Learn more about LISER’s departments, shaping our contributions to societal and scientific challenges.

Discover research that examines key challenges in employment, economic trends and social dynamics within the labour market, offering valuable insights into these important areas.

Living Conditions

Engage with research that investigates the factors influencing living standards, with a focus on income distribution, housing conditions and social inclusion, providing evidence-based insights into these crucial areas.

Urban Development and Mobility

Studies urban dynamics to identify pathways of actors to stimulate sustainable urban transitions.

Appel à Communications: Les relations industrielles dans un monde du travail en mutation

Learn more about our cross-departmental programmes, which combine interdisciplinary expertise to tackle transversal challenges.

Crossing Borders

Discover how our research into the complexities of cross-border mobility is advancing knowledge, shaping policy, benefiting society and addressing global challenges.

Health and Health Systems

Engage with research dedicated to enhancing public health, improving healthcare accessibility, and promoting equitable and efficient health solutions at a global scale.

Discover LISER's initiatives, driving scientific progress and fostering meaningful collaborations with stakeholders.

Doctoral programmes

Meet a dynamic community of researchers addressing critical societal challenges through innovative and interdisciplinary studies. Our doctoral programme offers exceptional training, mentorship and opportunities to shape impactful policies and drive innovation in diverse fields.

Data Science and Simulation

The Centre of Competence for Data Science and Simulation (DSS) is a cross-departmental initiative. Our ambition is to develop infrastructure, tools and competences in in machine learning, big data, microsimulation and geoexperimentation to conduct excellent research and advise policy-makers as well as stakeholders.

Policy Lab

The LISER Policy Lab is an innovative initiative that integrates rigorous scientific research into policymaking to support decision-makers in tackling major challenges in areas like the economy, climate, health, digitalisation, housing, education, and social cohesion.

cc-EXPAR - Competence Centre in Experimental and Participatory Research

The Competence Centre in Experimental and Participatory Research (EXPAR) is a cross-departmental initiative. Our ambition is to improve awareness of and skills in experimental and participatory research methods to strengthen LISER’s position at the forefront of internationally high quality, scientifically rigorous and societally relevant research.

Research Seminar by Prof. Eugenio Proto (University of Glasgow)

Seminar

Series: LISER Research Seminar

English, English

Research Seminar by Prof. Eugenio Proto (University of Glasgow)

When:

TUE, 16 DEC 2025

From:

11:00 AM

To:

12:30 PM

Cognitive Abilities and the Demand for Bad Policy

(with Salvatore Nunnari and Aldo Rustichini)

Rational choice theories posit that citizens accurately evaluate policy options. However, many policies—such as price controls or Pigouvian taxes—produce equilibrium effects that citizens may underestimate, potentially leading to support for detrimental policies or opposition to beneficial ones. This under-appreciation may be linked to citizens’ cognitive abilities, raising fundamental research questions: Do cognitive abilities influence citizens’ preferences over policies? If so, what mechanisms underlie this influence? We employ a theoretical framework and conduct a decision-making experiment involving a UK-representative sample to demonstrate that enhanced cognitive abilities can lead to improved policy preferences. We also uncover the crucial role of beliefs about the cognitive abilities of other citizens: even highly cognitively capable individuals may oppose beneficial reforms if they doubt others’ capacity to understand these policies’ implications and adapt their behavior accordingly. We assess the external validity of these findings through a survey experiment measuring support for important climate mitigation policies and correlational evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. We discuss the policy implications of these findings.

Speaker

Eugenio Proto

University of Glasgow

Eugenio Proto is the Alec Cairncross Chair of Applied Economics and Econometrics at the University of Glasgow's Adam Smith Business School, leader of the applied economics cluster, and co-director of the Msc (Master) in Behavioral Science. He's Research Fellow of the 3 main European networks of economists: the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), IZA - Institute of Labor Economics and CESifo. His research primarily focuses on Behavioral and Experimental Economics, especially on the role of intelligence, personality, and psychological well-being on economics decisions. Eugenio has published extensively in leading economics journals and other highly regarded scientific outlets. His work has captured the attention of international newspapers and magazines. Eugenio completed his Ph.D. in Economics at ECARES, Université libre de Bruxelles in 2004.

Connect with me:

Event organizer:

RSS organizing team

seminars@liser.lu

When:

TUE, 16 DEC 2025