Information Of Programmes

FACULTY OF ECONOMICS & ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES / IR344 - INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Code: IR344

Course Title: BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS

Theoretical+Practice: 3+0

ECTS: 5

Year/Semester of Study

3 / Spring Semester

Level of Course

1st Cycle Degree Programme

Type of Course

Optional

Department

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Pre-requisities and Co-requisites

None

Mode of Delivery

Face to Face

Teaching Period

14 Weeks

Name of Lecturer

İSMİHAN TOPDAĞ (ismihantopdag@nevsehir.edu.tr)

Name of Lecturer(s)

Language of Instruction

English

Work Placement(s)

None

Objectives of the Course

Behavioural economics knowledge acquisition

Learning Outcomes		PO	MME
The students who succeeded in this course:
LO-1	Understand key differences between traditional and behavioral economics.	PO-19 To teach the fundamentals of the theory of finance and the main approaches and to gain the necessary basic knowledge to evaluate the developments and problems in the field of finance.	Examination
LO-2	Analyze how psychological biases affect individual and market decisions.	PO-14 Uses computer technologies in solving problems related to the field.	Examination
LO-3	Critically assess economic models that incorporate human irrationality.	PO-13 Has the competence to evaluate and apply the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired during the education process in business life.	Examination
PO: Programme Outcomes MME:Method of measurement & Evaluation

Course Contents
Behavioral Economics is an interdisciplinary field combining insights from psychology, neuroscience, and traditional economics to better understand human decision-making. Unlike classical economic theories that assume individuals are fully rational, this course explores how psychological biases, heuristics, emotions, and social influences shape economic behavior. Topics include bounded rationality, prospect theory, loss aversion, mental accounting, and the impact of nudges on consumer and policy decisions.
Weekly Course Content
Week	Subject	Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
1	Differences between classical and behavioral economics	Oral Expression
2	Limits of human decision-making, Herbert Simon’s theory	Oral Expression
3	Common cognitive shortcuts and their economic effects	Oral Expression
4	Kahneman & Tversky’s model, risk preferences, and loss aversion	Oral Expression
5	How people categorize and treat money differently	Oral Expression
6	Hyperbolic discounting, self-control problems	Oral Expression
7	Altruism, reciprocity, and inequality aversion	Oral Expression
8	mid-term exam
9	How small changes influence decisions (Thaler & Sunstein)	Oral Expression
10	Investor biases, stock market anomalies	Oral Expression
11	Role of emotions in economic choices	Oral Expression
12	How governments use behavioral economics	Oral Expression
13	Designing and interpreting behavioral experiments	Oral Expression
14	Limits and criticisms of behavioral interventions	Oral Expression
15	Overall evaluation and project presentations	Oral Expression
16	final exam
Recommend Course Book / Supplementary Book/Reading
1	"Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" – Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein
2	"Predictably Irrational" – Dan Ariely
3	Academic Articles & Case Studies on Behavioral Economics
Required Course instruments and materials
"Thinking, Fast and Slow" – Daniel Kahneman "Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics" – Richard Thaler

Assessment Methods
Type of Assessment	Week	Hours	Weight(%)
mid-term exam	8	1	40
Other assessment methods
1.Oral Examination
2.Quiz
3.Laboratory exam
4.Presentation
5.Report
6.Workshop
7.Performance Project
8.Term Paper
9.Project
final exam	16	1	60

Student Work Load
Type of Work	Weekly Hours	Number of Weeks	Work Load
Weekly Course Hours (Theoretical+Practice)	3	14	42
Outside Class
a) Reading	3	7	21
b) Search in internet/Library	3	10	30
c) Performance Project	0	0	0
d) Prepare a workshop/Presentation/Report	0	0	0
e) Term paper/Project	0	0	0
Oral Examination	0	0	0
Quiz	0	0	0
Laboratory exam	0	0	0
Own study for mid-term exam	5	5	25
mid-term exam	1	1	1
Own study for final exam	6	5	30
final exam	1	1	1
			0
			0
Total work load;			150