Unit 1: Introduction to Behavioral Economics
1.1 What is behavioral economics?
● Defining behavioral economics and its paramount importance in understanding
human decision-making
● Tracing the historical context and pivotal milestones in the development of the field
1.2 The Foundations of Human Decision Making
● Unraveling the intricacies of System 1 and System 2 thinking in decision-making
● Exploring the profound influence of cognitive psychology on economic behavior
● Analyzing prospect theory and its groundbreaking deviations from social media
1.3 The Power of Behavioral Insights
● Experiencing the real-world impact of behavioral economics through compelling
examples
● Understanding how behavioral insights drive transformative policies, marketing, and
public interventions
● Delving into the ethical considerations essential in the ethical application of
behavioral economics
Unit 2: Cognitive Biases and Heuristics
2.1 Uncovering Cognitive Biases
● Conducting a comprehensive exploration of cognitive biases and their formidable
influence on judgments
● Examining overconfidence, anchoring, framing, and availability biases, among others
● Mastering techniques to recognize and mitigate biases in decision making
2.2 Heuristics and Decision Making
● Understanding the pivotal role of heuristics as influential mental shortcuts in choices
● Analyzing the representativeness, availability, and affect heuristic in diverse contexts
● Identifying the adaptive and maladaptive aspects of heuristics in decision making
2.3 Behavioral Economics Experiments: Unmasking Biases
● Delving into experimental methods to study cognitive biases and their profound
implications
● Immersing in famous experiments that revealed and challenged cognitive biases
● Extrapolating experimental findings to drive evidence-based policy and decision
making
Unit 3: Time Preferences and Intertemporal Choice
3.1 The Time Value of Decisions
● Recognizing the critical nature of time discounting and confronting the concept of
present bias
● Addressing hyperbolic discounting and the complexities of self-control problems
● Strategically leveraging nudging for better intertemporal decision making
3.2 The Long-Term Perspective
● Unpacking the profound implications of intertemporal choice on savings, investments,
and retirement planning
● Addressing environmental decisions and advocating for considering future
consequences
● Harnessing behavioral insights to drive sustainable behavior and climate change
mitigation
Unit 4: Social Preferences and Fairness
4.1 Altruism and Reciprocity
● Dissecting social preferences in economic decisions, understanding the motivations
behind altruism and reciprocity
● Probing the profound role of fairness and reciprocity in exchange relationships
● Engaging with behavioral experiments to explore and comprehend altruistic behavior
4.2 Social Norms and Conformity
● Emphasizing the momentous impact of social norms on economic behavior
● Developing insights into compliance and norm-based interventions to drive
transformative policy-making
● Analyzing the influence of conformity on consumer choices and financial decisions
Unit 5: Behavioral Game Theory and Cooperation
5.1 Behavioral Deviations in Game Theory
● Exploring the contrast between Nash equilibrium and behavioral strategies in games
● Investigating the profound influence of trust, cooperation and the prisoner’s dilemma
on decision making
● Applying behavioral insights to strategic interactions and negotiations for remarkable
outcomes
5.2 Cooperation and Collective Action
● Grappling with intricacies of the tragedy of the commons and collective action
dilemmas
● Strategically leveraging behavioral approaches to foster cooperation and resolve
conflicts
● Analyzing the transformative power of behavioral game theory in promoting public
goods provision and charitable giving
Unit 6: Behavioral Economics in Marketing & Consumer Behavior
6.1 The Consumer Mindset
● Psychology of consumer decision-making and behavioral pricing strategies
● How companies leverage behavioral insights in marketing and advertising
● Ethical consideration in nudging for commercial purposes
6.2 Nuding for Positive Outcomes
● Mastering the art of choice architecture and its instrumental role in shaping decisions
● Implementing nudges for profound transformation in consumer behavior, health
choices, and sustainable consumption
● Safeguarding ethical considerations in nudging for commercial purposes
Unit 7: Behavioral Economics in Policy & Public Interventions
7.1 Nudging for Social Good
● Emphasizing the concept of libertarian paternalism and its ethical considerations
● Analzying the case studies of successful nudges in public policy and health
interventions
● Designing powerful nudges that promote positive societal outcomes
7.2 Behavioral Insights for Economic Development
● Understanding the application of behavioral economics in development programs and
poverty alleviation
● Addressing behavioral constraints faced by individuals in low-income populations
● Evaluating the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in development projects
Unit 8: Happiness Economics and Well-Being
8.1 Subjective Well-being and Life Satisfaction
● Measuring subjective well-being and life satisfaction
● Investigating the impact of income, social connections, and community on life
satisfaction
● Harnessing the role of behavioral economics in enhancing overall well-being
8.2 Policies for the Pursuit of Happiness
● Integrating well-being measures into policy evaluations for informed decision-making
● Exploring policy implications of happiness economics in healthcare, education, and
urban planning
● Balancing societal happiness with essential trade-offs for sustainability
Unit 9: Behavioral Ethics and Decision Making
9.1 Behavioral Insights Into Ethical Dilemmas
● Applying behavioral insights to comprehend how behavioral factors influence ethical
decision making
● Identifying moral biases and their profound consequences on ethical choices
● Safeguarding ethical considerations in the application of nudging and paternalism
9.2 Fostering Ethical Behavior
● Implementing behavioral ethics in organizations and corporate governance
● Designing environments that promote ethical conduct through behavioral
interventions
● Encouraging honesty and integrity for transformative ethical outcomes
Unit 10: Neuroeconomics and the Brain Basis of Decision Making
10.1 Neuroscientific Foundations of Behavioral Economics
● Integrating neuroscience with behavioral economics research for deeper insights
● Investigating neural mechanisms underlying economic behaviors
● Exploring potential applications of neuroeconomics in various domains
10.2 Neuroeconomics in Practice
● Engaging with neuroeconomic experiments and their contributions to understanding
behavior
● Exploring practical applications of neuroeconomics in marketing, finance, and public
policy
● Anticipating the potential future impact of neuroeconomics on decision-making
processes
Unit 11: Behavioral Economics in Daily Life
11.1 Behavioral Econoımics in Personal Finance
● Recognizing the impact of behavioral biases on personal financial decisions
● Strategies to overcome cognitive biases in budgeting and saving
● Nudging for improved financial planning and investment choices
11.2 Behavioral Economics in Consumer Behavior
● Analyzing the role of behavioral economics in consumer decision-making
● How companies leverage behavioral insights for marketing and pricing
● Identifying and countering manipulation in advertising and sales tactics
11.3 Behavioral Economics in Health and Wellness
● Understanding the pyschology of health behavior change and overcoming barriers
● Nudging for healthier choices in diet, exercise, and preventative care
● Behavioral interventions for improving mental well-being
11.4 Behavioral Economics in Everyday Choices
● Identifying behavioral economics in various aspects of daily life
● Applying behavioral insights to improve productivity, time management, and habits
● Integrating behavioral economics principles to make better life decisions
