Applied Behavioral Economics for Information Systems

What is commonly called "Behavioral Economics" is one — but only one — important perspective on how information impacts practical aspects of human behavior. There are others, ranging from simple game theory to social influence to incentives and reputation. The goal of this class will be to deploy a relatively few selected and important theories about the relationship between information and behavior, into practical settings — emphasizing the design of experiments that can now be incorporated into many 'applications' in day-to-day life. So called 'smart systems' are not being fully leveraged when we don't build into them testable propositions about how human behavior is and can be modified by what they tell us and do for us. So let's design these experiments into our systems from the ground up! The goal of this class is to develop a practical point of view on how to do that more effectively and with greater impact.

NOTE: In Fall 2011, this course was listed with the title “How Information Would, Should, and Could Change Human Behavior.”

Currently offered as Info 232. Applied Behavioral Economics.