Behavioral economics of beliefs and misperceptions — field experiments, registers, and surveys

The course will focus on the study of beliefs, perceptions, and information, and how these factors influence economic behavior. There will be a specific emphasis on methods that combine experiments, register data, and survey data.

​The course includes both online lectures and two in-person sessions in Helsinki and Lund. The first in-person (hybrid) lectures will take place in Helsinki (Finland) on September 9, right after the ESA 2024 European Meeting (https://www.economicscience.org/) and the final in-person (hybrid) session will consist of one day in Lund (Sweden) on November 21, right before a workshop of Copenhagen Network of Experimental Economists workshop. Participants are required to attend at least one of these in-person events (and follow the other one online or in-person). 

Between the two in-person events, there is a series of online lectures with a focus on methods and practical skills. They will cover i) how to utilize and measure perceptions, beliefs and information in empirical research; ii) integration of experimental, survey and registry data; iii) open science practices including pre-registration. 

The examination will consist of one smaller method-related assignment and a final assignment which will ask participants to present a research idea on a topic relating to the course materials and methods. 

The course is 5 ECTS.

The course is generously sponsored by Handelsbankens forskningsstiftelser. 

General Overview

Participants: PhD students of Helsinki GSE, Lund University, other Nordic universities and the ESA community outside the Nordics. Each student must pay their own travel and accommodation (to/in Helsinki and/or Lund).

Contact: behavioralcourse@nek.lu.se.

Organizers: Organizers: Topi Miettinen (topi.miettinen@hanken.fi), Roel van Veldhuizen (roel.van_veldhuizen@nek.lu.se), and Erik Wengström (erik.wengstrom@nek.lu.se).