NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute for FY 2012 in China

Jinkins David C, University Park PA

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds David Carson Jinkins of Penn State University to conduct a research project, entitled "Quantifying the extent that Chinese consumers signal well-being with consumption decisions," during the summer of 2012 at Peking University in Beijing, China. The host scientist is Dr. Yaohui Zhao. The Intellectual Merit of the research project is in measuring the extent that consumers buy goods to show others how well-off they are. Previous research has uncovered broad trends in American consumption data which are consistent with a simple signaling model. This project uses a more fully specified model to measure the importance of signaling to both American and Chinese consumers. This approach allows the measurement of welfare losses due to signaling, to estimate welfare gains from excise taxes, and to compare the importance of signaling in the United States and China. The Broader Impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce.