Erin Giffin

Erin Giffin is an economist with expertise in behavioral economics, experimental economics, and microeconomic theory. Her work focuses on how risks and incentives, identity, and individual beliefs shape human behavior and decision-making. This research takes place in a wide range of contexts, providing insights into areas such as the legal world, the agricultural industry in developing countries, and insurance purchases. Her work integrates psychological findings into formal economic models, specifically focusing on the causes and consequences of biased beliefs, such as limited memory and gender stereotypes. Her research challenges the prevailing economic notion that incorrect beliefs are always eliminated through market forces. A recent publication examines workers’ perceptions and misperceptions of how employers penalize women versus men for work absences related to children, while another explores individual decision-making based on finite memory and small rewards versus large risks. Giffin serves as the faculty advisor to the Department of Economics’ Women in Economics and Finance group and is an important role model and mentor for aspiring early-career women in economics. 

Giffin earned her Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, San Diego, and her B.A. in economics and psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder.