PB405
Foundations in Behavioural Science
This information is for the 2022/23 session.
Teacher responsible
Prof Liam Delaney and Dr Christian Krekel
Availability
This course is compulsory on the MSc in Behavioural Science. This course is not available as an outside option.
Course content
This course aims to introduce students to the main concepts and tools of behavioural science, drawing on the most recent evidence from economics, psychology, and neuroscience to explain what motivates action and human behaviour. To achieve this aim, the course will focus on a variety of topics integral to the discipline, such as: 1) what is behavioural science?; 2) choices under risk and uncertainty; 3) intertemporal decisions and social and moral preferences; 4) biases, heuristics, and rules of thumb; 5) the role of emotions in decision-making; 6) norms in decision-making; 7) dual-process models of behaviour; 8) nudges; 9) compensating behaviours; and 10) ethical considerations.
Teaching
20 hours of lectures and 20 hours of seminars in the MT.
Students will be expected to attend a weekly seminar series titled ‘Behavioural Science, Applied Psychology and the Wider World’, which examines the application of behavioural science concepts and methods in a variety of sectors (government, business, and NGOs).
Formative coursework
Students will be expected to complete one formative assignment, to be submitted in MT.
Indicative reading
Books
Ariely, D. (2010). Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions. New York: HarperCollins.
Kahneman, D. (2012). Thinking, Fast and Slow. London: Penguin.
Kahneman, D., Sibony, O., & Sunstein, C. R. (2021). Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgement. London: William Collins.
List, J. A. (2022). The Voltage Effect. London: Penguin.
Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2021). Nudge: The Final Edition. London: Allen Lane.
Journal Articles
Bhargava, S., & Loewenstein, G. (2015). Behavioral Economics and Public Policy 102: Beyond Nudging. American Economic Review, 105, 396-401.
Cowen, A. S., & Keltner, D. (2017). Self-report captures 27 distinct categories of emotion bridged by continuous gradients. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(38), E7900-E7909.
Daly, M., Harmon, C. P., & Delaney, L. (2010). Psychological and Biological Foundations of Time Preference. Journal of the European Economic Association, 7(2-3), 659-669.
DellaVigna, S. (2009). Psychology and Economics: Evidence from the Field. Journal of Economic Literature, 47(2), 315-72.
DellaVigna, S., & Linos, E. (2022). RCTs to Scale: Comprehensive Evidence From Two Nudge Units. Econometrica, 90(1), 81-116.
Delaney, L., & Doyle, O. (2012). Socioeconomic differences in early childhood time preferences. Journal of Economic Psychology, 33(1), 237-247.
Dolan, P., Hallsworth, M., Halpern, D., King, D., Metcalfe, R., & Vlaev, I. (2012). Influencing behaviour: the mindspace way. Journal of Economic Psychology, 33(1), 264-277.
Dolan, P., & Galizzi, M. M. (2015). Like ripples on a pond: Behavioral spillovers and their implications for research and policy. Journal of Economic Psychology, 47, 1-16.
Falk, A., Becker, A., Dohmen, T., Enke, B., Huffman, D., & Sunde, A. (2018). Global Evidence on Economic Preferences. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 133(4), 1645-1692.
Hertwig, R., & Grüne-Yanoff, T. (2017). Nudging and Boosting: Steering or Empowering Good Decisions. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 973-986.
Hertwig, R., & Ryall, M. D. (2020). Nudge Versus Boost: Agency Dynamics Under Libertarian Paternalism. Economic Journal, 130(629), 1384-1415.
Krpan, D., Galizzi, M. M., & Dolan, P. (2019). Looking at Spillovers in the Mirror: Making a Case for “Behavioral Spillunders”. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1142.
Loewenstein, G., Weber, E. U., Hsee, C. K., & Welch, N. (2001). Risk as feelings. Psychological Bulletin, 127, 267-286.
Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2003). Libertarian Paternalism. American Economic Review, 93(2), 175-179.
Tversky A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Science, 185(4157), 1124-1131.
Weber, E. U., & Johnson, E. J. (2009). Mindful Judgment and Decision Making. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 53-85.
Assessment
Essay (100%, 5000 words) in the MT.
Key facts
Department: Psychological and Behavioural Science
Total students 2021/22: 69
Average class size 2021/22: 16
Controlled access 2021/22: Yes
Lecture capture used 2021/22: Yes (MT)
Value: One Unit
Course selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
