Profile
Catherine Eckel obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.
Eckel's research is in the area of experimental economics and concerns the effect of social interaction on economic exchange.
Her work is interdisciplinary, incorporating concepts from psychology and sociology into economic research.
She has published more than 50 papers in journals in economics and other fields. Recent projects include: the effect of subsidies on charitable giving, measuring preferences (risk attitudes, patience, and pro-social orientation) using incentivized tasks, and discrimination by race and gender in games of trust.
She also co-directs an ongoing teaching technology project developing interactive exercises for active learning in large classes via system of wireless handheld computers.
This project has earned her two university-level teaching awards. Research projects are supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Aspen Foundation, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Past Work Experience
Professor - School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, 2005 to present.
Professor - Department of Economics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 1998 to present. Associate Professor - 1989 to 1998. Assistant Professor - 1983 to 1989. Associate Department Head - 1987-1993.
Director - Laboratory for the Study of Human Thought and Action, Virginia Tech, 2002 to present.
Associate Fellow - CIRANO (Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en analyse des organisations), Montreal, 2004 to present.
Fellow - Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, May - July, 2002.
Program Director - National Science Foundation, Economics Program, Arlington, VA 22230, June, 1996 - June, 1998.
Visiting Associate Research Scientist - Economic Science Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, September, 1994 – May, 1995.
Assistant Professor - Policy Division, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, January, 1981 - July, 1983.
Teaching Awards
2004
X-Caliber Award – Virginia Tech university-level award for innovation in teaching technology, Virginia Tech.
Diggs Teaching Scholar Award – Virginia Tech university-level award for integrating teaching and research, Virginia Tech.
Principles of Economics Teacher of the Year - Department of Economics, Virginia Tech.
2003 - 2004
Who’s Who Among American Teachers.
1993-1994
Teacher of the Year Award - Department of Economics, Virginia Tech.
1986
Virginia Tech Economics Club Excellence in Teaching Award.
Professional Organizations and Professional Service
National Science Foundation:
Program Director, Economics Program, July 1996 - July 1998.
Review Panel, Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training Program (IGERT) Pre-Proposal Review Panel, September, 1998.
Review Panel, Decision, Risk and Management Science Program, 1999 - 2001.
Review Panel, ADVANCE Program, March, 2003.
Review Panel, Human and Social Dynamics Program, May, 2004.
Workshop: Cyber infrastructure for the Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, March, 2005.
Site Visit: ADVANCE Program, Montana State University, 2006
European Science Foundation:
Review Panel, TECT: The Evolution of Cooperation and Trading: July-December 2006.
Program workshop TECT: The Evolution of Cooperation and Trading:. July 5-7, Budapest.
Organizational Officer Positions, Boards and Committees:
American Economic Association
Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession (CSWEP), 1997-1999.
Elaine Bennett Prize Committee (awards a prize for outstanding research accomplishment by a young woman economist, given every 2 years), Chair, 1998-9; Member, 2000-1.
COSSA Liason Committee, 1999-2003.
American National Election Studies, Board of Overseers, 2006-present.
CASSEL: California Social Science Experimentation Lab at UCLA
Member of Executive Board, 2001-Present
Economic Science Association:
North American Vice President, 2000-2004
Section Head, Experimental Methodology, 1995-1999.
Network on Preferences and Norms, an interdisciplinary group sponsored by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Core Member: 1996-present.
Co-director, Subnetwork on Individual Differences in Risk Attitudes.
Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics
Advisory board, member at large, 2006
Southern Economic Association:
President, 2006
President-elect, Program Chair, 2005
Vice President, 2002-2004.
Nominations Committee, 1999-2000.
Executive Board, 1992-94
Co-Editor:
Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, since 2005.
Journal of Regulatory Economics,Special Issue on the Role of Experimental Economics in Regulatory Research, March, 2003.
Associate Editor/Editorial Boards:
The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, (experimental and behavioral economics) 2nd Edition
Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (2003 - 2005)
Journal of Economic Psychology (since 2002)
Journal of Socio-Economics (since 2001)
Experimental Economics (since 1998)
Southern Economic Journal (since 1997)
Journal of Regulatory Economics (1999 - 2006)
Journal of Business Administration (1983 - 1996)
Courses
Experimental Economics (undergraduate and graduate)
Media Expertise
- Charitable giving
- Gender and ethnic discrimination
- Trust
- Altruism
- Social preferences
- Behavioral economics
- Experimental economic
Publications
Eckel, Catherine C., Angela C. M. de Oliveira and Philip J. Grossman. “Gender and Negotiation in the Small: Are Women (Perceived To Be) More Cooperative than Men?” Forthcoming, Negotiation Journal.
Eckel, Catherine C., and Phillip J. Grossman, “Subsidizing Charitable Contributions: A Natural Field Experiment Comparing Matching and Rebate Subsidies.” Forthcoming, Experimental Economics.
Eckel, Catherine C., Mahmoud El-Gamal and Rick K. Wilson, “Risk Loving after The Storm: A Bayesian-Network Study of Hurricane-Katrina Evacuees.” Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, forthcoming.
Eckel, Catherine C., “The Gender Gap: Using the Lab as a Window on the Market.” In Frontiers in the Economics of Gender, edited by Francesca Bettio and Alina Verashchagina. Routledge Siena Studies in Political Economy, forthcoming.
Eckel, Catherine C., and Philip J. Grossman, “Forecasting Risk Attitudes: An Experimental Study Using Actual and Forecast Gamble Choices.” Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, forthcoming.
Eckel, Catherine C., “Experiments on Gender Differences.” The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd edition, edited by Steven N. Durlauf and Lawrence E. Blume, Palgrave Macmillan (Basingstoke and New York). 2008.
Eckel, Catherine C., “Vernon Lomax Smith.” The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd edition, edited by Steven N. Durlauf and Lawrence E. Blume, Palgrave Macmillan (Basingstoke and New York). 2008.
Eckel, Catherine C., and Philip J. Grossman, “Men, Women and Risk Aversion: Experimental Evidence.” Forthcoming in Handbook of Experimental Results, edited by C. Plott and V. Smith. New York, Elsevier. 2008
Eckel, Catherine C., and Philip J. Grossman, “Differences in the Economic Decisions of Men and Women: Experimental Evidence.” Forthcoming in Handbook of Experimental Results, edited by C. Plott and V. Smith. New York, Elsevier. 2008
Eckel, Catherine C., Philip J. Grossman and Angela Milano, “Is More Information Always Better? An Experimental Study of Charitable Giving and Hurricane Katrina.” Southern Economic Journal 74(2):388-411. October, 2007.
Eckel, Catherine C., and Rick K. Wilson. “Social Learning in Coordination Games: Does Status Matter?” Experimental Economics, 10(3): 317-330. September, 2007.
Eckel, Catherine C., “People Playing Games: The Human Face of Game Theory.” (Presidential Address). Southern Economic Journal 73(4): 841-857. April, 2007.
Eckel, Catherine C., “Economic Games for Social Scientists.” In Laboratory Experiments in the Social Sciences, edited by Murray Webster and Jane Sell, pp. 497-515. Oxford, UK: Elsevier, 2007.
Eckel, Catherine C., C. Johnson, C. Montmarquette, and C. Rojas. “Debt Aversion and the Demand for Loans for Post-Secondary Education.” Public Finance Review 35(2): 233-262. March, 2007
Eckel, Catherine C., and Philip J. Grossman, “Do Donors Care About Subsidy Type: An Experimental Study.” In R. Mark Isaac and Douglas D. Davis, eds., Experiments Investigating Fundraising and Charitable Contributors. Research in Experimental Economics, Volume 11, pp. 157-176. Elsevier, 2006
Wilson, Rick K., and Catherine C. Eckel, "Judging a Book by its Cover: Beauty and Expectations in a Trust Game." Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 59, No. 2 (June 2006): pp. 189-202
Ball, Sheryl B., Catherine C. Eckel and Christian Rojas. “Technology Improves Learning in Large Principles of Economics Classes: Using Our WITS.” American Economic Review 96(2): 442-446. Papers and Proceedings, May, 2006.
Eckel, Catherine C., and Philip J. Grossman, “Subsidizing Charitable Giving with Rebates or Matching: Further Laboratory Evidence.” Southern Economic Journal 72(4): 794-807, April, 2006
Eckel, Catherine C., and Rick K. Wilson, “Internet Cautions.” Experimental Economics 9(1): 53-66, April, 2006
C. Eckel and P. Grossman, “Managing Diversity by Creating Team Identity.”Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 58 (3): 371-392, November, 2005.
C. Eckel, P. Grossman, and M. Johnston, “An Experimental Test of the Crowding Out Hypothesis.” Journal of Public Economics89 (8): 1543-1560, August, 2005.
C. Eckel, M. McInnes, S. Solnick, et al., “Bobbing for Widgets: Compensating Wage Differentials.” Journal of Economic Education 36 (2): 129-138, Spring, 2005.
C. Eckel, K. Johnson and C. Montmarquette, “Saving decisions of the working poor: short- and long-term horizons.” Field Experiments in Economics: Research in Experimental Economics, Volume 10, edited by Jeff Carpenter, Glenn W. Harrison, and John A. List, (Greenwich, CT: JAI Press) 2005, pp. 219-260.
C. Eckel and P. Grossman, “Men, Women and Risk Aversion: Experimental Evidence.” Forthcoming in Handbook of Experimental Results, edited by C. Plott and V. Smith, New York, Elsevier.
C. Eckel and P. Grossman, “Differences in the Economic Decisions of Men and Women: Experimental Evidence.” Forthcoming in Handbook of Experimental Results, edited by C. Plott and V. Smith, New York, Elsevier.
C. Eckel and R. Wilson, “Is Trust a Risky Decision?” Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 55 (4): 447-465, December, 2004.
S. Ball and C. Eckel, “Using Technology to Facilitate Active Learning in Economics Through Experiments.” Social Science Computer Review 22 (4): 469-478, Winter, 2004.
C. Eckel and P. Grossman, “Giving to Secular Causes by the Religious and Nonreligious: An Experimental Test of the Responsiveness of Giving to Subsidies." Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 33 (2): 271-289. June, 2004.
C. Eckel, “Vernon Smith, Nobel Laureate: Economics as a Laboratory Science.” Journal of Socio-Economics 33: 15-28, 2004. (Invited)
C. Eckel and N. Lutz, “What Role Can Experiments Play in Research on Regulation?” Journal of Regulatory Economics, 23 (2): 103-108. March, 2003.
C. Eckel and P. Grossman, "Rebates Versus Matching: Does How We Subsidize Charitable Contributions Matter?" Journal of Public Economics, 87 (3-4): 681-701, 2003.
C. Eckel and Rick K. Wilson, “The Human Face of Game Theory: Trust and Reciprocity in Sequential Games.” Chapter 9 in Trust and Reciprocity: Interdisciplinary Lessons from Experimental Research, edited by Elinor Ostrom, and Jimmy Walker, pp. 245-274, New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2003.
C. Eckel, Martin Johnson and Rick K. Wilson, “Fairness and Rejections in the Ultimatum Bargaining Game.” Political Analysis 10 (4): 376-393, 2002.
C. Eckel and P. Grossman, “Sex Differences and Statistical Stereotyping in Attitudes Toward Financial Risk.” Evolution and Human Behavior 23 (4): 281-295, 2002.
C. Eckel and Philip Grossman, "Chivalry and Solidarity in Ultimatum Games." Economic Inquiry 39 (2): 171-188, April, 2001.
S. Ball, C. Eckel, P. Grossman and W. Zame, "Status in Markets." Quarterly Journal of Economics155 (1): 161-181, February, 2001.
Jorn Scharleman, Catherine Eckel, Alex Kacelnik and Rick Wilson, “The Value of a Smile: Game Theory with a Human Face.” Journal of Economic Psychology 22: 617-640, 2001. Reprinted in Trust, edited by E.L. Khalil. A volume in the series Critical Studies in Economic Institutions." series editor: Geoffrey M. Hodgson. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2003.
C. Eckel and P. Grossman, “Volunteers and Pseudo-Volunteers: The Effect of Recruitment Method on Subjects’ Behavior in Experiments.” Experimental Economics 3 (2): 107-120, December, 2000.
C. Eckel, “Comment on ‘The Effects of Financial Incentives in Experiments: A Review and Capital-Labor Production Framework,' by Camerer and Hogarth.” Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 19 (1-3): 47-48, December, 1999.
C. Eckel and P. Grossman, “Are Women Less Selfish Than Men?: Evidence from Dictator Games.” The Economic Journal 108 (448): 726-735, May, 1998.
S. Ball and C. Eckel, “The Economic Value of Status.” Journal of Socio-Economics, 27 (4): 495-514, 1998.
C. Eckel, D. Eckel and V. Singal, "Privatization and Efficiency: Industry Effects of the Sale of British Airways." Journal of Financial Economics, 43 (2): 275-98, February, 1997.
C. Eckel and Philip Grossman, “Altruism in Anonymous Dictator Games.” Games and Economic Behavior16: 181-191, 1996.
C. Eckel and Philip Grossman, “The Relative Price of Fairness: Gender Differences in a Punishment Game.” Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 30 (2): 143-158, 1996.
S. Ball and C. Eckel, “Buying Status: Experimental Evidence on Status in Negotiation.” Psychology and Marketing, 13 (4): 381-405, 1996.
C. Eckel and Philip Grossman, “Equity and Fairness in Economic Decisions: Evidence From Bargaining Experiments.” Advances in Economic Psychology, edited by Gerrit Antonides, W. Fred van Raaij, and Schlomo Maital. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 1996.
C. Eckel and Richard Steinberg, "Competition, Performance and Public Policy Toward Nonprofits." Nonprofit Organizations in a Market Economy, edited by David Hammack and Dennis Young. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993, pp. 57-81.
C. Eckel and William T. Smith II, "Price Discrimination with Correlated Demands." Southern Economic Journal59 (1): 58-65, July, 1992.
C. Eckel and Charles A. Holt, "Strategic Voting in Agenda-Controlled Committee Experiments." American Economic Review 79 (4): 763-773, September, 1989.
C. Eckel and T. Vermaelen, "The Financial Fallout from Chernobyl: Risk Perceptions and Regulatory Response." Deregulation and Diversification of Utilities, edited by Michael Crew, Norwell, MA: Kluwer, 1988, pp. 183-201.
C. Eckel, "The Causes and Consequences of Mixed Enterprise." In Research in Corporate Social Performance and Policy, Vol. 10: International, Comparative and Multinational Studies, edited by Lee Preston. New York: JAI Press, 1988, pp. 139-156.
C. Eckel, "Customer Class Price Discrimination by Electric Utilities." Journal of Economics and Business, 39: 19-33, February, 1987.
A. Boardman, R. Freedman, and C. Eckel, "The Price of Government Ownership: A Study of the Domtar Takeover." Journal of Public Economics, 31 (3): 269-286, December, 1986. Reprinted in Privatization and Corporate Performance, edited by David Parker, in the series The International Library of Critical Writings in Economics. Series editor, Mark Blaug, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, Ltd.
C. Eckel and T. Vermaelen, "Internal Regulation: The Effects of Government Ownership on the Value of the Firm." Journal of Law and Economics 29 (2): 381-404, October, 1986.
A. Boardman, C. Eckel, and A. Vining, "The Advantages and Disadvantages of Mixed Enterprise." In State-Owned Multinationals in International, Business, Research in International Business and International Relations, 1: 221-244, edited by A. Negandhi and H. Thomas. New York: JAI Press, 1986. Reprinted in Portfolio 14(4): Management and Privatization of State-Owned Enterprises, edited by R. Ramamurti, 1989.
C. Eckel, "A General Model of Customer Class Pricing." Economics Letters 17 (1985): 285-289.
C. Eckel and A. Vining, "Elements of a Theory of Mixed Enterprise." Scottish Journal of Political Economy 32 (1): 82-94, 1985.
C. Eckel and M. Goldberg, "Regulation and Deregulation of the Brewing Industry: The British Columbia Example." Canadian Public Policy 10 (3): 316-327, 1984.
A. Boardman, C. Eckel, M. Linde, and A. Vining, "An Overview of Mixed Enterprises in Canada." Business Quarterly 48 (2): 101-106, Summer, 1983. Reprinted in Government and Enterprise in Canada, edited by K. J. Rea and Nelson Wiseman, Methuen, 1985.
C. Eckel and A. Vining, "Toward a Positive Theory of Joint Enterprise." In W. T. Stanbury and F. Thompson, eds., Managing Public Enterprises, New York: Praeger, 1982.
- Updated: May 21, 2008
