Incorporating behavioral principles in primary data analysis with application to beer demand

Recent advancements in microeconomics have resurrected a need for modern economists to grapple with principles of consumer behavior. This dissertation uses the American beer market as a starting place to present three ways applied researchers can incorporate behavioral principles into economic theory. The first essay uses choice experiments designed to estimate the price sensitivity of alcohol consumption to explore the efficacy of prompts targeted at reducing inattention bias. Upon receiving feedback, inattentive respondents are given the opportunity to re-answer a so-called "trap question" that checks for attentiveness. We find that individuals who miss trap questions and do not correctly revise their responses have significantly different choice patterns as compared to individuals who correctly answer the trap question. The second essay proposes an instrumental variable approach to address the endogeneity issues associated with distinguishing preferences from perceptions. Even after correction, we find beliefs/perceptions substantially affect consumer choices of beer brands, and that perceived taste and brand familiarity are key determinants of choice. In the final essay, we empirically tests the effectiveness of two institutional nudges on the ECE in a field experiment at a bar. Focusing on craft beer sales, we manipulate the number of options on the menu and use institutional nudges (a control menu, a menu with a special prominently displayed, and a menu with Beer Advocate scores). In the field experiment, the ECE was alive and well using the control menu, but the effect reversed itself when the menu included Beer Advocate Scores. Our results suggest the ECE might be turned on and off by manipulating search costs. Taken together, these three essays show that that behavioral principles can enrich understanding of human action as it relates to consumer decision-making

Broadcasting, the Reluctant Dragon: Will the First Amendment Right of Access end the Suppressing of Controversial Ideas?

The scope of this article will be limited to one aspect of electronic media programming-the extent to which the public is and should be exposed to an accurate cross section of public opinion and a broad range of controversial ideas. Many people, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), have acknowledged that a desirable goal for the broadcast media, particularly television, is to provide a marketplace for controversial ideas. Part II of this article will identify the principal reasons why that goal has not been achieved. Part III will examine the fairness doctrine, the antecedents of which have been traced back to 1929. While generally requiring that a broadcast licensee\u27s programming cover issues of public importance in a manner fairly presenting conflicting points of view, the broad discretion given to licensees in applying the doctrine has significantly lessened its impact. Moreover, a raging debate continues over whether the effect of the fairness doctrine has been more to suppress than to enhance the expression of controversial ideas. Part IV will describe a new legal doctrine - the first amendment right of access - which has recently been applied to the broadcast media, and whose effect may be to thrust controversial programming upon all electronic media. Finally, Part V will discuss additional ways to encourage the broadcasting of controversial ideas

Examination of What Might Be Done to Move Modeling Local Foods Forward

Local food systems have experienced a dramatic rise in prominence, although only a small percentage of food actually comes from these systems. That rise in prominence has come coupled with a renewed academic interest in modeling local foods within an economic development context. This research will identify the necessary steps for building a computable general equilibrium (CGE) framework. As CGE modeling describes the shifts a regional economy would experience if producers and consumers were to convert from common production agriculture to small, localized food systems, this thesis takes the position that in order to fully address economic benefits of local food systems, a CGE is necessary.Once data requirements are resolved, the described model can examine economic tradeoffs of shifting the Oklahoma food supply to locally grown. With this model, research will be able to inquire whether or not the region would be economically better off if consumers bought an increased percentage of locally grown produce each year. An increase of both local food demand and supply are described as the primary drivers of the transition within the model.Agricultural Economic

Reducing Ultra-Clean Transportation Fuel Costs with HyMelt Hydrogen Quarterly Report

This report describes activities for the seventh quarter of work performed under this agreement. We successfully completed atmospheric testing in the previous quarter. We await approval from the Swedish pressure vessel board to allow us to proceed with the procurement of the vessel for super atmospheric testing

Reducing Ultra-Clean Transportation Fuel Costs with HyMelt Hydrogen

This report describes activities for the eighteenth quarter of work performed under this agreement. EnviRes suspended testing at MEFOS reflecting a reordering of priorities to focus on engineering design of a demonstration plant

Reducing Ultra-Clean Transportation Fuel Costs with HyMelt Hydrogen

This report describes activities for the sixteenth quarter of work performed under this agreement. MEFOS, the gasification testing subcontractor, reported to EnviRes that the vendor for the pressure vessel for above atmospheric testing now plans to deliver it by November 20, 2006 instead of October 20, 2006 as previously reported. MEFOS performed a hazardous operation review of pressurized testing. The current schedule anticipates above atmospheric pressure testing to begin during the week of April 16, 2007. Phase I of the work to be done under this agreement consisted of conducting atmospheric gasification of coal using the HyMelt technology to produce separate hydrogen rich and carbon monoxide rich product streams. In addition smaller quantities of petroleum coke and a low value refinery stream were gasified. Phase II of the work to be done under this agreement, consists of gasification of the above-mentioned feeds at a gasifier pressure of approximately 3 bar. The results of this work will be used to evaluate the technical and economic aspects of producing ultra-clean transportation fuels using the HyMelt technology in existing and proposed refinery configurations

Part 2: Preparing Entry-Level Occupational and Physical Therapy Students to Promote Healthy Lifestyles Emphasizing Healthy Eating with Individuals with Disabilities

Rehabilitation professionals including occupational therapists (OT) and physical therapists (PT) are increasingly called upon to incorporate health promotion of lifestyle behaviors including physical activity and healthy eating into routine clinical care. While OTs and PTs may be comfortable promoting activity-related behaviors, many are less comfortable with nutrition behaviors. To address entry-level OT and PT students’ perceived discomfort with discussing diet-related behaviors, faculty developed a healthy eating module for students to use during a community-based service learning program. The purpose of this paper is to describe the formative evaluation process of developing the healthy eating module, and to discuss results of a pilot trial of this module. The formative assessment of the healthy eating module consisted of four steps: focus groups with students, key informant interviews with community partners, expert panel round table, and expert panel review of materials. Students (n=117) completed questionnaires at the end of the service learning program to assess how much they used the new resources, and how useful they found the resources. The final healthy eating module consisted of an on-line training session and a healthy eating toolkit, including resources for assessments, treatment activities and additional nutrition information. Mann-Whitney U tests indicated that students who reported high use of materials found the resources significantly more helpful than those students who reported low use (

Part 1: Preparing Entry-Level Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Students to Promote Health and Wellbeing with Individuals with Disabilities

To address accreditation standards for health and wellbeing within entry-level occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) programs, the OT, PT, and Human Studies Departments at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) collaborated with community partners to conduct an interdisciplinary service learning activity based on the I Can Do It, You Can Do It Program (ICDI). This program is a structured community health program where individuals without disabilities are partnered with individuals with disabilities to enhance physical activity, healthy eating, and community participation. The purpose of this paper is to describe a formative evaluation of ICDI at UAB, and to discuss revisions to the program made as a result of the evaluation. Faculty used a qualitative design to collect feedback on perceived benefits and challenges of the program. Focus groups were conducted with students who completed the program, and key informant interviews were conducted with site coordinators from each of the three partnering community sites. Two themes emerged from student focus groups: (1) Program benefits, with sub-themes of hands-on application and interaction, and (2) Challenges with suggestions for change, with sub-themes of preparation, communication, and expectations. Four themes emerged from key informant interviews: (1) Students, (2) Logistics, (3) Program benefits, and (4) Transference. Results of this evaluation led to a number of revisions for the 2016 cohort. Future evaluations will include objective measures of change in student knowledge over time, as well as health and behavioral outcomes of community members who participated in the ICDI program at UAB