Daniele Mauriello
PhD Candidate in Economics
University of Bonn

I am a PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Bonn (BGSE). My research lies at the intersection of behavioral economics and finance, with a focus on motivated reasoning, investor behavior, and the formation of beliefs under uncertainty. In my work, I combine experimental methods with economic theory and large-scale observational data.

Beyond academia, I have gained experience working in both the public and private sectors, which continues to inform my perspective on economic research and real-world decision-making.

• CV

Job Market Paper

Which Mental Model? Motivated Reasoning over Accounts of the World

Can a cognitive bias provide individuals with a convenient justification for the beliefs they would like to hold? Can a motive instead help overturn biased reasoning, when the motive and the bias point in different directions? Or do the two forces operate independently of each other?

Working Papers

Sell or Hold? Double Down! The Role of Ownership on Beliefs and (Re)Investment Decisions
(with M. Forti)

We document investors' tendency to double down on their losing positions. We propose and test a motivated reasoning explanation for this behavior: investors don't want to acknowledge their failures and therefore form optimistic beliefs about the future performance of the poorly performing assets.

Fast Declines, Slow Recoveries? Asymmetric Perceptions of Economic Change
(with Z. Liu, S. Kube, J. Lammers)

We document individuals' tendency to perceive the pace of negative economic developments as faster than that of equivalent positive ones. We identify the contextual reading of economic dynamics as a key driver for the phenomenon: individuals project the outcomes they expect in the graphs they observe.

Teaching

I have served as a teaching assistant for the following courses at University of Bonn.

I joined TestWeCan (Milan, Italy) shortly after its founding in 2015 and served as Partner and Head of Didactics until 2020, when it was acquired by Testbusters. I taught mathematics and problem-solving to high school students preparing for the Bocconi University admission test, coordinated a team of tutors, and organised orientation meetings at local high schools. I also authored the first edition of the test preparation coursebook.

Contact

I am happy to discuss my research or answer any questions. Feel free to reach out by email or via phone.