Social sciences

Who Holds Employer Stock?

This paper examines the effect of race in employer stock levels in pension accounts and reported risk preference as an indicator of company stock holdings.

Education Beyond the Schoolhouse

Dr. Ronald Ferguson of the Harvard Kennedy School argues that the need for change in the American educational system goes beyond the government, extending into the home and the classroom. His research addresses the "achievement gap" between black and white students, seeking to find the keys to resolving this educational problem.

Twenty-first century doodling

Jillian Jordan, Emily Rutter, and Emma Templeton, Harvard College How does Facebook use impact memory of lecture content? As Facebook becomes increasingly popular, this question is important for students and educators alike. Participants in the present study were assigned to listen to a podcast while freely browsing Facebook, viewing an album of Facebook pictures, or doing nothing. Then, participants completed [...]

A Braille tale

The blind in China face the difficult challenge of learning to read Chinese. The current Braille system has a number of shortcomings, causing several communication problems between the blind and the sighted. A proposed system based on the Japanese Braille system could help the blind better their opportunities and way of life.

Price differentials among hospitals in Massachusetts

Health care in Massachusetts ranks exceptionally well but suffers from high hospital costs. This study examines why prices for similar services vary so much among Massachusetts hospitals.

Price theory and the U.S. Congress

This paper aims to determine whether discrimination theory or human capital theory better explains the historical underrepresentation of women in Congress.

Healthcare Economics in Action

Behavioral economists challenge the assumption that humans are economically rational consumers. When faced with complicated situations (such as navigating the health insurance system) or uncertainty (such as not knowing whether one will become sick in the future), people do not always make the optimal decisions that traditional economic theory assumes.