Hirofumi Kurokawa

Kwansei Gakuin University · School of Economics

We investigated the effectiveness of nudge-based messages in promoting the download of contact tracing apps, particularly in the context of low uptake due to serious distrust in the product. Even in the presence of distrust towards the app, promoting downloads can be a beneficial means of preventing infection spread at a stage before pharmacologica...

We examined the effectiveness of two different schemes for providing financial incentives to promote physical activity. We collaborated with a local government in Japan to conduct a field experiment with 498 residents randomly assigned to participate in one of three groups: an "opt-in" group (needed to apply to receive the incentive based on their...

This study conducted randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of an environmental education class and the impacts of nudges and boosts implemented in this program on high school students' basic knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding environmental issues in Japan. This environmental education class consisted of a lecture on...

Background The role of social ties, other-regarding preferences, and cultural traits in boosting community resilience and minimizing citizens’ vulnerability to crises such as COVID-19 is increasingly being recognized. However, little is presently known about the possible routes through which such personal preferences and cultural norms pertinent to...

This study uses a Japanese nationwide sample and experimentally compares rebate and matching, both of which are schemes intended to lower the price of monetary donation. Standard economic theory predicts that the two schemes will have the same effect on individuals’ donation behavior when their donation price is equivalent. However, we conduct an i...

Nudge-based messages have been employed in various countries to encourage voluntary contact-avoidance and infection-prevention behaviors to control the spread of COVID-19. People have been repeatedly exposed to such messages; however, whether the messages keep exerting a significant impact over time remains unclear. From April to August 2020, we co...

There have been numerous studies in which the biological role of oxytocin in trusting behavior has been investigated. However, a link between oxytocin and trust in humans was discovered only in one early study. We hypothesized that there is a large interindividual variation in oxytocin sensitivity, and that such variation is one reason for the doub...

Oxytocin-enhanced prosocial behaviour depends on individual characteristics. This study investigated the relationship between oxytocin and competitiveness, which is another important social trait and predicts economic and social outcomes. In this double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled study of 192 male participants, we examined whether ox...

We show evidence that a rise in social status (e.g., receiving a prize) has both positive and negative causal effects on recipients’ longevity, by using a dataset that covers Japan's two most prestigious and traditional literary recognitions. Although the two prizes share several characteristics, there exists the key difference that one of them is...

This study investigates the behavioral economic traits of overtime workers. A survey is conducted on the various preferences and personality traits of workers in a private firm A, and the firm provides personnel records on their working hours to us. The study also evaluates the firm's work-style reform. The firm recently set a target for the total...