Over the past several weeks, Assistant Professor of Economics Syon Bhanot has appeared on podcasts and in other media outlets to help explain why some Americans are so adamantly opposed to wearing masks in public and what can be done to encourage more pro-social behavior in the fight against the coronavirus. Bhanot’s research centers on field experiments that use behavioral science concepts to influence decision-making, with a focus on issues related to public policy, development, and poverty.

“We really lean on the behavior of others around us,” Bhanot says in an interview with the nonprofit news organization Marketplace, “because if we think about every single decision as one you have to rationally think through the costs and benefits, you would never get anything done in a day.”

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Marketplace: No mask? Behavioral scientists on how we make pandemic decisions

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