Patterns in penalty kicks

Do people work ‘all in one rhythm’? And if so, what does this mean for Economics? The football fanatics of The World Cup have penetrated even Economists’ consciousness, as demonstrated in The New York Times where penalty kicks are being used to test the Nash Equilibrium, a cornerstone of economic study. Economics is a weird and wonderful world where Mathematics and human behaviour are inextricably intertwined. Recently, game designers have recognised this, creating an online game through which students of Economics can understand it better. Why do people make the decisions they make, and how does this impact society on a macro level? Perhaps a great place to begin exploring is this article on ‘Why Behavioural Economics Is Cool’. Did you know that people are more likely to buy jam when they’re presented with 6 flavours than 24?