On March 2, 2026, ISET hosted the second session of its Research Seminar Series, featuring a presentation by Daniel Levy, Professor at ISET and William Gittes Chair in the Department of Economics at Bar-Ilan University. The seminar centered on Professor Levy’s co-authored research titled, “Large Effects of Small Cues: Priming Selfish Economic Decisions.
The research examines how subtle contextual cues influence decision-making when individuals face a tradeoff between profit maximization (market norms) and concern for workers’ welfare (social norms). The findings demonstrate that signaling an economic context increases the likelihood of profit-maximizing behavior among both economics and non-economics students, while emphasizing social norms reduces such tendencies. Importantly, the study shows that the role of context in shaping behavior is at least as strong as baseline differences between the two groups.
The seminar concluded with an engaging discussion, sparking thoughtful reflections among students and faculty.
