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
Category Archives: Research
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
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
Health Policymakers Meet Behavioral Economics
While behavioral economics has become increasingly popular in academia, its popularity among policymakers is less clearly marked. A recent article in the Oxford Journal identifies trends in opinions towards behavioral economics among health policymakers. Researchers collected survey responses from a total of 520 policymakers working in the low- and middle-income countries that are often targeted by behavioral … Continue reading
Lifting Children out of Poverty: A Twenty Year Study
While we focus on improving child health through improved reproductive health, a recent study is an important reminder that there are several successful strategies to improve children’s lives. BERI executive committee member, Paul Gertler, was recently featured on NPR for his contributions to a twenty year study on improving education and labor market outcomes among … Continue reading
The Provider Bias Problem: Barriers Women face when Accessing Reproductive Health Services
Globally, women continue to face discrimination and abuse from healthcare providers when they seek out reproductive health services. A study of several Latin American countries revealed that 41 percent of women feel discriminated against when they specifically seek out reproductive health service, and less than half felt they received competent care. 77 percent of women … Continue reading
Provider Incentives Increase use of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception in the UK
A pay for performance scheme in the United Kingdom seeks to increase women’s awareness of and access to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) methods such as injections and intrauterine devices. Women in the UK use LARC methods at a five percent lower rate than the global average in part because of the common misconception that pills are … Continue reading
Google reveals the benefits and challenges of behavioral experiments
Google has been conducting several experiments that draw on behavioral economics to change users’ actions that undermine their online safety. Researchers designed several interventions including simplifying information and increasing the time it takes to link to an unsafe site that failed to significantly change users’ behaviors. Now, Google will try to harness social pressure to … Continue reading
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