Christina Gravert, PhD│CHIBE Research Seminar

Speaker(s)

• 
  Christina Gravert, PhD, MSc — Associate Professor of Economics, University of Copenhagen

Event Description

Topic: “Can Attention Overcome Consumer Inertia? Experimental Evidence from a Liberalized Market.”

Registration is required to attend this virtual seminar. To register, please visit: https://upenn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XmCWhDkTTf-8-eUS6OdcKQ.

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Consumers can save hundreds of dollars by switching to cheaper electricity plans, yet most don’t. Why? This talk explores what keeps people stuck with costly contracts, even in a market with low switching costs and large potential gains. Drawing on rich administrative data from Danish households, survey evidence, and a randomized experiment, I test whether better information and a switching broker can overcome consumer inertia. The findings reveal that attention to information, an often-suggested market friction, is not the main barrier to active choice. Instead, procrastination and distrust seem to play an important role. These insights reach beyond electricity market: similar frictions shape decisions in health insurance and other markets where “shopping around” could make a big difference. Understanding how to activate consumers can help design smarter policies that foster competition, lower prices, and improve welfare.

Dr. Christina Gravert is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Copenhagen, specializing in behavioral economics with a focus on environmental decision-making and policy design.

Her research explores the behavioral barriers to sustainable choices, including the adoption of energy-efficient technologies, responses to carbon and electricity pricing, and the intention-action gap in areas such as food, transport, and food waste. To advance evidence-based climate policy, she employs large-scale field experiments, surveys, and administrative data. Her work has been supported by the Carlsberg Foundation and the Independent Research Fund Denmark.

In addition to her academic research, Dr. Gravert co-founded Impactually, a behavioral science consultancy, and frequently advises policymakers and organizations on behavioral insights and sustainable transitions.

Organizer(s)