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November 2025
Experimental Study Finds Source of Wealth Dictates Fairness and Cooperation
On 25 November 2026, University of Birmingham Economics Professor Michalis Drouvelis visited Royal Holloway University of London to present his recent research at the Leverhulme Workshop on Social Norms. Prof. Drouvelis is Associate Editor of European Economic Review and the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.
His seminar presentation, entitled "Luck-based versus merit-based income shifts fairness perceptions and promotes cooperation in a public goods game," challenges the assumption that greater control over outcomes universally encourages better social behaviour.
Prof. Drouvelis highlighted a compelling link between how wealth is acquired—through luck or merit—and how willing individuals are to cooperate for the common good. His findings suggest that people are less inclined to contribute to public goods when inequality is perceived as deserved (merit-based), a phenomenon largely driven by wealthier individuals' sense of fairness.
May 2025
RHUL Spring Workshop in Behavioural Economics
On May 12, we had the pleasure of hosting the RHUL Spring Workshop in Behavioural Economics at the Bedford Square campus in Central London. The event was a full day of captivating presentations and engaging discussions.
Alongside researchers from Royal Holloway’s Department of Economics, Philip Neary, Bjoern Hartig, and Klarizze Puzon, we were also thrilled to welcome external participants from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lancaster University, Toulouse Business School, University of Reading, London School of Economics, and City University of London.
The workshop featured the latest research in:
- Integration of cognitive biases in games of cooperation and conflict
- Utilization of novel data sources in the field, with a focus on perspectives from the Global South
- Applications of computational tools in understanding social norms
For more details, you can check out the full programme at BE Workshop 2025.
February 2024
LUMS Catalyst Fund awarded to a research project co-investigated by Doctor K. Puzon
Our Post Doctoral Research Assistant in Economics, Doctor Klarizze Puzon, has recently started her collaboration with Lancaster University Management School as a co-investigator of a research project studying pro-sociality and risk behaviour. Dr Puzon will co-investigate the project together with another Royal Holloway academic, Dr Gabriele Bellucci, a Lecturer of Social Neuroscience at the Department of Psychology.
The research is led by the Principal Investigator, Dr Konstantinos Georgalos. Doctor Georgalos is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Behavioural and Experimental Economics at the Department of Economics at Lancaster University and Deputy Director of the Lancaster Experimental Economics Laboratory (LExEL).
The research received a LUMS Research Catalyst Fund 2023/2024 awarded by Lancaster University Management School.
Professor Felipe Zurita arrives at Royal Holloway to study re-election incentives in political corruption
In January 2024, we welcomed to the Research Team Professor Felipe Zurita, an Associate Professor of Economics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Professor Zurita’s previous work focuses on Game Theory, Decision Theory and Financial Markets.
He will be supporting Professor Levine as a Visiting Academic in studying to what extent re-elections can provide incentives for corrupt politicians to behave honestly. The ability to commit is a key aspect that the electorate needs for this mechanism to work. As part of their research, they will investigate many factors involved, among which is the easiness of information gathering and transmission.
This study is carried out in collaboration with Professor Federico Weinschelbaum from Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Argentina.
January 2024
Recruiting for two Post Doctoral Research Assistants in Economics
The successful candidates will work 1/3 time directly on the Leverhulme Trust funded Social Mechanisms and Allocations project and 2/3 of the time on individual grant-related research. The closing date for applications is 23:59 GMT, Sunday, 25 February 2024.
The interviews will be held at the beginning of March 2024.
All applications must be submitted via the Royal Holloway, University of London website.
To learn more and submit your application, please visit: Jobs at Royal Holloway
December 2023
Social Norms and Applications Seminars 2023/2024
The last Social Norms seminar of the Winter Term 2023/2024 took place on 5 December 2023 (McCrea Building, room 1-16).
The seminars will recommence after the winter break on Tuesday, 16 January 2024 in Queens Building, Room 174 starting at 14:00.
To view the upcoming seminar schedule, go to Workshop page.
