Professor David Comerford

Professor

Economics University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Professor David Comerford

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About me

David Comerford researches and teaches in the economics division and the Behavioural Science Centre of the University of Stirling. His research uncovers insights on how people make mistaken judgments and decisions - for instance, judgments of trends over time, judgments of expenditure, and judgments of how an experience will feel.    David works with policy makers and businesses in the USA, the UK and Ireland applying his research findings to improve decision making. He is currently collaborating with the Scottish Government on a project to improve economic forecasts, and is supervising a PhD student on this topic.   Media outlets that have covered David's research include the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, National Public Radio, Forbes, the Harvard Business Review.    Prior to coming to Stirling David worked at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and at University College Dublin. David has won research awards from the International Association for Research in Economic Psychology, the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences Scholar, and the Fulbright Commission.

Research (3)

consumer decision making; survey design; biases in forecasting.

David has experience collaborating with industry bodies and policy makers. He is currently working with: NHS Lothian to help mothers stick to their breastfeeding plans; The Scottish Avalanche Information Service to improve avalanche forecasts; The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service to promote tissue retrieval.

Projects

Vaccines against AMR in Aquaculture
PI: Professor Margaret Crumlish
Funded by: International Development Research Centre

The impact of COVID-19 Fear: evidence to inform social, health and economic recovery - a Healthy Ageing In Scotland (HAGIS) study
PI: Dr Elaine Douglas
Funded by: UK Research and Innovation

Behavioural Science Workshop Series
PI:
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council

Outputs (50)

Outputs

Conference Proceeding

Ebert PA, Miller DL, Comerford DA & Diggins M (2024) End User Interpretation of the Avalanche Danger Scale: A Scottish Study. In: Proceedings of the International Snow Science Workshop 2024, Tromsø, Norway. Proceedings of the International Snow Science Workshop. International Snow Science Workshop, Tromsø, Norway, 23.09.2024-27.09.2024. Montana: Montana State University Library, pp. 1626 - 1632. https://arc.lib.montana.edu/snow-science/item.php?id=3361


Article

Comerford DA, Tufte-Hewett A & Bridger EK (2024) Public preferences to trade-off gains in total health for health equality: Discrepancies between an abstract scenario versus the real-world scenario presented by COVID-19. Rationality and Society, 36 (1), pp. 66-92. https://doi.org/10.1177/10434631231193599


Research Report

Comerford D, Houston J, Duggan A, Bell D & Douglas E (2022) Expectations After And During The Pandemic [HAGIS COVID-19 AND YOU: IMPACT AND RECOVERY STUDY]. UKRI. Stirling. https://www.hagis.scot/_files/ugd/5d9fd0_edfb240231634b77bc0430f87b366ea4.pdf


Research Report

Douglas E, Bell D, Dawson A, Brown T, Pemble C, Houston J, Comerford D, Olivarius O, Duggan A, McCabe L, Douglas C, McGregor L & Coutts-Murray K (2022) HAGIS COVID Impact & Recovery Executive Summary Report. UKRI. Stirling. https://www.hagis.scot/reports


Technical Report

Ebert P & Comerford D (2022) SAIS User Survey Summary Report. Diggins M (Contact Person) Scottish Avalanche Information Services. Online: University of Stirling.


Conference Proceeding

Douglas E, Bell DNF, Comerford D, McCabe L, Pemble C, McGregor L & Brown T (2021) The Impact of COVID-19 Fear: Evidence To Inform Social, Health And Economic Recovery - A Healthy Ageing In Scotland (HAGIS) Study. In: Ageing Past, Present and Future: Innovation and Change. British Society of Gerontology 50th Annual Conference, Online, 07.07.2021-09.07.2021. Hampshire: British Society of Gerontology, p. 165. https://www.britishgerontology.org/public/31949/BSG_Conference_Book_2021_Online_v2.pdf


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