CMU's Research Cafe: a living behavioral economics lab that serves tasty snacks

The Carnegie Mellon Research Café isn't just a cafe -- it's also part of the Social and Decision Sciences Department, and its wares aren't just tasty snacks; they're also props in a series of ongoing behavioral economics experiments in choice theory and other subjects.

Topics include trust and fairness; memory and decision making; how people decide to save or spend; how to reduce obesity; public health issues like diet, exercise and smoking; privacy; perceptions of inflation; managerial decision making; and dynamic decision processes.

Loewenstein, who is on the CBDR steering committee, says their research is inherently more accessible than, for example, a hard science like physics or chemistry or even medical research.

"Everyone has had to deal with the types of issues we research -- like why people eat unhealthy foods and how to help people to save more for retirement, or what makes us happy or trust others," he said. "As a social sciences department, people are our research. Without them we simply couldn't continue."

Behavioral Café (Thanks, Marilyn!)

• [Drew from Zhrodague]

  I have seen this place a couple of times, but there is never anyone in it. I work about two blocks away.

  I wonder what the lack of patrons/subjects says about buying habits?

• [Russell]

  Interestingly enough, there are two white mice in a cage behind the counter…

  • [hassenpfeffer]

    The mice are for the [old-school] Visitors…

  • [AnthonyC]

    Well someone needs to run the experiment? Their directing the well-trained humans, of course.

    • [hassenpfeffer]

      So they’re Pinky and the Brain? That would explain a lot about the CMU grads I know and work with…

• [ZoneSeek]

  So I guess they’re working on a Bistromathic Drive.