Publications

CBEAR and its network of researchers apply insights from behavioral economics to better understand how and why people make decisions, and this research will ultimately help the USDA and its partners make programs better for farmers.

2025

Publications List

2025

AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 2025

Seeding Change: Growing Insights From Four Programs to Support Climate-Resilient Soil and Water Conservation in US Agriculture

Benami, E., A. Carroll, K.D. Messer, W. Zhang, and M. Cecil.

CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2025

Lessons Learned from 10 Years of Embedding Experimentation in Agri-environmental Programs in the United States

Ferraro, P.J. and K.D. Messer.

ECONOMIC INQUIRY 2025

Underpowered studies and exaggerated effects: A replication and re-evaluation of the magnitude of anchoring effects.

Li, T., C. Weigel, P. Ferraro, and K.D. Messer.

APPLIED ECONOMICS TEACHING RESOURCES 2025

Mitigating Impacts of Food Production and Consumption on Climate Change: Applications of Behavioral Economics

Messer, K.D., D. Ganguly, and L. Xie.

2024

2023

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SCIENCE ASSOCIATION 2023

Is a Non-Representative Convenience Sample Good Enough? Insights from an Economic Experiment

Ellis, S.F., O.M. Savchenko, and K.D. Messer.

SCIENCE 2023

Create a culture of experiments in environmental programs

Ferraro, P.J., T.L. Cherry, J.F. Shogren, C.A. Vossler, T.N. Cason, H. Byerly Flint, J.P. Hochard, O. Johansson-Stenman, P. Martinsson, J.J. Murphy, S.C. Newbold, L. Thunstrom, D. Van Soest, K. Van T'Veld, A. Dannenberg, G.F. Loewenstein, L. Van Boven

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 2023

Social comparisons and groundwater use: Evidence from Colorado and Kansas

Hrozencik, R.A., J.F. Suter, P.J. Ferraro, N. Hendricks

COMMISSIONED REPORT TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 2023 ENTITLED FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR APPLYING BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS TO POLICY

Applications of Behavioral Economics to Climate Change

Messer, K.D., D. Ganguly, and L. Xie.

FOOD POLICY 2023

Applying Behavioral Science to Agriculture, Food, and Agri-environmental Policymaking

Shukla, P., K.D. Messer and P.J. Ferraro.

FOOD POLICY 2023

Behavioral Nudges in Conservation Auctions: A Field Experiment with U.S. Farmers

Wallander, S., L.A., Paul, P.J. Ferraro, K.D. Messer, and R. Iovanna.

2024

APPLIED ECONOMICS PERSPECTIVES AND POLICY

Perspectives on Stakeholder Participation in the Design of Economic Experiments for Agricultural Policymaking: Pros, Cons, and Twelve Recommendations for Researchers

Höhler, J., J. Barreiro-Hurlé, M. Czajkowski, F.J. Dessart, P.J. Ferraro, T. Li, K.D. Messer, L. Palm-Forster, M. Termansen, F. Thomas, K. Zagórska, K.H. Zemo, and J. Rommel.

REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS 2024

Behavioral Biases among Producers: Experimental Evidence of Anchoring in Procurement Auctions.

Ferraro, P.J., K.D. Messer, P. Shukla, and C. Weigel.

CHOICES 2024

Behavioral Science Advisory Boards Could Strengthen USDA’s Conservation Program Amid Unprecedented Spending and Loading Dock Challenges

Messer, K.D., P.J. Feldman, D. Ganguly, R. Iovanna, and J. Suhr Pierce.

APPLIED ECONOMICS TEACHING RESOURCES 2024

Dare to Experiment: The Synergistic Relationship between Undergraduate Research and Experimental Economics

Nelson-Poteet, C., Xie, L., Messer, K.D., and L.H. Palm-Forster.

2022

APPLIED ECONOMICS PERSPECTIVES AND POLICY

Mitigating Stigma Associated with Recycled Water: Aquifer Recharge and

Trophic Levels

Ellis, S.F., O. Savchenko, and K.D. Messer.

PLOS ONE 2022

Private Costs of Carbon Emissions Abatement by Limiting Beef Consumption and Vehicle Use in the United States

McFadden, B.R., P.J. Ferraro, and K.D. Messer.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS 2022

Lottery incentives and resource management: Evidence from the Agricultural Data Reporting Incentive Program (AgDRIP)

Meiselman, B.S., C. Weigel, P.J. Ferraro, M. Masters, K.D. Messer, O. Savchenko, and J.F. Suter.

LAND ECONOMICS

Stewardship Signaling and Use of Social Pressure to Reduce Nonpoint

Source Pollution

Palm-Forster, L.H., M. Griesinger, J.M. Butler, J.R. Fooks, and K.D. Messer.

2021

BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2021

Making More Effective Use of Behavioral Science in Conservation Interventions

Balmford, A, Bradbury, R., Bauer, JM, Broad, S., Burgess, G., Burgman, M., Byerly, H., Clayton, S., Espelosin, D., Ferraro, PJ, Fisher, B., Garnett, EE, Jones, JPG, Marteau, T., Otieno, M., Polasky, S., Ricketts, TH, Sandbrook, C., Trevelyan, R., van der Linden, S., Veríssimo, D., and Nielsen, KS.

FOOD POLICY 2021

A Case for Measuring Negative Willingness to Pay for Consumer Goods

Bass, D.A., B.R. McFadden, and K.D. Messer.

ONE EARTH 4: P545-552 INFOGRAPHIC 2021

A Story Induces Greater Environmental Contributions than Scientific Information among Political Liberals but

not Conservatives

Byerly, H, PJ Ferraro, T Li, K Messer, and C Weigel.

APPLIED ECONOMICS POLICY AND PERSPECTIVE 2021

Consumer Perceptions After Long Term Use of Alternative Irrigation Water: A Field Experiment in Israel

Ellis, S.F., M. Kecinski, K.D. Messer, and C. Lipchin.

APPLIED ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES AND POLICY 2021

The Problem of Feral Hogs and the Challenges of Providing a Weak-link

Public Good

Ellis, S, M Masters, K Messer, C Weigel, and PJ Ferraro.

PLoS ONE 2021

Conservation Outreach that Acknowledges Human Contributions to Climate Change does not Inhibit Action by U.S. Farmers: Evidence from a large randomized controlled trial embedded in a federal program on soil health

Ferraro, PJ, J Fooks, R Iovanna, J Larson, B Meiselman, M. Kecinski, K Messer, and

M Wilson.

FOOD POLICY 2021

Fear of Fraud and Willingness to Pay for Hybrid Maize Seed in Kenya

Gharib M.H., L.H. Palm-Forster, T.J. Lybbert, and K.D. Messer.

RESOURCE AND ENERGY ECONOMICS 63:101107 2021

A Field Experiment to Estimate the Effects of Anchoring and Framing on Residents' Willingness to Purchase Water Runoff Management Technologies.

Li, T, J Fooks, K.D. Messer, and P.J. Ferraro.

MARINE RESOURCE ECONOMICS 36(3) 2021

Is There a Potential U.S. Market for Seaweed-Based Products? A Framed Field Experiment on Consumer Acceptance

Li., T, Ahsanuzzaman, and K.D. Messer.

JOURNAL OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION 2021

Rented Farmland: The Missing Piece of the Nutrient Management Puzzle in the Upper Mississippi River Basin?

Masuda, Y, S Harden, P Ranjan, C Wardropper, C Weigel, PJ Ferraro, S Reddy, and

L Prokopy.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 103(2): 486-497 2021

COVID 19 Induced Stigma in U.S. Consumers: Evidence and Implications

McFadden B.R., T. Malone, M. Kecinski, and K.D. Messer.

NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2021

Biodiversity Conservation as a Promising Frontier for Behavioral Science

Nielsen, K. S., Marteau, T., Bauer, JM, Bradbury, RB, Broad, S., Burgess, G., Burgman, M., Byerly, H., Clayton, S., Espelosin, D., Ferraro, PJ, Fisher, B., Garnett, EE, Jones, JPG, Otieno, M., Polasky, S., Ricketts, TH, Trevelyan, R., van der Linden, S., Veríssimo, D., and Balmford, A.

HANDBOOK OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS

Experimental and behavioral economics to inform agri-environmental programs and policies

Palm-Forster L.H., and Kent D. Messer

JOURNAL OF LAW AND THE BIOSCIENCES 2021

Paying Americans to Take the Vaccine – Would it help or backfire?

Robertson, C, D Scheitrum, A Schaefer, T Malone, B McFadden, PJ Ferraro, an K.D. Messer.

APPLIED ECONOMICS POLICY & PERSPECTIVES 43(2): 531-555 2021

Barriers to Using Economic Experiments in Evidence-Based Agricultural Policymaking

Rosch S., S.R. Skorbiansky, C. Weigel, K.D. Messer, and D. Hellerstein.

CONSERVATION LETTERS 2021

Using a Randomized Controlled Trial to Develop Conservation Strategies on

Rented Farmlands

Weigel, C, S. Harden, Y Masuda, P Ranjan, C Wardropper, PJ Ferraro, L Prokopy, and

S Reddy.

APPLIED ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES AND POLICY 43(2): 556-572 2021

Challenges in Recruiting U.S. Farmers for Policy-Relevant Economic

Field Experiments

Weigel, C, LA Paul, PJ Ferraro, and K.D. Messer.

AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS REVIEW 50: 315-337 2021

Bidding Behavior in Auctions versus Posted Prices: Comparisons of Mean and

Marginal Effect

Wu S., J.R. Fooks, T. Li., K.D. Messer, and D.A. Delaney.

RESOURCE AND ENERGY ECONOMICS 63: 10142 2021

Impact of Peer Comparisons and Firm Heterogeneity on Nonpoint Source Water Pollution: An Experimental Study

Wu, S, L.H. Palm-Forster, and K.D. Messer.

2020

ECONOMIC INQUIRY 58(1): 150-168 2020

Addressing Social Dilemmas with Mascots, Information, and Graphics

Butler, J.M., J.R. Fooks, K.D. Messer, and L.H. Palm-Forster.

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH F2020

Some Taxes Are Better Than Others: An Economic Experiment Analyzing Groundwater Management in a Spatially Explicit Aquifer

Duke, J.M., Z. Liu, J.F. Suter, K.D. Messer, and H.A. Michael.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS 2020

The Effect of Peer Comparisons on Polluters: A randomized field experiment among wastewater dischargers

Earnhart, D, PJ Ferraro.

REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY 14(2) 2020

Is there a Replicability Crisis on the Horizon for Environmental and

Resource Economics?

Ferraro, PJ, and P Shukla.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS 74(4): 1139-1148 2020

Environmental and Regulatory Concerns during the COVID 19 Pandemic: Results from the Pandemic Food and

Stigma Survey

Kecinski M., K.D. Messer, B.R. McFadden, and T. Malone.

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS 45(2): 179-198 2020

Is This Food 'Local'? Evidence from a Framed Field Experiment

Li, T., Ahsanuzzaman, and K.D. Messer.

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 68(4): 429-444 2020

Preferences for Local Food: Tourists versus Local Residents

Li, T. K.D. Messer, A. Mamadzhanov, and J. McCluskey.

FOOD POLICY 2020

The Impact of Expiration Dates on Hedonic Markets for Perishable Products

Li, T., K.D. Messer, and H.M. Kaiser.

CONSERVATION LETTERS 2020

Conservation Behavior and Effects of Economic an Environmental

Message Frames

Reddy, S, C Wardropper, C. Weigel, Y Masuda, S Harden, P Ranjan, J Getson,

L Esman, PJ Ferraro, L Prokopy.

2019

ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 172: 384-393 2019

What's in a Name? Branding

Reclaimed Water

Ellis, S., O.M. Savchenko, and K.D. Messer.

ENERGY POLICY 132: 1256-1261 2019

The Behavioral Effect of Electronic Home Energy Reports: Evidence from a randomized field trial in the United States

Henry, M*, PJ Ferraro, A Kontoleon.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS 73(4): 973-993 2019

Behavioral and Experimental Agri-Environmental Research: Methodological Challenges, Literature Gaps,

and Recommendations

Palm-Forster, L, PJ Ferraro, N Janusch, C Vossler, KD Messer.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 101(1): 109-133 2019

Experimental Evidence on Policy Approaches that Link Agricultural Subsidies to Water Quality Outcomes

Palm-Forster, L, J. Suter, and K.D. Messer.

FOOD POLICY 88:101748 2019

Does Food Processing Mitigate Consumers' Concerns about Crops Grown with

Recycled Water?

Savchenko, O.M., T. Li, M. Kecinski, and K.D. Messer.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 170: 320-331 2019

Reclaimed Water and Food Production: Cautionary Tales from Consumer Research

Savchenko, O., M. Kecinski, T. Li, and K.D. Messer. 2019. Environmental Research.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS 73(4): 973-993 2019

Common Pool Resource Management at the Extensive and Intensive Margins: Experimental Evidence

Suter, J., S. Collie, J.M. Duke, K.D. Messer, and H.A. Michael.

ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS 161: 1-8 2019

The Importance of Selecting the Right Messenger: A Framed Field Experiment on Recycled Water Products

Whiting A., M. Kecinski, T. Li, K.D. Messer, and J. Parker.

2018

FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 2018

Nudging Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence and Opportunities

Byerly, H, A Balmford, PJ Ferraro, W Hammond, E Palchak, S Polasky, T Ricketts,

A Schwartz, B Fisher.

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH 54(8): 5300-5326 2018

Mitigating Public Concerns about Recycled Drinking Water: Leveraging the Power of Voting and Communications

Kecinski, M. and K.D. Messer.

ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS 146: 686-695 2018

When Cleaning Too Much Pollution Can Be a Bad Thing: A Field Experiment of Consumer Demand for Oysters

Kecinski, M., K.D. Messer, and A.J. Peo.

ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS 153: 100-110 2018

Ignorance Is Bliss?: Experimental Evidence on Wine Produced from Grapes Irrigated with Recycled Water

Li, T., J. McCluskey, and K.D. Messer.

APPLIED ECONOMICS 50(39): 4250-4263 2018

Behavioral Responses to Science-based

Eco-labeling: Gold, Silver, or Bronze

Li, T., M. Kecinski, and K.D. Messer.

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND 2018

The Science of Strategic Conservation: Protecting More with Less

Messer, K.D. and W.A. Allen.

FOOD POLICY 80: 103-112 2018

Fresh Foods Irrigated with Recycled Water: A Framed Field Experiment on

Consumer Response

Savchenko, O., M. Kecinski, T. Li, K.D. Messer, and H. Xu.

2017

CHOICES, QUARTER 32(4): 1-6 2017

Applying Behavioral Insights to Improve Water Security

Ferraro, PJ, KD Messer, S Wu.

STRATEGIC BEHAVIOR AND THE ENVIRONMENT 7(1-2): 41-71 2017

The Effect of Information on Discriminatory-Price and Uniform-Price Reverse Auction Efficiency: An Experimental Economics Study of the Purchase of Ecosystem Services

Duke, J., K.D. Messer, L. Lynch, and T. Li.

AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS REVIEW 46(2): 315-337 2017

Consumer Preferences for Oyster Attributes: Field Experiments on Brand, Locality, and Growing Method

Kecinski, M., K.D. Messer, L. Knapp, and Y. Shirazi.

AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS REVIEW 46(2): 296-314 2017

Heterogeneous Preferences for Oysters: Evidence from Field Experiments

Li, T., M. Kecinski, and K.D. Messer.

ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS 134: 212-226 2017

When Does Public Information Undermine the Effectiveness of Reverse Auctions for the Purchase of Ecosystem Services?

Messer K.D., J. Duke, L. Lynch, and T. Li.

APPLIED ECONOMICS PERSPECTIVES AND POLICY 39(3): 407-427 2017

Labeling Food Processes: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Messer, K.D., M. Costanigro, and H. Kaiser.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 99(4): 914-931 2017

Addressing Participant Inattention in Federal Programs: A Field Experiment with the Conservation Reserve Program

Wallander, S., PJ Ferraro, N Higgins.

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE AND POLICY 3(1): 69-79 2017

Behavioral Science Tools for Energy and Environmental Policy

Yoeli, E. et al.

JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ECONOMICS 86: 137-149 2017

Nudging Charitable Giving:

Three Field Experiments

Zarghamee, H., K.D. Messer, J.R. Fooks, W.D. Schulze, S. Wu, and J. Yan.

2016

AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS REVIEW 45(2): 319-337 2016

The Effects of Climate Change Information on Charitable Giving for Water Quality Protection: A Field Experiment

Ellis, S.F., J.R. F Fooks, K.D. Messer, and M.J. Miller.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 98(2): 468-488 2016

Conserving Spatially Explicit Benefits in Ecosystem Service Markets: Experimental Tests of Network Bonuses and

Spatial Targeting

Fooks, J.R., N. Higgins, K.D. Messer, J.M. Duke, D. Hellerstein, and L. Lynch.

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC PSYCHOLOGY 54: 44-52 2016

Stigma Mitigation and the Importance of Redundant Treatments

Kecinski, M., Kerley, D., K.D. Messer, and W.D. Schulze.

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH 52: 3294-3308 2016

The Impact of Information on Behavior Under an Ambient-based Policy for Regulating Nonpoint Source Pollution

Miao, H., J. Fooks, T. Guilfoos, K.D. Messer, S.M. Pradhanang, J. Suter, S. Trandafir,

E. Uchida.