Events
5th Tinbergen Institute Conference, 2010
The Nature of Preferences and Decision-Making
September 24-25, Amsterdam
Individual preferences are at the foundation of the economic theory of behavior. They are the corner stones determining individual decision-making. For decades, economists showed only sporadic interest in the origin of preferences, their development and their dynamics. Mainstream economics assumed that preferences are exogenously given. More recently, however, the study of preferences themselves has gained momentum. In addition, the relationship between preferences and the decisions agents make has come under much closer scrutiny than before. Two strands of the literature where these developments are visible are evolutionary game theory and experimental economics.
Evolutionary game theory focuses on theories about the origin of preferences and behavior, and how they develop under selective pressures. A better understanding of these processes can increase our insights into how economic decisions are made. The standard example is that if selection favors altruistic preferences, then this raises doubts about the realism of an assumed selfish homo economicus. Spite, reciprocity, and punishment are also deviations from indifference that some economists are interested in. Finally, understanding why non-standard preferences for taking risks survive evolutionary pressures would help build economic models of behavior under risk.
Experimental Economics aims to detect the preferences and valuations of humans in economic environments and analyze how they affect decision-making in interactive environments or in isolation. Laboratory observations have led to a landslide of models describing (interpersonal) preferences. Moreover, experimental data on choices in risky environments have sparked alternatives to the standard expected utility model of valuation.
The conference aims at bringing together the world’s best researchers from a variety of fields where the nature of preferences and decision-making is a main area of research. These include economists with an interest in evolution and experiments, as well as evolutionary biologists and psychologists. Although the Tinbergen Institute is named after Jan Tinbergen, the conference is meant to be equally inspired by his brother Niko. Our aim is to bring together scholars that pursue research fitting the legacy of these two brothers.
Venue: KNAW
, Het Trippenhuis, Kloveniersburgwal 29, 1011 JV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Local organizer
Matthijs van Veelen
(University of Amsterdam)
Conference Program
Thursday, September 23
| 19:00 | Reception and Dinner |
Friday, September 24
| 09:30 - 10:30 | Colin Camerer (California Institute of Technology) |
| 10:30 - 11:30 | David Levine (UCLA) |
| 11:30 - 12:00 | Coffee break |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | Matthijs van Veelen (University of Amsterdam) |
| 13:15 - 14:15 | Lunch |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Dave Rand (Harvard University) |
| 15:30 - 16:30 | Simon Gachter (University of Nottingham) |
| 16:30 - 17:00 | Coffee Break |
| 17:00 - 18:00 | John Tooby & Leda Cosmides (UCSB) |
| 19:30 - 23:00 | Dinner |
Saturday, September 25
| 09:30 - 10:30 | Martin Nowak (Harvard University) |
| 10:30 - 11:30 | Karl Sigmund (University of Vienna) |
| 11:30 - 12:00 | Coffee break |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | TBA |
| 13:15 - 14:15 | Lunch |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Jorgen Weibull (Stockholm School of Economics) |
| 15:30 - 16:30 | Mark Machina (UCSD) |
| 16:30 - 17:00 | Coffee Break |
| 17:00 - 18:00 | Drew Fudenberg (Harvard University) |
| 20:00 | Dinner |