Behavioural economics research

Overview

Welcome to these notes for the subject Behavioural Economics Research, part of the UTS Master of Behavioural Economics. The subject is taught toward the end of the program and assumes knowledge of behavioural economics concepts and experimental methodologies.

You will learn to find, read and assess research papers in behavioural economics, with a focus on critically evaluating research through the preparation of a replication report. The goal is to build the skills required to assess the robustness and quality of research and the generalisability of behavioural findings to new domains.

On successful completion of this subject, you should be able to:

• Critically read and interpret behavioural economics research
• Examine how theoretical behavioural economics concepts can be tested through experimental work
• Critically analyse the contribution of behavioural economics research papers to the broader literature
• Design a replication of an experimental paper.

Modules

Module 1 – Critical reading

In this module you will read a series of papers in behavioural economics. These readings will teach you to critically read the literature, assess the quality of the research and determine the generalisability of the findings to new domains. From week 5, the class discussion is student led.

Module 2 – Replication reports

In this module you will learn how to prepare a registered replication report. We will work together to develop a replication report. You will then develop a report yourself.