Vojtěch Zíka, Ph.D.
Experimental, Behavioral & Evolutionary Economics
ORCID: 0000-0002-5931-5977 | ResearcherID: ABA-2191-2021
I am an experimental economist focusing on decision-making under uncertainty, social preferences, and healthcare. My research has been published in leading economic and biology journals. Throughout my academic career, I have managed experimental laboratories and taught behavioral economics and neuroeconomics. As part of my outreach efforts, I founded the Prague Conference on Behavioral Sciences and the Czech Summer School on Behavioral Economics, which have attracted hundreds of students and scholars since 2017. I have also collaborated with institutions in the USA, the Netherlands, and India.
Publications
Newest
Speaking between the lines: Speakers’ role in framing effect.
Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (2025). Impact factor at the time of publication: 1.6 (Q2)
Laníková, S., & Zíka, V.
Best
Identity breeds inequality: Evidence from a laboratory experiment on redistribution.
Journal of Public Economics (2023). Impact factor at the time of publication: 4.8 (D1).
Fischbacher, U., Grammling, D., Hausfeld, J., & Zíka, V.
Generosity as a status signal: Higher-testosterone men exhibit greater altruism in the dictator game.
Evolution and Human Behavior (2024). Impact factor at the time of publication: 3.0 (Q1).
Novakova, J., Tureček, P., Machová, K., Sýkorová, K., Zíka, V., & Flegr, J.
Příručka experimentální ekonomie (Handbook of Experimental Economics)
Zíka, V. (ISBN: 978-80-7561-410-0)
Other
Looking like a million dollars: Does attractiveness priming increase altruistic behavior in experimental games?
Frontiers in Psychology (2021). Impact factor at the time of publication: 4.2 (Q1).
Novakova, J., Machová, K., Sýkorová K., Zíka V., & Flegr J.
Optimism bias and overconfidence effects in managerial decision-making
Economics and Business Management in the 21st Century (2016)
Zíka, V., Koblovský, P.
Education
Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology
2016—now | Charles University, Faculty of Science | Advisor: Jaroslav Flegr
Ph.D. in Applied Economics
2016—2023 | Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Faculty of Social and Economic Studies | Dissertation: Rethinking Overconfidence (advisor: Dan Šťastný)
Older
Bachelor and Master of Economic Policy (with Minor in Economics and Psychology)
2009—2016 | University of Economics in Prague, Faculty of Economics | Thesis: The Time-saving Bias in a Firm (advisor: Libor Dušek)
Bachelor and Master of Media and Communications Studies
2009—2016 | Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences | Thesis: Cognitive Errors in Mass Media Communication (advisor: Jan Křeček)
Working Experience
Guarantor of Economic Courses at the University of New York in Prague
since 2024 | Faculty of Business and IT, University of New York in Prague, Prague, Czechia
Lab Manager at Laboratories of Behavioral Studies
since 2020 | Laboratories of Behavioral Studies, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí and Labem, Czechia
Lab Manager at the Center for Behavioral Experiments
2016—2020 | Center for Behavioral Experiments (CEBEX), Prague, Czechia
International Experience
Adjunct Thesis Supervisor at the University of Amsterdam
since 2025 | The Center for Research in Experimental Economics and Political Decision, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Visiting Researcher at the Economic Science Institute
since 2019 | Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, California, USA
Teaching
Behavioral Economics
Behavioral economics is my main course, which I have taught since 2016 at several state and private universities under various names.
Charles University (since 2025 graduate level in Czech)
University of New York in Prague (since 2021 undergraduate level in English)
Czech Summer School on Behavioral Economics (since 2017 undergraduate level in English)
Metropolitan University Prague (2024/2025 undergraduate level in English and Czech)
Jan Evangelista Purkyně University (2024—2025 doctorate level in English)
Jan Evangelista Purkyně University (2022—2025 undergraduate level in Czech)
University of Economics in Prague (2020, undergraduate level in Czech)
CEVRO Institute College (2016—2019, undergraduate level in English)
Neuroeconomics
University of New York in Prague (since 2024 graduate level in English)
Experimental Methods
Jan Evangelista Purkyně University (2024, undergraduate level in Czech)
Behavioral Public Policy
CEVRO Institute College (2016—2019, undergraduate level in English)
Theses Supervision
Bachelor Level
Fair Play: An Analysis of Dishonesty in Athletes and Non-Athletes (Marek Hniďák, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, expected 2025)
Under Pressure: The Effect of Social Stress on Confirmation Bias (Roman Hyška, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, expected 2025)
Behavioral Intervention Focused on Increasing the Number of Blood Donors (Sára Laníková, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, defended 2021)
Gender Effects in Market Bubble Emergence (Alena Keren Musilová, CEVRO Institute College, defended 2020)
The Impact of Country of Origin on Wine Consumer Preferences (Veronika Šilhanová, CEVRO Institute College, defended 2020)
Overconfidence in Managerial Decision-Making (Michal Hanuš, CEVRO Institute College, defended 2018)
Master Level
Framing effect and its use for communication in behavioral public policy: experimental studies. (Sára Laníková, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, defended in 2023, published in 2025)
Doctoral Level
Sára Laníková (Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, started: 2023)
Pavel Pilecký (Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, started: 2023)
Peer Review Service
I have been invited to review articles for: Nature Human Behaviour (IF: 22.3), International Journal of Applied Behavioral Economics (IF: 0.2)
Technical Skills
Software: Programming (PHP, R, zTree), Database (SQL), Coding (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), Text Processing (Latex), Webhosting
Hardware: Eye-trackers and eye-tracking glasses (Tobii), physiological measurement devices (Nexus, Plux)