Course # 31941 Section Number 1 Day(s) Tu- Th Time(s) 9:30am-10:50am Term Spring 2025 Course Instructor Kim Wolske Syllabus Syllabus 2/26/25 Many policies are aimed at influencing people's behavior. The most well-intentioned policies can fail, however, if they are not designed to be compatible with the way people actually think and make decisions. This course will draw from the fields of cognitive, social, and environmental psychology to (1) examine the ways in which human behavior deviates from the standard rational actor model typically assumed by economics, and (2) provide strategies for improving the design, implementation, and evaluation of public-facing policies. The basic premise of this course is that a foundational understanding of human behavior can lead not only to more effective policies, but enhanced decision-making and well-being. This course was previously titled Psychology for Policy Designers. Quarter Title Instructor Day(s) Time(s) Syllabus Spring 2025 Behavioral Science and Public Policy Kim Wolske Tuesday, Thursday 9:30am-10:50am Syllabus Spring 2025 Behavioral Science and Public Policy Kim Wolske Tuesday, Thursday 11:00am-12:20pm Syllabus Recent News More news Alumni Profile: Ricardo Sande, MPP’23 Tue., May 06, 2025 New Research Shows 60% of Historic Homelessness Increase Prompted by Immigration Policy Tue., May 06, 2025 Oeindrila Dube, Other Faculty with Harris Ties Appointed to Anthropic Economic Advisory Council to Examine AI’s Evolving Role in Global Economy Tue., May 06, 2025 Upcoming Events More events Get to Know Harris! A Virtual Information Session Wed., May 07, 2025 | 12:00 PM Policy Research and Innovation Bootcamp (PRIB) Policy Hackathon Challenge Deep Dive Thu., May 08, 2025 | 7:30 PM DPSS Capstone Deepdive and TA Roundtable (in Chinese) Mon., May 12, 2025 | 7:00 AM
February 17, 2025 Assistant Professor Eduardo Montero Explores Results of Chagas Disease Campaign in Brazil in New Working Paper