About Us

What we do at the Social Preferences and Inequalities LAB?

Our research laboratory is committed to exploring the intricate dynamics of social preferences and their profound impact on socioeconomic decision-making processes. Through our research, we aim to contribute valuable knowledge to the academic field while fostering a deeper understanding of human behavior within social and economic contexts.

We cordially invite scholars, practitioners, and visionaries from diverse disciplines—including economics, social sciences, behavioral sciences, and related fields—to share their research contributions. We offer an exchange of ideas, the presentation of innovative findings, and encouragement of enriching interdisciplinary debates.

Building on the success of our First International Research Symposium, titled «Social Preferences and Inequalities,» we are proud to announce the highly anticipated Second Keynote Lecture, titled «Trust as a Common.» This event will take place at the prestigious University of Santiago, located in the vibrant and culturally rich city of Santiago, Chile. The keynote address promises to be an inspiring convergence of ideas, bringing together diverse perspectives to illuminate this critical topic.

Whether you are an experienced expert or an emerging researcher, this keynote address offers a unique opportunity to present your work, connect with esteemed colleagues, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Together, we aim to push the boundaries of knowledge in behavioral economics and experimental studies, fostering collaboration and innovation.

Our mission is to inspire and cultivate new ideas, spark transformative conversations, and make meaningful contributions to the advancement of this compelling field.

Our Team

Alejandra Vásquez, PhD

BIO

Alejandra Vásquez is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Santiago de Chile, specializing in Experimental and Behavioural Economics. Her research explores how people make decisions and interact, with a current focus on inequality aversion in Chile and the interplay between individual and social preferences. Alejandra’s work examines the cognitive, contextual, and emotional factors influencing human behavior, particularly in areas such as social preferences, empathy, responsible consumption, and cooperation. She collaborates internationally, including with the UNICA-BERG Behavioral Economics Research Group in Italy, and has held visiting researcher positions in Austria and the United States. Alejandra also coordinates initiatives on sustainable behavior and culture within academic networks.

Marta Pancheva, PhD

BIO

Marta is a Bulgarian economist with a PhD from LUMSA University, Italy. She has been a visiting scholar in the USA and collaborated on longitudinal and vulnerability studies in Italy and Switzerland. Currently, she is a research fellow and lecturer at SOPHIA University, Florence, focusing on social preferences, social capital, multidimensional well-being, and inequalities in income and health.

Paula Luengo, PhD

BIO

Her research integrates developmental and social psychology to examine how individual and contextual factors promote well-being and prosocial behavior among youth, aiming to reduce social disparities and enhance social cohesion. She leads the ProCíviCo project and school interventions in Italy and Colombia, and coordinates the Public Policy Unit at Chile’s COES. Collaborating internationally, her recent work focuses on micro-level social cohesion and its links to social inequality and diversity across class, migration, ethnicity, and gender.

Vittorio Pelligra, PhD

BIO

Vittorio Pelligra is Associate Professor of Economics and PhD coordinator at the University of Cagliari, specializing in experimental and behavioral economics, civil economy, and neurosciences. He leads the Behavioral Economics Research Group (BERG), is a CRENoS research fellow, and serves on the SEC scientific committee. Vittorio co-founded SmartLab and Wecoop, companies in data science and edutainment, and writes the weekly #MindTheEconomy column for Il Sole 24 Ore.

Martín Leites, PhD

BIO

Martin Leites is a Professor at the Instituto de Economía, Universidad de la República del Uruguay, specializing in microeconomics, inequality, and poverty. His research focuses on how inequality affects behavior and welfare at individual and collective levels. He is active in research groups on inequality and ethics, serves on the scientific committee of the Ridge workshop, and collaborates with Uruguayan public institutions on policy design and evaluation. Martin holds a PhD from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and has published in leading economic journals

Visiting and Collaborations Research

Valentina Goglio

BIO

Valentina Goglio is Associate Professor of Economic Sociology at the Department of Cultures, Politics and Society of the University of Turin, Italy and Affiliate of Collegio Carlo Alberto, Italy.
Her research interests are at the intersection between education and the labour market, with a particular focus on the implications of the digital transformation for education and work. She holds a PhD in Labor Studies from the University of Milan and has been Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow with the Project «MOOC_DaSI».
Her recent publications are: «Mapping the Evolution of Platform Society» (with C. Biancalana), «Job insecurity and Life Courses» (with S. Bertolini and D. Hofacker) and «The Diffusion and Social Implications of MOOCs. A Comparative Study of the USA and Europe»

Brit Grosskopf

BIO

Brit joined the University of Exeter Business School as a Professor of Economics in September 2013. She was Head of the Economics Department from September 2014 until December 2022. Originally from Germany, Brit did her undergraduate degree in economics at the Humboldt University in Berlin. She completed her PhD dissertation Social Preferences and Learning in Experimental Games under the supervision of Rosemarie Nagel at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, in 2000. She then spent three years at Harvard Business School, where she was a post-doc with Al Roth (Nobel Laureate, Economics 2012). Brit then took a tenure-track job at Texas A&M University where she was granted tenure in 2009. She moved to the University of Birmingham as a Professor in Experimental Economics in 2011, where she founded the Birmingham Experimental Economics Laboratory (BEEL) of which she was the Director until she joined Exeter. Brit’s research interests lie at the intersection of economics and psychology. She uses experimental methods to study individual and group behavior with a particular interest in social preferences, reasoning, learning, reputation, identity and happiness.

Filippos Exadaktylos

BIO

Filippos Exadaktylos is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Econometrics, Statistics, and Applied Economics at the University of Barcelona. He earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Granada and specializes in behavioral economics, climate change, social norms, and cooperation. His research employs experimental methods to analyze human behavior in economic contexts. Previously, Filippos held academic positions at Middlesex University and served as a Marie Curie Fellow. He also worked with the European Commission’s Economic Team. Renowned for his contributions to understanding social preferences and environmental behavior, Filippos has made a significant impact in his field.

Research Fellows

Airoon Torrealba: Data analysis, Report Writing, Reporting Findings
Constanza Vásquez: Conducting Surveys, Data Analysis, events coordination

Previous Research Collaboration

2023
Roberto San Martin: Literature Review, Experimental Design.
Ricardo Herrera: Conducting Surveys, Comparative Studies, Analyzing Data
2024
Brenda Garrido: Social and Individual Preferences, Theoretical Framework Development.
Cristian Mundaca: Data Analysis, Report Writing, Reporting Findings

Tesis

• Natali Muñoz: Actitudes hacia la desigualdad de Ingresos: Chile En Perspectiva Comparada
• Benjamin Pallauta: Análisis de la confianza ciudadana en la política chilena
• Ricardo Herrera: Comparación Internacional de Percepciones de Desigualdad entre Chile con Estados Unidos, Nueva Zelanda y Suecia.
• Tarik Rocha:
• Percepción de justicia, meritocracia, altruismo, posición social y su influencia en la movilidad social en Chile
• Luis Martinez: Percepción de justicia, meritocracia, altruismo, posición social y su influencia en la movilidad social en Chile
• Marcelo Azocar: Theoretical Perspectives on Inequality Aversion
• Constanza Vásquez: An Experimental Examination of Honesty and Social Norms in Chile
• Alexis Aravena: An Experimental Examination of Honesty and Social Norms in Chile
• Airoon Torrealba: Decisional Dynamics: Understanding Inequality Averse Preferences through Eye Tracking
• Sergio Bernal: Decisional Dynamics: Understanding Inequality Averse Preferences through Eye Tracking

Communicational Team

Alejandra Vásquez Alvarado: Coordinator of the Social Preferences Lab
Mariana Sánchez: Mariana is the designer behind this symposium’s visual identity.
Álvaro Romero: Álvaro is the webmaster, proficient in managing and maintaining the symposium’s website and online presence.
Valentina Delcampo: Valentina is dedicated to delivering content that captivates and enlightens our diverse audience.