Objective This project analyzes the distribution, origin, determinants and consequences of human preferences. Preferences are key building blocks of any economic model and fundamentally determine human behavior both at an individual and a country wide level. Four particularly important types of preferences, which will be studied in this research project, are risk preferences, time preferences, social preferences and preferences for work and leisure. Despite their fundamental importance, empirical knowledge regarding the nature of preferences is still very limited. Crucial open questions concern: the pervasiveness of different degrees of risk aversion, impatience, social preferences and preferences for work and leisure in the population; the extent to which different preferences vary systematically with personal characteristics, such as gender, age, and educational background; the correlation between preferences within person, e.g. whether individuals who are risk averse also tend to be impatient; the relation between economic preferences and other non-cognitive skills, such as personality (e.g. Big Five) and cognitive skills measured in terms of IQ; the origin of preferences, e.g. the extent to which preferences are passed on from one generation to the next; the possibility that preferences and attitudes vary systematically with the social and institutional environment; and the degree to which individual preference endowments differ across populations and countries. Answering theses questions is of great importance, both from a general research perspective as well as from a policy oriented point of view. This project is highly innovative as it combines experimental and survey techniques and because it bridges insights from many disciplines. Keywords behavioral economics experiments preferences Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-SH1 - ERC Starting Grant - Individuals, institutions and markets Call for proposal ERC-2007-StG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Host institution RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH-WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAT BONN EU contribution € 1 340 000,00 Address REGINA PACIS WEG 3 53113 Bonn Germany See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Armin Falk (Prof.) Administrative Contact Daniela Hasenpusch (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH-WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAT BONN Germany EU contribution € 1 340 000,00 Address REGINA PACIS WEG 3 53113 Bonn See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Armin Falk (Prof.) Administrative Contact Daniela Hasenpusch (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data