Dietmar Fehr

Dietmar Fehr serves as Assistant Professor at Heidelberg University's Alfred Weber Institute for Economics (AWI). He maintains dual affiliations as an Affiliate Member of the CESifo Research Network and Senior Fellow in the Politics of Inequality Cluster of Excellence at the University of Konstanz. Previous positions include postdoctoral fellowship at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) and visiting scholar appointments at Dartmouth College and UC Berkeley.

His research centers on behavioral economics of inequality, with three interconnected pillars:

• Fairness views and social preferences in economic decision-making
• Determinants and consequences of economic inequality
• Poverty dynamics and policy implications

Professor Fehr employs experimental methods including large-scale survey experiments, as demonstrated in his study of German citizens' global income perceptions. His work reveals how misperceptions of relative wealth influence redistribution attitudes, showing that correcting income misperceptions actually reduces support for redistribution among left-leaning individuals who discover they are wealthier than believed.

Recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate consistent focus on experimental investigations of fairness norms, wealth-risk relationships, and endowment effects. These works contribute to understanding how compensation schemes align with social preferences and how relative wealth perceptions shape financial decision-making.

During his October 2022 visit to CESifo, Professor Fehr explored collaboration opportunities within the Economic Experts Survey (EES). While specific grant details aren't provided, his active publication record in top journals (Journal of Political Economy, American Economic Journal) suggests robust research funding. Current advising opportunities likely focus on behavioral/experimental economics topics within Heidelberg's Alfred Weber Institute framework.