Improving Choice Models: Multiple Goal Pursuit and Multi-Stage Decision Processes. This project aims to develop new econometric models of choice behaviour that recognise individuals adopt “how to decide” strategies when choosing between alternatives. Existing models simplistically assume that people evaluate all goods and choose the best of them, when in fact they ignore some goods, select what information is relevant, pursue multiple goals, and otherwise deviate from the assumptions commonly ma ....Improving Choice Models: Multiple Goal Pursuit and Multi-Stage Decision Processes. This project aims to develop new econometric models of choice behaviour that recognise individuals adopt “how to decide” strategies when choosing between alternatives. Existing models simplistically assume that people evaluate all goods and choose the best of them, when in fact they ignore some goods, select what information is relevant, pursue multiple goals, and otherwise deviate from the assumptions commonly made in econometric models. Filling in this significant gap in the choice modelling literature constitutes a significant contribution to improving our understanding of human decision making and policy analysis in every area of human endeavour.Read moreRead less
Accounting for preference seperability in stated choice experiments. This project aims to unite three separate streams of applied economic research into a single framework in order to develop a micro-economically consistent framework for demand forecasting and analysis. Forecasting demand to improve product performance or policy impacts requires realistic representations of how humans actually make choices. Combining theories of preference separability with recent developments in both activity a ....Accounting for preference seperability in stated choice experiments. This project aims to unite three separate streams of applied economic research into a single framework in order to develop a micro-economically consistent framework for demand forecasting and analysis. Forecasting demand to improve product performance or policy impacts requires realistic representations of how humans actually make choices. Combining theories of preference separability with recent developments in both activity and time use modelling and stated choice techniques, the project plans to develop new insights into consumer equilibrium as well as new econometric methods to test for the assumption of preference separability. Project outcomes would lead to an improved understanding of consumer behaviour as well as demand forecasting, with benefits to studies involving the need for benefit cost comparisons.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100608
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$396,000.00
Summary
The economic and social consequences of illicit drug markets. This project aims to understand the economic and social effects of illicit drugs. An estimated one-quarter of a billion people use illicit drugs each year. This causes major health and personal problems, while the violence and organised crime associated with illicit drug markets affect society. This project will apply econometric techniques to administrative and survey data to establish the long-term causal effects of illicit drug mar ....The economic and social consequences of illicit drug markets. This project aims to understand the economic and social effects of illicit drugs. An estimated one-quarter of a billion people use illicit drugs each year. This causes major health and personal problems, while the violence and organised crime associated with illicit drug markets affect society. This project will apply econometric techniques to administrative and survey data to establish the long-term causal effects of illicit drug markets on crime, health, education and employment. The results are expected to show how illicit drug policies can improve health and well-being in communities.Read moreRead less
A study of consumers' competence when choosing between complex mobile phone contracts and the regulatory implications of their coping strategies. The main outcome of this project will be a better understanding of which kinds of mobile phone contracts and methods of displaying them to potential users are the biggest sources of decision making errors, and which techniques for coping with a plethora of such contracts are the most reliable ones. This knowledge will be used to derive recommendations ....A study of consumers' competence when choosing between complex mobile phone contracts and the regulatory implications of their coping strategies. The main outcome of this project will be a better understanding of which kinds of mobile phone contracts and methods of displaying them to potential users are the biggest sources of decision making errors, and which techniques for coping with a plethora of such contracts are the most reliable ones. This knowledge will be used to derive recommendations for consumer policy agencies and advice for consumers that will increase financial welfare and reduce mental stress for consumers. Some of the findings may have implications for regulators seeking to design consumer protection policies in other area where firms deliberately offer customers opaque contracts.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100213
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$335,000.00
Summary
Optimising the National Benefits From Restoring Environmental Water Flows. The project plans to evaluate strategies that may maximise the national benefits from restoring environmental flows in Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin (MDB). MDB water supply is characterised by prolonged droughts and flood events, and future climatic projections anticipate that these water supply events will intensify. As the uncertainty of future water supply increases, it is important that the volume of water provided ....Optimising the National Benefits From Restoring Environmental Water Flows. The project plans to evaluate strategies that may maximise the national benefits from restoring environmental flows in Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin (MDB). MDB water supply is characterised by prolonged droughts and flood events, and future climatic projections anticipate that these water supply events will intensify. As the uncertainty of future water supply increases, it is important that the volume of water provided by the portfolio of water rights is known. By examining how decision-makers adapt to water supply uncertainty, optimal management strategies could be determined for watering key ecological assets, trading water between irrigators and the government; and private and public investments.Read moreRead less
Competition in medical labour markets. A sharp increase in the supply of medical practitioners has occurred in Australia. This is expensive and has uncertain effects on population health, earnings, and the distribution of medical practitioners. The aim of this project is to examine the impact of competition and increased supply on the prices charged, the quality of care provided, and the health status of patients. The research also aims to examine the location choices of medical practitioners an ....Competition in medical labour markets. A sharp increase in the supply of medical practitioners has occurred in Australia. This is expensive and has uncertain effects on population health, earnings, and the distribution of medical practitioners. The aim of this project is to examine the impact of competition and increased supply on the prices charged, the quality of care provided, and the health status of patients. The research also aims to examine the location choices of medical practitioners and is expected to generate new and important evidence using unique longitudinal data.Read moreRead less
Adaptive economic management of Australia's urban water. This project responds to the so-called 'wicked problem' of ensuring an adequate supply of water to urban consumers at the lowest price even during long-term droughts. The project will generate, for the first time in the world, an integrated, dynamic, and adaptive supply and demand model to manage urban water optimally over time.
A benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program. This project undertakes a benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program (EYEP). EYEP is an innovative early years education and childcare program for children at risk of abuse and neglect that is being trialled by the Children’s Protection Society in Melbourne. The use of the randomised evaluation method in the trial, the innovative and extensive nature of EYEP, the inter-disciplinary research team, and the breadth of dat ....A benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program. This project undertakes a benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program (EYEP). EYEP is an innovative early years education and childcare program for children at risk of abuse and neglect that is being trialled by the Children’s Protection Society in Melbourne. The use of the randomised evaluation method in the trial, the innovative and extensive nature of EYEP, the inter-disciplinary research team, and the breadth of data collection, provide the opportunity to complete a high quality benefit-cost analysis that will be internationally unique. Results from the study have the potential to influence the design of childcare and education for 30,000 at-risk children in Australia, as well as informing approaches in regular childcare.Read moreRead less
Income insecurity in Australia: who is feeling the pinch and why? This project aims to measure and investigate the drivers of income insecurity in Australia. It will provide an evaluation of whether income growth is sufficient to compensate for any welfare loss due to higher income risk and the effectiveness of government taxes and transfers in alleviating income risks for different population sub-groups.
The demand and supply of retirement provision. Population and a shrinking public sector mean increasing self-provision for retirement. This project examines various aspects of private retirement provision, focussing on both demand and supply in the retirement income industry. It will analyse institutional features of markets, pension funds and policy structures, and their implications for saving and investment behaviour, life-long financial strategies, efficient resource allocation, and retireme ....The demand and supply of retirement provision. Population and a shrinking public sector mean increasing self-provision for retirement. This project examines various aspects of private retirement provision, focussing on both demand and supply in the retirement income industry. It will analyse institutional features of markets, pension funds and policy structures, and their implications for saving and investment behaviour, life-long financial strategies, efficient resource allocation, and retirement income adequacy. Specially emphasised will be: the role of housing as a retirement asset; the impact of governance structure on pension fund administration; and firm technology and employer-sponsored pension plans. Empirical research will embrace Australia, Japan and the US, allowing international comparison.Read moreRead less