University General Course Catalog 2021-2022 
    
    Apr 18, 2024  
University General Course Catalog 2021-2022 ARCHIVED CATALOG: LINKS AND CONTENT ARE OUT OF DATE. CHECK WITH YOUR ADVISOR.

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ECON 427 - Behavioral Economics and Finance

(3 units)
This course examines the history, ideas, and applications of Behavioral Economics and Finance. It examines the heuristics and biases of decision making at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic levels.

Maximum units a student may earn: 3

Prerequisite(s):ECON 102 ; ECON 103  or ECON 100 .

Grading Basis: Graded
Units of Lecture: 3
Offered: Every Spring

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. identify key ideas in the history of Behavioral Economics and Behavioral Finance.
2. identify the mental shortcuts that humans, in general, and market participants, in particular, typically rely upon.
3. demonstrate understanding that mental shortcuts, also called heuristics, are used because they are ecologically rational (i.e, frugal and useful, on average, in a given environment) even if they are not generally valid across all environments.
4. distinguish the concept of (generic) rationality from environment-specific rationality (or ecological rationality).
5. recognize the downsides of applying ecological rationality.
6. recognize behavioral and cognitive biases that arise as a consequence of the application of mental shortcuts.
7. connect the presence of behavioral and cognitive biases with the existence of financial crises.


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