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Dr David Smerdon
Dr

David Smerdon

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 344 34617

Overview

Background

Dr David Smerdon is a Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Assistant Professor) in the School of Economics. He primarily works in behavioral and development economics. His research involves theory and modelling, experiments in the lab and field, and microeconometric analysis in order to investigate topics at the intersection of these fields.

David earned his PhD from the Tinbergen Institute and the University of Amsterdam (UvA) as a General Sir John Monash scholar, and afterwards worked as a PODER fellow at Bocconi University in Milan. His research often involves collaboration with non-academic partners, ranging from aid agencies and NGOs like US AID and Save the Children, to tech companies like Chess.com.

Prior to his academic career, David spent three years working for the Australian Department of Treasury as a policy analyst. David is also a chess Grandmaster and has represented Australia at seven chess Olympiads. Combining his passions, David occasionally conducts niche research in chess economics on topics such as gender inequality, cheating, and the life cycle of cognitive performance, supported by organisations such as the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and Chessable.

Availability

Dr David Smerdon is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Amsterdam

Research interests

  • Behavioural Economics

  • Development Economics

  • Migration

  • Game theory

  • Cultural Economics

Research impacts

David's research motivation is focussed on policy-relevant issues, particularly those where behavioural economics can be applied to social policy. Examples of recent projects include:

  • The social impact of refugee resettlement in Australia
  • Policy solutions to eradicate female genital mutilation in Somalia
  • Predicting when and how harmful social norms can be broken down
  • Understanding the relationship between income inequality and trust within societies
  • The relationship between gendered preferences and cross-country differences in gender equality in competitive environments

Works

Search Professor David Smerdon’s works on UQ eSpace

15 works between 2016 and 2025

1 - 15 of 15 works

2025

Journal Article

A Stepping Stone Approach to Norm Transitions

Gulesci, Selim, Jindani, Sam, La Ferrara, Eliana, Smerdon, David, Sulaiman, Munshi and Young, Peyton (2025). A Stepping Stone Approach to Norm Transitions. American Economic Review, 115 (7), 2237-2266. doi: 10.1257/aer.20230458

A Stepping Stone Approach to Norm Transitions

2025

Journal Article

Physical proximity drives gay discrimination in the gig economy

Smerdon, David, Pearson, Samuel and Albrecht, Sabina (2025). Physical proximity drives gay discrimination in the gig economy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122 (11) e2412362122, 1-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2412362122

Physical proximity drives gay discrimination in the gig economy

2024

Journal Article

AI in essay-based assessment: Student adoption, usage, and performance

Smerdon, David (2024). AI in essay-based assessment: Student adoption, usage, and performance. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 7 100288, 100288. doi: 10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100288

AI in essay-based assessment: Student adoption, usage, and performance

2024

Other Outputs

Gender differences in corrupt behaviour: evidence from elite chess tournaments

Dilmaghani, Maryam and Smerdon, David (2024). Gender differences in corrupt behaviour: evidence from elite chess tournaments. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.4864325

Gender differences in corrupt behaviour: evidence from elite chess tournaments

2024

Journal Article

Reproducibility in Management Science

Fisar, Milos, Greiner, Ben, Huber, Christoph, Katok, Elena, Ozkes, Ali I., Management Science Reproducibility Collaboration, Luong, Hoang (Management Science Reproducibility Collaboration), Humphrey, Jacquelyn (Management Science Reproducibility Collaboration), Nguyen, Lily (Management Science Reproducibility Collaboration) and Smerdon, David C. (Management Science Reproducibility Collaboration) (2024). Reproducibility in Management Science. Management Science, 70 (3), 1343-1356. doi: 10.1287/mnsc.2023.03556

Reproducibility in Management Science

2024

Journal Article

Nationalism in online games during war

Bilen, Eren, Doghonadze, Nino, Khubulashvili, Robizon and Smerdon, David (2024). Nationalism in online games during war. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.4833809

Nationalism in online games during war

2023

Journal Article

Cooperation in the time of COVID

Butterworth, Jade, Smerdon, David, Baumeister, Roy and von Hippel, William (2023). Cooperation in the time of COVID. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 19 (4), 17456916231178719-651. doi: 10.1177/17456916231178719

Cooperation in the time of COVID

2023

Other Outputs

Report: 2023 FIDE Gender Equality in Chess Index (GECI)

Smerdon, D., Meyer, C. B., Reizniece-Ozola, D., Rodrigo-Yanguas, M. and Sorokina, A. (2023). Report: 2023 FIDE Gender Equality in Chess Index (GECI). Lausanne, Switzerland; Brisbane, QLD, Australia: FIDE; The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/9bb291f

Report: 2023 FIDE Gender Equality in Chess Index (GECI)

2022

Journal Article

The effect of masks on cognitive performance

Smerdon, David (2022). The effect of masks on cognitive performance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119 (49) e2206528119, 1-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2206528119

The effect of masks on cognitive performance

2022

Journal Article

The social capital effects of refugee resettlement on host communities*

Albrecht, Sabina and Smerdon, David (2022). The social capital effects of refugee resettlement on host communities*. Economic Record, 98 (320), 80-112. doi: 10.1111/1475-4932.12654

The social capital effects of refugee resettlement on host communities*

2020

Journal Article

Higher economic inequality intensifies the financial hardship of people living in poverty by fraying the community buffer

Jachimowicz, Jon M., Szaszi, Barnabas, Lukas, Marcel, Smerdon, David, Prabhu, Jaideep and Weber, Elke U. (2020). Higher economic inequality intensifies the financial hardship of people living in poverty by fraying the community buffer. Nature Human Behaviour, 4 (7), 702-712. doi: 10.1038/s41562-020-0849-2

Higher economic inequality intensifies the financial hardship of people living in poverty by fraying the community buffer

2020

Journal Article

Female chess players show typical stereotype-threat effects: commentary on Stafford (2018)

Smerdon, David, Hu, Hairong, McLennan, Andrew, von Hippel, William and Albrecht, Sabina (2020). Female chess players show typical stereotype-threat effects: commentary on Stafford (2018). Psychological Science, 31 (6), 756-759. doi: 10.1177/0956797620924051

Female chess players show typical stereotype-threat effects: commentary on Stafford (2018)

2019

Journal Article

‘Everybody’s doing it’: on the persistence of bad social norms

Smerdon, David, Offerman, Theo and Gneezy, Uri (2019). ‘Everybody’s doing it’: on the persistence of bad social norms. Experimental Economics, 23 (2), 392-420. doi: 10.1007/s10683-019-09616-z

‘Everybody’s doing it’: on the persistence of bad social norms

2018

Journal Article

Longevity of outstanding sporting achievers: mind versus muscle

Tran-Duy, An, Smerdon, David C. and Clarke, Philip M. (2018). Longevity of outstanding sporting achievers: mind versus muscle. PLoS one, 13 (5) e0196938, e0196938. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196938

Longevity of outstanding sporting achievers: mind versus muscle

2016

Other Outputs

Everybody's doing it: On the Emergence and Persistence of Bad Social Norms

Smerdon, David, Offerman, Theo and Gneezy, Uri (2016). Everybody's doing it: On the Emergence and Persistence of Bad Social Norms. Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers. 16-023/I. Tinbergen Institute.

Everybody's doing it: On the Emergence and Persistence of Bad Social Norms

Funding

Past funding

  • 2020 - 2023
    Behavioural Macroeconomics and the Australian Housing Market
    Universities Australia - Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Dr David Smerdon is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Gender Disparities in Online Charitable Giving: Enhancing Donations with AI Nudge

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Lana Friesen

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) in innovation and patent inventorship in quantum biotechnology

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Fish

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Desirable Dad Hypothesis: An Ultimate Evolutionary Account of Male Same-Sex Attraction

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Brendan Zietsch

Media

Enquiries

Contact Dr David Smerdon directly for media enquiries about:

  • behavioural economics
  • biases
  • economics
  • female circumcision
  • gender
  • inequality
  • integration
  • refugees
  • social norms

Need help?

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