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Behavioural Economics: A Very Short Introduction

Author

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  • Baddeley, Michelle

    (Professor in Economics and Finance of the Built Environment, University College London)

Abstract

Traditionally economists have based their economic predictions on the assumption that humans are super-rational creatures, using the information we are given efficiently and generally making selfish decisions that work well for us as individuals. Economists also assume that we're doing the very best we can possibly do - not only for today, but over our whole lifetimes too. But increasingly the study of behavioural economics is revealing that our lives are not that simple. Instead, our decisions are complicated by our own psychology. Each of us makes mistakes every day. We don't always know what's best for us and, even if we do, we might not have the self-control to deliver on our best intentions. We struggle to stay on diets, to get enough exercise and to manage our money. We misjudge risky situations. We are prone to herding: sometimes peer pressure leads us blindly to copy others around us; other times copying others helps us to learn quickly about new, unfamiliar situations. This Very Short Introduction explores the reasons why we make irrational decisions; how we decide quickly; why we make mistakes in risky situations; our tendency to procrastination; and how we are affected by social influences, personality, mood and emotions. The implications of understanding the rationale for our own financial behaviour are huge. Behavioural economics could help policy-makers to understand the people behind their policies, enabling them to design more effective policies, while at the same time we could find ourselves assaulted by increasingly savvy marketing. Michelle Baddeley concludes by looking forward, to see what the future of behavioural economics holds for us. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Suggested Citation

  • Baddeley, Michelle, 2017. "Behavioural Economics: A Very Short Introduction," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198754992.
  • Handle: RePEc:oxp:obooks:9780198754992
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    Cited by:

    1. John Davis & Theodore Koutsobinas, 2021. "Attribute substitution, counterfactual thinking, and heterodox economics," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 5(S3), pages 45-54, October.
    2. Michelle Baddeley, 2019. "The Unfolding Landscape of Behavioral Economics: from the past to the future," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 3(1), pages 5-11, March.
    3. Michelle Baddeley, 2020. "Hoarding in the age of COVID-19," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 4(S), pages 69-75, June.
    4. Obregón, Carlos, 2018. "Beyond behavioral economics: who is the economic man," MPRA Paper 89653, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Larissa Batrancea, 2021. "Empirical Evidence Regarding the Impact of Economic Growth and Inflation on Economic Sentiment and Household Consumption," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, July.
    6. Michelle Baddeley, 2017. "Keynes’ psychology and behavioural macroeconomics: Theory and policy," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 28(2), pages 177-196, June.
    7. Riedl, Anna & Vervaeke, John, 2022. "Rationality and Relevance Realization," OSF Preprints vymwu, Center for Open Science.

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