Lecture on Behavioral Economics
| Numbering Code | U-ECON00 20109 LJ43 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture | |
| Target Year | From 2nd to 4th year students | Target Student | ||
| Language | Japanese | Day/Period | Wed.1 | |
| Instructor name | IDA TAKANORI (Graduate School of Economics Professor) | |||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course |
Humans are full of contradictions. Sometimes reasonably, yet selfishly; sometimes emotionally, yet altruistically. Humans are supposed to be wise; then why do they make silly mistakes? In order to understand the mechanism, it is important to doubt the rationality of human beings that has been seen as self-evident, and to listen to the inner voice that can easily be overshadowed by mood and atmosphere. This course overviews a new trend in economics trying to understand the mystery of human psychology and the mysterious wonders of human beings by drawing on the knowledge of psychology and brain science. |
|||
| Course Goals | Students will be equipped with the mindset to not be hesitant to learn economics or blindly believe in economies, while gaining in-depth insights into economic theories. | |||
| Schedule and Contents |
The fundamentals of applications of behavioral economics will be taught using the textbook. An orientation course (1st) Chapter 1. Mind in Economics (2nd-3rd) Chapter 2. “Leaping” Behavioral Economics (4th-5th) Chapter 3. The History of Moral Science (6th-7th) Chapter 4. Economics of Altruism (8th-9th) Chapter 5. Uncertainty and Unexpected Economics (10th-11th) Chapter 6. Evolution and Neuroscience in Economics (12th-13th) Chapter 7. Behavior Change and Nudge in Economics (Chapter 14-15) A report is to be submitted during the course. Information about the course will be posted on the website (http://www.econ.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~ida/) throughout the course. |
|||
| Evaluation Methods and Policy | Report (25 points) + final exam (75 points) = 100 points | |||
| Course Requirements | None | |||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | Instructions will be given during the lecture. | |||
| Textbooks | Textbooks/References |
依田高典 『「ココロ」の経済学: 行動経済学から読み解く人間のふしぎ』 (ちくま新書) This book is written in plain language in an easy and simple manner. However, the level of content is substantial, covering broader themes than ordinary behavioral economics. For example, enlightening books in behavioral economics often emphasize the irrational part of human behavior (bounded rationality), ending up as a collection of interesting episodes of human behaviors. However, this book reveals that the emotional aspects of human beings, which are not always rational, have been emphasized ever since economics was studied. Additionally, seemingly irrational human behavior was an evolutionarily favorable strategy for the survival of species and individuals in ancient times when the irreversibility of time and true uncertainty dominated. Bounded rationality in humans is backed up by physiology (from the preface). |
||
| References, etc. | 依田高典 『行動経済学：感情に揺れる経済心理』 (中公新書) A perfect human being obtains complete information and makes the right decision. This is the economic man assumed by economics. In reality, there is no such person. There is so much information available that we regret buying a product when we later find a cheaper alternative. As a human being, it is difficult to make the right decision, quit smoking, or lose weight. This book repositions “behavioral economics” based on such human characteristics in the history of economics, and introduces its theories and possibilities in detail. | |||
| Related URL | ||||
