Chris Roth

Chris Roth is a Professor of Economics and Management at the University of Cologne, where he leads research at the intersection of psychology, economics, and political economy. He serves as Co-Editor of the Journal of the European Economic Association and holds a prestigious ERC Starting Grant for his project 'VIRAL Narratives,' which examines how economic narratives spread and influence beliefs through large-scale experiments combining qualitative and quantitative methods.

His research focuses on three primary domains: Psychology and Economics (studying cognitive biases in decision-making), Political Economy (analyzing activism and policy perceptions), and Macro-expectations (investigating how households and firms form economic beliefs). His work employs innovative field experiments and survey methodologies to explore real-world behaviors.

Recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate strong trends in narrative economics, expectation formation, and political behavior research. Key themes include: 1) How stories and statistics shape memory and beliefs, 2) Field experiments in labor/housing markets, 3) Information processing in policy contexts, and 4) Behavioral drivers of political activism. Over 80% of recent articles use experimental methods across 15+ countries.

Scientific Awards:

• ERC Starting Grant: VIRAL (101160770) - European Research Council (2021-present)

He leads the ERC-funded 'VIRAL Narratives' project and has developed open resources for researchers including doctoral course materials, experimental design guides, and methodological frameworks. No student advising details or lab information is provided in available texts.