PSYC 309-01, Human Judgement and Decision-Making, Fall 2004

Abstract

You will study how people make personality judgments about themselves and others; how people attribute causation to human behavior; and how people make estimates and best guesses about uncertain outcomes. The layperson's intuitions and judgments will be contrasted with normative standards established by scientists, mathematicians, and philosophers. You will learn about 6 classic decision-making paradoxes, and you can participate in 6 class demonstrations where you can earn money (max $30) as well as lose money (max $9) by exercising good/bad judgment. The course goals are to 1) make you aware of the errors and biases inherent in your judgments about self and others, and 2) to become a more sensitive and perhaps accurate perceiver and analyzer of human behavior. You should finish the course with an appreciation of J.S. Mill's statement, "The logic of science is also that of business and life" and with a realization that the maxim, "Know thyself," may be impossible to achieve.