Rifka Weehuizen is a researcher at UNU-MERIT. Her research focuses on mental capital and wellbeing, including aspects such as the 'rationality bias' of markets, and the normative implications of this in terms of social justice. In addition, she works in the area of science and innovation policy.
Currently (2009) she is a visiting researcher at the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto. Highlighted: Imagine waking up one morning, turning on the radio and hearing on the NPR news that the president of the US has issued the following statement:
“After consulting my chief psychologist, I am confident that the reframing proposed in the new well-being policy will increase happiness by 34% at almost no cost.”
Psychology, economics and policy Although light paternalism is a 'growth industry' in economics, a number of methodological issues that it raises have not been adequately addressed. The first issue is how a particular pattern of behavior should be judged as a mistake, and, relatedly, how the success of paternalistic policies designed to rectify such mistakes should be evaluated – i.e.,the welfare criterion that should be used to judge light paternalistic policies.
The economist as therapist Teaching - Ethics, Business and Society, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEBA), Maastricht University (coordinator, lecturer, in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006)
- Philosophy of Science II, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Maastricht (coordinator, lecturer, in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006)
- Economic Sociology of Immigration: 'Post-Conflict Immigration Flows', Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Maastricht (lecturer, in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006)
- Institutions, Culture and Welfare, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Maastricht (coordinator, lecturer, in 2003)
- Historical Perspectives on scientific and technological change: 'Institutions and Mental Models', European Inter-University Association on Society, Science and Technology (ESST) (lecturer, in 2003)
Research interests: - Integrative economic ethics
- Behavioral economics (rationality bias of markets)
- Institutional economics (norms, routines, mental models)
- Well-being, happiness research (experienced utility)
- Science and innovation policy
- Interdisciplinarity
Key Qualifications: Key work experience: - 2009: visiting researcher at the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto
- 2008 - 2009: senior staff member at the Advisory Council for Science and Technology Policy (AWT) in the area of
- 2000 - present: researcher at UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University and the United Nations University
- 2006 - 2007: Staff member (detached) at the Advisory Council for Science and Technology Policy (AWT)
- 2004 (June-Aug): Visiting researcher at the Center for Health and Community (CHC), University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), in the area of SES and Health
- 2002 (Jan-June): Internship at the Department of Social Psychiatry, University of Maastricht
- 1998 - 2000: Foresight project manager 'Economy, Technology and the Future of Work', at the Netherlands Study Center for Technology Trends (STT)
- 1996 - 1998: Policy staff member at the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences (OCW) in the area of science policy and internationalization
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