Publications | Egor Bronnikov

2024

Review Paper

[Economics]

Dissernet: Overcoming Scientific Misconduct in Post-Soviet Academia

Egor Bronnikov, and Andrey Rostovtsev

2024

Abstract

TBA.
Review Paper

[Political Science]

Unmasking Postmodern Autocratic Propaganda: What We Know About It And What We Don’t.

Egor Bronnikov

World Politics: Proposal Approved, 2024

Abstract

This review essay aims to address several questions raised by the impact of propaganda in modern autocracies. It also examines the distinctions between this form of propaganda and the one traditionally associated with classical dictatorships, as well as its correlation with repression and protests in present-day autocracies. To achieve this, the essay will conduct an in-depth analysis of recent research papers and books that explore the fundamentals of propaganda and its manifestations in contemporary autocratic regimes. The objectives of this review are threefold. First, to provide a synopsis of the cutting-edge knowledge on propaganda as presented in the literature. Second, to offer a critical analysis that integrates recent literature from political science and economics to yield a more comprehensive assessment. Third, to identify the gaps in our current comprehension of propaganda in modern autocracies.
Research Paper

[Economics]

Motivated Efforts.

Egor Bronnikov

2024

Abstract

A remarkable state of the current literature on motivated reasoning is the idea that, although humans update their beliefs in a manner that deviates significantly from rational Bayesian reasoning, this divergence does not necessarily translate into corresponding actions. This paper is the first to explore how distorted beliefs can influence individuals’ effort provision in non-zero-sum games. Through laboratory experiments, we aim to document how subjects – Bayesian updaters and Motivated reasoners – update their beliefs and make commitments to exert effort in the context of identity-relevant tasks.
Research Paper

[Economics]

(De)Motivating Sentiments: The Effects of Induced Emotions on Asymmetric Belief Updating

Egor Bronnikov, and Michalis Drouvelis

2024

Abstract

TBA.
Research Paper

[Economics]

Motivated Losses

Egor Bronnikov, Pedro Gonzalez-Fernandez, and Thomas Meissner

2024

Abstract

TBA.
Discussion Paper

[Political Science]

Rethinking Transitional Justice For Postwar Russia: Challenging The Assumptions.

Egor Bronnikov

2024

Abstract

TBA
Research Paper

[Economics]

Wartime Preferences: The Effect of Violence Exposure on Time and Risk Attitudes

Egor Bronnikov, and Hannes Rusch

2024

Abstract

TBA.
[Statistics]

Book Review of ’Principles of Statistical Analyses: Learning from Randomized Experiments’ by Ery Arias-Castro.

Egor Bronnikov

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society–Series A: Forthcoming, 2024

Abstract HTML PDF

This short review discusses a recent book, ’Principles of Statistical Analyses: Learning from Randomized Experiments’ by Ery Arias-Castro.
[Political Science]

Book Review of ’After Authoritarianism: Transitional Justice and Democratic Stability’ by Monika Nalepa.

Egor Bronnikov

Democratization: Forthcoming, 2024

Abstract HTML PDF

TBA
[Statistics]

Book Review of ’The Effect: An Introduction to Research Design and Causality’ by Nick Huntington-Klein.

Egor Bronnikov

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society–Series A: Forthcoming, 2024

Abstract HTML PDF

This short review discusses a recent book, ’The Effect: An Introduction to Research Design and Causality’ by Nick Huntington-Klein.
[Political Science]

Book Note on ’Why Humans Fight: The Social Dynamics of Close-Range Violence’ by Siniša Malešević.

Egor Bronnikov

Journal of Peace Research, 2024

Abstract HTML PDF

This brief note presents a concise overview of a recent book, ’Why Humans Fight: The Social Dynamics of Close-Range Violence’ by Siniša Malešević.

2023

Research Paper

[Economics]

Is Loneliness a Blessing or a Curse? Effects of Loneliness on Social and Economic Preferences.

Egor Bronnikov, and Christian Koch

2023

Abstract

Loneliness is a significant problem of our times: every second individual feels lonely at least occasionally, and every seventeenth experiences it often or always. The dramatic negative effects of loneliness are well-documented in the literature, affecting both mental and physical health. However, loneliness remains an under-researched area. Specifically, there is no study on the social and economic preferences that establishes the causal effect of loneliness. To the best of our knowledge, our paper is the first to address this issue using economic laboratory settings. We document the multidimensional effects of loneliness on social and economic preferences. The primary implication of our studies is to provide reasons why and through which mechanisms lonely individuals can be more easily exploited than those who are not (or less) lonely, and are hence at higher risk. Our paper also offers insights for policymakers on how to mitigate these effects.
Research Paper

[Economics]

Is Egalitarianism Equivalent To Libertarianism Under High Trust?

Egor Bronnikov

2023

Abstract

Enhancing trust is recognized in the literature as fostering a stronger legal system, accelerating economic growth rates, and promoting higher levels of welfare. Simultaneously, considerations of fairness play a pivotal role in decision-making. However, there is a lack of explicit research on how information about individuals’ fairness preferences impacts interpersonal trust—a question that I am addressing in this study. The novel design of the laboratory experiment presented in this paper sheds light on this matter. Potentially, this paper contributes to the existing literature on trust dimensionality and heterogeneity, beliefs-dependence, and the social context. This study has two significant implications: under a high level of interpersonal trust, (i) inequality is mitigated, and (ii) fairness norms tend to converge towards strict egalitarianism. In terms of policy implications, there is a need for greater diversity or dimensionality of fairness to be introduced (e.g., in taxation systems and social inclusivity).
[Psychology]

Book Review of ’The Power Of Experiments: Decision Making In A Data-Driven World’ by Michael Luca & Max H. Bazerman.

Egor Bronnikov

Personnel Psychology, 2023, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1219-1221

Abstract HTML PDF

What should a letter from the National Tax Authority include to maximize tax payments? How can discrimination be minimized in online markets? Is it possible that a brief two-line notification to students’ parents can result in a substantial reduction in class absenteeism? This review essay discusses the new book by Luca & Bazerman (2021) which provides answers to these and numerous other questions.
[Political Science]

Book Review of ’Voicing Politics: How Language Shapes Public Opinion’ by Efrén Pérez & Margit Tavits.

Egor Bronnikov

Democratization, 2023, vol. 30, no. 8, pp. 1628-1630

Abstract HTML PDF

Can languages influence political preferences? How can the influence of language be accurately separated from culture? Does language shape public opinion? And why is language important for democracy? This paper reviews a recent book by Pérez and Tavits (2022) that sheds light on these inquiries.
[Economics]

Book Review of ’Social Preferences: An Introduction to Behavioural Economics and Experimental Research’ by Michalis Drouvelis.

Egor Bronnikov

Journal of Economic Methodology (ahead-of-print), 2023

Abstract HTML PDF

Over the past few decades, the subject of social preferences has held significant importance in economics. This paper offers an analysis of the recent book by Drouvelis (2021), discussing its merits and situating its position within the existing literature.
[Political Science]

Commissioned Book Review of ’Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century’ by Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman.

Egor Bronnikov

Political Studies Review, 2023, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. np7-np8

Abstract HTML PDF

Reflecting on the history of the twentieth century, one of the most striking phenomena in the political realm is dictatorships. Why does the world witness significantly fewer of them today? Was the apparent omnipotence of dictators merely an illusion? Or have they transformed into different, concealed forms? This review delves into the new book by Guriev and Treisman (2022), which addresses these very questions.
[Economics]

Book Review of ’The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale’ by John List.

Egor Bronnikov

Public Choice, 2023, vol. 194, pp. 229-230

Abstract HTML PDF

Can every idea be scaled? Is there an inherent factor in a business or public policy proposal that inherently makes it a winning concept, or is everything contingent on its execution? This review explores the new book by List (2022), which delves into these questions.

2022

Review Paper

[Economics]

How to Make an Economic Experiment? A Brief Introduction In Experimental Design.

Egor Bronnikov, Alexis Belianin, and Alexey Upravitelev

2022
[Economics]

Book Review of ’Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters’ by Steven Pinker.

Egor Bronnikov

Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 2022, vol. 101, pp. 951

Abstract HTML PDF

What is rationality? Does it vary among different branches of science (e.g., economics and psychology)? Is it a limited resource, and how should we approach it? This review examines the new book by Pinker (2021), which addresses these questions.
[Economics]

Book Review of ’Noise: A Flaw In Human Judgment’ by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein.

Egor Bronnikov

Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, 2022, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 53-54

Abstract HTML PDF

Humans making decisions, at large, are not strictly rational, but sensitive to many external circumstances, or contexts. Examples of these include weather conditions, successes or failures of their favoured sports teams or even the time that has passed since lunch. Anyone who has been exposed to popular results from Behavioural Economics will not be really surprised by these instances. However, such context sensitivity also applies to university admission officers who have to judge candidates’ academic merits on cloudy or sunny days; to medical doctors who tend to be much more willing to prescribe opioids to patients in their last working hours; or even to federal judges who are significantly more condescending to the accused person in nasty weather conditions outside. Are these cases problematic indeed? Many might guess that on average these errors may cancel out. However, the authors of Noise argue this conjecture is neither correct nor harmless from the social viewpoint.

2019

[Economics]

Book Review of ’How We Misunderstand Economics and Why It Matters’ by David Leiser and Yhonatan Shemesh.

Egor Bronnikov

Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, 2019, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 46-47

Abstract HTML PDF

Laypeople – in their majority – do not realize the subtleties of physics or biology, or come along with ready-made judgements about medicine or chemistry. This sequence could be continued and economics would not be an exception – yet it is. And way too many common judgments on economic issues turn out to be wrong. Examples abound: laypeople do not realize the impact of a drop in demand on market price changes, object to a tax rise even if it certainly leads to the overall improvement of future public welfare, fail to see the connection between real estate prices and interest rates, neglect the adverse consequences of price regulation, get lost in unemployment-inflation trade-off (the Phillips curve), and neglect opportunity costs when making their own decisions. Why is it so, and what is much more important – why should we bother about it? David Leiser and Yhonatan Shemesh provide an elegant and striking analysis of the behavioural origins of public misperceptions of the logic and development of modern economics, and of their implications for public policy.