The University of Toronto is offering a six week executive education course on Behavioral Economics and its policy relevance in improving people’s welfare. Guest speakers include Sendhil Mullainathan, Harvard Professor and founder of Ideas42 – a BERI partner. Not ready for a six week course? Check out the BERI resources and research pages first or consider watching the talk … Continue reading
Latest Entries
LARC for Youth
On the heels of world contraception day and renewed efforts to improve family planning services globally, new recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics highlight the importance of youth-friendly services and policies. Until now, pediatricians first recommended condoms or oral contraception as the best options for pregnancy prevention despite their relatively high failure rate compared … Continue reading
Common Misconceptions around Male Circumcision and HIV Transmission
Misconceptions around family planning and sexual and reproductive health continue to pose a challenge for increasing uptake of these services. Many services providers seek to overcome these barriers through education and information campaigns that correct possible biases. However, a recent study suggests that information provision, even when correct, may still lead to misconceptions. More providers … Continue reading
Covert Contraception
While the total fertility rate in most of the world is steady or declining, population growth is rapidly rising in sub-Saharan Africa. The rate of contraceptive uptake remains among the lowest in the world and is in part due to differences in fertility demand as well as cultural and gender norms. DHS data indicates that in … Continue reading
Stigma and the Role of HIV Prevention Programs
Addressing HIV plays an important role in many reproductive health programs. Often, in conjunction with the provision of services, programs seek to address and decrease the stigma around HIV. Some contend that decreased stigma can help reduce risky sexual behavior as people have a better understanding of HIV and its effects and improve the uptake … Continue reading
Behavioral Economics and Scarcity
It is common knowledge that poverty is a major source of stress. For those it affects, money and purchases are constantly at the forefront of their mind, dominating much of their decision-making processes. While Eldar Shafir, Professor of Psychology at Princeton, states this means they tend to make better and more effective financial decision relative those who … Continue reading
Preventing Teen Pregnancy: More Contraception and MTV?
Teenage pregnancy in the United States hit an all time low in 2013. After a rise in pregnancies between 1986 and 1991, many organizations and policymakers developed programs to prevent or delay adolescent pregnancy. Between 1991 and 2012, teenage pregnancy rates had a statistically significant drop in all 50 states and D.C. 48 states experienced a … Continue reading
Africa’s Rapidly Growing Population and the Role of Family Planning
Last week UNICEF released the Generation 2030 Africa Report on changing demographics around the continent. The report predicts that, despite declines in fertility rates, the population will double by 2050 to approximately 2.4 billion people. Over the next 35 years, 4 out of every 10 babies born will be in Africa. Nigeria alone will account … Continue reading
Co-Producing Health Research
Academia has been criticized of sometimes focusing too narrowly on an interesting scientific problem that doesn’t have a broader impact. Many scholars, including CEGA affiliates, have changed that model by collaborating with practitioners and policymakers to design research. Nava Ashraf, BERI affiliate and behavioral economist and professor at Harvard Business School, was featured in Working … Continue reading
A Practical “App” of Behavioral Econ
While behavioral economics can sometimes seem mostly theoretical, practical applications continue to emerge. A new smartphone app, Timeful, developed by university professors Dan Ariely and Yoav Shoham and doctoral candidate Jacob Bank, harnesses behavioral economics principals to help us maximize our time. As outlined in the BERI framework, individuals often show a preference for the … Continue reading
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