Photo of Kinga Barrafrem

Kinga Barrafrem

Associate Professor, Docent

I study behavior in different contexts of everyday life with a special focus on financial decision-making. Using laboratory experiments, eye-tracking, surveys, and micro-data, I study decisions, outcomes, and processes that lead to them.

Understanding the choices and mechanisms behind economic decision-making

Neoclassical economic models make too strict assumptions that deviate from reality. In my research I combine the knowledge from cognitive science and behavioural economics to find better description of real life behaviour, more precise predictions of such, followed by more adequate policy implications.

As a behavioral economist, I focus on understanding how individual and contextual factors influence decision-making and their impact on the emotional aspects of people’s well-being. I am passionate about bridging the gap between research and practice, and I employ a variety of research methods, including nationwide surveys, large online experiments, lab experiments, and field experiments to advance knowledge. Additionally, I collaborate with industry partners and have extensive experience working with registry micro-data, enriching my research with real-world insights and applications.

Measure of financial health beyond objective wealth

I focus on exploring various dimensions of well-being, with a particular emphasis on financial well-being. My research delves into understanding both individual and contextual factors that influence financial well-being, shedding light on how different behaviors impact overall quality of life.

The who, what, and why of information processing

My work examines the concept of information ignorance, investigating what it entails, who is most susceptible to it, and why. By understanding information ignorance, we can gain insights into how it impacts individuals’ decisions and well-being. This knowledge is crucial for informing strategies aimed at enhancing financial literacy and decision-making.

You can see a special issue at the Journal of Economic Psychology that I co-edited on this topic. Read the article here.

Decision-making in the digital era

Another aspect of my research explores the evolving landscape of technology and its implications for individuals' decisions and well-being. I investigate the antecedents of digital well-being, and how people’s subjective perceptions of risk and benefits related to AI-applications affect their trust and well-being. Furthermore, I investigate how information ignorance affects people's willingness to use AI-based tools, along with both positive and negative aspects of AI on individual behavior and well-being.

Research group

Publications

2024

Gustav Tinghög, Erkin Asutay, Kinga Barrafrem, Daniel Västfjäll (2024) The Effect of COVID-19 on Subjective Financial Well-Being Financial Counseling and Planning, p. JFCP-2022 Continue to DOI
Kinga Barrafrem, Daniel Västfjäll, Gustav Tinghög (2024) Financial Homo Ignorans: Development and validation of a scale to measure individual differences in financial information ignorance Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Vol. 42, p. 100936-100936, Article 100936 Continue to DOI
Kinga Barrafrem, Gustav Tinghög, Daniel Västfjäll (2024) Behavioral and contextual determinants of different stages of saving behavior Frontiers in Behavioral Economics Continue to DOI

Short CV

Academic background

  • 2013-2017 Linköping University, Ph.D. in Economics, Dissertation: “Social and Economic Factors in Decision Making under Uncertainty. Five Essays in Behavioral Economics.” 
  • 2010-2012 Warsaw School of Economics, M.Sc. in Quantitative Methods in Economics and Information Systems 
  • 2007-2010 Warsaw School of Economics, B.Sc. in Quantitative Methods in Economics and Information Systems

Progression of roles and functions

  • 2022-present Linköping University, Assistant Professor at the Division of Economics
  • 2024-present Linköping University, Director of Studies, Division of Economics, Department of Management and Engineeering

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