Joint IAREP/EADM/TIBER Workshop: Determinants and Consequences of Poverty
Organized by Marcel Zeelenberg, Seger Breugelmans, & Christoph Kogler (Tilburg University, NL)
On Thursday 31 January 2019, we organized an IAREP and EADM co-sponsored workshop on the topic of determinants and consequences of poverty at Tilburg University. The workshop had the intention to bring together different theoretical and practical perspectives on poverty and decision-making. Speakers from different universities and disciplines as well as from organizations with a focus on application of theoretical knowledge presented their research and insights. We welcomed approximately 50 participants from many different countries (e.g., China, Germany, Turkey, France, UK) and with different backgrounds (e.g., academics from economics, psychology, sociology, marketing; working in the public sector such as policy advisors of the municipality of Tilburg, researchers from the NIBUD – the National Institute for Family Finance Information and from the AFM – The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets). The workshop was held in the newly renovated Portrait Room of Tilburg University. Thanks to the funding of IAREP and EADM we were able to offer participation in the workshop without any conference fee.
As the first speaker, Patricio Dalton (Department of Economics, Tilburg University) shared his insights on psychological poverty traps with the audience. Next, Mirre Stallen (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences) presented an online tool to support debt assistance. Goedele Krekels from IÉSEG School of Management in Paris then informed about her research on a potential link between childhood poverty and dispositional greed. In the following, Wilco van Dijk (Social & Organizational Psychology, Leiden University) revealed very interesting results of his research on scarcity and decision making. The workshop continued with an inspiring talk by Caroline Dewilde from the Department of Sociology at Tilburg University who presented alarming data on poverty and the access to welfare benefits across Europe. The final speaker was Arnoud Plantinga from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets who presented insights from empirical studies on causes and consequences of financial shame. Altogether, we were successful in providing participants with economic, psychological, sociological, and practical perspectives and in facilitating the dialogue between theoretical and practical research on poverty. During the coffee breaks and at the closing drinks reception, participants, speakers and the organizers had ample opportunities to discuss the findings presented and this fostered new collaboration and research.