Elaine Horstmann studied economics and sociology with a focus on statistics in Göttingen and Bologna (Italy) as well as international economics in Göttingen and Aarhus (Denmark). During her studies, she worked as a tutor for Statistics I-III and in statistical consulting at the Center for Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences, as well as a student assistant in various projects of the Chair of Statistics (Economics) and the Chair of Economic Policy and SME Research. She received her doctorate in 2022 at the chair of Prof. Bizer. In her doctoral thesis, she is experimentally investigating the behavioral-economic background of non-R&D innovations. The topics of learning, information search, decision-making and organizational psychology are of particular interest. Her research interests also include institutional economics and corporate succession in (family- or owner-managed) SMEs.



Research Interest


  • Behavioral Economics
  • Experimental Economics
  • (Behavioral) Decision Making
  • Neuroeconomics


    • Talks


      • ESA2016 - 2016 North-American ESA Conference, 10.-12.11.2016, Tucson/Arizona, Elaine Horstmann: "Effects of group identity on public goods provision in a competitive setting".
      • 16th International Conference of the International Joseph A. Schumpeter Society (ISS), 6th – 8th July 2016, Montreal, Canada, Elaine Horstmann: „Influence of Group Identity on ‘Public Goods Provision’ in a Competitive Setting“.
      • 14th NCBEE, 26.-28.09.2019, IfW Kiel, Germany, Elaine Horstmann: “Managing innovations: using performance and learning goals to foster innovations”.
      • ESA2019 – 2019 European ESA Conference, 04.-07.09.2019, Burgundy School of Business Dijon, France, Elaine Horstmann: “Managing innovations: using performance and learning goals to foster innovations”.


        • Topics for Degree Theses
          Behavioral Economics (existing experimental data)


          • Human-Computer Interaction: Ultimatum Bargaining and Belief Elicitation in the context of algorithmic decision making systems.
          • Risk-Behavior under Incomplete Information from Descriptions
          • Risk-Behavior under Incomplete Information from Experience