units, the center regularly organizes workshops and conferences with international guests.Learn more
Research funding
C-SEB provides funding for outstanding individuals and excellent collaborative research projects in the field of behavioral economics and social cognition. There are six funding lines at the moment that are designed to serve different purposes and target groups.Learn more
Equal opportunity & junior researcher promotion
C-SEB is strongly committed to promote equal opportunities in academia and to advance the careers of junior researchers. The center assists its members with career planning and with reconciling academic and family life.Learn more
Press Releases
As part of the Diversity Week at the University of Cologne, the Excellence Clusters CECAD and ECONtribute invite you to …
Axel Ockenfels, professor at the University of Cologne, will become a new director at the Max Planck Institute for Research …
Whether or not people bribe – or attempt to bribe – others depends on which country the counterpart comes from. …
In the media
Börsen-Zeitung, 14.03.2023 | Achim Wambach & Axel Ockenfels
“Der europäische Strommarkt hat gemäß der Ansicht der Kommission viele Jahre lang gute Dienste geleistet. Als Schwäche wird aber die derzeitige hohe Belastung der Haushalte ausgemacht. […] Zugleich weist die Krise aber auch auf einen Schwachpunkt im Marktdesign hin, auf den aber die Kommission bei ihren Vorschlägen nur am Rande eingeht: Die Anreize für Erzeuger, eine verlässliche Stromversorgung sicherzustellen, sind unzureichend.[…] Es braucht einen robusten Anreiz für ein gesichertes Stromangebot. Vorschläge für verpflichtende langfristige Verträge für flexible Stromerzeugung und Stromnachfrage zur Versorgungssicherheit stehen ökonomisch auf einer soliden konzeptionellen Grundlage.”ZDFheute, 07.03.2023 | Eva Schmidt
“Jedes Jahr im Monat März liefern die Statistiker Zahlen, wie viele Tage des Jahres Frauen schon unentgeltlich gearbeitet haben – zumindest im Vergleich zum Einkommen der Männer. Das Datum fällt nun auf den 7. März. […] Der Verhaltensökonom Matthias Sutter vom Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung von Gemeinschaftsgütern hat dafür eine Erklärung: ‘Erwerbsunterbrechungen sind einer der wesentlichen Faktoren für große Gehaltsunterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen.’ […] Das jüngste Urteil des Bundesarbeitsgerichts macht jedenfalls Schluss mit ‘falsch verhandelt’: Männer und Frauen dürfen nicht mehr nur wegen ihres Verhandlungsgeschicks unterschiedlich bezahlt werden. […] ‘Und das ist, was wir ökonomisch und gesellschaftlich wollen, wir wollen die Besten, egal ob Frauen oder Männer’, lautet das Fazit von Matthias Sutter, ‘das ganze blöde Stammtisch-Gerede von unterqualifizierten Quotenfrauen sollte man mal empirisch vergessen.'”
Events
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C-SEB Early Ideas Workshop // Lisa Spantig (School of Business and Economics at RWTH Aachen University)
2. June 2023 @ 12:00 - 12:45 via ZOOM
Lisa Spantig (School of Business and Economics at RWTH Aachen University) - "Engaging Learners With Reminders And Deadlines: Evidence From Kenya"
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ECONtribute and C-SEB Seminar // Sonia Bhalotra (University of Warwick)
7. June 2023 @ 12:00 - 13:15 Room 3.206, Studierenden Service Center (SSC) (Building 102), Universitätsstraße 22a, 50923 Köln
Sonia Bhalotra (University of Warwick) - “Domestic Violence and Partnership Choice”
More Information here
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ECONtribute and C-SEB Design & Behavior Seminar // Simon Siegenthaler (University of Texas at Dallas)
13. June 2023 @ 12:00 - 13:00 Room 3.206, Studierenden Service Center (SSC) (Building 102), Universitätsstraße 22a, 50923 Köln
Simon Siegenthaler (University of Texas at Dallas) - “Social Tipping and Norm Change in Representative Samples – The Case of Affirmative Action”
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ECONtribute and C-SEB Seminar // Jonathan Schulz (George Mason University)
14. June 2023 @ 12:00 - 13:15 Room 3.206, Studierenden Service Center (SSC) (Building 102), Universitätsstraße 22a, 50923 Köln
Jonathan Schulz (George Mason University) - tba
More Information here -
AS/ISS Colloquium Series // Karsten Hank (University of Cologne)
14. June 2023 @ 17:45 - 19:15 Online via Zoom --- or --- in-person in the WiSo Building
Hybrid Speaker Series on Analytical-Empirical Sociology features a talk by Karsten Hank (University of Cologne) titled "Assessing Sexual-Minority Respondents’ Attitudes, Behaviors, and Outcomes: Quantitative Findings From Pairfam & FReDA".
To attend in-person or via zoom, please visit the event page.
Organized by the Academy of Sociology (AS) and the Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology (ISS) at the University of Cologne; supported by the Profile Area Social and Economic Behavior.
Publications
Dorrough, A. R., Köbis, N., Irlenbusch, B., Shalvi, S., & Glöckner, A. (2023).
“Conditional Bribery: Insights from Incentivized Experiments Across 18 Nations.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(18), e2209731120.Manthei, K., Sliwka, D., & Vogelsang, T. (2023).
“Information, Incentives, and Attention: A Field Experiment on the Interaction of Management Controls.” The Accounting Review. Advance online publication.Manthei, K., Sliwka, D., & Vogelsang, T. (2023).
“Talking About Performance or Paying for It? A Field Experiment on Performance Reviews and Incentives.” Management Science. Advance online publication.Otte, G., Sawert, T., Brüderl, J., Kley, S., Kroneberg, C., & Rohlfing, I. (2023).
“Gütekriterien in der Soziologie: Eine analytisch-empirische Perspektive.” Zeitschrift Für Soziologie, 52(1), 26–49.Bolton, G. E., Bonzelet, S., Stangl, T., & Thonemann, U. W. (2022).
“Decision Making Under Service-Level Contracts: The Role of Cost Saliency.” Production and Operations Management. Advance online publication.
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