Call for Papers for Special Issue on Behavioral (Health) Economics

• Proposal Deadline: March 1, 2012
• Submission Deadline: August 1, 2012

Health has a major impact on both individuals and nations. Health problems can impact a person's emotional, financial and social state; they can also affect a nation's financial and social standing. Indeed, countries across the globe are currently battling the increasing costs of health care delivery, while others are trying to modernize their systems.

Furthermore, most nations face similar health related challenges such as reducing unhealthy behaviors (poor diet and smoking), increasing healthy behaviors (exercising), assisting disadvantaged populations gain better access to health services, and improving adherence to medical treatment.

According to the Surgeon General's Office, the leading causes of mortality in the U.S. have substantial behavioral components. It is no wonder, therefore, that both psychologists and economists have been among the pioneers in studying components associated with health behaviors and have provided a range of successful behaviorally based prevention and treatment options. Yet, the sheer extent of these problems calls for a more interdisciplinary approach.

In recent years a growing number of researchers have turned to behavioral and experimental economics in the hopes of providing additional insights to facilitate positive health behavior changes.

The aim of this special issue is to bring together the latest research in behavioral and experimental economics on health related issues, stimulate cross disciplinary exchange of ideas (theories, methods and practices) between health economists and psychologists, and provide an opportunity to simulate novel and creative ways to tackle some of the most important health challenges we currently face.

This special issue will be of interest not only to a diverse range of researchers but to health professionals, practitioners and policy makers alike.

With this call for papers, we hope to attract manuscripts that are outstanding empirical and/or theoretical exemplars of research on any health related topic from a behavioral and/or experimental economic perspective.

We anticipate studies will focus on a range of topics, including, but not limited to: smoking, dietary choices, adherence to treatment, decision making, risk taking behavior, choice architecture, information asymmetry, and use of monetary incentives to alter behavior. We expect papers to reflect a variety of methodologies but to highlight implications of the research for practitioners and policy makers.

Authors should submit a short proposal (maximum of 400 words) that outlines the plan for a full manuscript to Yaniv Hanoch, PhD and Eric Andrew Finkelstein, PhD, Guest Editors for the special issue, by March 1, 2012. The proposal should outline the study question, methods and findings of the proposed submission and note how the paper will align with the theme of the special issue.

Submissions are due August 1, 2012.

Papers should be prepared in full accord with the Health Psychology Instructions to Authors and submitted through the Manuscript Submission Portal. All manuscripts will be peer reviewed. Some papers not included in a specific special section may be accepted for publication in Health Psychology as regular papers.

Please indicate in the cover letter accompanying your manuscript that you would like to have the paper considered for the Special Series on Health Psychology meets Behavioral Economics.