Leonardo is the founder and director of the Normal Lab at the University of Chicago. The lab is dedicated to understanding one of the most powerful forces shaping human behavior: social norms.
Behind the Lab
We are constantly influenced by what the people around us think, do, and expect, and most of the time, we don't even realize it. The Normal Lab uses interdisciplinary, economics-driven research to investigate what societies consider "normal," how those norms take hold, and what happens when they do. The goal isn't just to understand these forces, it's to use that understanding to design evidence-based policies and interventions that help people live more freely and more fulfilling lives.
The Lab's work spans six broad themes:
Social Norms and How They Shift
Why do norms persist even when most people privately disagree with them? And what causes them to unravel? The Lab studies the mechanics of norm change, from the spread of anti-immigrant sentiment to shifting attitudes toward women in the workforce.
Peer Pressure and Social Image
How does the desire to fit in — or stand out — shape decisions in education, finance, and the workplace? The Lab has documented how social visibility changes behavior in settings from high school classrooms to financial markets to wartime.
Misperceived Norms
People often dramatically misjudge what others around them think and do. The Lab studies how these misperceptions sustain harmful behaviors, and how correcting them can drive fast, meaningful change.
Polarization and Political Behavior
How do social forces fuel political identity, partisan division, and the spread of misinformation? The Lab examines these questions with the same experimental rigor it brings to all its work.
Social Forces and Market Outcomes
Social forces shape individual choices, which in turn affects market outcomes, such as consumer welfare, market definition and market power / antitrust analysis.
Social Interactions and Technology
Technology is a central part of people's lives. The Lab examines how technology shapes social interactions and well-being, and how to leverage technology and social forces to help people feel good.