Bradley Ruffle

Bradley Ruffle is a Professor of Economics at McMaster University and serves as the Academic Director of the McMaster Decision Science Laboratory (McDSL). His work focuses on understanding human decision-making through controlled experiments in economically interesting, strategic situations. He is affiliated with McMaster's Department of Economics and contributes to the Master of Public Policy Program.

Dr. Ruffle received his academic training at Princeton University where he earned his Ph.D. in Economics in 1996 and M.A. in Economics in 1993. His undergraduate education was completed at York University's Glendon College where he received a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics in 1991.

Professor Ruffle's research spans behavioral and experimental economics with particular interest in how humans make decisions in strategic contexts. His work examines cooperation, discrimination, honesty, physical appearance effects, religious rituals, and market dynamics. Through carefully designed experiments, he investigates questions such as what types of group rituals promote in-group cooperation, whether physically attractive job candidates are more likely to be hired, and how insurance companies might reduce fraud through claim form design.

His extensive publication record shows consistent focus on experimental methods to study economic behavior. Recent work explores gender and beauty discrimination in markets, compliance with social distancing during the pandemic, and the relationship between tattoos and time preferences. His research demonstrates how seemingly small changes in experimental conditions can significantly impact economic decisions and outcomes.

Professor Ruffle's work has gained significant media attention, with coverage in CBC Radio, USA Today, The Economist, Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and the Washington Post. He has provided expert commentary on topics ranging from consumer boycotts to the economic implications of physical appearance in hiring decisions.

As Academic Director of the McMaster Decision Science Laboratory, Professor Ruffle leads experimental research efforts and oversees laboratory operations. The McDSL serves as a hub for experimental economics research at McMaster, supporting both faculty and student research projects that employ controlled experimental methods to study economic behavior.