AØKK08334U Foundations of Behavioural Economics

Volume 2024/2025
Education

MSc programme in Economics – elective course

 

The course is open to:

  • Exchange and Guest students from abroad
  • Credit students from Danish Universities
  • Open University students
Content

Why do people volunteer and donate to charitable causes? Why do we often eat unhealthy food, exercise too little, and struggle with completing important tasks in a timely manner? Why do most people think that they are better-than-average car drivers, entrepreneurs, lovers, ... ?  From the perspective of conventional economic theory, these questions are difficult to answer. Behavioral Economics is an attempt to shed light on these and other puzzling phenomena. By enriching the traditional economic model with an empirically more accurate foundation of human behavior, Behavioral Economics aims at improving the predictive power of economic models and the resulting policy recommendations.

 

In this course, we will discuss the psychological foundations of human behavior and their economic implications. The course builds on the introductory course “Psychology of Choice” and lays the foundations for subsequent field courses in which insights from behavioral economics are applied to different areas of economic research (e.g., Behavioral Finance, Science of Behavior Change, or Behavioral Public Economics).

 

In the course, we will present the empirical regularities that have inspired the development of Behavioral Economics, analyze the key theoretical models that have been brought forward, and discuss a number of applications where insights from Behavioral Economics have contributed to a better understanding of individual behavior and market outcomes.

 

The course will focus on the following topics:

  • Fairness and Social Preferences

  • Reference-Dependent Preferences and Loss Aversion

  • Present-Biased Preferences and Limited Self Control

  • Limited Cognitive Resources and Attention

  • Behavioral Economics, Market Interactions, and Economic Policy

Learning Outcome

After completing the course the student is expected to be able to:

 

Knowledge:

  • Define core concepts to model social preferences, reference-dependent preferences, limited attention, and present bias.
  • Account for the models’ central theoretical insights and implications.
  • Critically discuss theoretical models and empirical research results in behavioral economics.

 

Skills:

  • Critically assess theoretical and empirical studies at the intersection of economics and psychology.
  • Evaluate the results of these studies and identify limitations of the existing body of knowledge.
  • Critically reflect how economic theory, lab and field experiments, and other complementary empirical methods can be used to address research questions in behavioral economics.

 

Competencies:

  • Apply behavioral economic insights to theoretical problems and practical empirical questions.
  • Initiate and implement first own research studies on behavioral economic topics.

 

The course will be based on lecture notes and research papers, as well as selected handbook chapters and survey articles. A detailed syllabus with required readings will be provided in the beginning of the course.

The following survey articles provide an excellent introduction to the literature.

  • Rabin, M. (1999). Psychology and Economics. Journal of Economic Literature, 36: 11-46.

  • DellaVigna, S. (2009). Psychology and Economics: Evidence from the Field. Journal of Economic Literature, 47: 315-372.

A thorough knowledge of microeconomic theory (especially game theory and contract theory), microeconometrics and econometrics as in the courses Microeconomics I, Microeconomics II and Econometrics I i the bachelor programme of Economics are required.

In particular, it is strongly recommended that Microeconomics III has been followed prior taking "Foundations of Behavioural Economics".

It is recommended that Econometrics II has been followed prior or at least in parallel with "Foundations of Behavioural Economics".

Ideally, students should also have attended the interdisciplinary course on “The Psychology of Choice”.
Lectures will supplemented with a number of guided practice sections. In the practice sections, we will discuss recap questions and homework assignments. Assignments will consist of theoretical exercises and empirical case studies through which the students can deepen and apply the knowledge acquired in the lecture.

Student participation and an active discussion is expected and encouraged.
Schedule:
3 hours lectures a week from week 36 to 50 (except week 42).

The overall schema for the Master can be seen at KUnet:
MSc in Economics => "courses and teaching" => "Planning and overview" => "Your timetable"
KA i Økonomi => "Kurser og undervisning" => "Planlægning og overblik" => "Dit skema"

Timetable and venue:
To see the time and location of lectures please press the link under "Timetable"/​"Se skema" at the right side of this page (E means Autumn).

You can find the similar information partly in English at
https:/​/​skema.ku.dk/​ku2425/​uk/​module.htm
-Select Department: “2200-Økonomisk Institut” (and wait for respond)
-Select Module:: “2200-E24; [Name of course]”
-Select Report Type: “List – Weekdays”
-Select Period: “Efterår/Autumn”
Press: “ View Timetable”

Please be aware:
- The schedule of the lectures can change without the participants´ acceptance. If this happens, you can see the new schedule in your personal timetable at KUnet, in the app myUCPH and through the links in the right side of this course description and the link above.
- It is the students´s own responsibility continuously throughout the study to stay informed about their study, their teaching, their schedule, their exams etc. through the curriculum of the study programme, the study pages at KUnet, student messages, the course description, the Digital Exam portal, Absalon, the personal schema at KUnet and myUCPH app etc.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 42
  • Preparation
  • 161
  • Exam
  • 3
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Individual
Collective

 

The lecturer gives continuos oral feedback during practice sections and in-class questions that are discussed with students in the lectures.

Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
On-site written exam, 3 hours under invigilation
Type of assessment details
ITX-exam in the exam venues of the university.
The exam assignment is in English and must be answered in English.
Exam registration requirements

There are no requirements that the student has to fulfill during the course to be able to qualify for the exam.

Aid

No aids allowed at the written ITX-exam.

 

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
at the written exam. The written ITX-exam may be chosen for external assessment by random sample.
An oral re-examination may be with external assessment.
Exam period

Exam information:

The examination date can be found in the exam schedule  here

The exact time and place will be available in Digital Exam from the middle of the semester. 

More information about examination, rules, aids etc. at Master (UK), Master (DK).

 

Re-exam

Reexam info:

The reexamination date/period can be found in the reexam schedule  here

Exact day, time and place: Digital Exam in February. 

More info at Master(UK) and Master(DK).

Criteria for exam assesment

Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the course.

 

To receive the top grade "12", the student must with no or only a few minor weaknesses be able to demonstrate an excellent performance displaying a high level of command of all aspects of the relevant material and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.

 

In order to obtain the passing grade “02”, the student must in a satisfactory way be able to demonstrate a minimal acceptable level of  the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.