Professor:John Dennis - Ph.D.
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This is most recent syllabus. Your final syllabus will be given during your first day of class
Note: This course was formerly PYIR 450.
Course Description
Psychologists and economists have joined forces in the last three to four decades in order to study how people behave, think and feel. This research, which has been given the name ‘behavioral economics’ or ‘behavioral science’, has provided an understanding of how people’s behaviors, thoughts, and feelings deviate from the “optimal” and the consequences of such deviations. This course is devoted to understanding the nature, causes, implications, and applications of these deviations and how they can inform the design and development of interventions to help people do, think, and feel better.
Qualitative Community Research Project Description
You will collaborate with community partners using field research methods to understand and evaluate an area in need of improvement and test possible solutions for that area. At the end of the semester, you will present your project to the Umbra community.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you will have:
- a heightened awareness of cultural differences;
- learned the value of productive generosity;
- gained new knowledge of aligned fields like psychology, philosophy, linguistics, decision-making, and marketing;
- taken initiative to develop a set of collaborative research projects with community partners;
- integrated theory with practice, appreciating how research can help us understand and influence people’s lives; and
- gained career relevant experiences in research, collaborative work, and community engagement.
Course Materials
Mandatory course reader