Behavioral Economics: First Impressions

For this final paper, I'm going to explore the relationship between economics and psychology--in other words, behavioral economics. This field of research is relatively new (in the last 15 years or so, I believe), which should give me plenty of space to investigate the future and possible implications of the field.
I'm an economics major, so I'm pretty well-versed (I hope so) in that half of the exploration. Psychology is something that I've always been interested in, but I have never pursued it academically. I'm actually quite familiar with behavioral economics itself; a few summers ago I had an internship in which I did extensive research in the field, and I got to read most of the leading published works. I covered many topics (anchoring effect, advice presentation, choice architecture, self-control, etc) in depth, but didn't explore why these are important or how they could be influential in the future.
In this research paper, the why and how of behavioral economics will be my focal point. Using the background knowledge I already have (and, of course, more research to refresh my memory), I will analyze the relationship between economics and psychology, how it has converged into behavioral economics, and why this field of research is so crucial to modern society.

Artist vs. Audience

For this upcoming paper, I'm writing about Lady Gaga and how she has gained control over her audience in a world where the media constantly tries to bring down celebrities. I'll be focusing on her performance pieces (especially her performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 VMAs), as well as her novel use of social media (like Twitter and Facebook).
Since Lady Gaga is so current, it's especially interesting to see where she's coming from as well as where she's possibly headed--much of her "pop star appeal" is generated through brand new media and techniques, making her a very unique case study.

Testing blog

First post