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Washington University in St. Louis News & Information > Faculty Experts at Washington University in St. Louis >

Professor of Psychology
Expertise: choice, decision making, self control, behavioral economics, experimental psychology, economic theories, delayed outcomes, probabilistic outcomes, smaller/sooner rewards, larger/later rewards, decision-making
Bio: Green studies choice and decision making in rats, pigeons, and people. His research on choice extends to the areas of self control (choice between smaller/sooner rewards and larger/later rewards), behavioral economics (the conjoining of experimental psychology and economic theories), and the discounting of delayed and probabilistic outcomes.
WUSTL Contact Information:
| Work: | (314) 935-6534 |
| Alt: | (314) 935-6544 |
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Education:
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Ph.D. at State University of New York at Stony Brook

| News Stories & Tip Sheets: |
Showing 3 Stories.
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Holiday tipping
 Holiday giving season complicated by shifting norms on gratuities, psychologist suggests

July 17,
2008 --
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| Photo by Mary Butkus / WUSTL Photo |
| Study finds that the larger the bill, the smaller the tip percentage. |
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As Americans are stuggling to make ends meet with rising gas and food costs, they are grappling more than ever with what's appropriate when it comes to rewarding service providers with tips, gifts and other token gratuities, suggests Leonard Green, Ph.D., a psychology professor in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis who studies tipping behavior. Video available.

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Holiday tipping
 Holiday giving season complicated by shifting norms on gratuities, psychologist suggests

Dec. 17,
2007 --
 |
| Photo by Mary Butkus / WUSTL Photo |
| Study finds that the larger the bill, the smaller the tip percentage. |
Download
|
With the holiday season upon us, Americans are grappling more than ever with what's appropriate when it comes to rewarding service providers with tips, gifts and other token gratuities, suggests Leonard Green, a psychology professor in Arts & Sciences who studies tipping behavior at Washington University in St. Louis. Video available.

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'When you can't have it right away'
 Gambling psychology offers insight into self-control, risk-taking, impulsiveness

Dec. 19,
2003 --
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| Photo by Joe Angeles/WUSTL Photo |
| Are gamblers impulsive? |
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Why do people engage in behaviors they know are harmful to them in the long run? Why do we give in to that incredible chocolate cake even though we're trying to lose weight and stay fit? The answer, suggests a recent study on the psychology of gambling and impulsive behavior, is a simple economic phenomenon known as discounting. While good health may be its own reward, research suggests that the value of that reward diminishes as it's delayed; and the longer it's delayed, the less it controls your present behavior. Although gamblers may deserve their reputations as notorious risk-takers, they often do better than non-gamblers at delaying gratification to maximize long-term rewards.

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Level of impulsivity varies, but is present in everyone
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
and 14 others

Feb. 5,
2007 -- WUSTL psychology professor Len Green comments on compulsive behavior and on lab experiments on people, rats and pigeons.
Economics graduate student Patrick McAlvanah, who also works in Green's lab, comments.
The research has relevance to addictions. A body of research already shows that addicts tend to be impulsive. Green is conducting experiments iin this area.

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Buying a home with no regrets
Chicago Tribune

Jan. 22,
2007 -- Q & A financing column answers a question about making the right financial decision when buying a house. WUSTL psychology professor Len Green is one of the experts offering advice on how to focus your choice.

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The annual gratuity guilt trip
The New York Times
and 1 others

Dec. 6,
2005 -- To tip or not to tip — and whom to tip and how much? These questions get sticky during the holiday season, when the spirit of giving, or at least tipping, becomes fraught with anxiety, guilt and pressure. Leonard Green, psychology professor who studies tipping behavior, said that tipping guilt isn't just an urban phenomenon, and it is not limited to a particular time of year.

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