DR@W
DR@W
Decision Research at Warwick (DR@W) is an interdisciplinary initiative which focuses on behavioural and experimental research of decision making.
Formed in January 2010, DR@W brings together researchers and students from Economics, Psychology, Statistics, Warwick Mathematics Institute, Warwick Manufacturing Group and Warwick Business School that are interested in current developments in the area of experimental and behavioural research.
The Department of Economics have created and manage a large computer laboratory for use with experiments.
Visit the Decision Research at Warwick website for further details.
DR@W/EBER Seminar: Bjorn Bartling (Zurich)
Abstract: Paternalistic policies play a key role in the relationship between citizens and government, yet systematic evidence on public support for different types of paternalism remains limited. This study examines preferences for soft versus hard paternalism using a large-scale, between-subjects survey experiment with nationally representative samples from 58 countries and approximately 60,000 participants. Globally, we find a widespread preference for soft paternalism, which does not restrict individual autonomy, over hard paternalism, which does. These preferences predict support for specific paternalistic policies. We document substantial variation within and across countries, with preferences differing systematically by demographics such as age, education, religiosity, and urban vs. rural setting. These preferences are also associated with economic development and political institutions. To structure our findings, we introduce a conceptual framework and conduct exploratory analyses suggesting that economic shocks and exposure to regime transitions—democratic or autocratic—shape preferences for individual autonomy.