Marie Claire Villeval is a French experimental and behavioral economist, Director of Research at CNRS and affiliated with the GATE-Lab (Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Économique) at the University of Lyon. She is known for laboratory and field experiments examining incentives, competition, cooperation, cheating behavior, and social preferences. Her work bridges economics and psychology to analyze how individuals respond to institutional rules and competitive environments.
Pioneered experimental research on the behavioral effects of tournament and competitive incentive schemes
Conducted influential studies on cheating, dishonesty, and moral constraints under economic pressure
Advanced understanding of cooperation and social norms through controlled laboratory experiments
Contributed to research on gender differences in competition and workplace incentives
Long-serving editor and contributor to leading journals in experimental and behavioral economics