Three experiments exploring how preferences, motivations and incentives influence behaviour

We can make better choices with a deeper understanding of what drives our behaviours. This thesis uses economic experiments to shed light on health and environmental behaviours. The first paper identifies that risk averse people care about the security of supply of city water. The second paper finds that small monetary payments can work better than high monetary payments for motivating people because large incentives can significantly reduce intrinsic motivation. The third paper shows that more environmentally friendly technology can lead to people doing less for the environment, particularly when they have chosen to use the technology themselves.