Shusaku SASAKI Ph.D. in Economics
● Specially Appointed Associate Professor (Full time) at Behavioral Economics Unit, Behavioral Public Policy Team, Division of Scientific Information and Public Policy, Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, Japan April 2022 - Present
● Vice President, Association of Behavioral Economics and Finance (Japan), December 2023 - Present
● Expert Member, The Behavioral Science Team (BEST), organized by the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan, October 2018 - Present
E-mail: ssasaki.econ [at] gmail.com / ssasaki.econ [at] cider.osaka-u.ac.jp
Biography: Dr. Shusaku Sasaki is a Specially Appointed Associate Professor at the Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University. He is also an expert member of The Behavioral Sciences Team (BEST) of the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Osaka University. He received his BA in economics from Kyoto University and his MA in international public policy from Osaka University. Dr. Sasaki’s area of expertise includes behavioral economics, experimental economics, and policy analysis. His research interests are prosocial behaviors (charitable giving, volunteering, blood donation, and energy saving) and health behaviors (health habits, infection prevention, and vaccination). He has published in several academic journals including Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, and Social Science & Medicine.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he focuses on uncertainty and ambiguity in science and technology for controlling emerging infectious diseases. The uncertainty and ambiguity lead to few voluntary cooperators and a lack of cooperation from people targeted by policy. In his study, first, he has quantified the number of cooperators in the “opt-in” scheme, which sets non-participation as the default setting and leaves participation to the voluntary. Second, he has examined the effect of information nudges in behavioral economics on increasing the number of cooperators. Third, he has investigated the way to introduce the “opt-out” scheme, which sets participation as the default setting, while considering people’s autonomy and social welfare.
English CV for DL
SSRN Author Page
Google Scholar Citations
Researchmap
1. Research areas and interests
● Applied econometrics, behavioral economics, experimental economics (field experiment), public policy
● Charitable giving, energy saving, infection prevention, healthy habits
2. Selected Publications
[s05] Lee, S.Y., Sasaki, S., and Ohtake, F. "Wearing School Uniforms in Childhood Linked with Wearing Anti-COVID-19 Masks in Adulthood: An Instrumental Variable Approach", Accepted at Education Economics
[s04] Kato, H., Sasaki, S., and Ohtake, F. "Adding nudge-based reminders to financial incentives for promoting antibody testing and vaccination to prevent the spread of rubella", Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics 113, No.102300, December 2024. Open Access
• We examine the combination of financial incentives and nudges.
• We focus on the Japanese policy on rubella antibody testing and vaccination.
• Our online nationwide experiment provides six nudge-based reminder messages.
• Altruistic message promotes antibody testing in default incentive group.
• Any reminder message has no promoting effect in opt-in incentive group.
[s03] Sasaki, S., Saito, T., and Ohtake, F. "Nudges for COVID-19 voluntary vaccination: How to explain peer information?", Social Science & Medicine 292, No.114561. January 2022. Open Access / Please read the column on VoxEU.org
• COVID-19 vaccine promotion is important, but people's autonomy should be respected.
• We examined other-regarding information nudges for voluntary vaccination.
• The nudges' effects depended on how to describe others' intentions and behaviors.
• A loss-framed nudge strengthened vaccination intention but raised emotional burden.
• Nudges' wording should be carefully scrutinized to promote voluntary vaccination.
[s02] Sasaki, S., Kurokawa, H., and Ohtake, F. "Positive and negative effects of social status on longevity: Evidence from two literary prizes in Japan", Journal of The Japanese and International Economies, No.101037. September 2019.
Progress Report (in Japanese)，ISER Discussion Paper (Second version, in English)
• The relationship from receiving a prize to longevity is ambiguous.
• We show the relationship can be both positive and negative.
• Emerging novelist prize recipients’ increase in longevity is 1.7 years.
• Established novelist prize recipients’ decrease in longevity is 5.3 years.
• We find a life-prolonging effect when candidates belong to lower social strata.
[s01] Sasaki, S. "Majority size and conformity behavior in charitable giving: Field evidence from a donation-based crowdfunding platform in Japan", Journal of Economic Psychology 70, pp.36-51. January 2019.
• We find a donor likely imitates the donation amount that many others have selected.
• The likelihood increases when more of the others have given the similar amount.
• This ‘majority size’ effect is stronger for lower monetary ranges.
• Our analyses use real donation data on a large crowdfunding platform in Japan.
• Our field evidence is consistent with that in laboratory studies of conformity.
3. All Publications
[e18] Lee, S.Y., Sasaki, S., and Ohtake, F. "Wearing School Uniforms in Childhood Linked with Wearing Anti-COVID-19 Masks in Adulthood: An Instrumental Variable Approach", Accepted at Education Economics
[e17] Kato, H., Sasaki, S., and Ohtake, F. "Adding nudge-based reminders to financial incentives for promoting antibody testing and vaccination to prevent the spread of rubella", Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics 113, No.102300, December 2024.
[e16] Takaki, S., Hara, K., Motoyama, A., Kawana, Y., Kuroki, M., and Sasaki, S. "A multi-nudge-based behavioural insight into ward nurses' respiratory rate measurement: An observational study", Journal of Clinical Nursing. August 2024.
[e15] Yoshida, S., Hirai, K., Sasaki, S., and Ohtake F. "How does the frame of communication affect cancer patients’ decisions?—from a behavioral economics point of view", Annals of Palliative Medicine 13(2), pp.211-220. March 2024.
[e14] Kurokawa, H., Sasaki, S., and Ohtake, F. "The role of nudge-based messages on the acceptability and download of COVID-19 contact tracing apps: survey experiments", The Japanese Economic Review. February 2024.
[e13] Murayama, H., Sasaki, S., Takahashi, Y., Takase, M., and Taguchi, A. "Message framing effects on attitude and intention toward social participation in old age", BMC Public Health 23, No.1713. September 2023. Open Access
[e12] Kuroki, M., and Sasaki, S. "Nudging public budget officers: A field-based survey experiment", Public Budgeting & Finance 43(3), 3-20. July 2023. Open Access
SSRN Working Paper (in English)
[e11] Yamada, Y., Uchida, T., Sasaki, S., Taguri, M., Shiose, T., Ikenoue, T., and Fukuma, S. "Nudge-based interventions on health promotion activity among very old people: a pragmatic, two-arm, participant-blinded randomized controlled trial", Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 24(3), pp.390-394. March 2023. Open Access
[e10] Lee, S.Y., Sasaki, S., Kurokawa, H., and Ohtake, F. "The School Education, Ritual Customs, and Reciprocity Associated with Self-Regulating Hand Hygiene Practices During COVID-19 in Japan", BMC Public Health 22, No.1663. September 2022. Open Access
[e09] Sasaki, S., Saito, T., and Ohtake, F. "Nudges for COVID-19 voluntary vaccination: How to explain peer information?", Social Science & Medicine 292, No.114561. January 2022. Open Access / Please read the column on VoxEU.org
Discussion Papers In Economics And Business, Osaka University (in English)
[e08] Fukuma, S., Sasaki, S., Taguri, M., Goto, R., Misumi, T., Saigusa, Y., and Tsugawa, Y. "Effect of Nudge-Based Intervention on Adherence to Physician Visit Recommendations and Early Health Outcomes among Individuals Identified with Chronic Kidney Disease in Screens", Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, ASN.2021050664. December 2021.
[e07] Kawamura, Y., Sasaki, S., and Kusumi, T. "Cultural Similarities and Differences in Lay Theories of Altruism: Replication of Carlson and Zaki (2018) in a Japanese Sample", Asian Journal of Social Psychology 25(3), 571-576. September 2021.
[e06] Sasaki, S., Kurokawa, H., and Ohtake, F. "An experimental comparison of rebate and matching in charitable giving: The case of Japan", The Japanese Economic Review 73(1), 147-177. August 2021. Open Access
[e05] Sasaki, S., Kurokawa, H., and Ohtake, F. "Effective but fragile? Responses to repeated nudge-based messages for preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection", The Japanese Economic Review 72(3), pp.371-408. June 2021. Open Access
Discussion Papers In Economics And Business, Osaka University (Very earlier version, in English) *We completed the final version after the heavy revisions.
[e04] Hirai, K., Ohtake, F., Kudo, T., Ito, T., Sasaki, S., Yamazaki, G., and Eguchi, Y. "Effect of Different Types of Messages on Readiness to Indicate Willingness to Register for Organ Donation During Driver’s License Renewal in Japan", Transplantation 104(12), pp.2591-2598. February 2020.
[e03] Fukuma, S., Ikenoue, T., Sasaki, S., Saigusa, Y., Misumi, T., Saito, Y., Yamada, Y., Goto, R., and Taguri, M. "Nudging patients with chronic kidney disease at screening to visit physicians: A protocol of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial", Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications 16, No.100429. December 2019.
[e02] Sasaki, S., Kurokawa, H., and Ohtake, F. "Positive and negative effects of social status on longevity: Evidence from two literary prizes in Japan", Journal of The Japanese and International Economies, No.101037. September 2019.
Progress Report (in Japanese)，ISER Discussion Paper (Second version, in English)
[e01] Sasaki, S. "Majority size and conformity behavior in charitable giving: Field evidence from a donation-based crowdfunding platform in Japan", Journal of Economic Psychology 70, pp.36-51. January 2019.
Progress Report (in English)，Science of Philanthropy Initiative Working Paper (First version, in English)，ISER Discussion Paper (Second version, in English)
[j02] Sasaki, S., and Ohtake, F. "Behavioral Economics in Health and Medical Fields: Decisions, Biases, and Nudges", Journal of Behavioral Economics and Finance 11, pp.110-120. February 2019. in Japanese
[j01] Kurokawa, H., Sasaki, S., and Ohtake, F. "The Responses of Overtime Workers to a Work-style Reform: A Behavioral Economics View", Journal of Behavioral Economics and Finance 10, pp.50-66. December 2017. in Japanese
4. Working papers
[e10] Ida, T., Ishihara, T., Ito, K., Kido, D., Kitagawa, T., Sakaguchi, S., and Sasaki, S. "Choosing Who Chooses: Selection-Driven Targeting in Energy Saving Programs", National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper, No.30469, September 2022. R&R (2nd Round) at Econometrica.
[e09] Sasaki, S., Kubo, T., and Kitano, S. "Prosocial and Financial Incentives for Biodiversity Conservation: A Field Experiment Using a Smartphone App", arXiv:2402.18047, February 2024. R&R at Ecological Economics.
[e08] Kurokawa, H., and Sasaki, S. "How Does Opt-in Work? A Field Experiment on Financial Incentives for Physical Activity", Osaka University Discussion Papers In Economics And Business, No.23-01, February 2023. Under Review
[e07] Nakayama, H., Sasaki, S., Saito, T., and Ohtake, F. "From Policy to Trust: A Regression Discontinuity Analysis", Osaka University CiDER Discussion Paper, No.007, November 2024.
[e06] Ida, T., Ishihara, T., Ito, K., Kido, D., Kitagawa, T., Sakaguchi, S., and Sasaki, S. "Dynamic Targeting: Experimental Evidence from Energy Rebate Programs", National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper, No.32561, June 2024.
[e05] Sasaki, S., and Kurokawa, H. "Vaccination and Discrimination: Experimental Evidence During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic", Osaka University CiDER Discussion Paper, No.001, May 2024.
[e04] Sasaki, S., Ishihara, T., and Kato, H. "Rebate versus Matching, Again: Does Self-selection Matter?", Osaka University CiDER Discussion Paper, No.005, May 2023.
[e03] Kato, H., Sasaki, S., and Ohtake, F. "Mailing Vouchers: A Regression Discontinuity Analysis on Rubella Antibody Testing and Vaccination", Osaka University CiDER Discussion Paper, No.004, October 2022.
[e02] Sasaki, S., Funasaki, Y., Kurokawa, H., and Ohtake, F. "Blood Type and Blood Donation Behavior", ISER Discussion Paper, Osaka University, No.1029, Revised June 2020.
[e01] Sasaki, S., Okuyama, N., Ogaki, M., and Ohtake, F. "Education and Pro-family Altruistic Discrimination against Foreigners: Five-country Comparisons", ISER Discussion Paper, Osaka University, No.1002, May 2017.
Progress Report (in Japanese)
[j05] Kato, H., Sasaki, S., and Ohtake, F. "Evidence of a Rubella Prevention Policy’s Effect from Regression Discontinuity Design: Automatic Receiving of Coupons for Free Antibody Testing and Vaccination", RIETI Discussion Paper, 22-J-011, March 2022. in Japanese
[j04] Kato, H., Sasaki, S., and Ohtake, F. "Text-Based Nudges Promoting Rubella Antibody Testing and Vaccination: Evidence from a Nationwide Online Experiment in Japan", RIETI Discussion Paper, 22-J-010, March 2022. in Japanese
[j03] Sasaki, S., Saito, T., and Ohtake, F. "Nudge for COVID-19 Vaccination: Toward a Nudge-based Message that Does Not Impede Autonomous Decision-making", RIETI Discussion Paper, 21-J-023, April 2021. in Japanese
[j02] Sasaki, S., Saito, T., and Ohtake, F. "The situation-dependency of vaccination intention: Policy implications based on willingness-to-pay for the Covid-19 vaccine", RIETI Discussion Paper, 21-J-007, February 2021. in Japanese
[j01] Takahashi, Y., Uetake, K., Tsuda, H., Oyama, K., and Sasaki, S. "The Implementation of Nudges in Public Policy in Japanese Local Governments: Suggestions from a case-study on the structure and promotion strategies of YBiT", RIETI Policy Discussion Paper, 20-P-026, October 2020. in Japanese
5. Books
[7] The Society for the Study of Giving Japan. "Giving Japan 2021", Tokyo: Japan Fundraising Association, 2021. in Japanese
[6] Keizai Seminar. (eds.) (contributed by Sasaki, S.) "Covid Economics in Japan", Tokyo: Nihon Hyoron-sha, 2021. in Japanese
[5] Ida, T., and Okada, K. (eds.) (contributed by Sasaki, S.) "The Present and Future of Behavioral Economics", Tokyo: Nihon Hyoron-sha, 2019. in Japanese
[4] Yamane, S., Kurokawa, H., Sasaki, S., and Kohsaka, Y. "Behavioral Economics for Use from Today", Tokyo: Natsume-sha, 2019. in Japanese
[3] Ohtake, F., and Hirai, K. (eds.) (contributed by Sasaki, S.) "Behavioral Economics in Health and Medical Fields: How Doctors and Patients Differ", Tokyo: Toyo Keizai Shimpo-sha, 2018. in Japanese
[2] The Society for the Study of Giving Japan. "Giving Japan 2017", Tokyo: Japan Fundraising Association, 2017. in Japanese
[1] Sato, D., Yamamoto, J. and Sasaki, S. "Why Do We Crowdfund?: 12 Cases", Kyoto: Gakugei Publishing, 224 pages, 2016. in Japanese
6. Education
Ph.D in Economics, Osaka University (Japan), March 2017
Dissertation title: "Empirical Essays on Social Preferences and Public Policy" Abstract
Dissertation committee: Prof. Fumio Ohtake (Supervisor), Prof. Masaru Sasaki, and Prof. Miki Kohara
M.S. International Public Policy, Osaka University (Japan), March 2014
B.A. Economics, University of Kyoto (Japan), March 2008
Cross-Boundary Innovation Program (CBI Program), Osaka University, April 2012 - March 2015
Summer School of English, Monash College, Monash University (Australia), August 2012 - September 2012
7. Professional experiences
Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University (Japan), April 2022 - Present
Vice President, Association of Behavioral Economics and Finance (Japan), December 2023 - Present
Expert Member, The Behavioral Science Team (BEST), organized by the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan, October 2018 - Present
Director, Association of Behavioral Economics and Finance (Japan), December 2021 - December 2023
PRESTO Researcher, Japan Science and Technology Agency (Japan), October 2021 - March 2022
Visiting Associate Professor, Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University (Japan), May 2021 - March 2022
Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Tohoku Gakuin University (Japan), April 2020 - March 2022
Senior Assistant Professor (Program-specific), Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University (Japan), June 2018 - March 2020
Postdoctoral Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (PD), Faculty of Economics, Keio University (Japan), April 2017 - May 2018
Visiting Researcher at Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University (Japan), April 2017 - March 2018
Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (DC1), Osaka Univeristy (Japan), April 2014 - March 2017
Marketing and Sales in Mortgage Loan and Private Banking, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (Japan), April 2008 - June 2011
Internship of Fundraising and Advocacy, UNICEF Tokyo Office (Japan), August 2013 - September 2013
Research Assistant of Early-onset Dementia Research Project, Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd. (Japan), September 2011 - February 2012
8. Teaching Experiences
Spring 2023, Spring 2024 “Planning and Management of Field Experiments”, Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University
Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024 “Nudge and Public Policy”, Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University
Spring 2020, Spring 2021 “Behavioral Economics”, Faculty of Economics, Tohoku Gakuin University
Fall 2020, Fall 2021 “Experimental Economics”, Faculty of Economics, Tohoku Gakuin University
Fall 2019 “Mastering 'metrics: The path from cause to effect“, Faculty of Economics, Kyoto University
9. International Seminar and Conference Presentations
2024 International Workshop on Theoretical and Experimental Economics, Osaka; National Taiwan University, Taipei
2023 International Workshop on Experimental Economics, Osaka; Science of Philanthropy Initiative Conference, Chicago; Summer Workshop on Economic Theory, Otaru; ESA Europe Meeting, Lyon; The University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki; ESA Asia-Pacific Meeting, Seoul; American Society for Public Administration Conference, Online
2022 ESA Asia-Pacific Virtual Meeting, Osaka
2015 Science of Philanthropy Initiative Conference, Chicago
2014 Science of Philanthropy Initiative Conference, Chicago
2013 Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action Conference, Hartford
10. Awards
2022 Award for Research Achievements 2021, Tohoku Gakuin University
2019 Encouragement Award 2019 (for poster presentation), Association of Behavioral Economics and Finance 13th Annual Conference
2019 Best Paper Award sponsored by Asahi Breweries, Ltd., Association of Behavioral Economics and Finance
2017 Encouragement Award 2017 (for poster presentation), Association of Behavioral Economics and Finance 11th Annual Conference
2016 Young Best Presentation Award 2016, The 11th Annual Conference of Japan Health Economics Association
2014 Encouragement Award 2014, Association of Behavioral Economics and Finance 8th Annual Conference
2013 Emerging Scholars Award 2013, Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action 42nd Annual Conference
2010 Personal Award for Performance Excellence in Retail Banking, first half of 2010, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
2010 Personal Award for Performance Excellence in Retail Banking, second half of 2009, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
11. Fellowships and grants
2024 – 2028 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grant-in-Aid for Academic Research (Grant-in-Aid for Basic Research B)
2023 – 2024 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, FY2023 Grant for Health, Labour and Welfare Administration Promotion Research Project
2021 – 2025 Japan Science and Technology Agency, PRESTO for Strategic Creative Research Promotion Program
2019 – 2022 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Academic Research Fund Grant (for Young Researchers)
2017 – 2020 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Research Fellowship for Young Scientists
2014 – 2017 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Research Fellowship for Young Scientists
12. Refereeing experiences
Applied Economic Letters, BMC Public Health, Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, Conservation Letters, Economics and Human Biology, Health Policy, International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Internet Research, The Japanese Economic Review (2), Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of The Japanese and International Economies, Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, PLoS ONE, Scientometrics, Social Science & Medicine (7), Behaviormetrika (in Japanese), The Economic Review (in Japanese), Journal of Behavioral Economics and Finance (in Japanese) (3), Journal of Social Security Research (in Japanese)
