Iceland study offers participants up to 15,000 kronur

A new study of everyday decision-making in Iceland is offering participants up to 15,000 kronur, mbl.is reported. The VAL study opened on Thursday and is led by the University of Iceland in collaboration with researchers at universities and research institutions in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and the United States.

The study is open to people aged 18 to 66 who live or usually stay in the capital region. It is available at val.hi.is.

Unlike conventional surveys, VAL involves decisions with real consequences, said Tinna Laufey Ásgeirsdóttir, a University of Iceland economics professor and the study’s principal investigator. Some participants will receive money, while others may be offered discounted passes for Strætó, Reykjavík’s swimming pools and cultural venues, or Katla Fitness.

The research is being conducted only in Iceland. International collaborators will help analyse the data and prepare scientific papers, while Icelandic university students will have opportunities to gain research experience.

Ásgeirsdóttir said the researchers hope to create a database of human behaviour that could inform policy and decision-making. The study is supported by the Research Fund, Reykjavík City, Public Transport in the Capital Region and Katla Fitness. The University of Iceland’s Social Science Research Institute will collect the data.

The data collection period has not been set. It will end when the funding runs out, with its duration depending on participation and the decisions participants make. The researchers plan to hold a public event at the University of Iceland once the results are available.