RESEARCH_FILE
Eldar Shafir
Princeton University
Known for:Behavioral-science research on decision-making under scarcity, co-developing the scarcity-mindset account with Sendhil Mullainathan
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“If I don't open the bill, it isn't real yet”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“The amount is there whether I read it or not.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Pick up the unopened bill, place it on a clear surface, and open it just far enough to read the amount and due date. Close it again if you want. Do this privately and stop there.
Key findings
- 2012
With Shah and Mullainathan, demonstrated experimentally that scarcity-induced focus comes with neglect: participants under resource scarcity engaged intensely with immediate demands while overlooking useful information and future costs, including borrowing at steep effective rates. Some Consequences of Having Too Little ↗
- 2013
With Mani, Mullainathan and Zhao, showed in a field study that the same Indian sugarcane farmers performed worse on cognitive tests before harvest (when money was tight) than after — the scarcity of the situation, not stable traits, tracked the impairment. Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function ↗