Universität Wien

040062 UK Behavioral Economics (MA) (2019S)

Track in Behavioral Economics and Experiments

8.00 ECTS (4.00 SWS), SPL 4 - Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Continuous assessment of course work

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 50 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Thursday 07.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 08.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Thursday 14.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 15.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Thursday 21.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 22.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Thursday 28.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 29.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Thursday 04.04. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 05.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Thursday 11.04. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 12.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
  • Thursday 02.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 03.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Thursday 09.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 10.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Thursday 16.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 17.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Wednesday 22.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Thursday 23.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 24.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 31.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Thursday 06.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 5 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 07.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Friday 21.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Thursday 27.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Friday 28.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 9 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course is designed to make you familiar with the most relevant concepts from behavioral economics. After following this course, you will be able to understand and provide an answer to the following paradoxes (in economics):

- Why do people pay more for a diamond than for a month’s water consumption even though water is more useful?
-How could the same individual gamble and buy insurance at the same time?
-How is it possible that there exists a market of insurance for extremely low probability events?
-Why do individuals incur in consistent credit card debt?
-Why do individuals fall short from their saving goals?
- Why do individuals donate to charities?
- Why are there tragedies of the commons and how can we solve them?

To explain these paradoxes, you are going to get acquainted with the most relevant theories and solution concepts of the field, namely (Cumulative) Prospect Theory, Rank-Dependent Utility Theory, Hyperbolic Discounting, Inequity Aversion, Level-K theory and Quantal Response Equilibrium.

To understand these alternative theories, we will also review and understand in depth the assumptions of the most relevant standard theories and solution concepts in economics. Namely expected value, expected utility theory, exponential discounting utility, and Nash equilibrium.

Finally, note that my job is to convince you that the alternative theories are better descriptive approximations than their standard counterparts and that I will use data from experiments, data from surveys, data from economic phenomena, and your own decisions!

Assessment and permitted materials

The grade of the course will be assessed using these criteria:
-Final exam and quizzes (40%).
-Presentation (30%).
-Research Proposal (30%).

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Students should have completed an introductory econometrics course where they gained basic knowledge of regression analysis, including ordinary least squares (OLS). Also, they should have completed an intermediate microeconomics course, where they gained basic knowledge on decision-making under uncertainty and basic game theory.

Examination topics

Reading list


Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:28