Institute for Behavioral Studies (IBS)
The Institute for Behavioral Studies is a research unit at American University Kyiv. Our mission is to support businesses and policymakers by conducting research and providing evidence-based insights on human behavior for efficient decision-making.
At IBS we conduct comprehensive studies to understand human behavior, uncovering the motivations, intentions, and biases that drive the actions of individuals.
We design and implement targeted interventions which influence individuals to adopt behaviors that are socially beneficial and personally advantageous.
At the institute, we evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and policies, in order to ensure that they are impactful and serve their intended purpose.
We collaborate with policy bodies across Ukraine, including Government departments, NGOs, and local communities, to establish behaviorally sound and efficient policies.
and grants
On March 22, 2024, Volodymyr Vakhitov and Natalia Zaika, experts from the Institute for Behavioral Research at American University Kyiv, presented the results of the study "The Way Home: Who Among Ukrainian Refugees and Migrants Plans to Return".
The research covered surveys conducted between December 12-19, 2023, by Rating Group on Rating Online platform with more than 1,100 Ukrainians who left for Poland before and after the full-scale invasion.
The study complements the results of in-depth interviews conducted in November-December 2023 by Sociopolitics with Ukrainian women who left the country and those who have already returned to Ukraine, and what prompted them to return.
The researchers also drew attention to such intangible important things as national identity, homesickness, and a vision of the future. Surprisingly, these factors often have a much more significant impact on the desire to return home than socioeconomic factors. In addition to the statistics and conclusions, the researchers also offered solutions on how the state and society can bring Ukrainians back from abroad.
How do people make decisions during wartime, and what persuades them to leave danger zones? What makes people decide to evacuate or not during wartime?
This is the main research question of the project. We aim understand:
- What factors influence evacuation behavior;
- How can people be persuaded to leave danger zones and how can lives be saved.
Based on the data collected from a survey conducted in July 2022, we developed recommendations for communications policies in the war-affected areas and shared it with Donetsk Regional State Administration.
Nudging Civilian Evacuation During War: Evidence from Ukraine. Working paper.
Evacuation Behavior: Lessons for and From the War in Ukraine. Behavioral Economics Guide 2023.
Nudging Civilians to Evacuate War Zones. Vox Ukraine.
Евакуюватися чи залишитися? Як люди приймають рішення під час війни. (текст)
Евакуюватися чи залишитися? Як люди приймають рішення під час війни. (відео)
The goal of the project is to identify the scope of Ukraine's mental health crisis and the associated barriers to care. Such understanding will enable more efficient strategic resource allocation and policy development, ensuring accessible and socially acceptable mental health services. The project focuses on three major questions:
- What is the current and predicted demand for mental health helpin Ukraine?
- What are the social norms and stigmas surrounding mental health in Ukraine?
- What is the economic cost of mental disorders?
The project objectives are to:
- Assess AGRO’s working tools and the behavior models promoted and select the most efficient for the post-war reconstruction of the agricultural sector;
- Study the discrete behaviors of certain firms/market actors/champions which demonstrate positive change and indicate that the market is ready to move in a desired direction, or show the potential of starting to move in this direction;
- Provide a framework for the recommended support strategies and further scaling of behavior change.
Dr. Roman Sheremeta is a Founding Rector and a Distinguished Visiting Professor of American University Kyiv. He received Ph.D. in Economics from Purdue University.
Dr. Sheremeta received many research and teaching awards, including the 2018 Smith Ascending Scholar Prize, given to a “budding genius” in social science, Emerging Impact Awards in 2015 and 2019 from the Weatherhead School of Management, as well as multiple grants, including the National Science Foundation and the Max Planck Institute grants. He was listed as a Top Economic Thinker of Ukrainian descent by Forbes in 2015, a top-rated young economist in the world according to the IDEAS ranking in 2018, and recognized as the Best 40 Under 40 Professors by Poets and Quants in 2019.
Dr. Sheremeta is an author of more than 70 articles, published in leading scholarly journals in economics, business, psychology, and political science. Top-tier media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, NBC News, NPR, and Science Daily, have featured his research, which focuses on experimental economics and game theory with applications to behavioral economics, conflict resolution, industrial organization, labor, and public economics. He served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Games, and Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics.
Dr. Volodymyr Vakhitov is a Director of the Behavioral Science Institute and Associate Professor at American University Kyiv.
With Master of Economic Theory from the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Kentucky and over 15 years in the field, Dr. Vakhitov has acquired versatile experience in Applied Econometrics, Urban and Regional Economics, Productivity Analysis and Behavioral Economics. Over the last ten years, the latter has become his main theme and passion. Dr. Vakhitov has taught courses at MA and MBA levels in Ukraine and internationally, held multiple training programs for Ukrainian businesses (DTEK, SCM, Raiffeisen Bank, PUMB, Sevier, Softserve, just to mention a few) and international organizations (UNDP, USAID), and authored dozens of articles and interviews in the local media as well as articles in international scientific journals. After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Dr. Vakhitov has actively applied his knowledge of behavioral economics to such topics as overcoming the hesitance of civilians to evacuate from war zones, increasing the efficiency of charitable contributions, and overcoming the consequences of PTSD. Also, Dr. Vakhitov runs the only Ukrainian-language blog about behavioral economics, BeSmart.
Nataliia Zaika fulfil the duties of administrator and researcher at the Institute for Behavioral Studies at American University Kyiv.
She participates in research projects that study behavior and decision-making under different circumstances. Her recent projects are focused on war-related issues: evacuation behavior, evaluating the demand for mental health services, the social acceptability of mental help, and decision-making by refugees and internally displaced persons.
Nataliia holds a BA in Philology and a Master’s in Journalism from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Alongside her research activities, she also works as a project manager and conducts trainings in behavioral economics, critical thinking, and soft skills for NGOs, companies and students.
Vladyslav Dombrovskyi is a Senior Researcher at the Behavioral Science Institute of American University Kyiv.
His role involves leading a research team that explores the intersection of Psychology and Economics.
Vladyslav's primary research interest lies in examining the economic costs of mental health disorders. This includes the workplace costs and productivity losses associated with mental illness, as well as the larger societal costs of untreated mental health conditions. He aims to contribute to the research that supports more cost-efficient and equitable mental health systems and policies.
Vladyslav Dombrovskyi has a strong background in both academia and business. He earned his PhD degree in Finance in 2006 and a Master's in Banking in 2009 from the Ukrainian Academy of Banking of the National Bank of Ukraine. From 2005 to 2014 he was an Associate Professor at the Ukrainian Academy of Banking of the National Bank of Ukraine. His strong personal interest in Psychology led him to complete a certification in basic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques for Counselling and Coaching in 2022. He is now a certified counsellor.
In 2015-2023 Vladyslav worked in the IT industry in various roles, ranging from a Project Manager to a Managing Director. As a result, he has a deep understanding of how software development functions and how to successfully lead distributed teams of software engineers.
Currently, he is a Doctoral Student at Sumy State University, where he is conducting research on the economic costs of mental health disorders.
Vadym Yudenko is a junior researcher at the Institute for Behavioral Studies at American University Kyiv.
His research focuses on how war experiences impact decision-making, particularly regarding forced relocation, financial wellbeing, and perception of safety. He also explores the issues of intertemporal discounting during the war.
Vadym holds a BA in Management and Administration from Kyiv National Economic University and is completing an MSc in Business and Financial Economics from Kyiv School of Economics. Vadym is also studying Statistics and Data Science from MIT.
