Category Archives: Behavioural Economics

Gender pay gap: why do male CEOs with daughters pay women more?

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

Should a woman tending to personal care needs of an elderly person be paid more or less than a male garbage disposal worker? The government’s decision to support a pay rise for 150,000 social and community services workers delivers a … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural Economics, Employment, Inequality | Leave a comment

Efficient markets hypothesis… really?

Posted on August 15, 2011 by

The thing about humans is we often search for reason where there is none. Economists are notorious for it. So enamoured was the profession in the 1970s with the concept of rationality, economists developed the idea of the “efficient markets … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural Economics, Global Financial Crisis | 1 Comment

How markets really work: the short version

Posted on August 4, 2011 by

With Wall Street off more than 4 per cent last night – and the ASX expected to follow suit today – I am reminded of this cartoon that an economics professor showed us at university to explain how markets REALLY … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural Economics, Fun | 1 Comment

Don’t be fooled by the whinging, we’re ok

Posted on August 1, 2011 by

We don’t like carbon taxes and we don’t like boats. Mention population growth and we’re at each other’s throats. We don’t like interest rate rises and we disdain debt. We can’t stomach liars and we never forget. Australians, it seems, … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural Economics, Employment, Housing, Inflation, Interest Rates, Reserve Bank | 3 Comments

let’s ditch tax returns

Posted on June 24, 2011 by

I’ve heard talk that there are some sick individuals in society who actually take pleasure in filling out their annual tax returns. For such people, July 1 looms like the opening day of the latest Harry Potter movie. It’s the … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural Economics, Reserve Bank | Leave a comment

blowing smoke: big tobacco’s fight against plain packaging

Posted on May 20, 2011 by

First it was the grocery giants, then the petrol retailers, then the banks and the mining companies. Now it’s the turn of Big Tobacco to unleash a campaign of mass confusion on the Australian public in an attempt to undermine … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural Economics, Gillard Government, Health, Tax | Leave a comment

lunch with john quiggin, aka the zombie hunter

Posted on May 16, 2011 by

After years on the outer, a long-time critic of the economic rationalists finds a new audience for his spiky commentary, writes Jessica Irvine. The financial crisis dealt a body blow to the once-revered economics profession. Dragged down from their ivory … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural Economics, Climate change | Leave a comment

the secret to weight loss: maths

Posted on May 16, 2011 by

UPDATE: I’ve now lost 12 kgs in 12 weeks doing this. I have discovered the secret to weight loss and it’s surprisingly simple: maths. Forget diet shakes and the abdomi-whatsernamer. Weight loss comes down to one very simple mathematical equation:

Posted in Behavioural Economics, Fitness, Fun, My New Year's Resolution | Leave a comment

carbon price will force us to change

Posted on April 22, 2011 by

SMH April 6, 2011: There’s an old economist joke: an economist is walking with a friend when they both notice a $100 note lying on the footpath. As the friend bends to pick it up, the economist shakes her head … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural Economics, Climate change, Gillard Government, Tax | Leave a comment

economics as therapy?

Posted on January 25, 2011 by

Here’s the truth. I may know a bit about economics, but when it comes to my personal life, I’m not a very good homoeconomicus. I dither, I procrastinate and sometimes I don’t do what I know is good for me, … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavioural Economics, Fitness, My New Year's Resolution | 2 Comments