It is an age-old truth that "money makes the world go round", yet people ignore the economic forces which shape their lives and as a result they misunderstand economics. In his lecture on “The Primate Toolbox and the Modern World”, Professor David Leiser from Ben Gurion University of the Negev will talk about economics, constraints of human cognition and the reason why people misunderstand economics.
The lecture, organized by SWPS University's Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program is a part of the series The Challenges of the Humanities of the 21st Century.
The lecture will be conducted in English. Free admission.
Why do people misunderstand economics? People ignore the economic forces which shape their lives. The policy of central banks, fluctuations in currency exchange rates or the black market economy play fundamental roles in everyone’s lives, and yet few people actually understand them or their consequences.
The mismatch between the complexities of economics and the constraints of human cognition lies at the root of our misconceptions. This is illustrated by ‘natural’ way of thinking about key economic issues, including: inflation, pensions, taxation, globalisation and financial crises. Our thinking is often driven by ideas of conspiracy, morality and false causality.
How we misunderstand economics and why it matters explains why our cognitive styles and habits are so unsuited to fully understanding important economics forces, and what this means for the way we conceive the world around us.
Speaker
David Leiser – Professor at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. President of Economic Psychology Chapter, International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP). He specializes in Economic Psychology, Decision Making, and Medical Psychology. His researcher focus is on investigating how lay people understand economic issues and phenomena in micro– and macro-economics. He held visiting positions at Yale University, University of Chicago, Max Planck Institute—Nijmegen, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Paris V, Paris VI, and the University of Western Brittany (UBO).
The complex nature of economic forces that impact our lives on daily basis are difficult to understand for an average person. Professor David Leiser, a renowned expert in Econmic Psychology, will share with us the results of his research that provides scientific information on constraints of human cognition and the reason why people misunderstand economics.
Izabela Grabowska, Associate Professor, Director of Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program
“The Challenges of Humanities of the 21st Century” is a series of lectures by distinguished specialists, who represent various disciplines from the field of humanities. The events are aimed at students of SWPS University's Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program, however all interested parties are welcome. The format includes post-lecture informal discussions on topics presented by the invited experts. The friendly atmosphere of the events is conducive to networking, which lends itself to opportunities of future internships at universities or research centers around the world.
Doctoral Studies at SWPS University are directed to people interested in an academic career and also to those, who would like to continue their education and personal development in support of their career advancement. The interdisciplinary character of our programs allows students to participate in projects from various disciplines. Our doctoral students collaborate with scholars from the best research centers in Poland and around the world. The master-apprentice approach guarantees that each student receives individual attention and professional support.