Behavioural Economics and Public Policy

We welcome suggestions and submissions for the "Behavioural Economics and Public Policy" to be held in ESRI on November 30th. Details of this session below and registration here 

The fifth annual one-day conference on Economics and Psychology will be held on November 30^th2012.

This year's conference is being co-organised by researchers in the ESRI and the UCD Geary Institute and will be held in the ESRI. The purpose of the conference is to strengthen the link between Economics, Psychology and cognate disciplines in Ireland. As with previous conferences, a special theme is the implications of behavioural economics for public policy.

The growing interest in and practical application of behavioural economics across the EU, US and UK increases the importance of Irish public policy makers engaging with this literature and this event will provide an important platform for such engagement.  Previous keynote speakers have included international experts such as Arie Kapteyn (RAND), David Laibson (Harvard) and John O'Doherty (Calttech). Papers from the 2011 session on implications of behavioural economics for public policy in Ireland will be published in a special issue of the Economic and Social Review in November 2012.

The two keynote speakers for this year’s conference are:

Professor Robert Sugden and Dr. David Halpern.

Programme: 

9am - 10.40: Contributed session on behavioural economics  

Michael Dowling (DCU):   "Female Directors and UK Company Acquisitiveness"
Valeria di Cosmo (ESRI): "Estimating the impact of time-of-use pricing on Irish electricity demand"

Richard Roche (NUIM): "Contribution of Neuroscience to Society" 
Denis O’Hora (NUIG): "Cognitive conflict in “Decision Space”: Using Action Dynamics to investigate Decision Making"

BREAK 

11am - 12.30pm: Contributed session on behavioural economics

Brendan Kennely (NUIG): "Assessment systems in economics: A discrete choice experiment"
Michael Daly (Stirling): "Self-Control and Smoking Policy"

David Comerford (Duke and Stirling): "Consumer Sentiment" 

LUNCH 

1.30pm - 2.45pm: Contributed session on behavioural economics

Liam Delaney (Stirling): "Behavioural Economics and Pension Autoenrolment" 

Pete Lunn (ESRI): "Behavioural Economics and Market Failure" 

Keith Walsh (Revenue) "Influencing Taxpayer Behaviour – Applying Behavioural Research in Tax Administration"

BREAK 

3.00pm - 4.00 pm: Keynote session on behavioural economics: I Professor Robert Sugden  

4.00pm - 5.00pm: Keynote session on behavioural economics II: Dr. David Halpern