Benjamin Shiller

Assistant Professor of Economics

Departments/Programs

Economics

Degrees

University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D.
Brandeis University, B.A.

Expertise

Economics of Digitization, Industrial Organization, Applied Microeconomics

Profile

Relatively new phenomenon like internet commerce and massive data collection on consumer behavior (Big Data) may induce fundamental changes to the economy. My research goal is to study these changes. Examples of my research include studying whether ad blocking reduces websites investments in content, whether proprietary data collection allows prolonged profitability even in the face of competition, and the impact of personalized pricing, i.e. setting unique prices to different individuals based on their web-browsing behavior. I have also studied how digitizing entertainment products impacts markets, via optimal pricing strategies and by shutting down resale. I incorporate related research directly into my teaching.

Courses Taught

ECON	80a	Microeconomic Theory
ECON	308f	Applied Methods II
ECON	340a	Empirical Industrial Organization
ECON	399a	Dissertation Workshop

Scholarship

Shiller, Benjamin R.. "Approximating Purchase Propensities and Reservation Prices from Broad Consumer Tracking." International Economic Review (2020).

Shiller, Benjamin R./Imke Reimers. "The Impacts of Telematics on Competition and Consumer Behavior in Insurance." The Journal of Law and Economics 62. 4 (2019): 613-632.

Shiller, Benjamin / Joel Waldfogel / Johnny Ryan. "The Effect of Ad Blocking on Website Traffic and Quality." Rand Journal of Economics 49. 1 (2018): 43-63.

Shiller, Benjamin R.. "Digital Distribution and the Prohibition of Resale Markets for Information Goods." Quantitative Marketing and Economics (2013).

Shiller, Benjamin R./Joel Waldfogel. "Music for a Song: An Empirical Look at Uniform Song Pricing and Its Alternatives." Journal of Industrial Economics 59. 4 (2011): 630-660.