Ashton Pallottini
Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, University of Chicago
Phone +1 616-581-5482
Email ashtonp@uchicago.edu
LinkedIn • GitHub • Twitter
Welcome! I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at University of Chicago. My research is on Energy and Environmental Economics, with particular focus on experimental methodology.
Research
Working Papers
Paper or Plastic: Impacts to Consumers from Eco-labeling
Many lawmakers and environmental groups have argued in favor of carbon labeling on goods. We analyze the impacts to consumers from carbon labeling single-use cups using two randomized experiments. We document that carbon labels increase consumer knowledge of carbon but decrease knowledge of 'wastefulness.' We observe significant changes to consumer behavior tied to carbon labels but not to labels of both carbon and waste. Our estimates suggest this is mainly driven by salience. Overall, results suggest that carbon labeling influences consumers through more than just providing carbon information, which suggests greater care may be necessary when implementing future labels.
Selected Work-in-Progress
The Onset of Offsets: The Limits of Social Signaling in Eco-friendliness
Despite being a top concern for global welfare, policymakers have struggled to implement standard policies like taxes and subsidies to address climate change. I experimentally test a non-standard policy that publicizes consumer purchases of carbon offsets, leveraging social rewards to increase uptake. I show that social rewards vary heavily by perceived market penetration of offsets. Uptake increases 20 percentage points (200\%) among those with the lowest perceptions of market share commonality, but is unaffected among those with moderate perceptions. I then estimate a structural model and depict the policy implications for publicly visible prosocial actions. To avoid crowding out social incentives, I show that optimal subsidies for consumer carbon offsetting should start out small at low participation rates and ramp up as offsets become more common.
EV or not EV: the Origins of Misconceptions about Environmental Impacts
With Sofia Shchukina
American consumers are increasingly willing to pay premiums for eco-friendly products but often lack knowledge about which products are effective and which are merely 'greenwashed.’ We experimentally analyze how information about the effectiveness of electric vehicles (EVs) in reducing emissions impacts consumer beliefs and preferences. We find that individuals who are strongly pro-EV or anti-EV tend to strategically avoid this information, while those open to both types of vehicles show little evidence of such avoidance. On average, the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for emissions information is $0.10 lower than for control information. In line with a model of motivated reasoning, we demonstrate that highlighting the non-emissions benefits of EVs eliminates this WTP gap and enhances belief updating among EV owners. However, our treatments show muted effects on overall preferences for EVs, suggesting that demand for EVs is largely driven by concerns unrelated to emissions.
Economic Growth and Human Health: Half-century Evidence from China
With Maoyong Fan
This study examines the relationship between rapid economic growth and human health outcomes in China from 1973 to 2018, utilizing multiple comprehensive datasets on cause-specific mortality. We investigate the complex relationship between economic development and health, highlighting how air pollution has mitigated the potential health benefits of China’s unprecedented economic expansion. The comparison between pre- and post-industrialization suggests that, if anything, the health impacts of pollution exposure could have previously been underestimated. Our findings provide insights into the intersection of economic growth, environmental policy, and public health, offering guidance for policymakers to enhance health outcomes amidst ongoing economic development.
Teaching
University of Chicago
ECON 11600: Experimental Design (Undergraduate)
Winter 2024: Teaching Assistant reporting to Fulya Ersoy
ECON 21020: Econometrics (Undergraduate)
Spring 2023: Teaching Assistant reporting to Murilo Ramos
ECON 41120: Topics in Behavioral Economics (Ph.D.)
Winter 2023: Teaching Assistant reporting to Leonardo Bursztyn
ECON 20010: Elements of Economic Analysis I Honors (Undergraduate)
Fall 2022: Teaching Assistant reporting to Victor Lima
BUSN 33801: Microeconomics (EMBA)
Fall 2022 and Fall 2023: Teaching Assistant reporting to Lars Stole
Michigan State University
STT 200: Statistical Methods (Undergraduate)
Summer 2020: Fixed Term Instructor reporting to Camille Fairbourn
Fall 2019 - Spring 2020: Teaching Assistant reporting to Harish Sankaranarayanan
Personal
Weightlifting
Voted "Most Likely to be Bumped Into at the Conference Hotel's Gym At Strange Hours," I have made a habit of picking up heavy things and promptly setting them back down. Scientists hypothesize that one day this process will be automated and I can live my life like a person in Wall-E. Until that date, I bravely venture forth to the squat rack.
Reading
Most economists spend their time in a Ph.D. program reading Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus, and even Karl Marx. I, on the other hand, have spent the last few years becoming a fantasy novel aficionado. Ask me about my experience reading Wheel of Time during my first year core sequence (spoiler alert: oof)! Want to know how I think different fantasy books stack up? Check out my Goodreads here!
Language
Ever met a tone-deaf person that can speak Chinese? No? Well, you still have not! But I am certainly working on it. Picking up (Mandarin) Chinese is proving to be incredibly challenging, but with great rewards. My goal is to be proficient by the time I go on the job market, and I am making good progress on Duolingo (thanks in large part to the owl's ominous demeanor). I am also planning on soon picking up where I left off with Spanish in my high school days. My days of monolingualism are numbered!
Sports
My one true passion! As a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I am currently thinking up economic models to prove once and for all that TJ Watt is better than Myles Garrett. In the mean-time, I will continue to vicariously relive Steve Nash's glory days by wearing a headband every time I play pickup basketball.