30463 - MIND AND SOCIETY: INTRO TO COGNITIVE SCIENCES
Department of Economics
Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 13
Course Director:
SALVATORE NUNNARI
SALVATORE NUNNARI
Suggested background knowledge
For a fruitful and effective learning experience, students should be comfortable with basic notions of mathematics and statistics for the social sciences (e.g., functions, differential calculus, optimization, linear algebra, probability, random variables), as well as with basic notions of microeconomics (utility functions, consumption decisions, choice under uncertainty, inter-temporal choice, Nash equilibrium).
Mission & Content Summary
MISSION
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligence, embracing philosophy, psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, linguistics, and anthropology. This course integrates insights from cognitive science into models of economic behavior. It discusses the limitations of standard economic models and surveys the ways in which laboratory experiments have been used to learn about cognition, preferences, and behavior. The first part of the course provides an introduction to major themes in cognitive science, with emphasis on the information-processing mechanisms of the mind. The remainder of the course presents experimental evidence on behavior which is puzzling from the perspective of standard microeconomic theories, and explores how psychology and neuroscience can help us to build richer, more realistic models of economic decision making.
CONTENT SUMMARY
- Introduction to Behavioral Economics and Neuroscience
- Choice under Certainty
- Judgment under Uncertainty
- Choice under Risk and Uncertainty
- Choice over Time
- Strategic Interaction
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
- Describe well established theories in cognitive science.
- Recognize the complexity of cognitive processes underlying decision-making.
- Summarize major findings on decision making from experimental economics.
- Identify strengths as well as limitations of standard microeconomic theories.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
- Connect research and theories of cognition and behavior from diverse fields of the social sciences, including psychology, neuroscience, and economics.
- Develop novel theories of economic decision-making which take into account the biological and neuroscientific foundations of cognition.
- Apply research in cognitive science and behavioral economics to everyday events and challenges.
Teaching methods
- Lectures
- Interaction/Gamification
DETAILS
Interactive class activities include participation in classroom experiments where students will be engaged in the judgment and decision-making tasks and in the economic games from the research studies we discuss in the lectures.
Assessment methods
| Continuous assessment | Partial exams | General exam | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
x | x |
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The final grade is based on written individual exams. The exams assess knowledge and understanding of the topics covered in the compulsory readings and lecture notes.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The written exam accounts for 100% of the final grade. The exams assess knowledge and understanding of the topics covered in the compulsory readings. The list of compulsory readings for non-attending students differs from that of attending students to compensate for the absence of lectures.
Teaching materials
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials are announced before the start of the course and indicated or uploaded to the Blackboard platform.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials are announced before the start of the course and indicated or uploaded to the Blackboard platform.
Last change 11/11/2025 21:47