All organizations, be they business, educational, or government, are social systems. People run them, and the functioning of an organization depends upon how people work or behave. Human behavior in organizations often feels unpredictable because it arises from people’s deep-seated needs and value systems, often unknown to the manager and organizational designer. However, it can be partially understood through behavioral science. By increasing our understanding and skills so that human relations at work can be enhanced and intelligent organizations are tailored around them.

This course aims to give an intensive introduction to the field of judgment and decision-making. Students will learn about the cognitive and social psychological underpinnings of individual and collective human decision-making. Standard assumptions of rationality will be contrasted with empirical evidence and psychological theories of actual behavior. 

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Understand the key theories and principles of decision-making, including standard economic models and behavioral decision theory.
2. Analyze the factors influencing individual decision-making processes, such as risk perception, decision framing, and the role of emotions.
3. Understand the social context of decision-making processes, including social perception processes, group dynamics, and the role of fairness in negotiations.
4. Identify common decision-making blind spots and biases and their impact on judgment and decision-making.
5. Apply debiasing techniques to improve decision-making processes and outcomes in organizational settings.

No pre-requisites

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