University of Cologne
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
On September 26, 2024, Bettina Rockenbach was elected as the new president of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. She …
ECONtribute and C-SEB member Christopher Roth, Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Cologne, …
The “ESA Prize for Exceptional Achievement” recognizes no more than one researcher per year who has overcome unusually difficult obstacles …
Axel Ockenfels has been a new member of the Specialist Group for Regulatory Issues (WAR) of the Bundesnetzagentur for Electricity, …
In the media
ECONtribute Wirtschaftspodcast, 16.09.2024 | Host: Carolin Jackermeier
“Warum sind die Preise trotz niedriger Inflation noch immer so hoch? Was bedeutet die Zinssenkung der Europäische Zentralbank für die Wirtschaft? Und wie wirkt sich der Klimawandel langfristig auf die Inflation aus? Tom Zimmermann, Professor bei ECONtribute an der Universität zu Köln, forscht unter anderem zu Finanzmarktstabilität und Geldpolitik. Wir sprechen im Inflations-Update darüber, warum eine zwei Prozent hohe Inflation überhaupt als ideal betrachtet wird, welche langfristigen wirtschaftlichen Folgen Phasen hoher Inflation haben und wie aussagekräftig eigentlich der Preis für Olivenöl ist.”FAZ, 09.09.2024 | Ágnes Cseh, Christine Kurschat, Axel Ockenfels, & Alvin E. Roth
“Nierenspenden sind unter Lebenden in Deutschland bislang nur unter nahen Verwandten erlaubt. Das soll sich bald ändern. Gut so!”BBC, 21.03.2024 | Rebecca M Knight
“Gen X workers are being passed over for roles of all kinds, especially as employers see young people as more malleable. […] Assumptions like these are not only potentially discriminatory and often inaccurate, they’re also at odds with today’s workforce realities, says Anne Burmeister […] “what organisations should be doing is putting in place policies that leverage older workers’ skills, expertise and experience”.”FAZ, 07.09.2024 | Hanna Decker
“Brauchen Erneuerbare in Zukunft noch staatliche Absicherung? Unterschiedliche Varianten werden diskutiert. Schon jetzt kommen manche Windparks und Solaranlagen ganz ohne Förderung aus. […] Auch Axel Ockenfels und Peter Cramton, zwei führende Marktdesign-Forscher, forderten gegenüber der F.A.Z. die Politik dazu auf, “die Fallstricke der Kapazitätsmechanismen der letzten 20 Jahre zu vermeiden. Die Umsetzung des derzeit bevorzugten Plans wird die Stromkosten erhöhen, aber wahrscheinlich nicht die erwünschte Widerstandsfähigkeit bieten.””
Events
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Virtual Market Design Seminar // Atila Abdulkadiroglu (Duke University)
14. October 2024 @ 16:00 - 17:00 via ZOOM
Atila Abdulkadiroglu (Duke University): School Assignment By Match Quality (with Aram Grigoryan and Umut Dur)
For more information and registration visit: https://virtual-md-seminar.com/
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ECONtribute and C-SEB Design & Behavior Seminar // Ben Grodeck (University of Exeter)
15. October 2024 @ 12:00 - 13:00 Room 3.206, Studierenden Service Center (SSC) (Building 102), Universitätsstraße 22a, 50923 Köln
Ben Grodeck (University of Exeter) - "No Intention to Profit, yet Still Repugnant: Experimental Evidence for Outcome-Based Repugnance"
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ECONtribute and C-SEB Seminar // Sonja Kovacevic (University of Cologne)
16. October 2024 @ 12:00 - 13:15 Room 3.206, Studierenden Service Center (SSC) (Building 102), Universitätsstraße 22a, 50923 Köln
Sonja Kovacevic (University of Cologne) - tbd
More Information here
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C-SEB Early Ideas Workshop // Rosa Wolf (Fraunhofer FIT)
18. October 2024 @ 12:00 - 12:45 via ZOOM
Rosa Wolf (Fraunhofer FIT) - "Correcting Erroneous Beliefs about Student Aid: Co mparing Information Provision via Chatbot with Traditional Formats"
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ECONtribute and C-SEB Design & Behavior Seminar // Emmanuel Lagrée (Université Panthéon-Assas)
22. October 2024 @ 12:00 - 13:00 Room 3.206, Studierenden Service Center (SSC) (Building 102), Universitätsstraße 22a, 50923 Köln
Emmanuel Lagrée (Université Panthéon-Assas) - "How To Tame Experts With Identified Preferences but Hidden Competence?"
Publications
Ivanov, I. T., & Zimmermann, T. (2024).
“The “Privatization” of Municipal Debt.” Journal of Public Economics, 237, 105156. Advance online publication.Sting, F. J., Tarakci, M., & Recker, J. (2024).
“Performance Implications of Digital Disruption in Strategic Competition.” MIS Quarterly, 48(3), 1263–1278.Bergemann, D., & Bonatti, A. (2024).
“Data, Competition, and Digital Platforms.” American Economic Review, 114(8), 2553–2595.Fujita, K., Trope, Y., & Liberman, N. (2024).
“Understanding Self-Control as a Problem of Regulatory Scope.” Psychological Review. Advance online publication.Gawronski, B., & Corneille, O. (2024).
“Unawareness of Attitudes, Their Environmental Causes, and Their Behavioral Effects.” Annual Review of Psychology. Advance online publication.Pulm, C., Gast, A., & Rummel, J. (2024).
“A Picture Corrects a Thousand Words – The Effect of Photos on Veracity Feedback.” Consciousness and Cognition, 125, 103758. Advance online publication.Glöckner, A., Jekel, M., & Lisovoj, D. (2024).
“Using Machine Learning to Evaluate and Enhance Models of Probabilistic Inference.” Advance online publication.Kölle, F., Kübler, D., & Ockenfels, A. (2024).
“Impartial Policymakers Prefer to Impose Carbon Pricing to Capping, Especially When Combined with Offsets.” Ecological Economics, 226, 108348.Sliwka, D., & Vogelsang, T. (2024, September 4).
“Research: When Bonuses Backfire.” Harvard Business Review.Clausing, K., Cramton, P., Ockenfels, A., & Wolfram, C. (2024).
“Strategic Climate Cooperation and Greenhouse Gas Price Coordination.” Intereconomics, 59(1), 55–56.
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