Neuroscience and Economic Decision-Making

The study of decision-making has a long tradition, particularly in economics, where the choices of economic agents have been analyzed with the aid of a number of methodologies and theoretical models. Many academic researchers and much empirical evidence show how individuals are inclined to make mistakes when making decisions; moreover, people do not have stable preferences, but make choices that are influenced by their feelings and the context in which subjects are asked to make a decision. Nowadays neuroscientific methodologies help to explain these anomalies, highlighting how individuals' brains and bodies react to different stimuli and events. In-depth knowledge of these foundations is then crucial for making informed decisions and therefore better choices, which are consistent with people's needs and expectations. The course is structured in two main parts, where the first one introduces the concepts through a more theoretical lenses, while the second part puts into practice what students have previously learnt in class, so to meet the needs of different types of participants, including students taking the course for undergraduate or graduate credit, and corporate managers or other professionals enrolling as noncredit students.