John A. List
@johnlist.bsky.social
I am an Economist leveraging the assignment mechanism in the field to test theory and help non-profits, govts, and anyone who will listen! My goal is to (hopefully!) change the world for the better. My picture is with my oldest son!
Pinned
John A. List
@johnlist.bsky.social
· Mar 25
I finally have a publication date for my new Experimental Economics textbook: December 12. Equally as important, I am proud to have negotiated a low price for the book: $38.10...for a nearly 800 page book!
You can find the book here: www.amazon.com/Experimental...
You can find the book here: www.amazon.com/Experimental...
Our Best Chance to Make Real Change? Scalable Ideas with Private Partners
That is the title of my discussion this afternoon with a group of University of Chicago students. Slides are here, which include a field experiment with airline pilots and scaling insights: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/natura...
That is the title of my discussion this afternoon with a group of University of Chicago students. Slides are here, which include a field experiment with airline pilots and scaling insights: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/natura...
Our Best Chance to Make Real Change? Scalable Ideas with Pri
Presentation Slides
ideas.repec.org
October 30, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Our Best Chance to Make Real Change? Scalable Ideas with Private Partners
That is the title of my discussion this afternoon with a group of University of Chicago students. Slides are here, which include a field experiment with airline pilots and scaling insights: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/natura...
That is the title of my discussion this afternoon with a group of University of Chicago students. Slides are here, which include a field experiment with airline pilots and scaling insights: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/natura...
Reposted by John A. List
Shout out to @johnlist.bsky.social, @gubri.bsky.social and Sabrina Liu on this work!
I'm personally particularly pumped that @beckerfriedman.bsky.social will be helping build on these findings!
I'm personally particularly pumped that @beckerfriedman.bsky.social will be helping build on these findings!
October 17, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Shout out to @johnlist.bsky.social, @gubri.bsky.social and Sabrina Liu on this work!
I'm personally particularly pumped that @beckerfriedman.bsky.social will be helping build on these findings!
I'm personally particularly pumped that @beckerfriedman.bsky.social will be helping build on these findings!
Reposted by John A. List
Introducing SPEAK—a scalable, computer-adaptive tool to measure knowledge of early human development. By Gaudreau, Levine, @johnlist.bsky.social & @drdanasuskind.bsky.social, it identifies knowledge gaps to guide targeted interventions and improve child outcomes. ow.ly/fzOk50XbjrG
Introducing The SPEAK: A Scalable Computer- Adaptive Tool to Measure Knowledge of Early Human Development | Becker Friedman Institute
Research shows responsive caregiving enhances children’s brain development, with parental knowledge predicting positive behaviors and outcomes. However, knowledge varies widely across educational leve...
ow.ly
October 15, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Introducing SPEAK—a scalable, computer-adaptive tool to measure knowledge of early human development. By Gaudreau, Levine, @johnlist.bsky.social & @drdanasuskind.bsky.social, it identifies knowledge gaps to guide targeted interventions and improve child outcomes. ow.ly/fzOk50XbjrG
**NEW STUDY ALERT**
Parents want to help their children succeed. But what if they don't know what they don't know?
Yet we've lacked a comprehensive, scalable tool to quickly assess what parents and educators know—and where their knowledge gaps lie. We have one now: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/artefa...
Parents want to help their children succeed. But what if they don't know what they don't know?
Yet we've lacked a comprehensive, scalable tool to quickly assess what parents and educators know—and where their knowledge gaps lie. We have one now: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/artefa...
Introducing The SPEAK: A Scalable Computer-Adaptive Tool to
Research shows responsive caregiving enhances children's brain development, with parental knowledge predicting positive behaviors and outcomes. However, knowledge varies widely across educational leve
ideas.repec.org
October 10, 2025 at 3:30 PM
**NEW STUDY ALERT**
Parents want to help their children succeed. But what if they don't know what they don't know?
Yet we've lacked a comprehensive, scalable tool to quickly assess what parents and educators know—and where their knowledge gaps lie. We have one now: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/artefa...
Parents want to help their children succeed. But what if they don't know what they don't know?
Yet we've lacked a comprehensive, scalable tool to quickly assess what parents and educators know—and where their knowledge gaps lie. We have one now: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/artefa...
The econ PhD market will be difficult this year. The exact same thing happened when I went on the market years ago: I sent out 150 applications...and got 1 interview! Then I wrote a paper about it! ideas.repec.org/p/feb/natura...
Both sides of the market responded. Is this happening now too?
Both sides of the market responded. Is this happening now too?
October 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
The econ PhD market will be difficult this year. The exact same thing happened when I went on the market years ago: I sent out 150 applications...and got 1 interview! Then I wrote a paper about it! ideas.repec.org/p/feb/natura...
Both sides of the market responded. Is this happening now too?
Both sides of the market responded. Is this happening now too?
Last night's conversation about AI's strain on our energy grid led us to the classic tragedy of the commons problem. When asked what single change could help, my answer was immediate: "Put women in charge." And I have some field experimental evidence to back it up! ideas.repec.org/p/feb/artefa...
Do women supply more public goods than men? Preliminary expe
No abstract is available for this item.
ideas.repec.org
October 6, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Last night's conversation about AI's strain on our energy grid led us to the classic tragedy of the commons problem. When asked what single change could help, my answer was immediate: "Put women in charge." And I have some field experimental evidence to back it up! ideas.repec.org/p/feb/artefa...
Just chatted with some pre-docs heading to the grad school market. They all agreed: quant GRE matters for admissions, verbal doesn't. So they don't try on verbal.
Here's what I learned doing admissions at UChicago
(2007-12): verbal scores had the most predictive power for job market paper quality.
Here's what I learned doing admissions at UChicago
(2007-12): verbal scores had the most predictive power for job market paper quality.
October 5, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Just chatted with some pre-docs heading to the grad school market. They all agreed: quant GRE matters for admissions, verbal doesn't. So they don't try on verbal.
Here's what I learned doing admissions at UChicago
(2007-12): verbal scores had the most predictive power for job market paper quality.
Here's what I learned doing admissions at UChicago
(2007-12): verbal scores had the most predictive power for job market paper quality.
Reposted by John A. List
(How) should businesses apoligize when they screw up? Field experiment on Uber rides by Halperin et al suggests the best form of apology is to include a coupon for a future trip, while just apologies—especially repeated—may backfire:
buff.ly/UvPPkc7
via @johnlist.bsky.social
buff.ly/UvPPkc7
via @johnlist.bsky.social
September 30, 2025 at 8:18 AM
(How) should businesses apoligize when they screw up? Field experiment on Uber rides by Halperin et al suggests the best form of apology is to include a coupon for a future trip, while just apologies—especially repeated—may backfire:
buff.ly/UvPPkc7
via @johnlist.bsky.social
buff.ly/UvPPkc7
via @johnlist.bsky.social
Just out in the NBER.....identification of a structural model of human capital skill formation amongst adolescents using a field experiment.
www.nber.org/papers/w34274
www.nber.org/papers/w34274
Why Don’t Struggling Students Do Their Homework? Disentangling Motivation and Study Productivity as Drivers of Human Capital Formation
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
September 26, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Just out in the NBER.....identification of a structural model of human capital skill formation amongst adolescents using a field experiment.
www.nber.org/papers/w34274
www.nber.org/papers/w34274
Quite happy to report that Blurb #2 is in for my new Experimental Economics textbook. From none other than the indomitable Ernst Fehr!
"This advanced textbook offers a rigorous and comprehensive exploration of the methodological design..
"This advanced textbook offers a rigorous and comprehensive exploration of the methodological design..
September 24, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Quite happy to report that Blurb #2 is in for my new Experimental Economics textbook. From none other than the indomitable Ernst Fehr!
"This advanced textbook offers a rigorous and comprehensive exploration of the methodological design..
"This advanced textbook offers a rigorous and comprehensive exploration of the methodological design..
Why Don't Struggling Students Do Their Homework? In a new study we use a field experiment to identify a structural model of learning.
We find that low productivity, not low motivation, is the stronger predictor of academic struggles. Study is available here: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/framed...
We find that low productivity, not low motivation, is the stronger predictor of academic struggles. Study is available here: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/framed...
Why Don't Struggling Students Do Their Homework? Disentangli
Using field-experimental data (study-time tracking and randomized incentives), we identify a structural model of learning. Student effort is influenced by external costs/benefits and unobserved hetero
ideas.repec.org
September 22, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Why Don't Struggling Students Do Their Homework? In a new study we use a field experiment to identify a structural model of learning.
We find that low productivity, not low motivation, is the stronger predictor of academic struggles. Study is available here: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/framed...
We find that low productivity, not low motivation, is the stronger predictor of academic struggles. Study is available here: ideas.repec.org/p/feb/framed...
Great stuff @singhabhi.bsky.social!
Big picture: `science of scaling’ matters enormously for welfare.
Unlike medicine, social programs need iterative adaptation & testing beyond finding "what works" in small pilots.
Without this, as
@johnlist.bsky.social
notes, “we are performing efficacy tests on steroids”. 16/16"
Unlike medicine, social programs need iterative adaptation & testing beyond finding "what works" in small pilots.
Without this, as
@johnlist.bsky.social
notes, “we are performing efficacy tests on steroids”. 16/16"
September 22, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Great stuff @singhabhi.bsky.social!
Reposted by John A. List
Tipping is a haphazard way to pay workers—yet it keeps expanding. With tax policy shifting pro-tip, Freakonomics revisits a 2019 episode with @johnlist.bsky.social on why tipping persists. 🎙
freakonomics.com/podcast/seas...
freakonomics.com/podcast/seas...
Season 15, Episode 1 - Freakonomics
Season 15, Episode 1 - Freakonomics
freakonomics.com
September 8, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Tipping is a haphazard way to pay workers—yet it keeps expanding. With tax policy shifting pro-tip, Freakonomics revisits a 2019 episode with @johnlist.bsky.social on why tipping persists. 🎙
freakonomics.com/podcast/seas...
freakonomics.com/podcast/seas...
Reposted by John A. List
Today is the last day of the Chicago School in Experimental Economics taking place in Bonn, organized by @econtribute.bsky.social, @iza.org and the University of Chicago. Thanks to everyone that participated! @luca-henkel.bsky.social @johnlist.bsky.social @dfg.de #EconSky
September 11, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Today is the last day of the Chicago School in Experimental Economics taking place in Bonn, organized by @econtribute.bsky.social, @iza.org and the University of Chicago. Thanks to everyone that participated! @luca-henkel.bsky.social @johnlist.bsky.social @dfg.de #EconSky
New Paper Alert
Given my first gen roots, this paper was especially satisfying to research and write, even though the results are a bit disheartening. We use administrative data covering all North Carolina public school students, to document five facts about first generation excellence gaps…. .
Given my first gen roots, this paper was especially satisfying to research and write, even though the results are a bit disheartening. We use administrative data covering all North Carolina public school students, to document five facts about first generation excellence gaps…. .
August 31, 2025 at 11:02 AM
New Paper Alert
Given my first gen roots, this paper was especially satisfying to research and write, even though the results are a bit disheartening. We use administrative data covering all North Carolina public school students, to document five facts about first generation excellence gaps…. .
Given my first gen roots, this paper was especially satisfying to research and write, even though the results are a bit disheartening. We use administrative data covering all North Carolina public school students, to document five facts about first generation excellence gaps…. .
Reposted by John A. List
🎙️ UChicago’s @johnlist.bsky.social joins St. Louis Fed’s Scott Wolla to discuss his innovative approach to teaching economics—sparking curiosity through real-world questions, field experiments, and behavioral insights. ow.ly/8E0W50WM85K
John List: Inspiring Student Curiosity through Real-World Economics
In this episode, University of Chicago professor John List shares his unique approach to teaching economics.
ow.ly
August 26, 2025 at 2:59 PM
🎙️ UChicago’s @johnlist.bsky.social joins St. Louis Fed’s Scott Wolla to discuss his innovative approach to teaching economics—sparking curiosity through real-world questions, field experiments, and behavioral insights. ow.ly/8E0W50WM85K
Reposted by John A. List
Providing the first large-scale analysis of College Saving Accounts participation and effectiveness, from Guglielmo Briscese, John A. List, and Sabrina Liu https://www.nber.org/papers/w34126
August 19, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Providing the first large-scale analysis of College Saving Accounts participation and effectiveness, from Guglielmo Briscese, John A. List, and Sabrina Liu https://www.nber.org/papers/w34126
Especially appreciate Liverpool fans signing up!
Any econs want to join our #econsky Fantasy Premier League season?
Someone has to beat the two-time champion @proflivingston.bsky.social
Signup here: fantasy.premierleague.com/leagues/auto...
League Code: vl9rhl
@hhsievertsen.bsky.social @danielepaserman.bsky.social @johnlist.bsky.social
Someone has to beat the two-time champion @proflivingston.bsky.social
Signup here: fantasy.premierleague.com/leagues/auto...
League Code: vl9rhl
@hhsievertsen.bsky.social @danielepaserman.bsky.social @johnlist.bsky.social
Fantasy Premier League, Official Fantasy Football Game of the Premier League
Official Fantasy Premier League 2025/26. Free to play fantasy football game, set up your fantasy football team at the Official Premier League site.
fantasy.premierleague.com
August 13, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Especially appreciate Liverpool fans signing up!
**NEW PAPER ALERT**
When you have kids or believe that higher education is a critical tool for social mobility, college affordability is top of mind. College Savings Accounts offer a promising tool for financing higher education. We combine several data sources to explore key issues.
When you have kids or believe that higher education is a critical tool for social mobility, college affordability is top of mind. College Savings Accounts offer a promising tool for financing higher education. We combine several data sources to explore key issues.
August 9, 2025 at 6:36 PM
**NEW PAPER ALERT**
When you have kids or believe that higher education is a critical tool for social mobility, college affordability is top of mind. College Savings Accounts offer a promising tool for financing higher education. We combine several data sources to explore key issues.
When you have kids or believe that higher education is a critical tool for social mobility, college affordability is top of mind. College Savings Accounts offer a promising tool for financing higher education. We combine several data sources to explore key issues.
Reposted by John A. List
Is there a more effective and efficient way to curb workplace misbehaviour (under relative performance pay) than monitoring and punishment (which depress productivity and harm morale)?
Yes, field research by Flory et al finds—bonuses:
buff.ly/merEqSF
HT @johnlist.bsky.social
Yes, field research by Flory et al finds—bonuses:
buff.ly/merEqSF
HT @johnlist.bsky.social
August 7, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Is there a more effective and efficient way to curb workplace misbehaviour (under relative performance pay) than monitoring and punishment (which depress productivity and harm morale)?
Yes, field research by Flory et al finds—bonuses:
buff.ly/merEqSF
HT @johnlist.bsky.social
Yes, field research by Flory et al finds—bonuses:
buff.ly/merEqSF
HT @johnlist.bsky.social
Today, scaling has evolved far beyond its origins as a mere objective. It now represents a rich domain for scientific inquiry, demanding contributions from economics and allied disciplines. As such, I am excited to announce a special issue on scaling at the JPE-Micro!
August 5, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Today, scaling has evolved far beyond its origins as a mere objective. It now represents a rich domain for scientific inquiry, demanding contributions from economics and allied disciplines. As such, I am excited to announce a special issue on scaling at the JPE-Micro!
Referees make the journal system work. They are selfless in volunteering their time to ensure that our science continues to progress.
All of the great referees out there please know that editors recognize your hard work and tireless effort. We do not always say it, but we do! Thank you.
All of the great referees out there please know that editors recognize your hard work and tireless effort. We do not always say it, but we do! Thank you.
August 4, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Referees make the journal system work. They are selfless in volunteering their time to ensure that our science continues to progress.
All of the great referees out there please know that editors recognize your hard work and tireless effort. We do not always say it, but we do! Thank you.
All of the great referees out there please know that editors recognize your hard work and tireless effort. We do not always say it, but we do! Thank you.
Few things can make a father prouder than his daughter changing the world....by teaching about field experiments at the World Youth Economic Forum!
August 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Few things can make a father prouder than his daughter changing the world....by teaching about field experiments at the World Youth Economic Forum!
Reposted by John A. List
Forthcoming article by Kuan-Ming Chen, Ning Ding @johnlist.bsky.social and Magne Mogstad "Reservation Wages and Workers’ Valuation of Job Flexibility: Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment" @eeanews.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/jeea...
doi.org/10.1093/jeea...
Reservation Wages and Workers’ Valuation of Job Flexibility: Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment
Abstract. We quantify how labor supply elasticities and reservation wages vary between people and over time, and infer workers’ valuation of flexibility in
doi.org
July 18, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Forthcoming article by Kuan-Ming Chen, Ning Ding @johnlist.bsky.social and Magne Mogstad "Reservation Wages and Workers’ Valuation of Job Flexibility: Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment" @eeanews.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/jeea...
doi.org/10.1093/jeea...
Reposted by John A. List
Relative to a white driver traveling the same speed, minorities are 24 -33% more likely to be stopped for speeding and to pay 23-34% more in fines. Research by Pradhi Aggarwal, Alec Brandon, Ariel Goldszmidt, Justin Holz, John A. List, Ian Muir, Gregory Sun, and Thomas Yu. ow.ly/hVgO50Qxk7t
High-Frequency Location Data Shows That Race Affects the Likelihood of Being Stopped and Fined for Speeding | Becker Friedman Institute
Given news reporting in recent years, many readers are likely familiar with research which finds that, conditional on an encounter, police officers are more likely to enforce a law, conduct a search, ...
bfi.uchicago.edu
July 17, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Relative to a white driver traveling the same speed, minorities are 24 -33% more likely to be stopped for speeding and to pay 23-34% more in fines. Research by Pradhi Aggarwal, Alec Brandon, Ariel Goldszmidt, Justin Holz, John A. List, Ian Muir, Gregory Sun, and Thomas Yu. ow.ly/hVgO50Qxk7t