Mette Trier Damgaard

• Aarhus University

Do time constraints impact charitable giving? This paper develops a simple model to show how deadlines could affect the propensity to make a charitable donation. We then conduct two field experiments to show empirically the effect of deadlines on charitable giving. About 53,000 prior donors of a large Danish charity received e-mails and text messag...

We incorporate forward-looking reference-dependent preferences into a simple job search framework and show that people with strong aversion to losses may choose not to search for a job despite economic incentives to do so. We also discuss the policy implications.

Can we nudge children, adolescents and their parents to make better decisions on education? And can we nudge teachers to support and encourage better decision making? Education decisions are taken at young ages and involve immediate costs and potential, future benefits. In such settings behavioural barriers (e.g. lack of self-control, limited atten...

Applying for jobs resembles entering a lottery, where there is an up-front cost of entering and a large potential award gained with some probability. Reference-dependent models predict that the risk attitudes people have toward these types of lotteries will depend on what reference point they use. In this paper, we consider whether a job-applicatio...

Experts bring economic tools to bear on philanthropic activities, addressing topics that range from the determinants of giving to the effectiveness of fundraising techniques. Economists are increasingly aware of the need to better understand philanthropic activities. In this book, economists address a variety of topics related to the economics of p...

We document the hidden costs of a popular nudge and show how these costs distort policy making when neglected. In a field experiment with a charity, we find reminders increasing intended behavior (donations), but also increasing avoidance behavior (unsubscriptions from the mailing list). We develop a dynamic model of donation and unsubscription beh...