Decision Making for Policy (DEMAP) Research Cluster

In collaboration with START Network, and the MEAL practitioners group, a consortium comprising over 50 humanitarian aid agencies across five continents—from major international entities like Save the Children, the International Red Cross, FAO, and WFP to national NGOs— DEMAP members advised on the most effective methods for evaluating the effects of anticipatory actions. Anticipatory Action is humanitarian aid provided to populations and areas that are forecasted to be impacted by a slow-onset hazard (drought, desertification, sea-level rise, epidemic disease).

Cluster Members: Andrej Angelovski (MDX-AFE), Simon Lodato (MDX-AFE), Andreas Murr (University of Warwick), and Ericka Rascon Ramirez (MDX-AFE)

Project Outputs:

• “Systematic Search and Review of Impact Evaluation Approaches for Anticipatory Action” – (Andrej Angelovski, Simon Lodato, Andreas Murr, and Ericka Rascon Ramirez)
• “Evaluation of Anticipatory Action by MEAL Organisations - Inception Report” - (Andrej Angelovski, Simon Lodato, Andreas Murr, and Ericka Rascon Ramirez)
• “Guidelines for the Evaluation of AA: Participatory Impact Assessment, Regression Discontinuity Designs & Other Methodological Considerations” - (Andrej Angelovski, Simon Lodato, Andreas Murr, and Ericka Rascon Ramirez)

One of the risks associated with the widespread use of Large Language Models (LLMs) and the Gen-AI revolution is their utility in generating text and content that may be used for malicious purposes, such as fraud. Using a controlled and incentivised experimental setting, the project intends to study individuals’ interaction with an LLM in devising textual messages sent with the intent to defraud, and compare the language with honest messages. We compare these differences when help is gained from LLM/AI to those of humans only.

Cluster Members: Andrej Angelovski (MDX-AFE) and Manja Nikolovska (UCL)

The project studies how the presence of dependents, familial (children, elderly) or social (socially dependant), changes the bargaining behaviour of both parties, those with dependants they need to care for and those they are negotiating with. The project further studies how (U.S.) political differences interact with this behaviour change.

Cluster Members: Andrej Angelovski (MDX-AFE), Arianna Galliera (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore), Francesca Marazzi (U of Tor Vergata)

The project explores how skill and performance impact altruism/giving in two types of settings: 1) where the givers' net worth depends on merit, and 2) where the giver’s net worth is more luck-based. The research obtains several novel results that add to our understanding of giving: in meritocratic settings, giver skill/performance has a clear negative relationship with giving, which is not true in luck-based settings. The knowledge that the needy is working increases giving to them but this is independent of the performance levels of the needy, indicating that only the givers' own performance matters.

Cluster Members: Andrej Angelovski (MDX-AFE), Praveen Kujal (MDX-AFE)

This project aims to evaluate a set of small-scale interventions designed to raise awareness about toxic masculinity and misogyny. Two pilot studies have been conducted to identify which components of the interventions are most effective in addressing this issue. The findings from this qualitative evaluation will guide the refinement of interventions implemented by the MDX Film Department over the past three years, in preparation for a third pilot in 2025. Based on the outcomes, the team plans to apply for a BA or ESRC grant to test the refined interventions on a larger scale.

Cluster members: Ben Serlin (MDX-Student Affairs), Helen Bendon (MDX-Film), Bastien Chabe-Ferret (MDX-AFE) and Ericka Rascon Ramirez (MDX-AFE).

This project has been funded by the Fundacion Ramon Areces and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. The principal investigators (PIs) for this funding are cluster members Lorenzo Ductor and Ismael Rodriguez. The funding has supported the data collection for three online experiments. This project aims to investigate how gender stereotypes may influence individuals' decisions when forming work teams.

Cluster members: Lorenzo Ductor (U of Granada), Ericka G. Rascon Ramirez (MDX-AFE) and Ismael Rodriguez (U of Malaga).

(PI Bianca Stumbitz)
Funded by ESRC Transforming Working Lives Research Grant, 2022-2025. Amount: 552,543.86 pounds. Funding received by MDX.

Cluster Members: Bastien Chabet-Ferret and Ericka G. Rascon-Ramirez

Democracy under Threat: How Education can Save it (DEMED) (Neundorf, Anja et al.)

Funded by ERC Consolidator Grant, 2020-2025. https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/democracyresearch/

Cluster Member: Ericka G. Rascon-Ramirez

Cluster members: Bastien Chabe-Ferret (MDX-AFE) and Britta Stordal (MDX-HSCE).

The project explores if dating apps can facilitate searching for a romantic partner by directing users into sub-markets based on relationship types. An example are the advertising campaigns of apps like Tinder and eHarmony, which target specific segments of the market based on desired commitment levels. In this project, we aim to bridge the gap between theory and the complex reality of romantic matchings by conducting a thematic analysis of publicly shared data on social media. This will provide deeper insights into the nature and performance of dating apps and the individual behaviour of participants.

Cluster members: Manja Nikolovska (UCL), Shilan Dargahi (U of Sussex), Simon Lodato (MDX-AFE) 

This project will explore the causes behind inequalities between ethnic minorities and investigate potential effective policies to address them. In this proposal, we propose a contextual approach shifting the focus from ‘who’ experiences inequality to ‘where’ it occurs. The contextual foci of interest are how (i) regional factors, (ii) labour markets, and (iii) immigration policies affect economic inequalities in Britain, with international comparisons.

Cluster members: Segi Pardos (U of Glasgow) and Ericka Rascon Ramirez (MDX-AFE)