History and Mission
The MIT Behavioral Research Lab (BRL) was founded in 2006 with support from the Office of the Provost. In 2016, the BRL became a part of MIT Sloan School of Management and has since then received its funding from MIT Sloan’s Office of the Dean. The BRL remains an Institute-wide resource serving all MIT-affiliated behavioral researchers.
The mission of the MIT Behavioral Research Lab (BRL) is to facilitate impactful, innovative, cutting-edge behavioral research at MIT. We carry out this mission by providing lab facilities, recruitment services, and general support to behavioral researchers across MIT while enabling individuals inside and outside of MIT to participate in meaningful research studies.
What is Behavioral Research?
Behavioral research can be broadly defined as the study of human and animal behavior in response to internal or external stimuli. This includes our interactions with other individuals, our reactions to changes in the physical environment, and the decisions we make in different situations. While behavioral research is more directly associated with the “behavioral sciences” (which consist of disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and economics), it is frequently conducted in business, computer science, education, and many other fields for the purpose of examining human behavior in real-life contexts.
Our Leadership Team and Advisory Board
Leadership Team
Jared R. Curhan
Gordon Kaufman Professor of Management
Jared Curhan is the Gordon Kaufman Professor and a Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, as well as Faculty Director of MIT’s Behavioral Research Lab. Curhan specializes in the psychology of negotiation…
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Drazen Prelec
Digital Equipment Corp. Leaders for Global Operations Professor of Management
Drazen Prelec is the Digital Equipment Corp. Leaders for Global Operations Professor of Management and a Professor of Management Science and Economics at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Prelec holds appointments in the Department of…
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Advisory Board
Abdullah Almaatouq
Douglas Drane Career Development Associate Professor in Information Technology and Management
Chelsea R. Lide
Hear name pronounced.Class of 1948 Career Development Assistant Professor
Austin van Loon
Hear name pronounced.Class of 1956 Career Development Assistant Professor
