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Discussion 2 of 3: No spooky action at a distance - a theory of reward
Part 2 in a short series of posts. Part 1 and part 3 are also available.One of the most powerful ideas in physics is the principle of locality. This principle insists that objects can only be...
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How does it feel to be part of Europe?
I had this piece drafted before the murder of Jo Cox last week. But I donât think it changes anything I was going to say. It simply makes it more urgent to say it.May I introduce you to my two lovely...
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Discussion 3 of 3: Lassie died one night
The much-delayed final episode in a short series of posts - part 1 and part 2 here.Lassie died one night.As Thomas Schelling* pointed out in a thought-provoking 1982 essay, millions of people watched...
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The gender pay gap on Euristica: an imaginary island
I recently gave a talk at TEDxCoventGardenWomen about an economic agent-based modelling system I have built (readers of Thomas Schelling may see some influence). In the talk I use this system to...
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The amoeba and the squirrel
[An essay written for the Internet Review, a one-off maybe-to-become-annual publication documenting (and celebrating?) Internet trends]Every human has two minds: one like an amoeba and one like a...
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A program for cognitive economics
Iâm visiting the American Economics Association conference in Philadelphia this weekend and looking forward to catching up with the latest in theoretical and empirical research. Behavioural economics...
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Book review: The Choice Factory by Richard Shotton
There are few truly universal books on behavioural science: like most of the others, this one has a particular reader in mind. Richard's reader works in advertising, and it must be a rare advertising...
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Introducing System 3: How we use our imagination to make choices
In recent years weâve become used to thinking about decisions as âsystem 1â or âsystem 2â. System 1 choices are automatic decisions, made without thinking, based on an immediate emotional or...
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Neuroscience, psychology and economics: the evidence for System 3 (long)
In my last post I outlined the concept of System 3, what it is and why it matters. In short, System 3 is the mental ability to imagine the future and evaluate how happy you will be in it â based on...
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Rebuilding macroeconomics
Spending today and tomorrow attending the Rebuilding Macroeconomics conference at the Treasury.The programme looks very interesting - highlights include:Ekaterina Svetlova's opening talk on "Imagining...
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A new team member and new plans
Hello, today itâs not Leigh posting, but me, Tara, his new colleague! Iâve recently started working for Inon and with Leigh on his cognitive economics work. Iâll be writing content on cognitive...
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“Mysterious psycho-logic”, the “Nudge Unit” and...
âMysterious psycho-logicâ, the âNudge Unitâ and irrational humans - Leigh explores cognitive and behavioural economics and science with Rory Sutherland on BBC Radio 4âs show Thought Cages...
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What people want, cognitive goods, models of persuasion and why we avoid...
For the first time, there will be a session on Cognitive Economics at the American Economic Associationâs conference. The conference, in association with the ASSA, is taking place from Friday 4...
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Three systems: a mechanism for mental and social narrative
Alex Rosenberg says here that we are instinctively driven by stories, narrative and theory of mind - a very useful instinct on the small scale - although that instinct can be misleading on the larger...
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Reporting back: the Cognitive Economics session at the AEA conference
[Tara posting today]We had a great response to our Cognitive Economics session at the American Economic Associationâs conference a few weeks ago.For those who werenât there, hereâs a quick...
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What makes a useful theory?
If conventional economic theory is so wrong (as we are repeatedly told) why does it survive so well?This post by UnlearningEcon prompted me to think again about why economics, despite widely accepted...
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Why endings matter [spoiler-free Game of Thrones references]
It probably has not escaped your notice that the Game of Thrones TV series finished this week. If you use social media at all, I suspect you also saw some anguished squawks about how awful the ending...
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What is cognitive economics?
What's happening inside your head right now? What thoughts, feelings, ideas are spinning around in there? Are they important to you? If you were not able to think those thoughts, would you care? How...
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From Behavioral to Cognitive Pricing
Below is an article by Leigh published in INsights magazine. The magazine published by the Neuromarketing Science & Business Association. See the article in its full glory here or just the text...
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Book review: Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland
Rory Sutherland's new book Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas that Don't Make Sense continues his 10-year campaign against the traditional, logical pursuit of business advantage, through a...
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