Fehr
contemporaryBehavioral Economics / Experimental Game Theoryb. 1956
Ernst Fehr is a contemporary Austrian-Swiss behavioral economist whose work bridges economics, psychology, and game theory. He is best known for experimental research on fairness, reciprocity, and altruistic punishment, and for developing influential models of inequity aversion that challenge standard rational-actor assumptions.
Notable Achievements
1
Co-developed the Fehr-Schmidt model of inequity aversion
2
Pioneered experimental research on altruistic punishment and strong reciprocity
3
Founded the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich's behavioral research program
4
Demonstrated the role of fairness preferences in labor markets and contract enforcement
5
Advanced neuroeconomic studies linking brain activity to social decision-making