Vivikth Raghavan Narayanan

Department: Economics
Faculty Adviser: Pietro Ortoleva
Year of Study: G2
Undergraduate School: Australian National University
Undergraduate Major: Economics and Philosophy

Personal Bio

G'day!
I'm Vivikth, a PhD candidate in economics. I'm from Canberra (down under in Australia), but I'm excited to be researching in Princeton. The adjective that best describes me is curious—I’m always eager to learn and explore new ideas, which is one of the things I love most about Princeton: the opportunity to discover something new every day.
I've done my fair share of independent research as an undergraduate, including work in applied policy, international trade, political science, experimental economics and microeconomic theory. I had a great time and learned a lot, and I hope that I can give the same great experience to my mentees.
Whether it’s discussing new ideas, getting involved in a project, or just chatting over matcha, I’m here to support you and share in the Princeton experience together.

Fun Fact

I mispronounced my name for most of my childhood. I promise that I'll try to do better with my mentees!

Research Pitch

Our world is a complex one, which means that people often use shortcuts and heuristics to make decisions. I use experimental economics to understand how complexity affects people's choices, so that we can help people make better decisions.

Right now, I'm looking at how complexity interacts with trust. If you're making a decision about something you don't really understand, and someone gives you a recommendation or a hint, then under what circumstances are you going to follow (or ignore) their recommendation?

(Like all researchers) I think my work is interesting: I hope that it will allow us to better aid people when they make difficult decisions, without needing to simplify the decision environment. My work involves a mix of coding (experiments or websites using python and Julia), designing experiments and analyzing data (using R or stata), and using mathematical models to understand and predict behavior.

Upcoming Programs That I Am Attending:

Plans for Summer 2025

Interested in participating in Summer 2025 ReMatch+ program.