Monash Business School professor honoured for groundbreaking social science research
8 November 2024
Monash Business School Professor Erte Xiao has been named a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA), one of the highest national distinctions in the field.
As one of only 20 new Fellows this year, Prof Xiao joins an elite network of scholars who have made outstanding contributions to the field.
Founded in 1971, ASSA is Australia’s leading body for social sciences, uniting world-class researchers to address critical global challenges.
Prof Erte Xiao, Fellow of the ASSA.
“I’m truly honoured to become a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia,” Prof Xiao said.
“This fellowship serves as both a personal achievement and a motivation to continue contributing to the field, using my research to inform and shape policies that drive positive societal change.”
Prof Xiao’s work focuses on how incentives and social norms shape human choices. Her research spans education, gender equality, charitable giving, and online trust.
A recent field experiment found that giving students more autonomy over their reward structure - such as choosing between credit for each assignment and full credit for completing all tasks - improved their performance over the semester.
In another study, a shift from an ‘opt-in’ to an ‘opt-out’ model for leadership selection increased participation, particularly among women, helping close the gender gap in leadership roles.
“My studies highlight how subtle changes in choice architecture can significantly improve outcomes,” she said.
“By considering how people respond to different choice structures, we can design effective systems for better impact.”
Prof Xiao credits Monash Business School and its commitment to real-world research for inspiring her to engage deeply with policy issues that address social and economic challenges.
“The school has provided a vibrant environment for interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging me to tackle complex social issues from multiple angles,” she said.
She is currently working on an ARC-funded project in collaboration with colleagues at the Monash Business Behavioural Laboratory.
Their research explores bio-physiological responses to leadership selection, aiming to better understand how institutional frameworks affect wellbeing.
Looking ahead, Prof Xiao is excited to expand her research into environmental sustainability, using behavioural insights to help communities adopt practices that support long-term ecological balance.
“These areas offer rich opportunities to apply my research to address some of the most pressing global challenges,” she said.
Deputy Dean (Research) Professor Russell Smyth congratulated Professor Xiao, acknowledging her significant contribution to the field.
“Monash has an amazing group of experimental economists - most likely the biggest group of experimental economists in the Southern hemisphere - who have been pushing the boundaries of our understanding of how people respond to incentives, using insights from economics and psychology,” Prof Smyth said.
“We are extremely proud of Erte’s accomplishments, which reflect the outstanding work happening in the behavioural sciences at Monash.”