An examination of the social and geographic determinants of individual decision-making

This dissertation examines the social and geographic determinants of individual decision-making. The theoretical and empirical basis for this investigation centers on the application of behavioral economic concepts, spatial econometric methodologies, and insights from the neighborhood effects literature to analyze how neighborhood mechanisms and social networks affect decisions related to health, substance abuse and crime. A clearer understanding of the role of social preferences in economic decisions will allow for behavioral economic principles to be better integrated into public policy.;In Chapter 1, an impure public goods model is applied to HPV vaccination behavior as a means for modeling complex decisions associated with preventive health behaviors that produce social- and health-related externalities. Complementarities in the public and private benefits of HPV vaccination are hypothesized due to the social nature through which HPV is contracted. The direction of substitution effects is assessed using data from a randomized controlled intervention trial to promote HPV vaccination for an at-risk, low uptake adolescent female population. Results point to positive substitution effects in decisions related to HPV vaccination.;Chapter 2 examines the neighborhood-health relationship using an expanded health production model that includes noncognitive factors and neighborhood effects. How these factors combine to influence health is explored using data from a study that addressed the impact of neighborhood change on residents of a low-income minority neighborhood. The key finding is that economic deprivation doesn't always imply poor health: noncognitive factors appear to matter and act independently from neighborhood factors to decrease the likelihood of experiencing poor health.;Chapter 3 investigates how an individual's propensity to engage in deviant behavior is influenced by the prevalence of that behavior among high school peers. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study for Adolescent to Adult Health to evaluate the role of positive interaction effects in deviant choices, a robust relationship is found between peers' behavior and individual choices that persists over time. Evidence that high school friendships continue to have a significant impact on deviant behavior decisions highlights the importance of implementing interventions early in adolescence for those individuals already demonstrating deviant tendencies.