Introduction to Neuroeconomics - Fusing Psychology with Economics

This autumn I have been given lots of practice interviews with and helping to support the reading of students interested in reading Economics at many UK and US universities, but also those keen to explore degrees including Human Sciences and Psychology. I have no background in the sciences but it has been fascinating to find out more as an interested lay person. Some of this has happened at the superb lectures and discussions at the RSA whose Social Brain Project is well worth following. Just recently I went to hear Andrew Oswald talk about the psychology of herd behaviour

Neuroeconomics brings together the disciplines of economics, psychology and neuroscience. I have put together a selection of recent articles that seem to me to explain what it might offer and I will happily add more links if colleagues have some other good resources to share.

What is neuroeconomics?
Jonathan Cohen, Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology at the Yale School of Management

This is a really clear introduction to the subject - here is the link

“The problem is that the economic model assumes that we’re one person and that we evolved to deal with the circumstances that we’re in. Those are both bad assumptions.”

There is a related article on behavioural economics from the same edition of the Yale Management Journal - available here

Superb article by Tim Adams in the Observer from June 2011:
“Testosterone and high finance do not mix: so bring on the women”

Where economics meets neuroscience (BBC, 2008)
See also: Business Life: Economics with brains (Tim Harford, October 2008)

The Neuroeconomics Revolution: Robert J. Shiller (Project Syndicate, November 2011)

The Dawn of Neuroeconomics (The Big Think)

Economist (July 2008): Do economists need brains?

You Tube

Institute for New Economic Thinking