Bachelor
2021/2022
Introduction to Neuroeconomics: How the Brain Makes Decisions
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Type:
Elective course (Psychology)
Area of studies:
Psychology
Delivered by:
School of Psychology
Where:
Faculty of Social Sciences
When:
4 year, 3 module
Mode of studies:
distance learning
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Instructors:
Oksana Zinchenko
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
2
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Economics, psychology, and neuroscience are converging today into a unified discipline of Neuroeconomics with the ultimate aim of creating a single, general theory of human decision-making. Neuroeconomics provides biologists, economists, psychologists and social scientists with a deeper understanding of how they make their own decisions and how others decide. Neuroscience, when allied with psychology and economics, creates powerful new models to explain why we make decisions. Neurobiological mechanisms of decision-making, decisions under risk, trust and cooperation will be central issues in this course. You will be provided with the most recent evidence from brain-imaging techniques (fMRI, TMS, etc.) and introduced to the explanatory models behind them. The course does not require any prior study of economics and neuroscience; however, it might require you to study novel interdisciplinary materials. The course provides an introduction to the methodology, assumptions, and main findings of Neuroeconomics. Our students have different backgrounds; therefore, I have adapted and simplified the course to allow all students to understand the interdisciplinary content. This course will help you to start your progress in the field of Neuroeconomics and to further develop your skills during other more advanced courses and trainings in the future. For some topics, the course will also provide supplementary videos to reveal the opinions of leading experts in the field. Each module provides optional reading material.
Learning Objectives
- Know how neurons assign values to different options during the decision-making process.
- Understand the role of emotion in decision-making
- Apply dual-processing theories
- Understand neuroeconomic approach to studying decisions under risk and an anticipatory affect model
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Affective mechanisms of decision-making
- A a historical overview of the field.
- Basics of behavioral economics
- Dual process theory of decision-making
- Neural representation of the subjective value, basal ganglia and choice value
- Neurophilosophy of Neuroeconomics
- The social brain: Games in the brain
- Know the theories of the decision making under risk
Course Contents
- Neurophilosophy of Neuroeconomics
- The social brain: Games in the brain
- Introduction. Introduction to Neuroeconomics, a historical overview of the field.
- Behavioral economics as a foundation of Neuroeconomics
- Neural representation of the subjective value, basal ganglia and choice value
- Affective mechanisms of decision-making
- Dual process theory of decision-making
- Decision making under risk
Interim Assessment
- 2021/2022 3rd module0.7 * Tests at the coursera platform + 0.3 * Final exam at the Coursera platform
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Neuroeconomics : decision making and the brain, , 2014
- Neuroeconomics 2nd Edition Decision Making and the Brain Academic Press; 2nd edition (October 11, 2013)
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Decisions, ucertainty, and the brain : the science of neuroeconomics, Glimcher, P. W., 2004