I am a fellow at the Institute for Research on Poverty and the assistant director of the Behavioral Research Insights Through Experiments (BRITE) Lab. I use lab and field experiments and big data to study the effect of inattention, fatigue, and hunger on economic decision-making.
Selected Publications
Hoffman, S., Ashton, L., & Ahn, J. (2021). Food safety: A policy history and introduction to avenues for economic research. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 43(2), 680-700. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13158
Ashton, L., Wong, N. Y., Puetz, B., & Choi, J. (2021). Using Online SSDI Conversations to Improve Communication and Outreach. UW–Madison Center for Financial Security working paper. https://cfsrdrc.wisc.edu/project/wi21-01.
Hastings, J., & Ashton, L. T. (2008). Financial Literacy, Information, and Demand Elasticity: Survey and Experimental Evidence from Mexico. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 14538. https://www.nber.org/papers/w14538.
Ashton, L. T., Giridhar, N., Holcombe. S., Manson, T., & Turner, E. (2015). A Review of Behavioral Economics in Reproductive Health. Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) Report. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3m51m11s
For a full list of publications, see Ashton’s CV.

Department
- Consumer Science
Degree Program
- PhD Human Ecology: Consumer Behavior & Family Economics
Affiliations
Education
- PhD, Agricultural and Resources Economics, University of California, Berkeley
- BS, Economics, Universidad de Monterrey
Contact
Office: 4214 Nancy Nicholas Hall
Phone: 608-262-5498
Email: lashton@wisc.edu
Websites: